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- Domes Aulus Elounda
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Domes Aulus Elounda
Greece, Europe
Elounda
Ideally set in Mirabello Bay, our central location offers a tranquil escape near all the city's top attractions. The beautiful coastline, shaded beaches and crystal clear seas is mere steps from our front door. Our peaceful retreat offers onsite dining, spa, two pools and breathtaking views of the Aegean Sea and Cretan landscape.
Hotel Information
Relax at the full-service spa, where you can enjoy massages. After dipping into one of the 3 outdoor swimming pools, you can spend some time at the private beach. This Mediterranean property also features complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services and gift shops/newsstands.
Facilities
- Tennis*
- Billiards*
- Massage
- Steam bath
- Sauna
- TV lounge
- Sun loungers
- Luggage room*
- Sun terrace
- Multilingual staff*
- Please note some facilities may incur an additional fee
The Local Area
Tripadvisor Reviews
4.5 Excellent3,084 reviews
Excellent
59%
Very Good
24%
Average
11%
Poor
4%
Terrible
2%
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Great experience, but hilly.
We hadn't had a holiday in 8 years, so we were hoping that this would be as relaxing as it looked on the website. The first impression we got was very favourable, the staff were lovely and very helpful. We'd had a late flight and we were very tired when we arrived. The lady who checked us in recognised this and kept the process to a minimum. Room service came every day and changed all the towels - including the beach/pool towels. The room was always lovely and clean and they respected our belongings. We were given fresh water every day - to the point that we must have had about 12 cartons in our fridge at one stage. Food was good and the main restaurant was never over-busy. We had food at two of the A La Carte restaurants and my only complaint was that the Carbonara dish that I chose was quite tasteless and very runny. The pool area was quiet for the first 3 days that we were there, but then it started to fill up. At one point, there simply weren't enough loungers and people resorted to unstacking older ones that had obviously been put to one side for whatever reason. Our room was well planned out, with plenty of storage. The bed was very comfortable and we both slept well. We had a small balcony, which was fine for us. Noise levels in the room were perfectly acceptable. There were no wristbands to wear or ID badges to remember, which was great. We enjoyed the fact that it was Adults Only, as it gave us the chance to really unwind. We asked reception to book us a taxi to Aghios Nikolais for a day out and it arrived within a few minutes. It cost 25 euros each way and the drivers were friendly. The taxis were very clean and quite luxurious.
Downsides: The hill that the hotel is built on is very steep to walk up. That said though, there are buggies that can take you up and down the hill if needed. We were fairly lucky that our room wasn't too far from the main building and only had one very steep section to climb, although we did have a lot of steps to cope with when were coming back from the pool area. The hotel doesn't have any outside seating areas, other than the loungers round the pool area and beach and seating for the dining areas. Entertainment was very limited, although this could have due to the fact that we visited right at the end of the season. The hotel is about a mile away from the nearest town and the pavement is very level but also very uneven in places. We walked in twice during our stay, although we prefer to visit local towns more often than this normally. The transfer that is included with the holiday involved a two and a half hour journey on a minibus, although we spoke to people who had organised private transfers and it was around 75 minutes.
Overall, a lovely hotel with great staff. It was clean and the food was good.
Personally, we would go to a Domes hotel again. But probably not this one due to the steepness of the roads. I am in my 60's and my husband has problems with his hips.
Would definitely recommend for someone younger and without mobility issues.
Review by Voyage17065713635 Wigton, United Kingdom
Super friendly hotel
We just spent an incredible week at this lovely hotel! We had the all inclusive plus package, which gave us full access to the fantastic top floor living area, complete with stunning views and excellent food. While the buffet selection might not have been as massive as some other resorts, the outstanding quality more than makes up for it.
What really sets this place apart though, is the people. Everyone - both staff and guests were incredibly friendly. Carissa, who always has a smile on her face and is amazing at remembering drink orders, and Jason, one of the drivers who was so chatty and helpful. I also want to recognise the wonderful beach barman and our room cleaner ( I didn’t catch their names, but their hard work didn’t go unnoticed!) we had a wonderful stay and highly recommend it!
Stylish hotel with amazing views, but a few practical issues
We’ve just returned from a lovely week at this hotel and stayed in a suite with a private pool. The suite was spacious, well equipped and had amazing views. Good standard of housekeeping.
The hotel itself is stylishly designed with beautiful surroundings and its own stretch of beach. The location is brilliant, with Elounda about a 20 minute walk away, and the views throughout the resort are stunning.
Restaurants and food
There’s a good selection of restaurants, although we struggled to find availability when booking through the QR code and had to book via Guest Relations instead. The Meze and the Italian were our favourites. As vegetarians, we found some menus a little limited but the staff were always willing to adapt dishes to suit our needs, which we appreciated.
We actually preferred the Levante buffet to the main buffet, as there was more choice and the food was served hotter.
Staff and service
The staff were generally friendly, helpful and hardworking. However, the Blue Bar could sometimes have benefited from more staff, and a few didn’t always seem particularly happy to be there!
The downsides
The biggest drawback is the layout. The hotel is built into the side of a steep hill, meaning you need to rely on shuttle bus, golf buggies or cars to get between the main hotel area and the Cool Living area. Although the waits were usually short, we personally would have preferred to be able to walk around the resort more easily.
The Blue Bar is also too small to accommodate everyone comfortably when the weather prevents guests from using the outdoor bar areas so often felt overcrowded. Although the seating areas look attractive, the furniture is very uncomfortable.
This brings me to the hotel’s overall design. It is stylish and looks fantastic, particularly in warm weather, but practicality seems to have taken a back seat. The layout and indoor facilities don’t work particularly well in cold or wet weather, when guests are forced inside. Entertainment is limited and there’s nothing to do when the weather isn’t good. There was a DJ playing a brilliant set one night but in the Blue Bar with no where to dance. When he played again outside another night, with dance space he finished at 10pm just as everyone was finishing dinner and wanting to get up and dance.
Overall
We had a lovely week here and there is plenty to enjoy, particularly the suites, views, beach, location and restaurant selection. However, some practical issues, especially the transport around the resort and lack of comfortable indoor seating, detracted from the experience.
It’s a beautiful hotel that is clearly designed with sunshine in mind, but it needs to be more practical and comfortable when the weather isn’t ideal.
Overall we’d rate this hotel as a 4* as it lacked the 5* touches we’d expect.
We’re glad we visited, but realistically, despite the positives, we probably wouldn’t return.
Review by gaynorp761 Stone
Best holiday
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An Amazing Holiday!
We’ve had an amazing holiday, and the staff have been so helpful and welcoming throughout our stay. A special thank you to Chrisa, who has been absolutely amazing! She upgraded our room and went above and beyond to make our holiday extra special. Her kindness and attention to detail really made a difference and made us feel so well looked after.
The whole experience has been fantastic, and we couldn’t be happier with our stay. Thank you to Chrisa and the entire team for making our holiday so memorable. We would definitely recommend and would love to return! ❤️
Amazing hospitality
Amazing location and architecture of this huge complex that is integrated into the Mediterranean scenery with extraordinary gardens, flowers and quality food. However what really made a difference and stood out big time is the genuine care and hospitality with personal touch and always with a smile of the Guest Relations Manager, Ms Chryssa and the Hotel Manager, Ms. Kosmadakis. They were both amazing and contributed to an unforgettable experience ! Thank you!
Review by 1222009lena Athens, Greece
