Elounda Palm Hotel

Among more than 150 palm trees in the hills above Elounda, Elounda Palm Hotel & Suites is a family run Cretan hideaway combining sea view rooms, private pool suites and villas with a wonderfully relaxed outlook across the Mirabello Gulf.

The palms are far more than a name here. They fill the gardens, shade terraces and frame glimpses of the sea, giving the hotel a lushness that feels quite unexpected in this part of Crete. Buildings sit comfortably among the planting rather than dominating it, with white walls, stone, timber and warm natural tones keeping the mood informal and distinctly Mediterranean.

Its family ownership comes through in the scale and atmosphere. Elounda Palm has enough around it to spend easy days without going anywhere, yet it retains the personality of a smaller hotel, with the swimming pool, gardens, restaurant and bar forming a relaxed centre rather than a sprawling resort. From the higher parts of the property, views stretch across the Mirabello Gulf towards the coastline around Elounda.

Rooms & Suites

Accommodation has evolved considerably beyond the original rooms and bungalows, giving Elounda Palm an appealing range of ways to stay. Classic Rooms keep things simple with either garden or sea views, while the Superior Bungalows introduce more space and their own terraces within the gardens.

The Infinity Suites are where the hotel becomes more indulgent. Junior and Deluxe versions have private pools and contemporary interiors, creating self contained spaces where the terrace and water become as important as the room itself. The Deluxe Palm Ground Floor Suites offer another spacious option with particularly easy access to the gardens.

Families are especially well catered for. Cosy Family Rooms provide a straightforward base, while Connecting and Two Bedroom Family Suites with private pools allow everyone to stay together without sacrificing personal space. The Two Bedroom Private Pool Villa offers the greatest independence, bringing the privacy and outdoor living of a villa into the easy surroundings of the hotel.

Dining

Food is firmly rooted in Crete. The hotel’s certified Cretan restaurant draws on regional recipes and ingredients sourced from selected local producers, with Greek and Mediterranean dishes served beside the pool. It is an easy, unpretentious setting for lunch and dinner, and one that suits the hotel particularly well.

Mellow Cocktail Bar brings another personality to the pool area, with its garden lounge becoming the natural place to settle as the heat begins to fade. Cocktails make use of local flavours and ingredients, while the open air lounge cinema adds one of Elounda Palm’s more charming touches, turning selected evenings into films under the Cretan sky.

Experience

Days tend to find their own pace here. The large outdoor pool sits at the heart of the gardens, with a separate children’s pool and plenty of space around it for reading, swimming or doing very little at all. The palms create pockets of shade and quieter corners, so even the main pool area retains the easy garden atmosphere that runs through the hotel.

There is plenty available when the mood changes. Cycling, snorkelling and diving open up the landscape and coastline around Elounda, while cars, bicycles, excursions and transfers can all be arranged through the hotel. Its position also makes spontaneous trips into Elounda particularly easy, whether for an afternoon beside the harbour or dinner by the water.

Wellness

The spa brings together a hammam, treatment spaces and a relaxation area, with massages and body treatments available when a slower afternoon appeals. A fitness centre provides a more active option, and the compact scale means wellness feels like a natural addition to the hotel rather than a separate experience requiring half a day to enjoy.

For guests in the private pool accommodation, relaxation often begins much closer to the room. Having your own stretch of water among the gardens gives the suites and villa a lovely sense of retreat, particularly during the quieter hours of the morning and towards the end of the day.

Where

Elounda village is around 1 kilometre away, placing its harbour, shops and waterfront restaurants within easy reach, while Agios Nikolaos is approximately 7 kilometres along the coast and Heraklion International Airport around 68 kilometres from the hotel.

Media