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[LEFT Marriott; to become Rosewood] Blue Palace, Crete, Greece [Master Thread]

Old Sep 21, 2014, 10:38 am
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[LEFT Marriott; to become Rosewood] Blue Palace, Crete, Greece [Master Thread]

Old Jul 13, 2014, 11:23 am
  #241  
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Just had a long weekend at the Blue Palace. It's a nice hotel, but I think it's a bit over-sold by the photos and somewhat overpriced.

I booked a bungalow with pool and was upgraded to a heated pool which I didn't know was a separate category, but was a semi-private pool area and much nicer than the "row pools" which most of the bungalows appeared to be.

Service was friendly, but a bit Greek. Our forums friends on the Luxury forum would have been aghast at some of the little things that were missing. Personally I found them more amusing than anything else, but at 500EUR+ a night rates, it felt a bit inappropriate:
- As a Plat I got a free buffet breakfast or continental breakfast in the room. I was told at reception that the buffet was to 10:30 and the room service "Probably until later, you'll have to call room service to find out"
- I ordered a large bottle of water and an ice tea from the beach bar. With two glasses with ice that made 3 glasses and a bottle. I had to point out that I was going to struggle to take it all back to my sunbed myself
- The dive centre associated with the hotel is somewhat cowboyish. Our Divemaster led a group including a relatively inexperienced Open Water qualified diver to 27 metres (when he was only trained to go 18m). Somewhat unsafe, and the hotel could be looking at associated lawsuits in case anything happens to any overly litiguous American families.

The area around the beach is like a typical resort, but the swimming pool upstairs by the bar is actually quite nice. I used to think those who were calling for it to be made adult-only were being a bit anti-social, but I'm now on their side...
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Old Jul 16, 2014, 1:36 pm
  #242  
 
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Any idea of the costs for diving and if the dives are worth it?


Originally Posted by EuropeanPete
Just had a long weekend at the Blue Palace. It's a nice hotel, but I think it's a bit over-sold by the photos and somewhat overpriced.

I booked a bungalow with pool and was upgraded to a heated pool which I didn't know was a separate category, but was a semi-private pool area and much nicer than the "row pools" which most of the bungalows appeared to be.

Service was friendly, but a bit Greek. Our forums friends on the Luxury forum would have been aghast at some of the little things that were missing. Personally I found them more amusing than anything else, but at 500EUR+ a night rates, it felt a bit inappropriate:
- As a Plat I got a free buffet breakfast or continental breakfast in the room. I was told at reception that the buffet was to 10:30 and the room service "Probably until later, you'll have to call room service to find out"
- I ordered a large bottle of water and an ice tea from the beach bar. With two glasses with ice that made 3 glasses and a bottle. I had to point out that I was going to struggle to take it all back to my sunbed myself
- The dive centre associated with the hotel is somewhat cowboyish. Our Divemaster led a group including a relatively inexperienced Open Water qualified diver to 27 metres (when he was only trained to go 18m). Somewhat unsafe, and the hotel could be looking at associated lawsuits in case anything happens to any overly litiguous American families.

The area around the beach is like a typical resort, but the swimming pool upstairs by the bar is actually quite nice. I used to think those who were calling for it to be made adult-only were being a bit anti-social, but I'm now on their side...
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Old Jul 16, 2014, 2:01 pm
  #243  
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They do single dive boats (~15min each way) which cost 90EUR including all kit, slightly less if you bring your own. I think that's quite good value for European diving.

The diving isn't great as there are not a lot of fish or anything else down there, but the water is nice and clear and the boat out to some of the dive sites is quite picturesque. For a serious diver I'd recommend 1-2 dives, but it's not a proper diving location.
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Old Jul 17, 2014, 12:00 am
  #244  
 
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By the way, reservations for 2015 can now be made online. There's plenty of cash, points, and cash/points options open. If your plans are set and you don't mind prepaid/advanced/non-refundable bookings, you can book the standard bungalow for $220 per night (only $40 more than the c/p option and you save 40,000 points).
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Old Jul 17, 2014, 1:13 pm
  #245  
 
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Just realized we didn't take a single picture of the room but here are some pics of the main pool, bungalow pool and the beach.

Main Pool:



Bungalow Pool:



Beach where we spent the majority of our time:



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Old Jul 17, 2014, 1:26 pm
  #246  
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Nice shots, christianj. Thanks for posting them!
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Old Jul 17, 2014, 1:27 pm
  #247  
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Originally Posted by jibi
By the way, reservations for 2015 can now be made online. There's plenty of cash, points, and cash/points options open. If your plans are set and you don't mind prepaid/advanced/non-refundable bookings, you can book the standard bungalow for $220 per night (only $40 more than the c/p option and you save 40,000 points).
Good catch! Checking a few dates in September 2014 right now, it's about twice that.
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Old Jul 18, 2014, 3:30 pm
  #248  
 
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BP

Thanks for the last few post. Great information
I will be at the BP next month for 5 days.
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Old Jul 19, 2014, 3:31 pm
  #249  
 
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I thought I'd post some reflective thoughts after 8 nights at BP... FWIW we're a late 20's couple that generally enjoys keeping to ourselves on vacation but still appreciates staying in nice places and having simple requests taken care of expeditiously.

RE: The hotel

What we liked:
-The pool suite was a very nice comp upgrade given the occupancy of the hotel (>95% at check out). Quite frankly, we'd have been a bit disappointed with a standard bungalow, so I'm glad we did get the upgrade.

-The hard product of the room is pretty nice. Bathroom is well appointed and the room itself, while small, is more than adequate in a place where you should really only be spending time in your room if you're sick or sunburned.

-We truly did get a solid 9 days of great relaxation in, which is I suppose the best compliment I can pay the hotel.

-Breakfast was pretty good, and complimentary champagne is always a nice touch to a buffet. ^ to Blue Palace for including the full buffet as a platinum benefit, though it is fairly standard outside the US. The only thing really missing from breakfast is any type of "premium" hot option. The only hot options were eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, etc as well as made to order [sweet only] crepes and omelets, which generally didn't have too long of a line.

-Service was efficient (more on service later) and requests to bring things (ice, utensils, wine opener, etc) to the room or room service were all handled within 5-10 min.

The pool by the newer room wing was empty almost all the time. I'd go there if you're looking to relax.

What we didn't like at the hotel:
-The lunch/dinner food options were generally a huge ripoff, and we're glad we didn't eat on site much at all.

-Service was not very warm or in any way pampering. We're generally OK with this, as like I said, we like to be left alone for the most part, but for a "luxury" hotel...

-There was an incident at the spa, which they handled appropriately. Don't really want to say much more about it, but we also visited the Six Senses spa nearby, and it's much much better. I highly recommend skipping the spa and just heading to Six Senses.

-Not a fan of them charging 10 Euros for bicycle rental. Non-motorized stuff is typically free at resorts, and while 10 Euros isn't very much money, it's just the principle of it.

-As has been mentioned, not a huge fan of how the atmosphere at the pool off the lobby is generally ruined by kids yelling and jumping in the pool. That space could be tremendously relaxing as a place to grab a drink and just chill out, but our only attempt to do so was ruined by kids... and we're not curmudgeons about kids at all. It just doesn't make sense when the pool down by the beach is clearly so much better for kids not to force them to use it.


In all, the hotel was great and we wouldn't hesitate to return. I would not really be happy in a bungalow, though, as we did like to spend just about all morning and early afternoon in our room, and that wouldn't have been possible without the pool to cool off.


Recommendations to those going:
1) Eat in Plaka for dinner as opposed to the hotel or Elounda. There's lots of great options and we found that our favorite two were:

-The Carob tree (outdoor space near the eco store) where we could eat 2 courses each including a carafe or two of wine for 25-30 Euro. The service was super friendly, the food was great (though a bit homey if that matters to you), and they always included complimentary fruit and raki for dessert. We ate here 3 or 4 times and it was always fantastic. Lots of folks eating around us speaking Greek, so that was a good sign, too...

-Another one I don't know the name of, but it's all the way at the end by the public beach in Plaka. Not the pirate themed bar, but the restaurant right before that. The seafood was very good and fresh tasting, and prices were also fairly reasonable.

We also found the places in Elounda much cheesier and touristy. We went to "Friends" bar in Elounda to watch the world cup game figuring Elounda would be a bit livelier, but meh.

Ag Nikolaos -- past Elounda -- was much cooler than Elounda. Lots of shops, boutiques, places to eat, etc and much cleaner and less cheap feeling than Elounda.

2) I would hesitate to book a regular bungalow again in July/August when an upgrade is less certain. It seems like the pool bungalow is a standard plat upgrade, which is nice, but unless you plan to spend lots of time outside the hotel, it wouldn't be my first choice of room as a couple looking to relax. Family with kids going to the main pool and beach all day? Sure...

3) I'd base a room request on how you envision where you're going to be most of the day. The funicular is very slow and waiting can be tough. Not only that but at peak times it's packed full, hot and sweaty. So if you're going to want to be on the beach a lot, or walk up to Plaka a lot, I'd try to stay as close as possible to the bottom of the hill so you can just walk. If you want to relax in your room the most or want a quite pool, I'd go with the new wing.

4) Get half bottles of wine and champagne at duty free en route as the fridge is pretty small.

5) If you're renting a car, I'd use the hotel's car service. 90 EUR for a new Mercedes and no cab line was great considering it's a 1 hour drive. He also had wifi hotspot for us, which was nice.

6) The earlier you go to breakfast, the better. Not only is it still tolerable to eat outside, but it gets *slammed* between 945 and 1015.

Any questions feel free to PM...
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Old Jul 19, 2014, 3:50 pm
  #250  
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This is great info, DC777Fan. Thanks for sharing it!
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Old Jul 19, 2014, 5:30 pm
  #251  
 
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Originally Posted by jibi
By the way, reservations for 2015 can now be made online. There's plenty of cash, points, and cash/points options open. If your plans are set and you don't mind prepaid/advanced/non-refundable bookings, you can book the standard bungalow for $220 per night (only $40 more than the c/p option and you save 40,000 points).
What dates were you looking for when getting these rates? I can't seem to find anything under 215€ from May to September.
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Old Jul 20, 2014, 12:43 am
  #252  
 
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Originally Posted by gojko88
What dates were you looking for when getting these rates? I can't seem to find anything under 215€ from May to September.
It is 161€ through May 17 and 190€ through June 17. After that point, it increases quite a bit in a relatively short period of time as it moves into the high season. This is the "Stay-Surf-Savour-Save" promotion and it looks like it must be booked as 3 nights or more to get the pricing.

Last edited by jibi; Jul 20, 2014 at 12:49 am
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Old Jul 20, 2014, 7:14 am
  #253  
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Originally Posted by DC777Fan
Ag Nikolaos -- past Elounda -- was much cooler than Elounda. Lots of shops, boutiques, places to eat, etc and much cleaner and less cheap feeling than Elounda.

.
I couldn't agree with you more. I have never been a fan of Elounda ( readers of TripAdvisor LOVE it) and remember visiting this fishing village in 1970 when there was one restaurant in town!

I like Ag Nikolaos, and have spent a lot of time there, although of late, especially in season, it is overrun with Russian tourists which seem to have proliferated in the last few years in Greece, especially Eastern Crete.
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Old Aug 4, 2014, 5:48 pm
  #254  
 
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Originally Posted by DC777Fan
I thought I'd post some reflective thoughts after 8 nights at BP... FWIW we're a late 20's couple that generally enjoys keeping to ourselves on vacation but still appreciates staying in nice places and having simple requests taken care of expeditiously.

RE: The hotel

What we liked:
-The pool suite was a very nice comp upgrade given the occupancy of the hotel (>95% at check out). Quite frankly, we'd have been a bit disappointed with a standard bungalow, so I'm glad we did get the upgrade.

-The hard product of the room is pretty nice. Bathroom is well appointed and the room itself, while small, is more than adequate in a place where you should really only be spending time in your room if you're sick or sunburned.

-We truly did get a solid 9 days of great relaxation in, which is I suppose the best compliment I can pay the hotel.

-Breakfast was pretty good, and complimentary champagne is always a nice touch to a buffet. ^ to Blue Palace for including the full buffet as a platinum benefit, though it is fairly standard outside the US. The only thing really missing from breakfast is any type of "premium" hot option. The only hot options were eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, etc as well as made to order [sweet only] crepes and omelets, which generally didn't have too long of a line.

-Service was efficient (more on service later) and requests to bring things (ice, utensils, wine opener, etc) to the room or room service were all handled within 5-10 min.

The pool by the newer room wing was empty almost all the time. I'd go there if you're looking to relax.

What we didn't like at the hotel:
-The lunch/dinner food options were generally a huge ripoff, and we're glad we didn't eat on site much at all.

-Service was not very warm or in any way pampering. We're generally OK with this, as like I said, we like to be left alone for the most part, but for a "luxury" hotel...

-There was an incident at the spa, which they handled appropriately. Don't really want to say much more about it, but we also visited the Six Senses spa nearby, and it's much much better. I highly recommend skipping the spa and just heading to Six Senses.

-Not a fan of them charging 10 Euros for bicycle rental. Non-motorized stuff is typically free at resorts, and while 10 Euros isn't very much money, it's just the principle of it.

-As has been mentioned, not a huge fan of how the atmosphere at the pool off the lobby is generally ruined by kids yelling and jumping in the pool. That space could be tremendously relaxing as a place to grab a drink and just chill out, but our only attempt to do so was ruined by kids... and we're not curmudgeons about kids at all. It just doesn't make sense when the pool down by the beach is clearly so much better for kids not to force them to use it.


In all, the hotel was great and we wouldn't hesitate to return. I would not really be happy in a bungalow, though, as we did like to spend just about all morning and early afternoon in our room, and that wouldn't have been possible without the pool to cool off.


Recommendations to those going:
1) Eat in Plaka for dinner as opposed to the hotel or Elounda. There's lots of great options and we found that our favorite two were:

-The Carob tree (outdoor space near the eco store) where we could eat 2 courses each including a carafe or two of wine for 25-30 Euro. The service was super friendly, the food was great (though a bit homey if that matters to you), and they always included complimentary fruit and raki for dessert. We ate here 3 or 4 times and it was always fantastic. Lots of folks eating around us speaking Greek, so that was a good sign, too...

-Another one I don't know the name of, but it's all the way at the end by the public beach in Plaka. Not the pirate themed bar, but the restaurant right before that. The seafood was very good and fresh tasting, and prices were also fairly reasonable.

We also found the places in Elounda much cheesier and touristy. We went to "Friends" bar in Elounda to watch the world cup game figuring Elounda would be a bit livelier, but meh.

Ag Nikolaos -- past Elounda -- was much cooler than Elounda. Lots of shops, boutiques, places to eat, etc and much cleaner and less cheap feeling than Elounda.

2) I would hesitate to book a regular bungalow again in July/August when an upgrade is less certain. It seems like the pool bungalow is a standard plat upgrade, which is nice, but unless you plan to spend lots of time outside the hotel, it wouldn't be my first choice of room as a couple looking to relax. Family with kids going to the main pool and beach all day? Sure...

3) I'd base a room request on how you envision where you're going to be most of the day. The funicular is very slow and waiting can be tough. Not only that but at peak times it's packed full, hot and sweaty. So if you're going to want to be on the beach a lot, or walk up to Plaka a lot, I'd try to stay as close as possible to the bottom of the hill so you can just walk. If you want to relax in your room the most or want a quite pool, I'd go with the new wing.

4) Get half bottles of wine and champagne at duty free en route as the fridge is pretty small.

5) If you're renting a car, I'd use the hotel's car service. 90 EUR for a new Mercedes and no cab line was great considering it's a 1 hour drive. He also had wifi hotspot for us, which was nice.

6) The earlier you go to breakfast, the better. Not only is it still tolerable to eat outside, but it gets *slammed* between 945 and 1015.

Any questions feel free to PM...
Thank you very much.
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Old Aug 8, 2014, 1:40 pm
  #255  
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In preparation for our five-day visit to the BP next month, I'm thinking we probably won't need a car since we'll have done our exploring of Crete beforehand. In addition, we might be shifting our Heraklion departing flight from to about 7 a.m., which I realize would make our driving and dropping off a rental car problematic. Does anyone think there would be a problem with our booking the hotel Mercedes or a taxi for departure from the BP very early, in time to catch the 7 a.m. flight?

Thanks for any advice.
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