Elounda Peninsula All Suite Hotel, Elounda, Greece

The secluded Elounda Mare/Porto Elounda/Elounda Peninsula complex is located at the base of a steep road leading to the main road that connects Agios Nikolaos (7 km to the south) and Elounda (2 km to the north). The Elounda Peninsula luxury hotel is located on the resort’s southern bluff, contemplating the Gulf of Mirabello. Beyond the nightlife and other attractions offered by these tourist towns, untouched Cretan countryside villages and numerous antiquities lie within a close drive and the international airport in Heraklio, Crete’s capital city, is only an hour to the west.

The facilities

Elounda Peninsula guests can use the extensive facilities of neighboring luxury hotels Elounda Mare and Porto Elounda, which include Crete’s only in-hotel golf course (9 hole, par-3). All five-star resort amenities are provided, including numerous restaurants and bars, tennis courts, a conference center, Orthodox chapels, art galleries, pools, fitness centers, extensive spa offerings, a children’s center and so on. The Elounda Peninsula luxury hotel has some of the resort’s best restaurants and bars and boasts a unique touch- a 50-seat, IMAX surround-sound movie theater which screens the latest Hollywood hits.

Guests of Elounda Peninsula Resort, Porto Elounda, and Elounda Mare are all invited to dine at one another’s hotels, meaning a choice of six restaurants altogether. Perhaps because it is the most exclusive of the three, Peninsula boasts the best gourmet offerings from restaurateur Jacques le Divellec, a French Michelin two-star chef, who has plotted an inventive and visually striking menu at the hotel’s Calypso restaurant. The Kellari wine cellar boasts over 900 labels and is available for intimate special dinners (up to 8 guests).

For drinks, Elounda Peninsula has two noteworthy watering holes. The upper-level Admiral’s Bar features walls of Cretan stone, polished wooden fixtures and a pianist. The relaxing Serene’s Bar extends over the sea, and at night the sea beneath it is magically illuminated. The wooden patio is interspersed with glass floor paneling for views of the aquatic environment below.

The rooms

At Elounda Peninsula luxury hotel, the strong Cretan traditional theme found at neighboring Porto Elounda and Elounda Mare wanes, though it is still present somewhat in touches like traditional rugs and fireplaces, because of the desire to provide a slightly hipper, more modern feel, something which is partially accomplished through the presence of engaging angles and discreet small hanging lamps.

However, while these rooms are certainly newer they are not too much more adventurous aesthetically, marred as are the other two hotels by rather plain-looking wooden desks and closets and couches- though the more expensive suites do enjoy sumptuous carved ceilings and multiple, well-placed large windows that lend a cheerful and sunny feel, highlighting the romance and natural splendor of the blue Aegean just outside. Some of the verandas and pools also offer exceptional views, and most of the suites are either situated close to the private beach or else have direct access to private jetties/sunbathing decks with ladders leading into the sea.