Blue Palace, A Luxury Collection Resort & SPA
Perfect for those who are in Love
What has amazed us most?
The views. There are amazing vistas from every room and every corner of the hotel. You can relax on your own terrace and enjoy the incredible view of the Mirabello Gulf and the medieval Venetian Fortress, Spinalonga. The service. The maids are like fairy godmothers, who come unseen twice a day and leave small treats. The Special Romance Department and private chapel on the grounds of the hotel are waiting for you to celebrate the most special moments of your life.
Why should you come here?
To leave your problems and troubles behind; to enjoy the unique Cretan hospitality and delicious fine dining; to propose or even say ‘I do’.
THE MOST
special thing about the hotel
After a quick check-in, we didn’t go straight to our duplex sea view bungalow with a private pool, as the majestic views all around us captivated our senses. So we stayed a while at the open-air lounge with snow-white soft sofas, Greek wine and cold coffee which perfectly complemented the panorama. While we were enjoying the refreshments, the charming hotel manager, Irina, shared with us the story of the area and tiny Spinalonga Island, which lay in front of us; a story of glory and sadness, true love and pride. Ten years ago, English writer, Victoria Hislop, came here and was so enchanted by the beauty of this part of Crete that she wrote a book called “The Island”. The book became a bestseller in the UK, was translated into 23 languages, and adapted for Greek TV.
It turns out that the history of Crete played a major role in the design of Blue Palace. For example, the vaulted lobby is an exact replica of the 16th century Venetian arsenal located in Heraklion port. But the stylish and minimalistic architecture of Blue Palace emphasises the beauty of the surrounding untouched landscape. Blue Palace Resort and SPA, a member of the Luxury Collection of Starwood Hotels and Resorts, is located in a very peaceful and tranquil area of Crete, in the very east of the island near the small fisherman’s village of Plaka. The hotel is nestled on a hill and there are terraces down to the solitary private beach. One need not worry about descending from the heights to reach the azure Aegean waters; there is a funicular that takes you to the beach from the main reception. It's an enjoyable attraction, loved by both adults and kids.
A great way to explore Greek culture is to join a Greek cooking class with Blue Palace chef, Alexandros Lefkaditis, which focuses on authentic flavours and traditional local recipes. TripTemptation was invited to learn how to make delicious Dolmadakia (vine wraps with rice and herbs) and traditional Prawn Saganaki. It was a fantastic experience! Afterwards, we ate the dinner we had prepared ourselves at the Blue Door restaurant. This typical Greek Taverna, with a spectacular beach front location, was restored from an old fisherman’s stone-clad house, found here during the construction of the hotel. Aside from the Blue Door restaurant, there are four other restaurants at guests' disposal (Asia Blue, from Japanese to Thai cuisine, Flame and The Isola).
We highly recommend trying the menu in each of them, but having dinner at Flame restaurant is an absolute must. Flame specialises in steak dishes, serving only local products and using Cretan handcrafted traditional knives to prepare the food. Many of the herbs and vegetables are handpicked by the chef from the restaurant’s gardens. We used the opportunity to explore the gardens and learn about the herbs used in the kitchen.
One more way to indulge yourself is to visit the award-winning Elounda SPA and Thalassotherapy centre. Featuring three thalassotherapy pools and 24 treatment rooms, it is one of the largest SPA centers in Crete and one of the best in all of Greece. Treat yourself to luxurious Signature Treatments using local ingredients or the most prestigious cosmetic brands, like Anne Semonin, Cinq Mondes and Valmont.
Everything at the hotel is designed to give you the feeling of being in a palace, and I was, accordingly, treated like a queen. This is probably the reason rich and famous stars, such as Lady Gaga and Rihanna, come here quite often.
The beach area is surrounded by a lavish garden and contains the private chapel of Agios Titos, where you can light a candle or even get married. Upon seeing it, I regretted already being married as I was sure that the hotel’s Romance Department could create an amazing tailor-made wedding and organise an extraordinary honeymoon for any newlyweds. Blue Palace Resort is the ultimate place to celebrate any momentous occasion in your life: be that an engagement, anniversary, birthday or just a romantic weekend. There is a choice of romantic interludes in the exclusive romantic menu, “Ten Memorable Experiences”. If you are really into romance, treat yourself to a sunset cruise for two with a private dinner and a view of the stunning peninsula by moonlight.
HOW TO MAKE
the most of your stay
*Book one of the villas: Almyra, Thalassa, The Grand Villa, or the largest and most majestic three-bedroom Royal Blue Villa. This unrivalled 290 sq. m. villa is situated on the edge of the resort with spectacular seaviews, an outdoor pool and, outdoor dining and barbeque area which guarantees total privacy.
*Invite the chef to cook for you in The Royal Blue Villa’s wood burning oven and barbeque facilities around the pool.
*Spend an evening sailing in a traditional boat around Spinalonga Island and watch the sunset with a bottle of chilled champagne.
*Spend a day sailing the crystal clear waters of Mirabello Bay and enjoy an authentic Greek picnic on the beach prepared by the Blue Palace chef.
*Dine or just lounge together under the stars at the Blue Palace beach. Let the staff set up a beach bed with large pillows for you by the beachfront fire. This could be the ideal moment to propose and hear “Yes!” from your loved one.
WHAT ELSE
to see and do around
Just ten minutes’ walk from the hotel, you will find the small traditional fishing village of Plaka with amazing fresh fish taverns. Or you can take a taxi to explore Elounda (just a few kilometres along the coast) - a small, romantic and traditional Greek town.
One more place to see – is the largest town in the east of Crete, and the capital of this region, is beautiful Agios Nikolaos. Don’t miss Voulismeni, a hidden lake surrounded by cliffs, with many bars and restaurants dotted around the lake.
HOW TO
get here
The Blue Palace hotel is located an hour’s drive from Heraklion Nikos Kazantzakis Airport. A more luxurious option is to book a helicopter transfer from Heraklion Airport to the private helipad of the hotel.
