Dec 26, 2016, 8:33 am
Last edit by: littlevoices
This is an all suite property. There are about 85 units total including suites, villa and private residence. New villas are planned.
There is no resort fee, no parking or valet fees, and buffet breakfast is included daily regardless of your status with Marriott.
There is no exec lounge for elites.
The resort is located about 8 minute drive North of the town of Elounda. The small town of Plaka is 3-4 minute drive to the North.
The ferry to Spinalonga Island is 10 euro the round trip. The admission to the island is another 8 euro per person.
Haute Living lounge is only available for those who have paid for Villas.
Titanium benefits are generous (as at August 2020):
There is no resort fee, no parking or valet fees, and buffet breakfast is included daily regardless of your status with Marriott.
There is no exec lounge for elites.
The resort is located about 8 minute drive North of the town of Elounda. The small town of Plaka is 3-4 minute drive to the North.
The ferry to Spinalonga Island is 10 euro the round trip. The admission to the island is another 8 euro per person.
Haute Living lounge is only available for those who have paid for Villas.
Titanium benefits are generous (as at August 2020):
- Complimentary Breakfast in our Restaurant (Tholos) throughout your stay (When booking on redemption stay)
- One Complimentary Dinner in our Restaurant (Blend or their choice on check-in), drinks excluded
- Spa thermae Facilities (per Adult, per stay - was a 20 minute back massage)
- VIP Check-in over a signature aperitif overlooking the famous UNESCO protected islet of Spinalonga
- 1000 bonus points (in addition to any normal bonus), posts about 5-7 days later
Domes of Elounda, Autograph Collection - Crete, Greece [Master Thread]
Jun 25, 2018, 8:13 pm
#106
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 222
As someone who is staying here right now I can agree with everything you said except on thing: there is made to order food at breakfast. Where you pickup the waffles, crepes, eggs, etc there is a chef who is cooking on a flat top and will make almost anything you want to order. I had an omelette yesterday with all the fixings and it was fantastic. He will also make you a fresh waffle or crepe if you wish and eggs any way you wish. Maybe you missed that? I can't see that being a new thing in the last few weeks.
Other than that, you nailed it. Staff are awesome, two great cities around for food in the evenings, we have only done Elounda right now and we love it. Eaten at 2 different restaurant and cost about 20EUR for two adults and two toddlers to eat so it's very reasonable. We haven't done Plaka yet but will check it out tonight. There are also plenty of beaches ranging frm 20-60min drive off the resort if you wish, though the beach at the resort is great.
I am Marriott Plat and did receive an upgrade (emailed ahead of time inquiring) and we ended up with the only suite (#411) with a jacuzzi hot tub on the balcony and a private pool with our own little yard/grassy area. Needless to say, we're very happy with our stay so far and we have 2 days left. This is one of the highest cpp redemptions we've ever had, probably the highest actually as nights are about $750-1,000 right now. They also gave us complimentary spa access for 4 which they said was "for Platinum Members". We haven't redeemed them yet but will report back when we go.
Other than that, you nailed it. Staff are awesome, two great cities around for food in the evenings, we have only done Elounda right now and we love it. Eaten at 2 different restaurant and cost about 20EUR for two adults and two toddlers to eat so it's very reasonable. We haven't done Plaka yet but will check it out tonight. There are also plenty of beaches ranging frm 20-60min drive off the resort if you wish, though the beach at the resort is great.
I am Marriott Plat and did receive an upgrade (emailed ahead of time inquiring) and we ended up with the only suite (#411) with a jacuzzi hot tub on the balcony and a private pool with our own little yard/grassy area. Needless to say, we're very happy with our stay so far and we have 2 days left. This is one of the highest cpp redemptions we've ever had, probably the highest actually as nights are about $750-1,000 right now. They also gave us complimentary spa access for 4 which they said was "for Platinum Members". We haven't redeemed them yet but will report back when we go.
Just back from a couple of weeks in Greece that included 5 nights at Domes of Elounda and 6 nights at Westin Costa Navarino (see review in SPG forum).
Arrival
We rented a car from Sixt at the airport and it was an easy drive to the hotel...almost exactly one hour on great roads. This place has arrival and departure down to a science. Upon arrival at the hotel, the parking lot attendants took our names and car keys and we were escorted to the lobby bar for a welcome drink and registration. We were then whisked to our room where our luggage had already been delivered. On departure, we were picked up and taken to the lobby for checkout and our bags loaded into our car. We were on an award stay and breakfast was included as I believe it is for all guests. For our amenity, we were given a choice of drinks and snacks. We chose a bottle of wine and fruit platter, which turned out to be pretty substantial. We chose the date and time for delivery to our room and they arrived exactly when we said. We also had a welcome plate of sweets and a bottle of wine waiting in our room.
Room
No room upgrade, but the room was nice...essentially a traditional suite layout with a large porch and a hot tub with sea views. Two bench-style sofas in the living room, one of which had been made into a bed for our daughter. Nice powerful shower, though a little dark with dim light and black tile. Round whirlpool bathtub was a little weird and probably would have looked good in the Poconos. I just used it for laundry...
The Resort
It’s very hilly and spread out and feels very much like two separate resorts. The map provided in the room is essentially worthless so it was hard to know where stuff was. Staff are always out and about in golf carts giving rides so we utilized that to familiarize ourselves with he resort. We normally prefer to walk everywhere, but ended up utilizing the carts when we were too hot or tired. The lobby pool is adults only. The kids club and family pool are on the opposite side of the resort, but the pool is fairly deep for a family pool (~50 inches) and has the look and vibe of an adults only resort. The few times we were over there, it was pretty empty. It seemed most families were at the beach (or had their own villa pool, which we didn’t). Overall, it seems like the resort does a nice job catering to both couples and families as many places had designated “quiet areas.” Most families during our visit had young kids as I imagine school was still in session for many kids. From what we saw, it seemed like most guests were European (mostly British or Russian, some German) with some Americans mixed in.
The Beach
We absolutely loved the beach. It’s not what I would call a traditional beach. It’s narrow, terraced, and lined with trees. I fancy myself a shade worshiper so I loved the fact that I could sit under an olive tree while our daughter played in the sand, which was a little coarse, but far nicer than the Blue Palace down the road (rocky). It’s probably one of my favorite beaches I’ve been to. Staff were always eager to offer towels or food/drink service. Views of Spinalonga were great. Still plenty of sunny spots for those who like to bake.
Food
Breakfast was solid. I wouldn’t call it spectacular and they didn’t have anything cooked to order, but we still really enjoyed it. We kept pretty late hours while there, tending to sleep late and be at breakfast near the posted closing time, but they were never in a hurry to shut down and always continued to refresh items even as we were leaving. We had a couple of lunches onsite. They were good and fairly priced for a resort (salads, wraps, sandwiches were about 10 Euros). We generally prefer to dine at local eateries and did so for most lunches and all dinners (more on that below).
Local Area
Plaka was about a 20 minute walk from our room (5 of which was on property). The walk is easy along the highway, though there are a couple of narrow stretches as you approach the Blue Palace that feel a little dicey after dark, especially if a car comes flying around a bend, which they frequently do. I’d recommend a flashlight both to see and be seen. We really liked Plaka and had several meals there. There are several seafood restaurants along the waterfront that all have essentially the same menu. It can be a little uncomfortable strolling the row as each restauranteur tries to outdo the others with promises of a perfect table, fresher seafood, better kid’s menu, etc., but it was all harmless and our meals were all good and reasonably priced. Our better seafood dinner was at Captain Nicolas. The guy there laid it on pretty thick, but we had a fantastic meal with lot’s of complimentary extras. We had meal that included a fish plate for two (sea bream, mullet, sardines, etc.) salad, bread with tomatoes, 2 carafes of house wine, and some pasta for our daughter, dessert for three, and it came to about 55 Euros. For a lower key experience, we liked Carob Tree (one block in from the water). The main area had about half a dozen boutiques with unique crafts, jewelry, etc. at mostly good prices. There are also a couple of small “supermarkets.” One day, we took a boat over to Spinalonga and spent about an hour. They run about every half an hour (10 Euros per adult; 5 Euros for kids). I would definitely recommend the trip.
We drove to Elounda (8-10 minute drive) for dinner one night. It’s not as charming as Plaka, but also has the obligatory row of seafood restaurants with charming/aggressive sales pitches. It was nice to see once, but we preferred Plaka. On our last day, we drove to Agia Nicolaus (20-25 minute drive) for lunch at Taverna Patriko, which we loved. It’s the largest of the three towns...nicer and more picturesque than Elounda in our book. Definitely worth a couple of hours of strolling and a meal. We normally venture out more, but the beach at the resort was so enjoyable, it was hard to leave...
Misc.
The resort had an onsite photography company that photographed some of the events onsite (beach bbq) and also offered portrait sessions/photo shoots. We usually walk right past these places, but prices were competitive compared to what we’d paid for similar services at home and their work looked good so we went for it. Photographer took a few hundred shots over about 35 minutes in 6 or 8 spots on/near the beach. We ended up with a nice collection of 25 family pics in a setting that’s a nice upgrade from the local park back home.
Our daughter made a few visits to the kids club. It’s a nice facility and had ample staff. Everything was free, which was a nice bonus.
Overall
Hard to find much to complain about at this place. An upgrade would have been great, but I didn’t expect one after reading reviews. Plus, I had to keep my Marriott 0-for streak in tact. Domes seemed to hit that sweet spot of nice accommodations on a great beach with spectacular views, yet close to some offsite places so you don’t feel entirely isolated if you don’t want to be. Staff were everywhere and were universally friendly and helpful. We’d highly recommend.
Arrival
We rented a car from Sixt at the airport and it was an easy drive to the hotel...almost exactly one hour on great roads. This place has arrival and departure down to a science. Upon arrival at the hotel, the parking lot attendants took our names and car keys and we were escorted to the lobby bar for a welcome drink and registration. We were then whisked to our room where our luggage had already been delivered. On departure, we were picked up and taken to the lobby for checkout and our bags loaded into our car. We were on an award stay and breakfast was included as I believe it is for all guests. For our amenity, we were given a choice of drinks and snacks. We chose a bottle of wine and fruit platter, which turned out to be pretty substantial. We chose the date and time for delivery to our room and they arrived exactly when we said. We also had a welcome plate of sweets and a bottle of wine waiting in our room.
Room
No room upgrade, but the room was nice...essentially a traditional suite layout with a large porch and a hot tub with sea views. Two bench-style sofas in the living room, one of which had been made into a bed for our daughter. Nice powerful shower, though a little dark with dim light and black tile. Round whirlpool bathtub was a little weird and probably would have looked good in the Poconos. I just used it for laundry...
The Resort
It’s very hilly and spread out and feels very much like two separate resorts. The map provided in the room is essentially worthless so it was hard to know where stuff was. Staff are always out and about in golf carts giving rides so we utilized that to familiarize ourselves with he resort. We normally prefer to walk everywhere, but ended up utilizing the carts when we were too hot or tired. The lobby pool is adults only. The kids club and family pool are on the opposite side of the resort, but the pool is fairly deep for a family pool (~50 inches) and has the look and vibe of an adults only resort. The few times we were over there, it was pretty empty. It seemed most families were at the beach (or had their own villa pool, which we didn’t). Overall, it seems like the resort does a nice job catering to both couples and families as many places had designated “quiet areas.” Most families during our visit had young kids as I imagine school was still in session for many kids. From what we saw, it seemed like most guests were European (mostly British or Russian, some German) with some Americans mixed in.
The Beach
We absolutely loved the beach. It’s not what I would call a traditional beach. It’s narrow, terraced, and lined with trees. I fancy myself a shade worshiper so I loved the fact that I could sit under an olive tree while our daughter played in the sand, which was a little coarse, but far nicer than the Blue Palace down the road (rocky). It’s probably one of my favorite beaches I’ve been to. Staff were always eager to offer towels or food/drink service. Views of Spinalonga were great. Still plenty of sunny spots for those who like to bake.
Food
Breakfast was solid. I wouldn’t call it spectacular and they didn’t have anything cooked to order, but we still really enjoyed it. We kept pretty late hours while there, tending to sleep late and be at breakfast near the posted closing time, but they were never in a hurry to shut down and always continued to refresh items even as we were leaving. We had a couple of lunches onsite. They were good and fairly priced for a resort (salads, wraps, sandwiches were about 10 Euros). We generally prefer to dine at local eateries and did so for most lunches and all dinners (more on that below).
Local Area
Plaka was about a 20 minute walk from our room (5 of which was on property). The walk is easy along the highway, though there are a couple of narrow stretches as you approach the Blue Palace that feel a little dicey after dark, especially if a car comes flying around a bend, which they frequently do. I’d recommend a flashlight both to see and be seen. We really liked Plaka and had several meals there. There are several seafood restaurants along the waterfront that all have essentially the same menu. It can be a little uncomfortable strolling the row as each restauranteur tries to outdo the others with promises of a perfect table, fresher seafood, better kid’s menu, etc., but it was all harmless and our meals were all good and reasonably priced. Our better seafood dinner was at Captain Nicolas. The guy there laid it on pretty thick, but we had a fantastic meal with lot’s of complimentary extras. We had meal that included a fish plate for two (sea bream, mullet, sardines, etc.) salad, bread with tomatoes, 2 carafes of house wine, and some pasta for our daughter, dessert for three, and it came to about 55 Euros. For a lower key experience, we liked Carob Tree (one block in from the water). The main area had about half a dozen boutiques with unique crafts, jewelry, etc. at mostly good prices. There are also a couple of small “supermarkets.” One day, we took a boat over to Spinalonga and spent about an hour. They run about every half an hour (10 Euros per adult; 5 Euros for kids). I would definitely recommend the trip.
We drove to Elounda (8-10 minute drive) for dinner one night. It’s not as charming as Plaka, but also has the obligatory row of seafood restaurants with charming/aggressive sales pitches. It was nice to see once, but we preferred Plaka. On our last day, we drove to Agia Nicolaus (20-25 minute drive) for lunch at Taverna Patriko, which we loved. It’s the largest of the three towns...nicer and more picturesque than Elounda in our book. Definitely worth a couple of hours of strolling and a meal. We normally venture out more, but the beach at the resort was so enjoyable, it was hard to leave...
Misc.
The resort had an onsite photography company that photographed some of the events onsite (beach bbq) and also offered portrait sessions/photo shoots. We usually walk right past these places, but prices were competitive compared to what we’d paid for similar services at home and their work looked good so we went for it. Photographer took a few hundred shots over about 35 minutes in 6 or 8 spots on/near the beach. We ended up with a nice collection of 25 family pics in a setting that’s a nice upgrade from the local park back home.
Our daughter made a few visits to the kids club. It’s a nice facility and had ample staff. Everything was free, which was a nice bonus.
Overall
Hard to find much to complain about at this place. An upgrade would have been great, but I didn’t expect one after reading reviews. Plus, I had to keep my Marriott 0-for streak in tact. Domes seemed to hit that sweet spot of nice accommodations on a great beach with spectacular views, yet close to some offsite places so you don’t feel entirely isolated if you don’t want to be. Staff were everywhere and were universally friendly and helpful. We’d highly recommend.
If you are able to, would you also write up a small TR on your Greece trip in general? Islands went to, stuff you did, car rentals, flights. Anything useful.
Thanks a ton!
Jun 28, 2018, 6:58 am
#107
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: CT/ Germany - Ich spreche deutsch
Programs: UA 1K, Bonvoy LTTE, HH Dia, HY Expl
Posts: 4,657
This is ridiculous! Book quickly! Going from 45k per night to 85k!!!!
HOTELBRANDCOUNTRY/ REGION CURRENT POINTS REQUIRED NEW POINTS REQUIRED POINTS DIFFERENCE NEW AWARD CATEGORY
Domes of Elounda, Autograph CollectionAutograph CollectionGreece 45,000 85,000 40,000 8*
HOTELBRANDCOUNTRY/ REGION CURRENT POINTS REQUIRED NEW POINTS REQUIRED POINTS DIFFERENCE NEW AWARD CATEGORY
Domes of Elounda, Autograph CollectionAutograph CollectionGreece 45,000 85,000 40,000 8*
Last edited by christianj; Jun 28, 2018 at 7:31 am
Jun 28, 2018, 8:15 am
#109
Join Date: Oct 2001
Programs: LTP, PP
Posts: 8,700
And so it begins. Why anyone believed the Marriott BS in April about this being net beneficial for the member is beyond me. The good news is that a FI off an interstate in Iowa dropped by 5000 points to compensate for this, therefore, with Marriott's logic, this is a wash (1 property moved up, one moved down). But we are merely sheep with no alternative but to follow...
Jun 28, 2018, 9:06 am
#110
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: CT/ Germany - Ich spreche deutsch
Programs: UA 1K, Bonvoy LTTE, HH Dia, HY Expl
Posts: 4,657
Jul 9, 2018, 12:29 pm
#111
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: CT/ Germany - Ich spreche deutsch
Programs: UA 1K, Bonvoy LTTE, HH Dia, HY Expl
Posts: 4,657
I wanted to at least post some details of our 5 night stay at the Domes of Elounda. Sadly since we have returned the hotel has been increased dramatically for award redemptions coming in August. I get that the hotel was a good rewards redemption but the increase to between 85-100k per night is pretty ridiculous!
We arrived via a private car transfer that I had reserved directly with the hotel. The check-in is done in the bar area or on the outside patios next to the lobby area. I thought this was a nice touch and definitely gave a much more luxurious impression than any of the other hotels we have stayed at in Greece. We were offered a nice welcome drink and the check-in was processed fairly quickly. As a Marriott Platinum, I had noticed that we were upgraded to a 2 bedroom Residence from the standard award category suite. Luckily the agent that checked us in confirmed this and before long we were seated on a golf cart on our way to our room.
View from the patio next to the lobby where they checked us in. This is also an area that we sat and had drinks prior to dinner.
From what i could tell, all of the one Bedroom Suites (which are the regular award category rooms) and some of the other rooms are located near the reception building and then leading up the hill. Once you get to the top of the hill, you can see the far side of the resort which has the Residences as well as the Villas and a large pool. The building next to that pool is actually a Concierge area for VIP guest..not sure who gets access to it but our key did not work. The building also is where the Italian restaurant and a small store is. Here's a view of the pool at night that I took when we had dinner at the Italian restaurant.
There are basically three lines of residences and each line has approx. 10 residences in it. Each residence has a private outside gate that when opened leads into a small courtyard where you enter your residence. When you step inside you are in the living room area.
Here are some pics of our 2 bedroom Residence with private pool.
To the right of the living room was the second bedroom with a bath.
To the left of the living room was the master bedroom which had the bed situated to get a view of the back patio and pool. The master had a nice bath with shower and tub.
The residences feature a private swimming pool with a nice patio and two lounge areas. The pools for two residences meet at the very end but the areas are very private due to the high walls.
The following picture shows the way the pools connected at the end. It also shows the amazing villas that site on the hilltop that I do not think belong to the property.
IMHO the Residence was nicely furnished. The master bedroom was a little small due to the layout but I get that they wanted to maximize the view of the patio and pool. All the rooms provided adequate storage. There were a total of 3 tv's in the room. Each room had individual AC units as well as ceiling fans. In the living room there was a kitchenette cabinet that had a 2 top burner as well as a dishwasher and a small refrigerator. Glasses, utensils and even some pots were provided in the area.
Restaurants
There are several restaurants on the property. Let me start off by saying that the free Platinum breakfast could be eaten in ANY of the restaurants serving breakfast. Since the Italian restaurant was closest to our room, we always ate breakfast there. I had assume that they might have a limited setup in the Italian restaurant but overall we were very happy with the buffet. I am unsure if the other breakfast options offered anything better than the Italian restaurant since we did not try any of the other options for breakfast.
Restaurant options for dinner where the Italian Restaurant, an Asian inspired place next to the adult pool at the reception area, a buffet restaurant near the reception area (I assume this was the main restaurant for all the russian tourists staying at the resort on a full or partial meal plan), a beach bar restaurant (only open during the day) and a Greek restaurant on the far end of the beach. Worth noting is that the restaurants are NOT all open every night of the week. We found this strange but I assume it's not worth it for them since people go outside of the resort and some are likely on the meal plan so they eat in the buffet restaurant.
Food quality was allround very good! We ate at the Italian restaurant twice. One of the meals was excellent and then had a not so good meal which the hotel staff and managers made a bigger deal out of than we did. (They virtually tripped over themselves apologizing for the issue that night and then the manager actually called us to discuss the next morning. We said all was ok but he really wanted to talk to us to understand what went wrong and then he insisted on covering our meal for us the following night.) We enjoyed our meal at the Asian place but hands down the best meal was at the Greek Taverna restaurant on the far end of the resort beach.
Staff
Hands down some of the best staff of any resort we have stayed at! They might not always be the most polished in service but they try and are super friendly and accommodating! We found this was true for all the staff in general from the guys working the beach to the guys driving the golf carts. Funny but the golf cart guys actually got out of the driver seats of the carts when they pulled up to load passengers and then got back in to drive the carts. Restaurant staff was also super. Only time I was a bit frustrated was with the phone agents who didn't always seem to understand requests.
Pools and Beach
There were two main pools on property one being at the main reception building (this was the adult pool) and one on the far end of the resort near the Italian restaurant which seemed to be the family pool. The beach area was small but nice. There were plenty of lounge chairs and customers staying in the Residence could use the "private" area on the left side of the beach. One thing we noted is that the beach was always very busy around 11 and then cleared out when most of the people that were on the meal plan left around lunch time. Even if you didn't get a perfect spot when you got there early you could move once things cleared out for lunch. There were kids but not too many. Sadly one day there was a kid that made more noise than a whole school of children normally would and it kept throwing temper tantrums screaming bloody murder. The Russian parents seemed to be able to ignore the screaming but others clearly were bothered by all the noise. When they finally left I am surprised that the crowd didn't clap!
Clientele
On Mykonos we felt like we were surrounded by other Americans...here it was a mixture of numerous nationalities but clearly the majority of the people staying with children were Russian. We had noticed this when we had stayed at the Blue Palace a couple of years ago and clearly Crete is very popular with Russian tourists.
WILL WORK ON ADDING FURTHER DETAILS TO THE THREAD AS TIME PERMITS!
We arrived via a private car transfer that I had reserved directly with the hotel. The check-in is done in the bar area or on the outside patios next to the lobby area. I thought this was a nice touch and definitely gave a much more luxurious impression than any of the other hotels we have stayed at in Greece. We were offered a nice welcome drink and the check-in was processed fairly quickly. As a Marriott Platinum, I had noticed that we were upgraded to a 2 bedroom Residence from the standard award category suite. Luckily the agent that checked us in confirmed this and before long we were seated on a golf cart on our way to our room.
View from the patio next to the lobby where they checked us in. This is also an area that we sat and had drinks prior to dinner.
From what i could tell, all of the one Bedroom Suites (which are the regular award category rooms) and some of the other rooms are located near the reception building and then leading up the hill. Once you get to the top of the hill, you can see the far side of the resort which has the Residences as well as the Villas and a large pool. The building next to that pool is actually a Concierge area for VIP guest..not sure who gets access to it but our key did not work. The building also is where the Italian restaurant and a small store is. Here's a view of the pool at night that I took when we had dinner at the Italian restaurant.
There are basically three lines of residences and each line has approx. 10 residences in it. Each residence has a private outside gate that when opened leads into a small courtyard where you enter your residence. When you step inside you are in the living room area.
Here are some pics of our 2 bedroom Residence with private pool.
To the right of the living room was the second bedroom with a bath.
To the left of the living room was the master bedroom which had the bed situated to get a view of the back patio and pool. The master had a nice bath with shower and tub.
The residences feature a private swimming pool with a nice patio and two lounge areas. The pools for two residences meet at the very end but the areas are very private due to the high walls.
The following picture shows the way the pools connected at the end. It also shows the amazing villas that site on the hilltop that I do not think belong to the property.
IMHO the Residence was nicely furnished. The master bedroom was a little small due to the layout but I get that they wanted to maximize the view of the patio and pool. All the rooms provided adequate storage. There were a total of 3 tv's in the room. Each room had individual AC units as well as ceiling fans. In the living room there was a kitchenette cabinet that had a 2 top burner as well as a dishwasher and a small refrigerator. Glasses, utensils and even some pots were provided in the area.
Restaurants
There are several restaurants on the property. Let me start off by saying that the free Platinum breakfast could be eaten in ANY of the restaurants serving breakfast. Since the Italian restaurant was closest to our room, we always ate breakfast there. I had assume that they might have a limited setup in the Italian restaurant but overall we were very happy with the buffet. I am unsure if the other breakfast options offered anything better than the Italian restaurant since we did not try any of the other options for breakfast.
Restaurant options for dinner where the Italian Restaurant, an Asian inspired place next to the adult pool at the reception area, a buffet restaurant near the reception area (I assume this was the main restaurant for all the russian tourists staying at the resort on a full or partial meal plan), a beach bar restaurant (only open during the day) and a Greek restaurant on the far end of the beach. Worth noting is that the restaurants are NOT all open every night of the week. We found this strange but I assume it's not worth it for them since people go outside of the resort and some are likely on the meal plan so they eat in the buffet restaurant.
Food quality was allround very good! We ate at the Italian restaurant twice. One of the meals was excellent and then had a not so good meal which the hotel staff and managers made a bigger deal out of than we did. (They virtually tripped over themselves apologizing for the issue that night and then the manager actually called us to discuss the next morning. We said all was ok but he really wanted to talk to us to understand what went wrong and then he insisted on covering our meal for us the following night.) We enjoyed our meal at the Asian place but hands down the best meal was at the Greek Taverna restaurant on the far end of the resort beach.
Staff
Hands down some of the best staff of any resort we have stayed at! They might not always be the most polished in service but they try and are super friendly and accommodating! We found this was true for all the staff in general from the guys working the beach to the guys driving the golf carts. Funny but the golf cart guys actually got out of the driver seats of the carts when they pulled up to load passengers and then got back in to drive the carts. Restaurant staff was also super. Only time I was a bit frustrated was with the phone agents who didn't always seem to understand requests.
Pools and Beach
There were two main pools on property one being at the main reception building (this was the adult pool) and one on the far end of the resort near the Italian restaurant which seemed to be the family pool. The beach area was small but nice. There were plenty of lounge chairs and customers staying in the Residence could use the "private" area on the left side of the beach. One thing we noted is that the beach was always very busy around 11 and then cleared out when most of the people that were on the meal plan left around lunch time. Even if you didn't get a perfect spot when you got there early you could move once things cleared out for lunch. There were kids but not too many. Sadly one day there was a kid that made more noise than a whole school of children normally would and it kept throwing temper tantrums screaming bloody murder. The Russian parents seemed to be able to ignore the screaming but others clearly were bothered by all the noise. When they finally left I am surprised that the crowd didn't clap!
Clientele
On Mykonos we felt like we were surrounded by other Americans...here it was a mixture of numerous nationalities but clearly the majority of the people staying with children were Russian. We had noticed this when we had stayed at the Blue Palace a couple of years ago and clearly Crete is very popular with Russian tourists.
WILL WORK ON ADDING FURTHER DETAILS TO THE THREAD AS TIME PERMITS!
Last edited by christianj; Jul 9, 2018 at 1:39 pm
Jul 9, 2018, 1:49 pm
#112
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Bainbridge Island, WA
Posts: 8,965
The influx of Russian tourists in Crete ( and other parts of Greece) is epidemic. I know several Cretans in the hospitality industry and they say that the Russians unfortunately do not spend money outside their hotel AI thinking.
Jul 9, 2018, 3:37 pm
#113
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 222
WOW!!!
What a Trio report!! Thanks!!!!!
Do you have pics of the beach?
Were the main hotel pools and private ones heated?
Are you going to any other islands in greece?
What a Trio report!! Thanks!!!!!
Do you have pics of the beach?
Were the main hotel pools and private ones heated?
Are you going to any other islands in greece?
Last edited by bdschobel; Jul 9, 2018 at 5:02 pm Reason: Removed gigantic quote!
Jul 9, 2018, 5:01 pm
#114
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: CT/ Germany - Ich spreche deutsch
Programs: UA 1K, Bonvoy LTTE, HH Dia, HY Expl
Posts: 4,657
No idea if common pools were heated since we did not use them. The residence pool was comfortable temp wise.
We did Athens, Mykonos and Crete on this trip. Last trip we did Athens, Santorini and Crete (Starwood Blue Palace).
Jul 9, 2018, 5:26 pm
#115
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: La Jolla, CA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, Lifetime Titanium, Delta Plat, Hilton Diamond , Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,615
Will add pics of the beach when I get a chance.
No idea if common pools were heated since we did not use them. The residence pool was comfortable temp wise.
We did Athens, Mykonos and Crete on this trip. Last trip we did Athens, Santorini and Crete (Starwood Blue Palace).
Jul 9, 2018, 6:02 pm
#117
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 222
Booked Mystique on points? Had to go with Vedema, could justify spending the extra spg points.
I had the same question between BP and Domes. I ended up choosing Domes. I think it was the right one
Jul 9, 2018, 6:03 pm
#118
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: CT/ Germany - Ich spreche deutsch
Programs: UA 1K, Bonvoy LTTE, HH Dia, HY Expl
Posts: 4,657
BP was very nice but I felt the Domes was definitely at a different level.
Jul 9, 2018, 6:27 pm
#120
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 222
That was the trip we did on our last vacation to Greece. Your in for a treat! I was planning on comparing the BP and the Domes but maybe you want me to wait till after your trip since you’re booked at the BP.
BP was very nice but I felt the Domes was definitely at a different level.
Any ideas between Mystique and Vedema. This review here from a few weeks ago made me not want to spend the points on Mystique so I ended up only booking C+P for Vedema https://onemileatatime.boardingarea....torini-greece/