- Greece Holidays
- Elounda
- Royal Marmin Bay Boutique and Art Hotel

This beautiful hotel is situated in Lasithi, Crete, in Greece. The Heraklion International Airport is about an hour away from the complex. Guests will be delighted by the stunning outdoor swimming pool and its area where having a refreshing swim or sunbathing is total different experience since it is facing the wonderful Cretan Sea. The restaurants and bars offer delicious meals and drinks along with an agreeable atmosphere that allow travellers have a very enjoyable time. The sophisticated rooms are decorated with a combination of light and warm colours to create a cosy feeling. They are equipped with comfortable beds and with all the essential amenities to please even the most demanding guest.
Due to the surrounding area and the number of steps around the hotel, it may not be suitable for those with mobility difficulties.

Dear Athinagoras and the entire Marmin Royal team, My experience at Marmin Royal was truly exceptional, beyond all expectations. From the club car drivers to the beach attendants, and from the front desk and back-office teams, I met only kind, welcoming, and genuinely professional people. Every member of the staff contributed to creating an atmosphere of warmth, care, and true hospitality. What impressed me the most was the concept of quiet luxury: the simplicity that blends perfectly with the natural surroundings, the exceptional quality of the architecture and facilities, and above all, Athinagoras’ and his team’s dedication to the smallest details. You could find small touches that reveal true attention and experience — even matches carefully placed in your ashtray, beautifully presented dishes served directly to your sunbed at the beach, with absolutely reasonable prices but with a level of service that felt private and highly personalized. Club cars were available whenever you needed them, your room was continuously replenished with everything you might request, and the lighting of your private pool and the entire resort was perfectly timed to create the ideal atmosphere. These are the details that only the eye of an experienced traveler can truly appreciate — details that reflect the passion, hard work, and vision behind the final result. I sincerely congratulate Athinagoras and his entire team for creating such a remarkable experience. I look forward to returning next year and seeing you all again. You have given us unforgettable and truly happy days. With appreciation and warm regards, Michalis & Marina Kafousi
Perched against a cliff, this hotel offers breathtaking sea views facing Spinalonga and Elounda. Visiting in early July, we enjoyed a wonderfully quiet and tranquil atmosphere.
Our private pool room was worth every penny—spacious, beautifully decorated, and impeccably bright. The complimentary wine tasting on our first night was a fantastic welcome touch.
Location & Accessibility: Nestled between Elounda and Plaka, the setting is ideal, though the steep hillside could be challenging for guests with mobility issues (buggy services and outdoor lifts are available). Plaka is a quick €10 taxi ride away due to narrow, unwalkable roads, while Elounda is a pleasant 30-minute walk (or short taxi ride). Elounda boasts plenty of lively waterfront dining, but Plaka offers a smaller, more traditional Greek charm.
Dining & Service: Breakfast was superb—high-quality produce, a wide selection, cooked-to-order eggs, and table-side coffee service. The staff were consistently warm, polite, and attentive.
A Few Minor Niggles: Water & Coffee: A 5-star resort without nearby shops should provide complimentary bottled water in the room. Charging extra for coffee pods also detracts from a luxury experience. Beach Privacy: The beach is open to non-guests, making it feel less secure when leaving belongings unattended compared to a fully private beach. Overall, we had a wonderful, relaxing holiday and highly recommend this hotel for a serene getaway in Crete.
Just back from a week at Royal Marmin and my partner and agreed it was a mixed experience.
The hotel it's self is great! Some lovely views over the bay and, as has been mentioned previously, is very peaceful. There's no mad rush for sun loungers or people putting towels down at stupid o'clock. Surprisingly quiet, I counted 60 loungers around the pool and these were never more than 50% occupied. The breakfast buffet is fine, plenty options. Dinner buffet was very good.
The room we stayed in (66) was average. Clean enough but pretty small and no privacy given the balcony's proximity to the walkway to other rooms and pool area. That being said, it was still very quiet at night.
We found a few downsides to the hotel...
Staff. If you dare to ask for more than one coffee at breakfast time, you can expect to either be looked at like you have horns growing out your head or wait an eternity for your second cup. Or both! As there is no self service coffee machine, you are at the mercy of the waiters/barista who are never in any rush to do their job. Slow service isn't just reserved for breakfasts. We ordered a bottle of water from the pool bar one day and waited 15 minutes for it to be brought over. As mentioned previous, the pool area (and therefore staff) are nowhere near busy enough to justify the service.
Cost. Can of Coke? 5 euros. Beer? 9 euros. Bottle of water? 5 euros. Club sandwich? 22 euros. Coffee pod in your room? 1.50. It's no wonder the pool bar is empty with these inflated costs. It's a 30 minute walk to the nearest shops and cafes (or 10 euro taxi) which it's worth making the effort to visit as the cost of these items is about a third of what the hotel charges. There is also a 15 euro per night "tax" which is a bit of a stinger at the end of the week.
Our first night we arrived around 1am and so missed dinner earlier that evening. On our last day, we were not flying until 11.30pm so would be hanging around the hotel waiting all day. We asked if it would be ok, given that we missed our first dinner, that we could have dinner in the hotel that last night... No problem we were told. 40 euros each.
Cleanliness. This is a minor issue tbh but the cushions on the sun loungers are dirty and covered in sweat stains. Use plenty towels.
Generally the hotel is OK. The location is a positive and a negative given that you get peace and quiet but are over 1hr from the airport and then 30 mins walk from the nearest town. As nice as the staff seem, sadly their customer service skills are below average and let the hotel down. Probably wouldn't recommend
Was looking forward to a relaxing holiday at this adults only resort, only to be faced on our first morning with in excess of 20 children at breakfast. We were advised that there was a conference on and they had families staying for 5 days. We requested a room move as we were surrounded by families enjoying their stay. Unfortunately for us, it wasn’t quiet or relaxing as we had expected. On our return home, we requested some compensation as 5 of the 11 days of our holiday had been impacted. The response was that the hotel is adult orientated but not guaranteed to be adult only. Please be aware of this if you are looking for a child free hotel
BEWARE! NOT GUARANTEED ADULTS ONLY despite what the website or agencies state. Children were present during a private conference on our 10 day stay for the first 5 days. Not what we were sold or what was advertised on the hotels website. Literally the first line in the description of the hotel stayed it is adults only. When we challenged them on this the hotel said they reserve the right to have children stay and that it is an ‘adult orientated’ hotel. Again, conflicting with the first line in their description of the hotel on the website. This should have been a spectacular holiday full of relaxation and it simply wasn’t. The hotel tried to accommodate us elsewhere in the hotel as we had children either side of us but it did not change the vibe of the holiday after 5 days of being surrounded by children, sadly. It felt like we were on a family resort for the first 5 days. We didn’t get a deal on this holiday and paid full price. Not cheap. They should do better! We simply would not have booked if we had known families would be present or if the wording on the website had said adult orientated. For the record I love children and work with them every day, we just wanted peace and quiet and did not get it.
Two really great things were the scenes and setting and the wonderful care and attention given to us by Alin who works there. He’s a credit to the hotel
