Review of Porto Elounda Hotel, by Christopher Deliso

Cretan luxury hotel Porto Elounda is the big sister of the Elounda Mare, just to the north, and the Peninsula Resort adjoining it to the south. As at the former, a certain Greek theme emerges here. The somewhat austere lobby is filled with nice touches including Cretan antiques and an ornate wooden ceiling taken from an old Greek mansion featuring long rows of downward facing, monastery-style serving bowls relocated from northern 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 Porto Elounda enjoys pride of place at the center of the three luxury hotels, overlooking 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

Guests of Porto Elounda, Peninsula Resort and Elounda Mare are all invited to dine at one another's hotels, making a choice of 6 altogether. Guests can also enjoy traditional Greek fare in the shade of olive trees at Porto. Elounda Peninsula boasts 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 hotel is also proud of its romantic Serene's Bar, extending over the water, and its extensive wine cellar, Kellari, with over 900 labels and available for intimate special dinners (up to 8 guests).

The luxury hotel contains numerous amenities such as a hairdresser's, tennis courts and the only in-hotel golf course (9 holes) on Crete. Also, several of the rooms, suites, bungalows and villas come with their own private heated pools, and all face the sea. Porto distinguishes itself from its sister hotels by playing up its family friendly nature, and includes a special supervised kids section where youngsters can enjoy games and activities while their parents luxuriate.

All of the usual five-star amenities are to be found at the resort, which is especially distinguished by its golf course, run by a Greek PGA pro. (However, to play on this challenging Par-3 course, which offers sublime views of the sea at several turns, one needs to have a handicap of 54). The luxury hotel also has a conference room, a chapel, an art gallery, pool, fitness center and spa. In fact, the hotel that was in the 1980's the first in Europe to offer bungalows with private pools is proud to again lead the way, this time in bringing the Dubai-based Six Senses Spas to the continent.

Porto Elounda is remarkable in that it alone among local resorts remains open until January. However, in these late season months, conferences predominate, and for individual travelers a largely depopulated resort will seem lonely after about the beginning of October. That said, a typical summertime vacation is most suitable for families with school-age children and also for golfers, since rain seldom falls here from June through mid-September.

The rooms

The luxury hotel offers well maintained and modern rooms, all of which have elegant marble bathrooms and face the sea. Guests looking for true intimacy will enjoy the Porto Deluxe rooms with shared pool.

The luxury hotel's suites and bungalows are indeed magisterial and offer vibrant artwork. Families will especially appreciate the spacious Porto exculsive two-bedroom suite for the large living and dining areas and private pool.