Domes Aulus Elounda

“Wonderful hotel.”

The scenery is absolutely breathtaking we could never tire of that view! We had room 404 which was a standard standard tropical nest it had a lovely sea view and a view of Spinalonga Island Very comfortable bed, lovely linen, probably the best bed we’ve ever slept in, the linen was changed frequ… more

The scenery is absolutely breathtaking we could never tire of that view! We had room 404 which was a standard standard tropical nest it had a lovely sea view and a view of Spinalonga Island Very comfortable bed, lovely linen, probably the best bed we’ve ever slept in, the linen was changed frequently and the towels replaced daily, there are beach towels provided in the room. The housekeeping was exceptional. Air-conditioning is really effective and the shower has great pressure with a rainfall /jet shower with a handheld showerhead also lovely Olivia thinks toiletries, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, and shower gel Nespresso machine with plenty of coffee We stayed for 11 nights managed to book 7 à la carte restaurants with no problems The all-inclusive package is very extensive with a wide range of drinks and cocktails, all made to a good standard, the wines in the bar are good. I really enjoyed the rosé and Sauvignon. There is a good choice of beers. Cocktails are strong, the all-inclusive package starts from the time you arrive even if your room is not ready until the time you leave even if you have checked out. Breakfast was lovely and the freshly squeezed orange was delicious Great buffet, mostly Greek food, but then we are in Greece Meze restaurant was our favourite à la carte but was only bookable at lunchtime it was so good! I wish they opened it at night, go hungry there is so much tasty food. The Amphitheatro served Italian and Greek food .. great pizzas The Asian was also lovely The upstairs Bar at the amphitheatro was open in the evenings with music/entertainment a few nights a week …great vibe The blu bar which was inside served wonderful and drinks with very friendly bartenders they also have a separate bar snack menu which includes burgers, etc which can be ordered until 5 pm In the Blu bar and also on the beach, there are grab and go stations, fridges with help yourself baguettes, soft drinks, water, Greek salads and pour your own beer We didn’t feel we needed to book the Cool Living package, It wasn’t worth the extra money in our opinion. Lovely beach on the bay with a great drinks wagon staffed by Beglo who does the most amazing cocktails and is always happy and attentive Almost all of the staff were delightful from the front desk to the housekeeping, the waiters and the bar staff Bluetooth radio in the room and lots of storage space and a full-size fridge We stayed mid June and not one mosquito bite. I think the breeze keeps them away. It’s only a 20 minute walk into Elounda and the hotel do a shuttle service to Agios Nikolaos on a Tuesday Thursday and Saturday evening We didn’t use the spa, but other guests have said that the massages were very good. The indoor pool is lovely and most of the time is empty so you could have it to yourself. We would wholeheartedly recommend this hotel for its views, service, cleanliness, food, drinks and staff Cons When the hotel was full capacity, we had to play the sunbed game and get a sun bed by about 930 in the morning They could do with more sunbeds around the pool and a few more umbrellas I think they could lose the straw/coir mats in the bar. They are a bit tatty and also a trip hazard. Just a minor point. Jacuzzi was broken around the pool, but that didn’t bother us as we prefer the beach to the pool.. It wasn’t really a con for us, but you will be climbing lots of steps and hills. We found it good to walk off the excessive food and copious cocktails but if you have mobility issues, it may not be for you, however there is a buggy that will pick you up and drop you off running constantly all day We found a couple of male staff members in the breakfast buffet to be a bit offhand and surly (maybe just not morning people), however the rest of the staff were excellent. Only four English channels on the TV, however, we’re not here to watch TV If you are in a classic room, there is no mini bar, but that didn’t bother us. The cons I have listed are really minor and the positives totally outweigh any minor niggles. We are planning to return

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“Great Staff, lovely views BUT....”

Positives. Staff fantastic, Especially Costas, Panos & Maria in Blu Bar! Quality drinks & service. Great views across the bay. Bedroom is small, bathroom has no space for your toiletries around sink. If you are lucky enough to get a room on level 2 your quids in, this is the steepest place I have e… more

Positives. Staff fantastic, Especially Costas, Panos & Maria in Blu Bar! Quality drinks & service. Great views across the bay. Bedroom is small, bathroom has no space for your toiletries around sink. If you are lucky enough to get a room on level 2 your quids in, this is the steepest place I have ever stayed. Golf buggies are constantly transferring people to the upper levels. If you have any mobility problems this is not for you, a dear old lady we met had fallen down 12 steps while we were there. Big negative the shortage of sun beds for the amount of guests, if you cannot reserve one they just say go to the beach, which is adown a steep slope, they will drop you off but not pick you up! The pool itself looked murky, there was a plunge pool which was left unattended & full of leaves for a few days. Food is very repetitive, pork every meal, chicken every other day, no show cooking or special nights in the main restaurant, the themed restaurants were mostly unavailable, probably due to the blandness of the buffet food. It is very isolated so no shops or bars nearby, a taxi to Elounda is 8 Euros, Plaka 12 euros which are the nearest villages. So trips out for a drink or meal can be expensive. Overall Not a 5 star 4 at best.

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“A very pleasant stay”

The hotel is picture perfect but this is where you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. The food at the Cool Living restaurant was excellent. The staff were friendly and the bar had a good choice of indeed drinks. There was however, the morning towel rush, freezing pools too cold (in my opinion, yo… more

The hotel is picture perfect but this is where you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. The food at the Cool Living restaurant was excellent. The staff were friendly and the bar had a good choice of indeed drinks. There was however, the morning towel rush, freezing pools too cold (in my opinion, yours may differ) to enjoy and occasionally maintenance work in neighbouring room. Firstly, the staff in the Cool Living section were amazing. Friendly, accommodating and eager to help. We were always met with a smile, friendly conversation and assistance. Equally the morning and lunch buffets were good, plenty of fresh choice and cooked food. The buffet wasn’t too busy and ample seating. We were also lucky to eat at the Greco Levante most nights as we found it was generally not full and you could pop along and ask if there was any availability. Usually there was and we could be seated. Ironically we had booked our one night on the busiest night when food did take a while to come out. The food doesn’t disappoint, and there were opted happily ate twice. The room was nice and well presented. It was clean and the toiletries provided were also good quality, both ma and my partner mostly used these during our stay. Despite the positives the jacuzzi on our balcony was too cold to use. The water seemed to only come from the cold tap, maybe from the swimming pools themselves!! Least to say we tried to use it once! We were also woken one night in the early hours at about 12am with what sounded like building/maintenance work from a neighbouring room. We enquired and told abruptly by reception that wasn’t the case and we were wrong. Still there were tools outside the room and men talking in Greek inside broken up by hammering etc. And lastly the poolside, such a photo op and instagramable setup but to all but the most determined swimmers or hardie individuals the pools were unusable. The morning towel rush seemed to start earlier and earlier each day until I was sat watching the sunrise, yes it was beautiful but I did come to relax and unwind, the last few days. I am not one to lay my towels out and go back to bed. We did witness some guest place their towels out with a bag before sunrise then re-appear at gone 2 in the afternoon! When you add this in to not enough sun loungers for the cool living guests then this becomes a big issue. The stay was overwhelming good, nice to get the sun, relax and unwind even if lazy mornings were not on the agenda. The staff were fantastic and the cool living was worth the upgrade. I would however not recommend it. But most European resorts are cursed by the sunbed snatchers from stories I have had with fellow holidaymakers.

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“An honest review”

An honest review… The hotel aesthetic is stunning, a social influencers dream. Other than that it is not 5 star. I would say a 3 1/2 in my opinion… There is no where near enough sun loungers in the pool area. Which is also where you’re expected to lay at night when there is a dj on for 2 hours twic… more

An honest review… The hotel aesthetic is stunning, a social influencers dream. Other than that it is not 5 star. I would say a 3 1/2 in my opinion… There is no where near enough sun loungers in the pool area. Which is also where you’re expected to lay at night when there is a dj on for 2 hours twice a week other than that there is no entertainment other than cinema nights, which was the holiday we were after but others there did seem disappointed. The ques for the bar do get very long at night with limited seating when all restaurants open. There needs to be opening hours on the shop. The staff especially Antonia & the 2 food managers especially the gent of Ampitheatre were absolutely lovely the problems I had being gluten free lay with hotel advertising saying it could cater for me. It really can not cater for allergies! It advertised on the the menus 2 gluten free options when arriving they clearly contained gluten ingredients (crispy onions on a salad) For someone without an allergy the food is basic in the buffet and the restaurants are 4 star. I was ment to be all inclusive and I barely ate and when I did it made me poorly but again this was only because of my allergies. The private beach is lovely steep walk back but it didn’t bother us to much. The room was lovely and clean everyday. Overall there are alot better 4/5 star hotels in crete.

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