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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.

St. Nicolas Bay has won numerous industry awards for its charm, but this is selective; the hotel 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.

St. Nicolas Bay offers 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.

In 2006, the hotel has plans to expand its (currently relatively few) offerings for 2006 at the Poseidon Spa, which currently include various kinds of massage (Swedish, sports, Shiatsu), and body rejuvenation packages, as well as personalized fitness programs and aerobic classes.

St. Nicolas Bay offers a wide variety of restaurants, though they do not ascend to the gourmet heights that several of the other Elounda-area hotels do. Perhaps because they are concerned to offer such a lot of variety for a mid-size resort, there is a necessary over reliance on the buffet approach, and breakfast is perfunctory. However, 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. However, owing to its clientele (largely family, honeymooners and older folks), the nightlife is unspectacular.

The rooms
Although the hotel bungalows at St. Nicolas Bay are not exceedingly large or lavish, they do 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.

Bungalows and suites come with marble-tiled bathrooms and the usual amenities, and the higher categories also have Jacuzzis, HiFi systems, terrace gardens and private heated pools. However, none approach the level of opulence found at the Elounda area’s larger hotels.

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