The best hotels in Crete
The biggest and one of the best Greek Islands, Crete promises year-round sunshine, beautiful hikes and incredible ancient sites such as Aptera and Malia. Home of the super-healthy fruit and veg packed Cretan diet – and a magnet for travellers who come to laze on silk sand beaches, frolic in hidden coves, hike out to explore sun-dazzled trails or visit world-class archaeological sights – Greece’s largest island is blessed with some of the country’s most breathtaking scenery. Combined with the beaches in Crete, the island offers up a winning summer holiday recipe, especially for families.
What is the best location to stay in Crete?
Lured by the picture-postcard Venetian harbour and proximity to the pink sand beach of Elafonisi, visitors generally flock to Chania in the northwest. With an abundant crop of grand new Greek island hotels opening their doors, however, the island’s lesser-known eastern half – famed for its near-deserted beaches lapped by mirror-clear waters and great value tavernas serving local specialities – is becoming increasingly popular.
What's the best resort in Crete for families
Crete is home to some of the best family-friendly hotels in Greece, so there's plenty to choose from. One of our favourites is Domes of Elounda, which overlooks the Unesco-protected island of Spinalonga. Book into one of the Luxury Residences or Ulta-Luxe Villas where the self-catering facilities offer the perfect set up for families with little ones.
How we choose the best hotels in Crete
Every hotel on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveller journalist who knows the destination and has visited that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider properties across price points that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination, keeping design, location, service, and sustainability credentials top of mind.
Nick KontostavlakisAcro Wellness Suites
Teetering over a caldera-like cliff with spectacular views over Mononaftis Bay, Acro Wellness Suites’ string of stone-built suites and villas are like a slice of Santorini in Crete. Scattered across a thyme-scented hillside, nine dome-roofed cave suites have in-room tubs for amorous soaping and large terraces with grotto pools for lazy soaking. The romantic adults-only set up makes it one of our favourite hotels for a honeymoon in Greece. The cave suites offer oodles of room for canoodling, but for the best sunset views choose one of the three pool villas. Beyond the lovely suites, other highlights include the resort’s lagoon-like central pool, and a light-filled spa crisscrossed with trickling water channels and centred on a Moroccan-style dome-roofed hammam. Heidi Fuller-Love
Price: from £375 per night
Georg Roske Creative lead & concept by Lambs & Lions Berlin (https://lambsandlions.com)Domes Zeen Chania, Chania
It’s one of our favourite Greek island hotels, particularly for families. The Palm Springs-style concrete bungalows and pavilions dot the hillside towards the sea, some of which have been purpose-built for families and have private pools. Outside there’s a black-tiled pool surrounded by thatched parasols for snoozing under, and the kid’s club is a whimsical oasis with yurts and teepees. When you want to go for a wander, guests can take a boat trip or venture into pretty Chania.
Price: from £277 per night
Address: Apteron Road Parigoria, Kon/nou Paleologou, Chania 731 00, Greece
Nick Kontostavlakis/Globe & TrotterThe Royal Senses Resort & Spa, Panormos
It’s no coincidence that everything, from the rooms to the restaurants and every pool, at this hillside hotel near Rethymno faces north. The bright blue views overlooking the sea of Crete are a stop-and-stare asset and made a purposeful feature throughout. Every room enjoys a front-row-view via a private terrace with seating, some have their own pool, plus the option to order a Balinese-style floating breakfast spread in the mornings. Then again, the breakfast buffet is a cracking one, with a rotating assortment of the classics (freshly plated eggs Benedict) as well as the traditional Cretan (fennel pie and sweet Bougatsa) and plenty of vegan options, served in an airy indoor, outdoor setting by the sprawling pool, a jazzy live saxophone serenading the morning sun. There’s sparkling wine and strawberries on offer too for those who are celebrating – of which I spotted many.
The Curio collection from Hilton property seamlessly treads the tightrope line between honeymoon and child-friendly. On one side of the hotel is the adults-only pool area and spa – the largest in Crete – as well as the romantic Cretamos restaurant, with room for only seven tables and a degustation menu paired with local wines. All the way on the other side is a shiny new kid’s club (the hotel only opened in 2021) that rivals most UK nurseries, along with a fantastical water playground with an array of slides to suit big and little ones, plus a bar for parents. All ages congregate around the palm tree flanked pool area, where citrus salads and cocktails can be ordered straight to your lounger. For a swim in the sparkling sea, guests can access the private beach at the neighbouring Royal Blue. Lauren Burvill
Price: from £264 per night
Minos Beach Art hotel, Mirabello Bay
As its name suggests, this charming hotel – with its manicured lawns, plant-strewn alleys spiked with sculptures and artworks, and award-winning restaurant from chef Giannis Baxevanis who serves skilfully reinvented Cretan specialities – is all about aesthetics. Strung out along its own (very) private peninsula in a hidden corner of magical Mirabello Bay, it's fronted by a meandering seafront pathway strewn with beanbags and deckchairs and punctuated at regular intervals with ladders leading down into the mirror-clear waters below.
Set back from the seafront, the low buildings peeking out from a jungle of mature undergrowth have hardly changed since they were built here in the 1960s. Inside, however, there are now wicker furnishings and walk-in showers. For the best sea views, choose one of the Superior Waterfront bungalows where you’ll be lulled to sleep by the murmur of waves tickling the sea urchin-spotted rocks below.
Price: from £216 per night
Address: Agios Nikolaos, Crete 721 00, Greece
JF WiensDomes of Elounda
Cretans love kids – so family-friendly hotels aren’t hard to come by. But this sprawling retreat tumbling down a slope with spectacular views over glittering seas to Spinalonga island is one of the best. More village than resort, facilities – which include an olive tree-shaded sandy beach, several large pools (one just for adults) gourmet restaurants, a kids club and a games room for teens – are excellent and the elegant spa even has a specially designated kids' treatment menu.
Linked by winding paved alleys shaded with scarlet paper chains of bougainvillea and star white jasmine, rooms, suites and villas veer from extremely comfortable to very luxurious – many have plunge pools or whirlpool baths. Families will love the self-catering facilities in Luxury Residences but privacy is best in Ultra-Luxe Villas, which are like individual houses with gyms and saunas, and pools indoors and out.
Price: from £201 per night
Nick Kontostavlakis/Globe & TrotterThe Royal Blue Resort, Rethymno
Along a sweeping stretch of the northern coastline, The Royal Blue is set up to resemble a Cretan village, with a series of honey-hued stone buildings lined with colourful flower beds. A total of 38 pools are dotted throughout, some public, some shared between a few rooms while others are completely private. The main swimming event is a heated expanse overlooking the sea and lined with sun loungers, a hand-full hovering within the pool itself. Order lunch direct to your lounger or drag yourself a couple of steps away to the poolside Alati restaurant for freshly baked bread rolls with olive tapenade (a beloved signature of all four restaurants here), and zesty sea bass ceviche with avocado and a jalapeno kick. Down on the beach, the man-made setup is akin to a sheltered bay, providing easy swimming conditions for all ages and plenty of well placed loungers and day beds.
Little ones are particularly well catered for here, from the cute kid’s spa menu to the multitude of pram-friendly ramps. All suites have large bathrooms with bathtubs. The family suite with private pool has the ultimate layout; little ones can nap on the fold out sofa in the lounge room while parents can sunbathe just outside by the pool. Even in the grown-up Elia restaurant, where the freshest catch of the day is brought out to you to choose from, and local musicians serenade guests, the atmosphere is still relaxed and a kid’s menu thankfully keeps youngsters happy. Lauren Burvill
Price: from £185 per night
Address: Panormo Geropotamou, 740 57, Greece
Nick Kontostavlakis/Globe & TrotterNumo Ierapetra, Ierapetra
This adults-only village-like retreat sits on a black-sand beach that hugs the Mediterranean coastline on the southern side of Crete, a lesser-known, alluring side of the island that holds just as much beauty as the north but with fewer visitors. Rooms are dotted across the resort, some equipped with a private pool and terrace, all offering a sense of privacy. And while the final touches could improve, the soft colour palette and laid-back design offers a sense of serenity. Numo’s real strength lies in its swimming pool and beach club, where Crete’s rugged landscape is on full display. Daybeds seamlessly transition from pool to beach, giving you endless opportunities to awe at the unmatched blues of the Mediterranean – which I did endlessly. Be sure to order an ice-cold Mythos and Greek Sandwich from your lounger to soak up every last minute of sun.
Of the three main restaurants, Menoa is the stand out, bringing Peruvian and Asian cuisine to the Greek Islands. A buffer breakfast and dinner is on offer at Tamarisk, while lunches are a la carte – fresh Greek salads, perfectly (and I mean perfectly!) seasoned octopus, and mezze platters make for the ideal beach break. Make time for a sunset supper at The Coast by Tamarisk, Numo’s fine-dining spot serving meaty scallops drenched in garlic butter, rich lobster spaghetti and a melt-in-your-mouth red velvet molten cake that I’m still dreaming about. Amber Port
Price: from £155 per night
Address: Epar.Od. Ierapetras - Sitias, Ierapetra 722 00, Greece
Nana Princess
The sleek black stone buildings of this property close to the seaside town of Hersonissos offer a stark contrast to the popular resort’s souvlaki stands and souvenir shops – behind high stone walls the outside world fades away as you wander through glass-walled rooms lined with funky artwork overlooking two large pools and a small-but-sheltered beach.
Suites and villas have blissfully private sea view terraces with whirlpool baths or heated plunge pools and lots of high tech fixtures and fittings, including chromotherapy lighting, LCD mirror TVs and (for some) fully equipped gyms. Fans of pinball and Pac-Man should book the Royal Villa which has an entire basement room crammed with vintage games. But the icing on this stylish cake is the space-age spa which has an entire wing of treatment rooms where – wait for it – wellness therapies are tailored to suit your star sign.
Price: from £255 per night
Address: Old National Road (El. Venizelou), Drapanos, Chersonissos, Crete, Chersonisos 700 14, Greece
Christos DrazosKapsaliana Village, Rethymno
Crete's glorious beaches are difficult to resist, but if you want to experience a slice of the island's more authentic charms head inland to Kapsaliana, a stone-built village buried in olive groves and sweet-scented citrus orchards a few miles from 16th-century Arkadi, one of the island's best-known monasteries.
As patient as the ant in Aesop’s fable, the resort’s architect-owner Myron Toupogianis has been buying houses in the village since the 1970s and restoring them as rooms and suites linked by a warren of cobbled paths and original features. Think lofty timber-beamed ceilings, writing desks made from the giant pitted stone wheels of an olive press and beds handcrafted from sweet-scented olive wood – along with plenty of modern extras, including plump beds and walk-in showers. This beautifully restored village centres on a raised terrace where traditional Cretan-inspired breakfasts and dinners are served beneath the perfumed shade of citrus trees.
Price: from £220 per night
Address: Καψαλιανά 741 00, Greece
Paterakis VangelisCayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Elounda
Cayo’s boho charms are the perfect match for the sparkling seas and near-deserted beaches of Elounda, the laidback fishing village where shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis and his jet-setting pals once loved to hang out.
On a low hill looking out over the Mirabello bay to Spinalonga, the leper island of Victoria Hislop's best-selling novel, public areas are decorated with a magpie-haul of beautiful objects brought back by its globetrotting owners on their various trips overseas and are linked by a funicular whose glass cabins give stunning views over the bay.
Light-filled rooms, suites and villas have gleaming blonde-wood floors, plump Coco-mat beds and terraces. Families will love the Cayo Grand Pool Villa with its basement bedroom that has a Bond-style underwater window looking straight into the villa’s sparkling pool. There’s also a (free) shuttle bus that carries guests down to the small sandy beach.
Price: from £237 per night
Abaton Island, Hersonissos
This classy spa overlooking a sand-powdered beach is ideal if you’re seeking a ‘no shoes no news’ getaway. A glass-walled reception with panoramic sea views opens onto wooden decks dotted with rocking chairs where you can sit and sip a cocktail as you gaze out over the turquoise mirror of the infinity pool. Narrow paths lead to rooms, suites and villas – many with a heated pool – housed in low white buildings scattered across manicured lawns fringed by soothing lagoon-like water features. Five restaurants serve everything from Cretan specialities to surf and turf and there’s also a pier stretching far out to sea – scattered with bean bags and tables this is the perfect perch for sun lazing during the day and romantic dining at night.
Price: from £231 per night
Daios Cove, Agios Nikolaos
It may be big – there are 300 rooms and 39 stone-built villas dotted around the olive-tree-covered cove – but service at Daios Cove is as smooth and polished as the marble floors. Families are especially well taken care of with complimentary buckets and spades for the beach and electric buggies to glide you noiselessly to your door. Villas are split over two storeys, with sitting rooms leading out to the infinity pool and terrace, and the master suite and balcony below. There’s a notable amount of effort to make your stay extra comfortable from the lengthy pillow menu to the choice of mango, vanilla or violet fragrances to be fed into the air-conditioning, and little treats like macaroons or feta muffins, waiting for you whenever you return to your room. The bars, restaurants and the swimming pool area are all on different levels up the rocky sides of the bay, accessed by a funicular rail car. Down at the beach, the shore is lined with loungers and the sea is shallow, making for child-friendly rippling waves.
Price: from £246 per night
Address: Βαθύ, Kritsa 721 00, Greece
Blue Palace, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, Elounda
Set on a private pebble beach in the northern coastal town of Elounda, Blue Palace maintains an authentic Cretan vibe compared to its slick resort neighbours. There’s no main building to speak of, instead bungalows, suites and villas – mostly all with private pools – are dotted around a slope that leads down to the beach. There’s also a wooden fishing boat to putter across to Spinalonga island, an open-air cinema on the beach, and a taverna set in an old fisherman’s house right on the water serving up just-caught fish and Greek meze classics.
Price: from £229 per night
Ammos Hotel
Like jazz improv, the elements of this seaside hotel come together in wonderfully clashing harmony: uplifting interiors, great food, punchy cocktails and good-humoured staff who won’t flinch when a toddler smears tomato sauce over one of the designer chairs – all delivered with a dash of humour and lashings of genuine Cretan hospitality. Rachel Howard
Price: from €125 per night
Metohi Kindelis, Chania
Stories of Venetian dukes and Ottoman pashas rustle in the avocado and mango trees of this magnificent 17th-century estate on the outskirts of Chania. Behind the rose-pink walls, there’s an organic farm, a family home and three self-contained guesthouses. Each has a private pool, garden and dining terrace for sampling home-grown produce and delicacies that are replenished daily – figs, persimmons, lychees and strawberries, nutty graviera cheese and smoky heather honey. Rachel Howard
Tom ParkerCabanon Concrete Retreat
Two tiny cabins with glass façades peep out of a silver haze of olive groves here. Mid-century furniture, raw-concrete walls and modular, minimal living space with maximum comfort pay homage to Le Corbusier’s ideal of Mediterranean balance. A proper immersion in nature for those with a sharp eye for modern design. Rachel Howard
Price: from £141 per night
Address: Dermitziana, Kissamos 734 00, Greece