Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa

Just leaving after 7 wonderful days at the Cayo. We were treated as people not just guests, nothing was too much trouble, it was immaculate, and if the aim of a holiday is to return refreshed then the Cayo will do it. Superb staff in a lovely hotel. Would definitely return.

Staff can not do enough for you and are extremely friendly and welcoming. Services are first rate and having their own beach bar with sunbeds is a dream also the shuttle bus particular back up the hill is a welcome treat. Loved the private pools and venicular railway, never got bored riding that. Also loved Plaka, less busy then Elounda & a much better view.

Let’s start with the positives as I am a glass half full type of person. The rooms are absolutely stunning, clean with great facilities and the view is to die for. We had the superior room with private pool and it’s one of the nicest I have stayed in. The hotel in general is very clean and well kept. The maid service for the bedroom is great, water and amenities always provided and never had to chase for turndown/fresh towels etc. The staff are also lovely. You can tell that some of them are new to the role but they will go above and beyond to make sure your stay is enjoyable, so cannot complain at all in that respect. Now to the negatives. The food. The breakfast is ‘okay’, not a lot of choice but everything they have out is fresh and tasty. The evening buffet at Ambrosia is incredibly disappointing. There is not very much choice at all and every dish we had was cold. Really disappointed as myself and my partner are both ‘foodies’ and we were massively underwhelmed. We were told by the spa manager that there was a lovely relaxing area at the ‘second pool’ with hammocks. So we naturally went down to explore the area and took a seat to enjoy the view on our first day. However, within 5 minutes we were greeted by a member of staff telling us that the pool/seating area and restaurant were not open and we needed to move. Half the hotel is not yet open and they do not inform you of this prior to booking, so just something to be aware of. On a couple of occasions we had to ask the bar staff to bring towels out to the sunbeds around the main pool, so this is another area that could be improved. Myself and my partner both opted to use the spa, which is beautifully decorated. However, the Hammam steam room smelt very strongly of damp, which was not pleasant. We also found that the waiting area/noise from the main area of the hotel travelled through to the relaxation space at times. We both had the Cretan massage which was lovely. Final thing I would say, is if you are looking for somewhere to relax but with options of things to do, this hotel is not the one for you. It is relatively isolated and is lacking a beach, tennis court etc to give you little activities to occupy your time. Overall it was a nice stay, however, we would not return.

Just returned from a week of sun at the Cayo Resort. We opted for the Bed & Breakfast option as the local restaurants within walking distance (or reached by the courtesy shuttle bus) were all of high quality and provided excellent Cretan food. Breakfasts at the hotel were “ok”. Lots of choice, but no “standout” dishes amongst the buffet. Staff at the Cayo Resort were excellent and could not have done enough to deliver a relaxing stay. The accommodation is first class and the private pool and the views from it are amazing. Highly recommended.

The spa easily is the greatest selling point (and considering the fantastic views and facilities, it’s impressive!). The masseuse, Albina, gave me the Cretan Massage package. She was simple incredible and easily the best massage I’ve ever gotten. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the first hotel I have stayed at in Elounda that I want to return to. The room really makes it, we had a Premium room with private heated pool… it was heaven! The view over the sea to Spinolonga island (worth a visit!) is just so fabulous and behind / above us large eagles swirled over the mountains in groups gliding on the sea breeze. There’s a nice feeling of balance between nature and modernity reflected in the architecture of the resort too, with wood, natural stones next to render, thoughtful planting, metal and glass and off course water (the pools are salt water too). Really nicely done. Now, being honest, the thing that let Cayo down was the food - we didn’t think the breakfast was good, it was a buffet and generally cold or Luke warm items and nothing better or different to anywhere else, with this level of lifestyle I don’t want to have to queue and pick my own (cold) and not great quality breakfast. We also ordered pizzas as room service and they were like frozen style pizzas / poor quality. This stopped us from booking the hotel restaurants because if they can’t get these things right then we didn’t want to risk paying a premium (in comparison to the great restaurants in near by Plaka) for food that wasn’t excellent. but there are so many great options for food near by that it doesn’t matter - the main issue is that you don’t want to leave your room!! If you do venture out then the main pool is very lovely with plenty of loungers and all with a call button for service. The beach area is a shuttle bus / short drive in the hotels EV or a 5min walk and the beach boys are on it! They are quick to serve you and make sure you’re comfortable and ninjas when it comes to ejecting non hotel stayers from the beds. We recommend sea shoes as the beach is pebble and can be windy - but we were there in October and the sea was a lovely warm temperature. It’s worth getting a package deal at the spa because the therapists are excellent but also because it’s actually good value for what you get, so speak to them when you arrive about what’s on offer but maybe worth booking your first treatment in advance and having the chat after / once your happy (and as it currently runs, you will be). The manageress is very warm and welcoming and seemed to be bending backwards to accommodate all the guests requests. She was the only person in the hotel to acknowledge my birthday during our stay so thank you to the spa team. We stayed in room 607 and our cleaner was fantastic - she made sure we were fully stocked with water and coffee and came with a smile and a joke every day. We also loved the evening service were they pop by with water and fresh towels (if needed) and big smiles. We will return for sure.

We had the most relaxing stay at Cayo Resort and would not hesitate to come back. The staff are so friendly and attentive. From the moment we arrived, we were taken in the golf buggy to our room and shown around. The room was modern and spacious with a comfy bed and fantastic shower. The terrace with private pool with incredible sea views made our stay so special and we spent a lot of time relaxing there. We also spent time at the main communal pools which were always quiet and well maintained. It was possible to call for drinks service to your sun bed which added to the luxury feel of the hotel. We enjoyed the buffet breakfast each morning overlooking the pool and sea. There was a huge selection of quality choices. We also made use of the fantastic spa facilities. My partner and I booked the Holy Grail facial and Cretan full body massage, both with Albina, and they were some of the best spa treatments we have ever had. We came out feeling so relaxed and well taken care of. It was also a nice touch to have private use of the spa facilities too. Our main wish for this holiday was to feel relaxed and forget about how stressed of day to day life, and that is certainly what we got from our stay here.