Elounda Aqua Sol Resort

We got back a couple of days ago after a week staying at the Elounda Breeze. We were a family of 5 with 3 kids 16,12,9. We had a family room with a balcony and had a lovely view of the sea and surrounding hills. We were pretty lucky with the location of our room as we were situated half way up the hill which made the trip to the restaurant and main pool pretty painless. We genuinely didn't think the hills in the resort were that bad but as a family we don't have any mobility issues. They do have buggies that will take you around the resort if the hills are a problem. Our room was very clean and bins emptied regularly. The aircon was a godsend! The TUI reps were super friendly and the staff at the hotel were lovely and really made an effort with the kids. There's plenty to do during the day, scavenger hunts, darts tournaments, aqua aerobics and my favourite to watch, water polo (absolutely hilarious thanks to the Scottish families that were also there at the time). The resort was lovely and clean and the staff really couldn't do enough for you. I agree with the comment about the main bar, there was no atmosphere in there so we didn't spend much time in there. We would have also liked to have seen a few more options in the games room but again, we didn't use it all that much. As far as the food is concerned we only ate from the snack bar (by the activity pool) once and we weren't too keen so stuck to the main restaurant. Although the food was quite repetitive, there were themed evenings (greek night, Mexican night, asian night etc) and honestly we didn't have a problem with the food. Nothing was undercooked and we didn't notice any flies in the main restaurant at all. The fact that some of the food was quite samey worked well for us as two of our children are very fussy eaters so we knew there would definitely be something for them to eat. I think if you're looking for a higher quality of food then this resort probably isn't going to meet your standards. In my eyes its pretty good for an all inclusive, if I wanted Michelin star food, I'd have booked a luxury resort ... I'd also recommend doing the mirabello bay boat tour! that was such a fantastic day out! We paid 24 euro's for a taxi back to the resort after a day in Elounda for 5 of us, and 15 euros for two of us on another day. I'd recommend walking into Elounda and getting a taxi back. There are some really lovely restaurants and cafes in Elounda too which are definitely worth exploring. All in all a fantastic family holiday with lots of memories made!

I have wanted to visit Crete for a long time after reading Victoria Hislop’s, The Island and Elounda Breeze made this possible. We are a family of 5 - 2 adults, 16, 14 & 10 year old children. We did travel in term time and the price reflected this as it was very reasonable for this area. The hotel has all the 4* facilities you need for a family holiday in a beautiful and peaceful area of Crete. The pools, water slides and activities were all excellent. There was always something going on which you could get involved with but also no pressure if you just wanted to relax. We could always find a sun lounger, even for the 5 of us. The whole hotel was very well kept. It was clean and tidy in all areas at all times. Our rooms were extremely spacious with a large wardrobe in both the bedroom and the living area. Housekeeping came in everyday and tidied and left fresh towels. Beach towels were provided in the rooms. Great air con, in both rooms. The hot water was lacking on the first day but after that we didn’t have a problem. We had the most amazing view of the whole coast line including Spinalonga from our balcony which really made this trip for me. There is a small beach area, which is about a 3 minute walk from reception. It was very quiet here in the afternoons and we could enjoy snorkelling in the shallow area or out in the sea. This was also a stunning area to bring a drink down to in the evening, away from the hotel. Food was great, the main buffet always had something for everyone both at lunch time and in the evening. The view from here was spectacular and definitely worth mentioning. We mostly enjoyed two of the themed nights, the Mexican and the Greek. We tried the Grill al a carte, which was very good and the service here was much more personal. We mostly ate at the pool bar for lunch which was relaxed and there was a good selection of food including sandwiches and hot food. We enjoyed the icecream which you could get at the main pool bar all day and at each restaurant. Drinks were good too. The Gym was well equipped, and there were daily classes you could join in so you can easily keep up with fitness. The hotel is on a hill so the walking kept us fit anyway. There are golf buggies available to help you out when you need it. They will take you all the way up to the main pool which was very helpful some days and fun too! I had a massage in the spa which was very relaxing and definitely one of the best massages I have had. The staff here are lovely and welcoming also. There were only 2 things that let this hotel down and this was the service and the bar area in the evening. The staff work hard and the activity team’s and bar staff were friendly and welcoming. There just lacked general service overall expected of a 4* hotel. There was only one bar area open in the evening which was in the main lobby. This felt very canteen like and it was always over crowded. There is a lovely outside seating area but this was often full. The evening entertainment was in the amphitheater, which did have a small bar as you went in but the hotel could have done with another evening seating place to go. However, these things didn’t spoil the holiday for us at all and I would definitely go back. The area - it was a 30 min walk into the town at Elounda. Taxis are also easily available. It was about €20 for a 7 seven seater for 5 of us. Spinalonga - we took a taxi into Plaka which is a picturesque fishing village. It had the most beautiful shops, boutiques and restaurants. We took the 10am ferry across to the island. It is such an incredible place, definitely worth visiting for the history and the scenery. We hired a boat from for 2 hours, which was fun for all of us. Great service, training on use and beautiful scenery. The transfer was long, but worth it when you arrive! Enjoy your holiday!

Fine for families less so for solo/older travellers. Don't expect a room with a view unless you book a room with a private pool. Food average and as others have said, things you expect to be hot are not. Rooms are a generous size and nicely furnished although would be nice to have shelves/drawer storage inside wardrobe rather than an open shelving unit between wardrobe and door. Onsite mini-market stocks basics and reasonably priced. Staff are happy to provide golf buggy shuttle up to restaurant if the walk up is too much for guests