Jennifer York
Incredible experience! This was an amazing property and the service, along with the amenities were great from start to finish! My husband and I went to Elounda on the third leg of our island hopping honeymoon and we most definitely saved the best for last! We were warmly greeted with drinks and snacks upon arrival as well as a bottle of champagne in our room (as well as the traditional honey and nuts). Every little detail was thought of, down to a heart shaped door mat in front of our room. They also had a private breakfast delivered for us in our room the first morning. We had a private pool and beach access which was WONDERFUL! The view of the sunrise was unforgettable! We also went to the spa and experienced the pool, saunas and steam room (A+ experience). We ate at two of the restaurants (Il borro and Yacht Club) and had room service during our stay. The options were unlimited, but our favorite was Il Boro. The staff there was so accommodating (especially our waiter, who is hospitality at the nearby university!) We also frequented the beach bar quite a bit and Andreas was awesome! The breakfast offerings on the property were also amazing… several traditional Cretan dishes. We were so relaxed by the end of our stay here at Elounda!
David Rossy
Stayed in the Presidential 1 bedroom villa for 3 nights ! Amazing time .. we took a helicopter from Mykonos so we were able to land right at the resorts helipad . They left us a bunch of wine , fruits , cakes and food in our villa waiting for us ! The hidden gem of this suite was the walkway down to a private jetty right on the sea ! Amazing little spot !
We also took out the resorts yacht for a day sail where I proposed to my girlfriend ! They set it up beautifully!
10/10 for style and service !
We did not visit the hotels pool since we had our own private pool and sea access but everything looked beautiful!
D. Bond
We were most disappointed in our first three days' stay.
1. They had a large wedding the day we checked in, the music -was very loud and lasted until 12:10 am the party lasted until well after 1: 30 am. Our ~$1,000 plus a night presidential suite, room #3050 was close to the wedding so no sleep. I called and they said the music was to stop at midnight, the party yelling/screaming lasted past 1:30 am.
2. Room service. We ordered an omelet and other cold items on day one. The fruit plate was not eatable, the fruit was so hard we could not eat it, and the omelet was cold. Breakfast to me is a sign of the food to come and it was terrible. We ate at 6 different local restaurants all gave fruit at the end of the meal; it was local and delicious.
3. We had no body wash soap in our bathroom; the container was empty and took two days to refill.
4. The 2 sunbeds had worn cushions and one at the base had a large piece of granite unattached that I almost cut my leg on.
5. We requested two chaise longues vs. a day bed as flat and had no headrest, very uncomfortable, it took 2 days to get as well as 2 days to get an umbrella.
6. No cotton swabs in the bathroom.
7. No corkscrew in the room? I had to call. The person who brought it intimated they do not provide it unless asked as they want you to buy wine from them, we bought several bottles at the local store at a 1/3 of the price and it's our room so why pay $65 when you can drink wine in your room for $20!
8. Our lovely pool was dirty and had not been cleaned before our arrival. A large piece of trash and other dirt was floating on it.
9. You only get 4 bottles of water daily, each about 16 oz. rest are billable. At the Electra, we got over 2 quarts a day in a paper carton for free in Athens.
10. The surrounding landscaping had no mulch, was full of weeds and our planter box next to the pool was full of red dirt. The doormat out front had debris all around it.
I requested to speak with the manager Sunday and we did, he was shocked to see the granite piece as well as no body wash, the poor room service (food), and the above other items. He was not working the day of the wedding and seemed surprised it lasted well after midnight. He gave us two free massages and sent a bottle of wine to the restaurant we ate at that pm. We never ate at the onsite restaurants as the guest I spoke to said the onsite restaurants were marginal and overpriced. The resort wants you to eat here for all meals. with so many quality places within a short 8-10 min. cab ride why eat here?
The room was lovely, spacious, and well-appointed. What would expect for $1,000 a day. Great location, lots of water sports, and nice staff but the above list is not what you expect at this price point, and is a so-called 5-star resort.
Moshe Cohen
A superb hotel, from the Elounda collection of Maré, Porto and Peninsula. Manolis, the manager and his super friendly team always make us feel great, on arrival and while we stay. The beach area, the restaurants, the attention to all details, are all first class!
A unique experience, from first to last minute.
rand
I am always reluctant to critique a resort or a business as I believe negative criticisms ought be addressed directly to the resort itself. Yet, when it comes to the Elounda peninsula resort, the problems are so intrinsic to their business model, so ingrained in their philosophy that I am left little choice. Additionally, we previously posted on Travelocity about our stay and the hotel responded that we obviously must have stayed at a different hotel. But we did stay at the Elounda Peninsula hotel and not another hotel in Elounda.
Yes, the hotel is situated on a beautiful piece of property and yes access to the sea is well thought out. But
1. Upon entering the lobby which lacks functional air conditioning and was almost 90°, one is greeted with the request for passports and a credit card. Immediately the hotel charges one's credit card for the entire stay. No greeting as to how was your trip, no warmth, nothing but a transactional relationship. Never have I been greeted with the demand for payment in full, not at a single hotel, not at a single location anywhere in the world
2. There is no air conditioning in the breakfast restaurant. Nothing like eating breakfast while perspiring in 90° temperature. There isn't even a fan. All one wants to do is eat as fast as possible and exit for a more appealing location.
3. While each guest is left a beach towel in their room, if one wants a second towel they are told that there is not a sufficient supply.
4. Those guest seeking quiet migrated to the periphery of the property. The Wi-Fi system does not work there. Hard to believe a "five star hotel"cannot get this right.
6. The umbrellas are 5 feet high and fenestrated. We were told by several of the employees that virtually every guess hits their head against these low lying umbrellas, and that several guest have sustained injuries.. Nonetheless, when we visited other hotels far superior umbrellas which do not oppose a threat to one's health exist
7. Even the senior management states that they are aware that systemic problems exist.
As for the minor less systemic issues:
1. The bathroom in our two floor suite was not clean. There was toothpaste at here to the sink and hair in the sink.
2. The supposedly private swimming pool was not private. I refer management to the ERIKOUSSA room room 3153. The barrier between the staircase leading to the beach and the pool was absent, allowing all visitors to look in word.
3. The edge of the private pool was sharp and my son lacerated r his finger. The next day maintenance fortunately repaired the obviously irregular pool edge.
4. The luggage was brought to the living room on the first floor of the suite and left there. It took several phone calls to have the porter bring the suitcase up to the bedroom on the second floor. Additionally one should know that the steps are narrow, and one could easily trip and injure themselves.
5. The restaurant il. BURRO had a 30 minute wait after being seated before anyone came by to take an order. Three requests were made for bread.
6. Yes, we changed rooms to a better suite and thank you but even there the bathroom shower when carefully inspected had black hairs at the periphery.
We were locked in financially as the hotel would not refund any nights. This is their policy and it is stated as such. Perhaps it is their policy because so many guest are unhappy. Perhaps it is their policy is so many people wish to leave early as the hotel does not meet the standards of a five star resort. Perhaps is their policy as they fully understand their shortcomings, but are unwilling or unable to correct their systemic faults. Perhaps is their policy as they more concerned with profit and not as concerned as they ought be with the guest experience. Perhaps if they had functional air conditioning, towels, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, drinks, which could be purchased from a mini bar instead of an empty mini bar, people would not want to leave there is little that they can respond to. Caveat emptor.--buyer beware
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