Elounda Peninsula Luxury Resort — Hotel in Municipality of Agios Nikolaos

I am always reluctant to critique a resort or a business as I believe negative criticisms ought be addressed directly to the resort itself. Yet, when it comes to the Elounda peninsula resort, the problems are so intrinsic to their business model, so ingrained in their philosophy that I am left little choice. Additionally, we previously posted on Travelocity about our stay and the hotel responded that we obviously must have stayed at a different hotel. But we did stay at the Elounda Peninsula hotel and not another hotel in Elounda.

Yes, the hotel is situated on a beautiful piece of property and yes access to the sea is well thought out. But Upon entering the lobby which lacks functional air conditioning and was almost 90°, one is greeted with the request for passports and a credit card. Immediately the hotel charges one's credit card for the entire stay. No greeting as to how was your trip, no warmth, nothing but a transactional relationship. Never have I been greeted with the demand for payment in full, not at a single hotel, not at a single location anywhere in the world

There is no air conditioning in the breakfast restaurant. Nothing like eating breakfast while perspiring in 90° temperature. There isn't even a fan. All one wants to do is eat as fast as possible and exit for a more appealing location.

While each guest is left a beach towel in their room, if one wants a second towel they are told that there is not a sufficient supply.

Those guest seeking quiet migrated to the periphery of the property. The Wi-Fi system does not work there. Hard to believe a "five star hotel"cannot get this right.

The umbrellas are 5 feet high and fenestrated. We were told by several of the employees that virtually every guess hits their head against these low lying umbrellas, and that several guest have sustained injuries.. Nonetheless, when we visited other hotels far superior umbrellas which do not oppose a threat to one's health exist

Even the senior management states that they are aware that systemic problems exist.

As for the minor less systemic issues: The bathroom in our two floor suite was not clean. There was toothpaste at here to the sink and hair in the sink. The supposedly private swimming pool was not private. I refer management to the ERIKOUSSA room room 3153. The barrier between the staircase leading to the beach and the pool was absent, allowing all visitors to look in word. The edge of the private pool was sharp and my son lacerated r his finger. The next day maintenance fortunately repaired the obviously irregular pool edge. The luggage was brought to the living room on the first floor of the suite and left there. It took several phone calls to have the porter bring the suitcase up to the bedroom on the second floor. Additionally one should know that the steps are narrow, and one could easily trip and injure themselves. The restaurant il. BURRO had a 30 minute wait after being seated before anyone came by to take an order. Three requests were made for bread. Yes, we changed rooms to a better suite and thank you but even there the bathroom shower when carefully inspected had black hairs at the periphery.

We were locked in financially as the hotel would not refund any nights. This is their policy and it is stated as such. Perhaps it is their policy because so many guest are unhappy. Perhaps it is their policy is so many people wish to leave early as the hotel does not meet the standards of a five star resort. Perhaps is their policy as they fully understand their shortcomings, but are unwilling or unable to correct their systemic faults. Perhaps is their policy as they more concerned with profit and not as concerned as they ought be with the guest experience. Perhaps if they had functional air conditioning, towels, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, drinks, which could be purchased from a mini bar instead of an empty mini bar, people would not want to leave there is little that they can respond to. Caveat...

The Elounda Peninsula offers a luxurious and relaxing getaway in Crete with elegant villas, each equipped with private pools and terraces. There is also an exceptional spa and a number of fine dining restaurants, making it an ideal destination for relaxation and celebration.| |The service is exceptional, and the staff are friendly and accommodating – nothing is too much trouble, and they will all go the extra mile to make your stay special. We were greeted warmly with a short tour of the facilities with suggestions of what the hotel could help with should we wish to explore some Crete delights – which we did. The hotel arranged a driver and transport for us at our request to allow for a more relaxed tour of the Knossos Palace and the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion, which is around an hour from the hotel but well worth the trip. ||My wife and 2 adult daughters stayed in a Presidential Villa, which was spacious and beautifully furnished. When we walked into the terrace area, I was impressed by the overall space on offer, across three levels and with steps leading down to a private (rocky) sunbed spot just a few feet from the sea.||My family enjoys fine dining, and we were well look after in this area. Breakfast was leisurely and delicious in the Calypso Restaurant with a la carte choices rather than the buffet style that’s often provided these days. Panos and his team were warm and inviting providing a great start to each and every day. We only went to 2 of the restaurants available, these being Sumosan and Il Borro and both are outstanding. Il Borro is a Tuscan Bistro styled restaurant situated on the waterfront and next to the small harbour of the hotel. The dishes on offer reflect the style and taste of the Tuscan region but be warned that if you order the T-bone Fiorentina steak you will need to share with someone – it’s huge! Sumosan is part of the world-renowned group and is exceptional. The restaurant is tucked away on the peninsula overlooking the Aegean sea on a rocky outcrop which adds to magic of this restaurant. On a few nights it was a little windy and the sea was a little ‘frisky’ so if you sit at a table close to the sea you might get an occasional small splash, but this just added to the theatre of the place and our enjoyment. Panos, the manager and Dzanos were on hand to offer suggestions and to help us explore the exceptional wines that Greece has to offer. My tastebuds were delighted by a number of very fine wines and I’m grateful for their knowledge and efforts to make our dining experience exceptional, which it was.| |The spa services were also exceptional; you will be impressed by the grandeur and serenity that exists in this facility. My daughters, wife and I enjoyed a few massages and other spa services on offer, whilst also enjoying a relaxed swim in the pool overlooking the bay with the Aegean Sea beyond. I would definitely suggest that the use of the Spa should be part of any stay here.| |All in all, delightful staff and a heavenly place; an affordable and accessible paradise. I’m already looking forward to our...

We were most disappointed in our first three days' stay.

They had a large wedding the day we checked in, the music -was very loud and lasted until 12:10 am the party lasted until well after 1: 30 am. Our ~$1,000 plus a night presidential suite, room #3050 was close to the wedding so no sleep. I called and they said the music was to stop at midnight, the party yelling/screaming lasted past 1:30 am.

Room service. We ordered an omelet and other cold items on day one. The fruit plate was not eatable, the fruit was so hard we could not eat it, and the omelet was cold. Breakfast to me is a sign of the food to come and it was terrible. We ate at 6 different local restaurants all gave fruit at the end of the meal; it was local and delicious.

We had no body wash soap in our bathroom; the container was empty and took two days to refill.

The 2 sunbeds had worn cushions and one at the base had a large piece of granite unattached that I almost cut my leg on.

We requested two chaise longues vs. a day bed as flat and had no headrest, very uncomfortable, it took 2 days to get as well as 2 days to get an umbrella.

No cotton swabs in the bathroom.

No corkscrew in the room? I had to call. The person who brought it intimated they do not provide it unless asked as they want you to buy wine from them, we bought several bottles at the local store at a 1/3 of the price and it's our room so why pay $65 when you can drink wine in your room for $20!

Our lovely pool was dirty and had not been cleaned before our arrival. A large piece of trash and other dirt was floating on it.

You only get 4 bottles of water daily, each about 16 oz. rest are billable. At the Electra, we got over 2 quarts a day in a paper carton for free in Athens.

The surrounding landscaping had no mulch, was full of weeds and our planter box next to the pool was full of red dirt. The doormat out front had debris all around it.

I requested to speak with the manager Sunday and we did, he was shocked to see the granite piece as well as no body wash, the poor room service (food), and the above other items. He was not working the day of the wedding and seemed surprised it lasted well after midnight. He gave us two free massages and sent a bottle of wine to the restaurant we ate at that pm. We never ate at the onsite restaurants as the guest I spoke to said the onsite restaurants were marginal and overpriced. The resort wants you to eat here for all meals. with so many quality places within a short 8-10 min. cab ride why eat here?

The room was lovely, spacious, and well-appointed. What would expect for $1,000 a day. Great location, lots of water sports, and nice staff but the above list is not what you expect at this price point, and is a so-called...