St. Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas, Agios Nikolaos, Greece
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Room: St. Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas in St Nicholas, Greece -
Room: St. Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas in St Nicholas, Greece -
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Room: St. Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas in St Nicholas, Greece -
Room: St. Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas in St Nicholas, Greece -
Bedroom: St. Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas in St Nicholas, Greece -
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View: St. Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas in St Nicholas, Greece -
Dining: St. Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas in St Nicholas, Greece
St. Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas 5 Stars
"A quiet villa retreat, on a pretty stretch of coastline near the town of Agios Nikolaos, with private pools and a plush spa. "
Hotel Overview
Review of St. Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas, by Christopher Deliso
St. Nicolas Bay is something truly remarkable: an enticing upscale getaway that blends all the amenities and attentive service of a resort with the intimacy and aesthetic uniqueness of a boutique hotel. And, unlike others in the area, it's within walking distance (20 minutes) of the pretty port town of Agios Nikolaos, with its seafood tavernas and vibrant nightlife.
There's an impressive range of facilities, including five restaurants (all using fresh local produce and extra virgin olive oil), three cafes and bars, a deluxe spa centre, art gallery and Byzantine chapel, special activities for children, pools and a sandy, Blue-flag beach right in the middle of the complex.
It's no surprise that St. Nicolas Bay appeals to everyone from families, to wedding parties, to honeymooners, and indeed anyone seeking total relaxation and luxury in one of the Mediterranean's most alluring and exclusive spots.
Along with the indoor pool, Turkish hammam, thalassotherapy pool and fitness centre, there's the luxurious Poseidon Spa, where massages and a full range of cosmetic treatments are conducted with exclusively Elemis products, by Elemis-trained professionals. Gazing down over the sea and facing mountains from the serene heights of the fragrant massage room is an experience in total relaxation.
Abundant foliage, gently swaying over the stone paths and lawns that connect the resort, also helps add to the spirit of seclusion masterfully cultivated by the way the facilities are built, in small, discreetly-set series of suites hidden within the verdure. All have their own expansive, private patios with saltwater pools contemplating well-maintained lawns and the sparkling Gulf of Mirabello just beyond.
The hotel is also marked by a very high level of personalized service. Staff and management are friendly and helpful - you can expect to be greeted by name after a few days in these cosy confines. In a region and industry that sees frequent turnover of staff, St. Nicolas Bay has managed to keep many of the same employees over the past 20 years.
All of St Nicolas Bay's bungalows and suites are marked by subtle differences in design, fulfilling the vision of their master architect for preserving the singularity of private spaces while creating a cohesive harmony for the resort as a whole.
Of course, all rooms contain modern conveniences like flatscreen televisions with DVD players and wireless internet connections. And the management's dedication to detail comes through as well in the baths, where Molton Brown and Korre toiletries are used, while the well-polished beds are outfitted with Simmons top-quality mattresses, fine Egyptian cotton linens, and anti-allergic pillows.
Facilities
Hotel Policies
SPECIAL OFFERS:
Book a minimum of 7 nights and receive three complimentary dinners (buffet) per person Valid for stays of minimum 7 nights on bed and breakfast, between the 26th of April and the 7th of July. Dinner to be taken at the main restaurant, drinks are not included.
Full prepayment required upon booking, non-refundable. Booking to be confirmed before the 30th of June 2012
Book a minimum of 14 nights and receive seven complimentary dinners (buffet) per person Valid for stays of minimum 14 nights on bed and breakfast, between the 26th of April and the 7th of July. Dinner to be taken at the main restaurant, drinks are not included.
Full prepayment required upon booking, non-refundable. Booking to be confirmed before the 30th of June 2012
Rate inclusive of:
The hotel is closed from the end of October until the end of April.
Rooms
113Awards
"International Star Diamond Award 2011-2012" American Academy of Hospitality Sciences
Come for...
- Private patios and saltwater pools
- The sumptuous Poseidon spa
- Top quality everything
Not Suitable for...
- The unstyled and unkept
- Wheelchair users
Children
Plenty of children's facilities, including a children's playground and pool, special menus, tailored children's diving courses and a kids' club that runs from April through to October.
Eating in
Mediterannean gastronomy in the Minotaure; authentic Cretan in the Kafenion
The Press Say
"Service is faultless... the bartender remembers what I've ordered the night before." The Guardian 08
"Rooms are bright and good-sized, with whites and creams broken up with splashes of Cretan-themed colour." The Times 07
Reviews
Review of St Nicolas Bay, by Nadia Latif
St Nicolas Bay embraces all that is grown-up in the five-star hotel community of Crete. It has Grecian charm by the bucketload, polish and sophistication to suit the most discerning of tastes and the most gorgeous views over the Gulf of Mirabello that anyone could wish for. Quiet and refined, it is not a top choice for young families, or those with teenagers (unless, by some miracle, they are of a quiet and refined nature); for a romantic hideaway in high-end luxury, it is nigh-on perfect.
The hotel comes as a complete package. It has two main restaurants, Labyrinthos and Club House and three a la carte : The Greek Kafenion for delicious, traditional Greek fare, the more exclusive Minotaure and Blue Bay for light lunches. A sumptuous breakfast (huge) is provided each morning, overlooking the gardens. There's also the option of a room-service breakfast, served in the privacy of the private terraces that come with each suite. For pre-dinner cocktails, head to the Astra Bar.
Suitably filled and soporific, head to the Poseidon Spa for the ultimate in plush pampering. Here, a range of treatments is offered, all using delicious Elemis products with fully-trained Elemis therapists. There's also a Turkish hammam, indoor heated pool, Thalassotherapy pool and a fitness centre. The on-site beauty salon offers manicures, pedicures and facials.
All of the rooms are light and airy, decked out in cool creams, natural stone and polished wood. The suites come with private terraces or balconies and sea views. All have flatscreen televisions, DVD players, luxury toiletries and internet access. The suites boast spacious open-plan lounges and private heated pools. The bathrooms are top-to-toe marble.
Review of St Nicolas Bay Hotel Bungalows, by Christopher Deliso
St. Nicolas Bay is located on the northern edge of the bay named after the pretty waterfront town of Agios Nikolaos. From the hotel, a 30-minute stroll along the waterfront leads to the town, which offers dining and nightlife, or else it is 5 minutes by car. Continuing along the main coastal road in the other direction, one reaches after 10 minutes the smaller tourist town of Elounda, which has shops, restaurants and a popular beach. From the hotel, it's about a 60 minute drive to the island's main airport in Heraklio.
The hotel has won numerous industry awards for its charm - it appeals most to an older clientele looking for a quiet escape at a peaceful, mid-size maritime getaway. Equipped with a children's playground and infant care facilities, the hotel is also family-friendly, but it is probably not the place for the more active-minded younger travellers, or those who want full-blown resort-style indulgence.
There are eight restaurants and bars, three pools (including one for kids), a wellness spa and fitness center, water sports, childcare services, boutique, art gallery, table football and ping pong, and a private chapel for weddings. It also has one surprising and singular feature: the hotel grounds contain the oldest Byzantine church in Crete, the appropriately named Agios Nikolaos, dating back to the 7th-century. Ask at reception and they will be glad to let you take a peek inside.
St. Nicolas Bay offers a wide variety of restaurants. Ingredients like local vegetables and fish are fresh, and conform to a 'Mediterranean light' style. The Minotaure serves gourmet candlelight dinners, and the Kafeneion offers dependable Greek fare. Drinks can be found at poolside, beach or secluded terrace bars.
Bungalows at St. Nicolas Bay enjoy a certain friendly, buoyant ambience through simplicity and color. Handsome cream-and-blue or cream-and-crimson styles predominate in the sea-facing bungalows and junior suites, and splashes of yellow in the airy curtains matched with yellow flowers uplift the club suites. The result is a light blend of tones that is in keeping with the resort's appeal as a friendly, relaxed getaway in the heart of the Mediterranean.
Review of St. Nicolas Bay Hotel, by Gemma Pitcher
A mile or so outside Agios Nikolaos, St Nicolas Bay is a collection of whitewashed bungalows spread out over a rocky peninsular. There's a small sandy beach with the usual collection of watersports on offer as well as a diving school. The hotel has three pools - two outdoor seawater swimming pools as well as a children's padding pool and an indoor freshwater heated pool, which includes a spa with various sporting and beauty facilities.
Interiors are creamy and minimalist, brightened up in the rooms by splashes of colour in the form of rugs and cushions, or jolly maritime prints on the walls. Rather out-of-place grey stone walls separate the various private villas. All have balconies or terraces, and some extras such as spa baths, internet points, or at the top of the scale, a private seawater swimming pool. Suites have a more patrician look about them, with polished dark wood floors and furniture. Communal spaces are also pale and relaxing, with various objets d'art dotted around along with candles and pretty white flowers.
There are six restaurants and bars dotted throughout the complex, with cuisine ranging from simple to elaborate, modern Mediterranean to traditional Greek. There are also tennis courts, a chapel, several boutiques, and an art gallery with works by modern Greek artists alongside traditional Cretan pieces.