Domes of Elounda

A Mixed Experience During Our Honeymoon Stay as an Independent Travel Agent

We recently spent seven nights at the hotel for our honeymoon with our two young children. Overall, there were some lovely aspects to our stay, and we encountered many wonderful staff members who made us feel welcome. However, there were also several disappointments that impacted our experience, particularly given the occasion and the expectations we had when booking.

The Welcome & Room

We received a beautiful welcome on arrival, with lovely drinks for us as adults and thoughtful gifts for both of our children. This was a really nice touch and a wonderful start to our stay. The staff throughout the resort were generally very friendly, welcoming and brilliant with children.

Our room was satisfactory overall. The main bed was comfortable, and the travel cot provided for our baby was excellent. However, our son’s bed was a pull-out sofa bed in the main living area, which was extremely inconvenient for a family of four. As he needed to go to sleep around 7pm, we were effectively confined to our bedroom for the rest of the evening, unable to use the living space. The sofa bed itself was also very uncomfortable.

There were also some practical safety concerns with the terrace. A makeshift fence and gate had been put in place to separate the pool from the terrace, which we appreciated as a precaution with young children. However, there was no gate at the top of the stairs to prevent our crawling baby from accessing them. As a result, we had to position our outdoor chairs across the stairs every day to prevent our baby from crawling down. This was far from ideal and felt like a basic safety issue that should have been addressed more effectively, particularly in accommodation marketed towards families.

The room was noticeably dusty and did not feel as thoroughly cleaned as we would have expected. The bathroom shower also appeared quite tired and poorly finished. The television was another disappointment, with very limited viewing options and no obvious way to connect to streaming apps or our own devices, making it feel rather pointless.

The coffee machine was a lovely addition, but having to repeatedly request additional coffee, milk and other supplies was inconvenient. We felt these items should be replenished routinely, just as the water was.

The Private Pool – Our Biggest Disappointment

Unfortunately, the private pool was by far the biggest let-down of our stay. A major reason we chose this particular room was to enjoy the luxury and convenience of having our own private pool, especially with two young children. However, the water was absolutely freezing, making it unusable for us.

We contacted the hotel to give them an opportunity to resolve the issue, but the response was particularly disappointing. We were told that if we wanted a heated pool suitable for the children, we would need to use the main children’s pool or book a villa instead.

This was extremely frustrating, as we had specifically booked and paid for a room with a private pool, expecting to be able to enjoy it. The lack of a practical solution significantly affected our experience, and it was particularly disappointing on what was meant to be a special honeymoon. We felt this issue could have been handled with much more care and understanding.

Pools, Beach & Outdoor Facilities

The main family pool was enjoyable, with comfortable sunbeds, a good selection of food and friendly food and drink service. However, the dark pool paint appeared to rub off onto our skin and stain us, which was not ideal.

The beach was lovely, although it was considerably smaller than we had anticipated. This meant seating was limited, and arriving early was necessary to secure a spot. While we enjoyed the beach itself, the limited space and seating made it less convenient, particularly for a family with young children. We also spent most of our time by the pool due to my husband’s foot injury.

The golf buggies were very useful for getting around the resort. However, a few drivers were rather rushed and inconsiderate, with some journeys being so abrupt that we nearly fell from our seats. A little more care and consideration when transporting guests would make a difference.

Restaurants & Dining

One of the less convenient aspects of the stay was having to book a restaurant every evening. With two young children, this made dinner plans unnecessarily stressful and took away some of the spontaneity we would have appreciated on holiday.

As someone who really enjoys food, I was particularly looking forward to dining at the Michelin-starred restaurant. We tried several times to secure a booking, but each time we were told it was fully booked. This was a significant disappointment, especially as we had hoped to make this a special part of our honeymoon. It would have been helpful to have clearer information about availability and the need to reserve well in advance.

On a positive note, we really enjoyed the Italian restaurant, and the buffet offered a lovely selection of dishes, including traditional options. The staff in the restaurants were also lovely. We ordered room service on several occasions and were impressed by how quickly the food arrived and how enjoyable it was, although the menu was somewhat limited. We also felt there could have been more simple sandwich options available for children around the pool.

Spa & Children’s Facilities

The spa was a real highlight. My massage was wonderful, and it was a lovely opportunity to relax during our stay.

The children’s facilities were another standout feature. The park was great for the children, and the kids’ club was fantastic. It was clean, beautifully organised and had a lovely Montessori-inspired atmosphere. It was clear that thought had gone into creating a welcoming environment for little ones.

Overall Impression

There were certainly many positives during our stay, from the warm welcome and friendly staff to the excellent kids’ club, lovely spa, enjoyable dining experiences and convenient resort facilities. The staff were, for the most part, a real credit to the hotel.

However, some important aspects fell short of our expectations. The cleanliness and condition of the room, the uncomfortable sofa bed, the lack of a suitable stair gate for our crawling baby, the limited beach seating, the inconvenience of restaurant reservations and, most importantly, the unusable private pool all detracted from what should have been a very special stay.

We appreciate that no hotel stay is perfect, and we genuinely enjoyed several aspects of the resort. However, when booking a special room for a honeymoon with young children, the details matter. The private pool was a key factor in our decision, and the hotel’s response when we raised our concerns left us feeling particularly disappointed. Similarly, the lack of a proper safety gate on the terrace stairs meant we had to improvise a solution throughout our stay, which was not something we expected to have to manage in family accommodation.

We were very fortunate with the weather for the majority of our stay, which allowed us to make the most of the outdoor facilities. However, on our final day, the weather changed drastically, leaving us confined to our room with very little to do. This highlighted the lack of indoor activities or alternative facilities to keep families entertained when the weather is poor. With two young children, it would have been helpful to have more options available, particularly on days when the pool, beach and other outdoor amenities could not be enjoyed.

With improvements to room maintenance, housekeeping, child safety, dining flexibility and, most importantly, the management of private pool temperatures and guest concerns, this could be a much better experience. We left with some lovely memories, but also feeling that the stay did not quite deliver the experience we had hoped for on such a special occasion.

We had a wonderful honeymoon stay at the beautiful Domes of Elounda in Crete. Everything was amazing, from the delicious food and exceptional service to the stunning location and beautiful surroundings. The whole experience was truly special, and we couldn’t have asked for a better place to celebrate such an important occasion. A huge thank you to the entire team for making our honeymoon so memorable. We would absolutely love to return and highly recommend this beautiful resort! ❤️

We had an amazing stay at Domes of Elounda.

It was a great experience from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. When we arrived we were accompanied by a very friendly staff member who explained to us everything we needed to know about the resort. We were pleasantly surprised to know that we were upgraded to a bigger nicer villa!

Breathtaking views, beautiful villas, delicious food in the various on site restaurants and most importantly an incredible staff everywhere. From the people in the reception, to the room service to the golf car drivers, everyone was very friendly and helpful.

If you plan on having a vacation in Crete, this is one of the absolute best places to stay in.