Elounda Gulf Villas by Sandglass

Everything was perfect! We had a wonderful stay at Elounda Gulf Villas. The suite was luxurious, clean, and beautifully maintained. A special mention to the guys at the bar — their service was exceptional and truly made our experience unforgettable. Thank you for the amazing hospitality!

We went on a 10 day break - our first holiday with no children since our honeymoon 32 years ago! And what a place to go. From the minute you arrive the welcome is warm from the lovely staff on Reception. We spoke to Maria on arrival, who along with the rest of the front of house staff were excellent. Nothing too much trouble. Little touches with mattered - for example we had one of the ladies who service the room leave some towels on our bed in the shape of a heart with some flowers. Lovely touch. The properties are amazing, beautifully done out, we had a kitchen, fridge, washing machine and fridge freezer, a large sofa, big TV which we logged into our Netflix and Amazon accounts, and a dining room table. Outside a beautiful view - sun beds, and outside dining too. A lovely infinity pool, jacuzzi, sauna, and mini-gym with stunning views. The weather was beautiful, around 25 degrees C and clear blue skies. The only thing I would say is for someone like me with poor circulation the pool was a tad chilly, we plumped for it to be heated the last few days, but it was an extra 90 Euros a day. But worth it. Then there is the breakfast - you won't be disappointed, there is so much choice, English, Continental, Greek plus so much more. Salmon for breakfast every day! And the coffee is amazing, even decaffeinated for me. There was even Prosecco every other day! The staff. First class. Not only in their service, but the way they engage with you and turn eating a meal into an event. Wonderful people, Sofia and her team, I can't name them all, or remember all their names, but Manolis (and his sister!), Vitalis and Michalis, the young guy with them (I forgot your name!) as well as the guy on the bar (sorry forgot your name!) were a credit and a joy to spend time with, all of them. To all of you, thank you for making our holiday even more special! Be prepared on a Thursday night after dinner for some traditional Greek dancing, you have to join in, followed by a jump in the pool fully clothed with Vitalis. He will persuade you! Well, my wife, not me! Σας ευχαριστώ όλους. Neil and Teresa.

This very special villa/suite hotel is like a corner of paradise. We had a villa with its own infinity pool, it was luxurious and very private. The facilities are great, with a main pool and comfortable sun beds. Everything is provided for the comfort of guests. The views are spectacular and the grounds well kept and attractive. Don’t worry about the hill, golf buggies are on hand to run you around. The breakfast is incredible, from smoke salmon to fabulous fruit platters, a huge range of bread and pastries and plenty of hot options; even do it yourself mimosas. The beach club is perfect with a minibus on hand to take you to and from the hotel. However, what really makes this place special is the staff. They cannot do enough for you and are exceptional. Elounda itself is utterly charming with a range of shops and fabulous restaurants. It is walkable (about 30 mins downhill) but get one of the very smart Mercedes taxis back - 11 euros. We were sad to leave and will definitely be going back!

Just returned from a six night stay at this absolutely wonderful place! We stayed in Knossos villa which had a beautiful heated infinity pool with an incredible view. The (luxury) villa was very well equipped with sauna, jacuzzi and gym and beautifully decorated. Special thank to Louise at reception – friendly, professional and helpful – who looked after us so well – booking restaurants, organising our trip (to Richtis Gorge with a very knowledgeable guide) and anything else we needed. Breakfast was exceptional and evening dinner was very relaxing in front of the main pool. The private beach was a short (free) shuttle ride where we were welcomed with towels and iced water and plenty of sun beds. Nearby Elounda (five minutes in taxi) has lots of little restaurants and shops and Plaka, Spinalonga and Agio Nikolaos are also very near and really worth visiting. We were blessed with perfect weather for the whole of our stay – a lovely time of year to visit. All in all, an amazing holiday – would love to return soon!

Just back from 5 days here and it was blissful. Exactly what we needed for rest and relaxation. We stayed in Spinalonga villa which was a very kind upgrade from what we had booked and we were so grateful as we had fantastic space including a fully equipped kitchen. The villa was so clean and bright - we had to tear ourselves away to venture elsewhere. The views, the food, the staff, the surroundings - all perfect. Just the little touches like the plentiful pool towels, the gorgeous freshly squeezed orange juice at breakfast, the excellent toiletries and the plants - the beautiful plants and shrubs that are so well tended to. It just makes the stay so much more enjoyable. The staff are so wonderful: helpful but not intrusive. Special shout out to the wonderful restaurant staff, particularly Kathila. Thank you all so much. We walked in to Elounda which was a 30 minute or so walk - we taxied back (€11 - not expensive). We stopped at another lovely hotel - Elounda Mare - for a cocktail on the way into town. Really gorgeous views from there too. We spent most of the time reading at the villa or by the pool or the private beach. The weather was ideal - 23/24c. One tip - google maps suggests there is a supermarket near the hotel which isn’t the case (it’s closed) so pick up any supplies in Elounda if needed. There isn’t anything I would change about the trip other than that I wish I had booked for 7 days!

We just finished a week stay with my pregnant wife and 2.5 year old daughter. As with any holiday with a toddler there are inevitably ups and downs and the EGV team couldn’t have been more considerate, helpful and caring. The chef made delicious off menu pasta and omelettes for our daughter and Athina was incredibly sweet and sensitive at the kids club, doing painting and Easter crafts. George made superb cocktails and mocktails for us and some fresh strawberries for our daughter and Constantinos and the restaurant team couldn’t have been more supportive. Maria and the front desk team were lovely and had lots of very helpful advice and we didn’t have any of the additional charges that other guests have spoken of with the previous management. The lovely warm pool with our room was at no extra charge and the views from it were spectacular. I’d also recommend the beautiful trail walk around the opposite peninsula - Spinalogkas. It’s totally unspoiled and has such a magical feel to it. We had a great trip and would come back again.