Elafonissi Vacations from $354

Great place to find a peace and relax. There are nice hiking routs and it is close a great beach in Soughlia. However, to get to the beach you need to have a car.

As you walk in the flooring is clear so you can see Ancient Greece. Really neat. Staff is very kind and accommodating. Room is clean. Great location. Little expensive in comparison to surrounding lodgings. Rooftop access was nice but doesn’t give view of harbor. Breakfast was very nice, scenic setting.

My wife and I had our honeymoon at Eliros Mare. It was our first time in Greece and we really enjoyed our time. We chose to go with the all inclusive option and the room with a private pool for our stay. The only negative about our experience was that it was not a true all inclusive experience. A large portion of drinks, menu items and room service came at an extra charge. Entertainment staff were kind and made our time during the day enjoyable with beach volleyball and other pool/beach activities. Food service at breakfast, lunch and dinner was okay as the servers would rush to take your initial drink order but wouldn’t return unless they were waived down or at your table to clear plates. We enjoyed our room as it was spacious and had the private pool which was nice to have. Overall, we enjoyed our experience and would return to Eliros but would rethink the all inclusive option and most likely opt for a regular room without a private pool as we don’t believe it was utilized enough for the extra cost.

Lovely rooms, very clean, great food and lovely staff. On the downside the drinks were pretty average. Coffee not great, wine not great, soft drinks varied, spirits weak. Also found it very odd for a supposed 5 star to have to pay extra for things like pool towels, some “premium” sun beds and bottled water? Not expected. The dining areas could really do with better lighting and some added character - they feel a bit canteen-like. However the food was really very good. Fresh, varied and tasty with lots of options. Deserts were also excellent. And the staff are great all round. It’s a quiet hotel, peaceful, with little or no evening entertainment even in peak summer. But if that’s what you like this is hard to beat. We walked into the village one evening which was so nice with a few good local restaurants, and only took 10/15 mins to walk. The grounds, pool area and rooms are so well kept and can’t be faulted. We were in the swim up rooms which were very lovely with great views. Best of both worlds. Overall I would definitely recommend it, and would certainly go back.

Pros / overall experience : A very warm, welcoming and accommodating team running the place under George; spacious and clean rooms with very comfortable bed; generous and varied breakfast buffet and good food and drinks available throughout the day . Location works well if you have a car and want to use the hotel as a base to explore - right between chania and the west coast where there are some incredible turqouise water beaches. Some short hikes to monasteries / caves and wineries in the interior are also accessible so you can appreciate the mountainous scenery. Many guests also stay at the hotel all day and enjoy the pool and bar facilities , in which case would probably recommend upgrading to a room with a private plunge pool and lounger. Con - wouldn’t go there for the beach in front - it’s nice for the view from the hotel but there are much better beaches within an hours drive that are worth making the effort to go to. Area around the hotel at night can feel a bit desolate (at least in late September) so wouldn’t necessarily recommend venturing too far on foot for dinner .