I thought I posted it in this thread earlier, but I guess I didn't.

Anyhow, thus far, this is my favorite property in SPG chain.

If you are going to drive, I would probably rent/bring a GPS. I downloaded some maps for my garmin, and sided loaded them on an SD card, and it worked great. I probably could have gotten to the hotel on my own from the airport, but it was late at night, and I really didn't want to make any wrong turns. The trip ended up taking about 1.5 hours, most of which was highway. Additionally, if you are planning on going anywhere off the resort, I would definitely use a GPS. We went to Vai Beach, and there is no way that I could have made it there without a GPS.

I was upgraded to an island luxury suite, complete with a heated plunge pool. It was heated, but it really wasn't all that warm. Definitely call the plat line and have them make a note on your reservation that you are going there for your anniversary. In addition to the 'local gift' (and points) we got when I checked in, I was also given a bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries the first night (I went as part of my honeymoon).

Edit: If you are only gold, I wouldn't count on an upgrade. If you are really set on your own private pool, then I would pay for the upgrade, but in mid Sep, there probably won't be ALL that many people there, and there are so many pools (not associated with individual rooms) that I would probably consider it unnecessary. But like you said, it is your 10 yr anniversary.

Your second question, you are never going to make a 9 AM flight out of HER if you leave the hotel at 6. By the time you get to the airport and return the rental car, it is going to be at least 8 AM, and then HER is probably the craziest airport I have ever been to. Could have just been the day I was there, but there was no way I could have made my flight with only an hour.

Its a great spot, make sure that you get a chance to go to Ferryman Tavern in Elounda. That being said, there are a ton of amazing places to eat. The town of Plaka is right next to the resort and has a lot of really cool little eateries/shops. Take the ferry across the bay to Spinalonga Island, a really neat walk and shouldn't take more than 2 hours. I would definitely drive up the coast and hit some of the other beaches as well, they're absolutely beautiful.