The grandly-titled Domes of Elounda is the proud recipient of: ‘Greece’s leading luxury all suite hotel 2015,’ ‘TripAdvisor Families’ choice 2014,’ and TripAdvisor’s 2014 winner of the ‘Certificate of Excellence.’ So when they invite us to come and stay we call the wife, pack our bags, hop on a slightly more expensive than we would like EasyJet flight to see what all the fuss is about.
12 hours into our stay, we’re definitely getting it. While some hotels sit next to busy streets or feel like a compound of artificial luxury circled by not so glamorous surroundings, this one sprawls out over a hill overlooking the sparkling Gulf of Elounda. It’s a secluded paradise, with traditional villages a few minutes walk away if you want to go a get a feel for what Crete is really like.
But as ignorant as it makes us sound, aside from an afternoon at a small Cretan taverna, we spend our time at the hotel. It’s big enough to take a couple of days to explore, has a private beach with the closest you’ll get to sand in the area (in reality, tiny, tiny rocks, but better than the stony beaches further round the bay), and boasts facilities including a 24hr gym, tennis court, spa centre, and literally more pools than we can remember.
We have a game of tennis and lose a couple of balls over the fence (sorry Domes staff if you’re reading this). The elevated court has beautiful views of the sea, but is let down by an uneven Astroturf surface that needs a bit of love. Thankfully, that’s pretty much our only complaint. The pools are all incredible, filled with fresh water or seawater so the smell of chlorine never ruins the paradise. There are adult-only ones (no, not for that sort of thing you filthy animal), shallow ones for the kiddies and every suite comes with a private one.
Suites range from rustic private villas to beach-view apartments and even ‘royal’ residences with a helipad out back. Charles Dance – Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones – stayed there over the summer (we were enthusiastically told on a few occasions by members of staff).
We have an entry-level private villa. We say entry-level, it still has two floors, a kitchen, two bathrooms, two bedrooms (a double and a twin) and a huge balcony. And having been shown round the ‘luxury’ villas, we can confirm they are totally deserving of the name. A more modern aesthetic and a fresh water pool landscaped into the private garden really earns the luxury tag, sleeps six and only costs around a hundred Euros a night more than the standard option. Go for it, we say.
As far as the restaurants are concerned there are plenty of healthy options that won’t give you food envy. We enjoy fresh fish, roasted vegetables, barbecued meats and a massive selection of fruits with nearly every meal. A surprisingly good buffet restaurant, pool bar, steak house and seaside fish restaurant are all that’s on offer, but the variety is wide enough to keep you on the resort, especially as the buffet has different themes each night. And we’re not talking tacky nonsense, no; they do quality menus from the world’s best cuisines. We go on Greek night (it would be rude not to) and gorge on moussaka, souvlaki, olives, meats and cheeses.
Already impressed with Domes of Elounda, we finish the trip at the spa. The list of treatments includes Thai and Swedish massage, pedicures, manicures (and all the variants that make ladies squeal with delight). They even offer reiki, but we leave that for the people with enough money to pay for a massage that doesn’t involve any contact.
The 55-minute Swedish session is over far too quickly, just like the trip. After it all we’re left wondering one thing: when are TripAdvisor going to give out their awards for 2015, because if we were betting men…
To stay at the Domes of Elounda Luxury Resort & Villas book online now or call free on 0800 810 8119
