Sep 21, 2014, 10:38 am
[LEFT Marriott; to become Rosewood] Blue Palace, Crete, Greece [Master Thread]
May 25, 2015, 7:59 pm
#316
Join Date: Jun 2011
Programs: SPG Platinum, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 1,134
You'll have a great time, UA-NYC. This was our favorite property during our recent trip. If you want to book a tour, do the Land Rover Safari Club. Jeff, the Elounda guide, is spectacular and entertaining. The Blue Door on-site restaurant is an excellent value and ambiance, imo. Be prepared to drink lots of raki (and the hotel should leave you a small bottle of Rakemelo on your arrival). I'll post a bit more tomorrow.
May 27, 2015, 10:05 pm
#317
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 905
ill be there in july with my wife and 9 month old baby. spg plat member, booked on pts. does anyone know if the hotel is going to want to charge extra for a crib. i dont like seeing that some people were charged to have young children with them. hoping its not the same for a baby or will reconsider my stay...
thanks
thanks
May 27, 2015, 11:29 pm
#318
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Guangzhou
Programs: SPG
Posts: 1,021
ill be there in july with my wife and 9 month old baby. spg plat member, booked on pts. does anyone know if the hotel is going to want to charge extra for a crib. i dont like seeing that some people were charged to have young children with them. hoping its not the same for a baby or will reconsider my stay...
thanks
thanks
The hotel offers complimentary cribs upon request. However, as not all rooms may be able to accommodate cribs, please contact the hotel directly for more information.
Best Regards,
Christina Zhou
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
May 28, 2015, 3:26 pm
#319
Join Date: Jun 2011
Programs: SPG Platinum, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 1,134
For anyone curious about the safety issues while walking from the Blue Palance to Plaka, below is a photo from one sidewalk to the other. The sidewalk in the distance is the end of the resort sidewalk. The closest sidewalk is the first parking area heading into Plaka. As long as you are not walking across the road at the pace of a snail, it is not bad.
May 28, 2015, 3:42 pm
#320
Join Date: Jun 2011
Programs: SPG Platinum, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 1,134
Here's some photos...
View from the downstairs porch in a Maisonette Duplex Suite:
The stairs in the duplex:
View of the upstairs bedroom:
The bathroom:
View from the upstairs balcony:
A walkway in the resort buildings:
The view of a building of Maisonette suites:
The view from Olea, the breakfast restaurant:
The view of the resort from above:
Sunrise from the room:
The hotel lobby pool:
The restaurant information from the elevator (may or may not be correct as we noted the Blue Door did not open until 4pm during our stay):
The funicular for getting from the lobby to the lower levels:
The view of the resort from Plaka:
...and remember that stray cats are all over Crete, so don't be surprised to see one at your table anywhere you go, whether it is in Plaka, on the resort, or in a remote village.
View from the downstairs porch in a Maisonette Duplex Suite:
The stairs in the duplex:
View of the upstairs bedroom:
The bathroom:
View from the upstairs balcony:
A walkway in the resort buildings:
The view of a building of Maisonette suites:
The view from Olea, the breakfast restaurant:
The view of the resort from above:
Sunrise from the room:
The hotel lobby pool:
The restaurant information from the elevator (may or may not be correct as we noted the Blue Door did not open until 4pm during our stay):
The funicular for getting from the lobby to the lower levels:
The view of the resort from Plaka:
...and remember that stray cats are all over Crete, so don't be surprised to see one at your table anywhere you go, whether it is in Plaka, on the resort, or in a remote village.
Last edited by jibi; May 28, 2015 at 3:48 pm
May 28, 2015, 4:24 pm
#322
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: CT/ Germany - Ich spreche deutsch
Programs: UA 1K, Bonvoy LTTE, HH Dia, HY Expl
Posts: 4,657
What US Sheraton hotels have you been staying at? Typical for the US is a white tub with tile as the shower (unlike the separate tub and walk-in shower) so I found the bathrooms at the BP to actually be pretty nice.
May 28, 2015, 4:42 pm
#323
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Bainbridge Island, WA
Posts: 8,965
Brings back great memories.
I love/hate the image of the German bunker in the first photo. A monument to the atrocities of war. Did you know that off the shore of the beach at Plaka rests German tanks and jeeps that they scuttled when they retreated. In 1970 when I was there you could still see them in shadow underneath the water about 40 feet off the beach.
Also...there is some beautiful veins of quartz crystals in the rock on the road right around that German bunker. They make nice souvenirs.
I love/hate the image of the German bunker in the first photo. A monument to the atrocities of war. Did you know that off the shore of the beach at Plaka rests German tanks and jeeps that they scuttled when they retreated. In 1970 when I was there you could still see them in shadow underneath the water about 40 feet off the beach.
Also...there is some beautiful veins of quartz crystals in the rock on the road right around that German bunker. They make nice souvenirs.
May 29, 2015, 2:31 am
#324
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: CDG
Programs: SK Gold, AF Gold, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,729
True, but I was expecting a much more spacious bathroom from a Maisonnette suite. Perhaps the photos don't do it justice.
May 31, 2015, 9:09 am
#326
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,172
Here now. Very impressive resort - Maisonette suite looks just like jibi's pics, very nice. Staff is uniformly nice, warm, and helpful.
Breakfast buffet pretty good, a notch below the SGS'/LRM Shanghai's of the SPG world, but better than most.
Plaka's a nice little town...I'm only here for a few days, but I'm not seeing any big need to go to Elounda. Taverna Giorgos was a great lunch spot, was packed today. The 2nd to last restaurant at the end of town mentioned is called Ostria I believe, was also busy, may try tomorrow.
BTW walked to/from Plaka today from the BP beach area, can skip the road entirely. It's all those small rocks so need to wear shoes, but that's only ~100 feet of it or so. Was pretty easy.
Breakfast buffet pretty good, a notch below the SGS'/LRM Shanghai's of the SPG world, but better than most.
Plaka's a nice little town...I'm only here for a few days, but I'm not seeing any big need to go to Elounda. Taverna Giorgos was a great lunch spot, was packed today. The 2nd to last restaurant at the end of town mentioned is called Ostria I believe, was also busy, may try tomorrow.
For anyone curious about the safety issues while walking from the Blue Palance to Plaka, below is a photo from one sidewalk to the other. The sidewalk in the distance is the end of the resort sidewalk. The closest sidewalk is the first parking area heading into Plaka. As long as you are not walking across the road at the pace of a snail, it is not bad.
May 31, 2015, 9:28 am
#327
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Bainbridge Island, WA
Posts: 8,965
It is one of the best restaurants in Plaka. We use to dream about the meals we had there. Last time we were in town ( May 2014) it had closed. "The owner died and the son lost interest" we were told.
I am so glad to hear that it reopened. Hopefully it is as good as it was.
I am so glad to hear that it reopened. Hopefully it is as good as it was.
Jun 1, 2015, 5:28 am
#328
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,172
View of the resort
Coming back from a quickie trip over to Spinalonga Island - white-ish building in the upper middle is the main reception/dining area.
Aug 2, 2015, 12:47 pm
#329
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Germany
Programs: Some
Posts: 11,523
I think about staying here. I compare it to Gulf Villas. I was set on Budget this time, so I´m not really hot on paying for Island Luxury Suite. I tend betwen Bungalow and Junior Suite. From tripadvisor-pictures it seems that Bungalow-bathrooms are much nicer than Junior Suite and Maisonette Suite bathrooms. Am I right?
Aug 6, 2015, 9:52 am
#330
Join Date: Jan 2007
Programs: SPG Platinum, Hilton Diamond, BA Gold, Flying Blue Plat
Posts: 117
Here now. Very impressive resort - Maisonette suite looks just like jibi's pics, very nice. Staff is uniformly nice, warm, and helpful.
Breakfast buffet pretty good, a notch below the SGS'/LRM Shanghai's of the SPG world, but better than most.
Plaka's a nice little town...I'm only here for a few days, but I'm not seeing any big need to go to Elounda. Taverna Giorgos was a great lunch spot, was packed today. The 2nd to last restaurant at the end of town mentioned is called Ostria I believe, was also busy, may try tomorrow.
BTW walked to/from Plaka today from the BP beach area, can skip the road entirely. It's all those small rocks so need to wear shoes, but that's only ~100 feet of it or so. Was pretty easy.
Breakfast buffet pretty good, a notch below the SGS'/LRM Shanghai's of the SPG world, but better than most.
Plaka's a nice little town...I'm only here for a few days, but I'm not seeing any big need to go to Elounda. Taverna Giorgos was a great lunch spot, was packed today. The 2nd to last restaurant at the end of town mentioned is called Ostria I believe, was also busy, may try tomorrow.
BTW walked to/from Plaka today from the BP beach area, can skip the road entirely. It's all those small rocks so need to wear shoes, but that's only ~100 feet of it or so. Was pretty easy.
Thanks