TRAVEL
Surrey’s Premier Lifestyle Magazine
Crete’s new beat
Chantal Borciani discovers the reasons why Crete is the up and coming destination on the luxury getaway trail.
Photo copyright: ALEH VARANISHCHA | 123RF.com
While other holiday destinations drift in and out of popularity, Greece has been holding fast at the top hotspot for decades. Something about those eternally restful white-washed villages, the dazzling electric blue Aegean, the gentle, undulating hillsides and spectacularly indented coastlines, make the Greek islands nirvana for chic sunseekers.
Though droves of holidaymakers head for Mykonos and Santorini for luxury island life, those in the know make their euros go much further and book lesser-known luxury gems.
What sets Crete apart is simply the style and elegance of its boutique hotels. They may cater for families as well as romantics, but the design-led suites, private infinity pools and sublime terraces decked out with white billowing muslin drapes, to contrast with that cloudless electric blue sky, sea and pools, are simply picture perfect.
Luxury with a difference
Tucked away on the north-east coast of Crete lies St Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas, a small, serene collection of low-lying white-washed and stone apartments that encircle a private beach. This chic resort offers suites and villas overlooking both the spectacular Gulf of Mirabello Bay and the charming harbour of Agios Nikolaos. In July and August it’s a haven for families and couples alike (though with so many private pools, visitors are never overrun by broods or honeymooners), while out of season it’s a fabulous romantic getaway or spa week in the sun.
The private apartments cascade seaward and are hidden like jewels among the immaculately manicured gardens. Our villa, a one-bedroom suite, with stunning picture windows filled to the brim with turquoise sky and cobalt blue, was mesmeric. Champagne on arrival provided the perfect bedfellow.
It’s all so elementally aware – the suite’s private sundecks lead to private pools, overlooking the sea; the patio doesn’t merely stop, a grass verge flows down the edge of the cliff ensuring no line is too harsh, no material out off place or garish. Does it get more perfect?
Spa in the sun
St Nicolas’ newly renovated Poseidon spa is at the top of its game. Alongside the indoor heated pool with hydro jet bubble seats, marble Turkish steam baths and saunas, and a plethora of body and face treatments utilising Elemis and exclusive Cinq Monde products, there is ‘Aphrodite’s Bath’, a treatment cave for two. A seawater Thalassotherapy pool beside the sea, hydrojets and bubble loungers, and another favourite – the ‘Blue Room’, which sits at the very top of the spa with wall-to-wall windows overlooking Mirabello Bay. Eleni, the spa manager, is a fount of knowledge for all massage and skincare questions. She wisely recommended the heavenly My Greek Honey Massage with Charup Honey (45 minutes, € 94).
Dining, as with everything here, feels bespoke, despite most guests opting for full board. Breakfast is a leisurely and choice-laden affair enjoyed at tables by the pool or under the shade of orange trees. There are two hotel restaurants open for lunch and on the private beach where complimentary watersports are found at the beach club. Our favourite remains the romantic seafront terrace beside the waterfront chapel. Devour fresh Greek salads with crisp white local wines under swaying branches and feel stresses slip away.
For activity hunters, there is a kids’ club, open-air cinema and games’ lounge. Motorboat excursions and scuba diving lessons can be booked and the main pool is also a magnet for sun lovers.
When evening arrives, the raised terrace is sundowner heaven, accompanied by a tinkling piano in the corner. Below the bar and overlooking the pool, Minotaur restaurant has a world-class wine list, fabulous innovative menu and Japanese sushi to die for.
Though droves of holidaymakers head for Mykonos and Santorini for luxury island life, those in the know make their euros go much further and book lesser-known luxury gems.
What sets Crete apart is simply the style and elegance of its boutique hotels. They may cater for families as well as romantics, but the design-led suites, private infinity pools and sublime terraces decked out with white billowing muslin drapes, to contrast with that cloudless electric blue sky, sea and pools, are simply picture perfect.
Luxury with a difference
Tucked away on the north-east coast of Crete lies St Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas, a small, serene collection of low-lying white-washed and stone apartments that encircle a private beach. This chic resort offers suites and villas overlooking both the spectacular Gulf of Mirabello Bay and the charming harbour of Agios Nikolaos. In July and August it’s a haven for families and couples alike (though with so many private pools, visitors are never overrun by broods or honeymooners), while out of season it’s a fabulous romantic getaway or spa week in the sun.
The private apartments cascade seaward and are hidden like jewels among the immaculately manicured gardens. Our villa, a one-bedroom suite, with stunning picture windows filled to the brim with turquoise sky and cobalt blue, was mesmeric. Champagne on arrival provided the perfect bedfellow.
It’s all so elementally aware – the suite’s private sundecks lead to private pools, overlooking the sea; the patio doesn’t merely stop, a grass verge flows down the edge of the cliff ensuring no line is too harsh, no material out off place or garish. Does it get more perfect?
Spa in the sun
St Nicolas’ newly renovated Poseidon spa is at the top of its game. Alongside the indoor heated pool with hydro jet bubble seats, marble Turkish steam baths and saunas, and a plethora of body and face treatments utilising Elemis and exclusive Cinq Monde products, there is ‘Aphrodite’s Bath’, a treatment cave for two. A seawater Thalassotherapy pool beside the sea, hydrojets and bubble loungers, and another favourite – the ‘Blue Room’, which sits at the very top of the spa with wall-to-wall windows overlooking Mirabello Bay. Eleni, the spa manager, is a fount of knowledge for all massage and skincare questions. She wisely recommended the heavenly My Greek Honey Massage with Charup Honey (45 minutes, € 94).
Dining, as with everything here, feels bespoke, despite most guests opting for full board. Breakfast is a leisurely and choice-laden affair enjoyed at tables by the pool or under the shade of orange trees. There are two hotel restaurants open for lunch and on the private beach where complimentary watersports are found at the beach club. Our favourite remains the romantic seafront terrace beside the waterfront chapel. Devour fresh Greek salads with crisp white local wines under swaying branches and feel stresses slip away.
For activity hunters, there is a kids’ club, open-air cinema and games’ lounge. Motorboat excursions and scuba diving lessons can be booked and the main pool is also a magnet for sun lovers.
When evening arrives, the raised terrace is sundowner heaven, accompanied by a tinkling piano in the corner. Below the bar and overlooking the pool, Minotaur restaurant has a world-class wine list, fabulous innovative menu and Japanese sushi to die for.
The Royal Spa Villa view at Elounda Gulf Villas and Suites
Live like a celebrity
Five minutes down the road from St Nicolas Bay is the bustling cove of Elounda. Winding hilltop roads offer heady views to Spinalonga island made famous by Victoria Hislop’s novel, The Island.
For those looking for even more exclusivity, Elounda Gulf Villas is the pinnacle of lux getaways. Set on a hillside above the eponymous town, these are some of the most stylish villas, apartments and suites on the island. The resort has 18 private villas, each with its own private infinity pool, and 15 suites. Owned and run by the Kadianakis family, this is the byword in bespoke luxury.
Guests can choose from a pillow menu and request a butler to serve breakfast. The residences have the very latest technology, from kitchen mod cons to audio equipment, but all of this decadence plays second fiddle to the resort’s panoramic views.
All properties look seaward and with most of the private pools completely hidden from view, it’s little surprise celebrities including Cristiano Ronaldo and world dignitaries come here to escape the limelight.
Design and discreet service is at the core of Elounda Gulf Villas’ prowess. Newest additions to the hotel comprise massage villas: set at the top of the hillside, they enjoy the highest views and feel like Hollywood Hills’ duplexes, complete with drop-away pools and a private massage suite within each villa.
The gargantuan Imperial villa is a masterpiece with spectacular infinity pool, gym, sauna, steam room and spellbinding views.
The luxury resort boasts two à la carte restaurants, private beach club (10 minutes drive away, but simply pick up the villa phone to arrange a transfer), small spa, seaview gym and a brand new kids’ club and crèche for junior guests, which meet OFSTED standards.
The Mediterranean menu at the poolside restaurant is surely one of the best on the island, with seared octopus, local cheese with grilled prawns and bountiful local produce always the star of the show. The à la carte restaurant, Daphni, is another culinary highlight. Our lamb fillet rolled in a green crust of fresh Cretan herbs, served with citrus fruit-flavoured bean purée and rainbow wafer beetroot was a triumph. As was the way Crete can cater to well-heeled families, honeymooners and those looking for a lux getaway to the sunshine.
For travellers wanting short-haul decadence, Crete’s villa-hotels are the place to push the boat out. In return, receive better prices, premium service, private infinity pools, gorgeous shoulder season weather and fewer crowds than those blue domes of Oia.
Five minutes down the road from St Nicolas Bay is the bustling cove of Elounda. Winding hilltop roads offer heady views to Spinalonga island made famous by Victoria Hislop’s novel, The Island.
For those looking for even more exclusivity, Elounda Gulf Villas is the pinnacle of lux getaways. Set on a hillside above the eponymous town, these are some of the most stylish villas, apartments and suites on the island. The resort has 18 private villas, each with its own private infinity pool, and 15 suites. Owned and run by the Kadianakis family, this is the byword in bespoke luxury.
Guests can choose from a pillow menu and request a butler to serve breakfast. The residences have the very latest technology, from kitchen mod cons to audio equipment, but all of this decadence plays second fiddle to the resort’s panoramic views.
All properties look seaward and with most of the private pools completely hidden from view, it’s little surprise celebrities including Cristiano Ronaldo and world dignitaries come here to escape the limelight.
Design and discreet service is at the core of Elounda Gulf Villas’ prowess. Newest additions to the hotel comprise massage villas: set at the top of the hillside, they enjoy the highest views and feel like Hollywood Hills’ duplexes, complete with drop-away pools and a private massage suite within each villa.
The gargantuan Imperial villa is a masterpiece with spectacular infinity pool, gym, sauna, steam room and spellbinding views.
The luxury resort boasts two à la carte restaurants, private beach club (10 minutes drive away, but simply pick up the villa phone to arrange a transfer), small spa, seaview gym and a brand new kids’ club and crèche for junior guests, which meet OFSTED standards.
The Mediterranean menu at the poolside restaurant is surely one of the best on the island, with seared octopus, local cheese with grilled prawns and bountiful local produce always the star of the show. The à la carte restaurant, Daphni, is another culinary highlight. Our lamb fillet rolled in a green crust of fresh Cretan herbs, served with citrus fruit-flavoured bean purée and rainbow wafer beetroot was a triumph. As was the way Crete can cater to well-heeled families, honeymooners and those looking for a lux getaway to the sunshine.
For travellers wanting short-haul decadence, Crete’s villa-hotels are the place to push the boat out. In return, receive better prices, premium service, private infinity pools, gorgeous shoulder season weather and fewer crowds than those blue domes of Oia.
essence info
Websites: www.slh.com/hotels/elounda-gulf-villas-and-suites/ andwww.slh.com/hotels/st-nicolas-bay-resort-hotel-villas
Travel Tip: With balmy weather from March to November, Crete is easy to explore anytime. Take a car and visit the culture capital of Chania, explore the majestic Samira gorge or visit the pink sands of Elafonisi on the west coast.