​​​​​​​How was your stay?

I'm at the Blue Palace now and am a bit underwhelmed. We just checked in a few hours ago, so I'm trying to save judgment. Here is what I have seen so far:

• Check in is an onerous process. I had to speak with three employees. Not that I wanted to but that is the process. You go into the lobby. They ask you to download the app. Someone takes you to sit on a couch. Then, you get to go check in at the desk. There was no one checking in. This took 20 minutes and would have been much longer had I not denied the tour, room tour, and club car ride to the room (it was easy to get to).
• I booked a rate with breakfast included. The woman checking me in told me I could have two breakfasts - one with the rate and one as my elite amenity. I told her I'd rather have the points. She then offered me a bottle of olive oil. I said I wanted the points. She had to ask her colleague and he said ok. Odd as an Ambassador.
• There was no upgrade. SNAs were denied and the hotel is full. I booked a bungalow with a pool and got just that. Not complaining as it is full.
• The woman checking me in noted that we were celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary. She said the note said to wish us a "happy anniversary." She did. I wonder if we'll get an amenity sent to the room.
• I inquired about a dinner reservation and was told there was only 6:30 PM available. I ended up ordering room service, which was quite good.
• The hotel is about 50% people with masks and 50% people without.
• The spa and indoor facilities are closed.

I'll report back as I experience more. This is my 4th stay here and so far just not feeling it.

Did you feel it the first three times?

Pretty much. It wasn’t a welcoming feeling. I felt like they were going through the motions. I was tired but it was clear that because the hotel is busy that Ambassador status is not important.

Had a really delightful stay here last month. I am a "lowly" Marriott Gold but was treated phenomenally by the staff, who were all amazing. So much so that I sent an e-mail to the general manager after the stay highlighting how amazing the staff were.

I stayed with my friend in a regular two twin bed bungalow room, but even this room was huge and seemed well-maintained. We received twice-daily housekeeping. The breakfast buffet was good quality and extensive, although it was busy each morning. We had drinks at the lobby bar, which were great, along with the views. The pools seemed to be under-utilized, but the water was a bit cold when we were there. Most people seemed to be enjoying the beach, which had waiter and towel service. We only ate dinner at Anthos, which was fantastic in terms of food and service (we had one of the best desserts of the trip here). We walked into Plaka (it's about a 10-15 minute walk from the hotel) to enjoy a less-expensive dinner on our second night. The last night we enjoyed the Cretan Feast at Blue Door, which I'd highly recommend for the price, which also included live entertainment.

A few other notes:

• The hotel is still using its app for menus at the restaurants, but it was easier to call the concierge and reserve a restaurant time. If you can, I would e-mail the hotel to reserve restaurant and spa treatments in advance, since they will fill up.
• Every venue, including the spa, fitness center and shops were all open and operating during our stay. Aside from the staff wearing masks (optional for guests), we didn't encounter anything closed or reduced due to Covid.
• We used the private boat to Spinalonga, which was well worth the small upcharge from the hotel's beach. The island is worth going to for an hour or two to walk around.
• The hotel was full of mostly American tourists, but I think that's due to the hotel being part of Marriott and having a loyal following amongst Americans.
• My only real gripe is that the signage around the hotel isn't great for navigating--allow some extra time to get lost on your first day, or ask one of the staff to tell you how to get somewhere if you are unfamiliar. Unless you take the funicular from the lobby, it can be confusing on how to walk to the lower level restaurants and the beach. Additionally, the shower in our bathroom was very small, although we had a large soaking tub.
• We had a car to drive around Crete. I'd recommend this even if staying at the hotel (valet parking is free, just bring some cash to tip), as it will allow for flexibility to go into Elounda and other parts of Crete without having to worry about taxis or private car hires. Driving in Greece is not difficult (everyone drives fast, but we just drove defensively and had no issues).
• The hotel reserved an olive oil tour, which was another highlight and an easy 30 minute drive away.

I'd 100% stay here again and wouldn't hesitate to recommend the hotel to anyone who wants to have a relaxing stay on the eastern side of Crete. I wouldn't use the hotel as a base for Crete but instead come for 3-5 nights looking to hang out and relax.


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Which rooms or suites have heated pools?

Does anyone have any intel on why this hotel is unavailable to book after November of 2023? No rooms appear to be available at anytime in 2024.

Welcome to FT. The hotel is always closed from end of October till early May or so. They usually take their time to file next years rates (other Greek resorts are doing the same), perhaps to first get an idea on what they can charge after the first round of negotiation with the large tour operators.

This property is leaving Marriott to undergo renovations before reopening in 2025 as Rosewood Blue Palace.

khabah

Great news in my eyes.