Elounda Mare Relais & Chateaux Hotel - Elounda (Crete)

Innovative sushi dining with fine ocean views.

The rooms are incredible, the location is gorgeous.

Everything was simply excellent. Enjoyed this absolutely gorgeous accommodation with amazingly attentive and attentive staff who provide a high level of service. The restaurant was lovely with great food and nice setting, I tried outstanding dishes. The location was particularly good - easy walk to everywhere I wanted to go.

the pool was a bit chilly. but i loved the large outdoor space 🌊, the beautiful gardens all around 🌺, and the attentive staff who made everything feel special.

Nice hotel for quiet holiday

We were there for 3 nights and felt would come there again.

Fine ocean views from our large room with a private pool. The spa experience was particularly nice, thanks to its beautiful saltwater pool. The attentive staff were great too ensure our comfort. The balcony furniture was uncomfortable, less enjoyable to relax outside, and while the decor had charm, some aspects felt slightly dated, not quite aligning with the hotel's five-star appeal. More comfortable balcony furniture would enhance the outdoor experience.

Both public/private pools were freezing. Also, I was told by mgmt that a] the pool was heated to 27degrees(and that they double checked it) and b] they only heat the pool in the "off season" - which August clearly is peak season, so this outright contradiction I found to be offensive, and I don't like being lied to like this.This is not 5 star service. After 3 days our pool warmed up some and was finally usable, but we weren't able to use it for half of our trip, which was why we selected this destination to begin with. Also, first 2 days were no service bec they were having a wedding next door and sent all the staff there, so we were with trainees and short staff - not impressed! But did get better/nice exp when pool temp & staff were back

Restaurants

All right.

mixed feelings about my stay

The staff provided really good service, always genuinely caring for our needs. The sea view from our beautiful bungalow was amazing. The architectural character of the hotel stands out.

The outdoor furniture could use more comfort.

-Very positive and friendly staff (all reception staff/porters, breakfast supervisor, reatsurant manager Antonis and pool bar attendant Manolis in particular); -quality and tasteful food (Old Mill was real positive surprise, Yacht Club was always nice); -very green and well- tended territory. Mini-golf, table tennis room was used almost daily by our 9yr old daughter; -real privacy and seclusion created and cherished by both people and nature.

Our room was clean and spacious but it seemed that design ideas overrided functionality and comfort: -bath room has no hooks for towels while shelves are not handy, so you unintentionally scatter yr towels everywhere; -bath cabin's door frame is suitable only for short people, so I hit my head a couple of times against it (I'm 184 cm) - no complaints (survived!), but it happened clearly because of the low door's height; -wifi at reception only + only 4 hrs free - the time for paid wifi is over and EMare should be the comfort zone for ipad and pc users; -we felt that cosy sand beach is somewhat out of EMare concept - it should be equally green, with much more olive trees on its upper level (like over the whole hotel territory); otherwise it looks like any other beach in the area; -water entry is a bit narrow and there was often a feeling of a crowd even with just a few people in the water. Final and most emotional: your famous bench overlooking sea (depicted in all EMare ads, incl. The r&c catalogue) is impossible to use, it's not clean (old leaves, dust, etc), too hard/stony to relax on it, no at least little table for a cup of water and... It's still nice. Can anybody fix it, put some pillows or whatever..? It can become EMare's real window case. NB: all comments above are coming from the devoted R&C customer and should be treated as an open, positively-minded and friendly contribution.

Good service, we had relaxing stay.

Booked a room in charm. The breakfast with the quality being the same was served in the restaurant.

The charming landscaping and attentive, caring staff enhanced my stay.

Unfortunately, the beds in our room were not comfortable. They felt hard, and despite requesting a mattress topper, the issue remained. The furniture in the room seemed a bit dated, which did not match my expectations for a five-star hotel. I had hoped for a more luxurious experience given the price point.

The fine landscape and really good staff. The saltwater pools were a refreshing delight, and the on-site dining was really good, with fresh dishes that catered to all tastes. The room service and valet parking were smooth and cute.

The outdoor furniture could use a bit more comfort for lounging.

perfect for exploring nearby beaches and ancient landmarks

during my recent stay, I loved how close we were to both the enchanting sunken city of Olous, just about a kilometer away, and the beautiful Kolokytha beach, only a short drive from the hotel, making our city explorations super easy and enjoyable.