Phaea Blue

Facing the island of Spinalonga from the Elounda coastline, Phāea Blue is an intimate member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World shaped by contemporary Cretan culture, private pool suites and a deep connection to the landscape and traditions of the island.

Phāea Blue has been welcoming guests to this corner of Crete for more than two decades, but its latest chapter feels particularly personal. The hotel has been reimagined on a more intimate scale, drawing together local craftsmanship, contemporary Greek art and an aesthetic rooted in the colours and materials of the surrounding landscape. It feels unmistakably Cretan, not through obvious motifs, but through texture, art, food and the people behind the experience.

Buildings step through gardens towards the water, allowing the rugged hills and brilliant blue of the Mirabello Gulf to remain part of almost every view. Natural stone, timber, woven pieces and individually chosen artworks bring warmth to the interiors, while the scale gives Phāea Blue the character of a private Mediterranean enclave rather than a sprawling coastal resort.

Rooms & Suites

Rooms, bungalows, suites and the Phāea Blue Villa are individually styled with natural materials, eclectic Greek pieces and colours borrowed from the Cretan landscape. The Signature Room introduces the hotel's aesthetic particularly well, while Deluxe Bungalows and Suites provide more generous spaces and beautiful sea views.

Private heated pools feature prominently through the collection, including the Junior Suite, Blue Maisonette Suite and Island Suite. At the top sits the Phāea Blue Villa, conceived for a more private experience of the hotel and its exceptional coastal setting. Throughout, outdoor living is treated as an essential part of the accommodation, with terraces and pools drawing the sea and landscape directly into the stay.

Dining

Food is central to Phāea Blue's identity. Anthós takes a contemporary approach to Greek cooking, using the produce and culinary traditions of Crete as its starting point, while Blue Door occupies an old fisherman's stone house beside the water and celebrates the island's simpler pleasures through seafood and familiar taverna dishes.

The Phāea Farmers Feast takes that relationship with the island further. Guests can become part of the process, gathering ingredients and learning about the produce before sitting down to a meal shaped by Cretan traditions. Private dinners beneath the stars and other food experiences add further possibilities, but the thread remains the same throughout: Crete is not simply the backdrop to dinner here, it is the reason for it.

Experience

The private beach and outdoor pool provide two natural centres for days beside the water, while the wider programme reaches much further into Crete. Sailing at sunset, snorkelling, diving, hiking and cycling can all be arranged, alongside cooking classes, cultural encounters and experiences built around the people and traditions of the island.

Families are equally well considered, with a kids' club, outdoor play spaces and babysitting available, while the breadth of activities makes it easy to shape very different days around the same stay. One might be spent almost entirely beside the sea, another exploring inland Crete, and the next crossing the water towards Spinalonga.

Wellness

Wellness draws on the same sense of place, with massages, facials and body therapies complemented by yoga, fitness classes and personal training. A dedicated spa and fitness centre provide the foundations, while treatments and rituals bring in natural influences that sit comfortably with the hotel's broader Cretan philosophy.

Where

Phāea Blue lies on the Elounda coast in north eastern Crete, with the Mirabello Gulf stretching out in front and historic Spinalonga across the water. Elounda and the surrounding villages bring another dimension to the stay, but there is enough depth within Phāea Blue itself to make staying close to the sea for several uninterrupted days extremely tempting.

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