Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa

Let’s start with the positives as I am a glass half full type of person. The rooms are absolutely stunning, clean with great facilities and the view is to die for. We had the superior room with private pool and it’s one of the nicest I have stayed in. The hotel in general is very clean and well kept. The maid service for the bedroom is great, water and amenities always provided and never had to chase for turndown/fresh towels etc. The staff are also lovely. You can tell that some of them are new to the role but they will go above and beyond to make sure your stay is enjoyable, so cannot complain at all in that respect. Now to the negatives. The food. The breakfast is ‘okay’, not a lot of choice but everything they have out is fresh and tasty. The evening buffet at Ambrosia is incredibly disappointing. There is not very much choice at all and every dish we had was cold. Really disappointed as myself and my partner are both ‘foodies’ and we were massively underwhelmed. We were told by the spa manager that there was a lovely relaxing area at the ‘second pool’ with hammocks. So we naturally went down to explore the area and took a seat to enjoy the view on our first day. However, within 5 minutes we were greeted by a member of staff telling us that the pool/seating area and restaurant were not open and we needed to move. Half the hotel is not yet open and they do not inform you of this prior to booking, so just something to be aware of. On a couple of occasions we had to ask the bar staff to bring towels out to the sunbeds around the main pool, so this is another area that could be improved. Myself and my partner both opted to use the spa, which is beautifully decorated. However, the Hammam steam room smelt very strongly of damp, which was not pleasant. We also found that the waiting area/noise from the main area of the hotel travelled through to the relaxation space at times. We both had the Cretan massage which was lovely. Final thing I would say, is if you are looking for somewhere to relax but with options of things to do, this hotel is not the one for you. It is relatively isolated and is lacking a beach, tennis court etc to give you little activities to occupy your time. Overall it was a nice stay, however, we would not return.

Just returned from a week of sun at the Cayo Resort. We opted for the Bed & Breakfast option as the local restaurants within walking distance (or reached by the courtesy shuttle bus) were all of high quality and provided excellent Cretan food. Breakfasts at the hotel were “ok”. Lots of choice, but no “standout” dishes amongst the buffet. Staff at the Cayo Resort were excellent and could not have done enough to deliver a relaxing stay. The accommodation is first class and the private pool and the views from it are amazing. Highly recommended.

Truly outstanding hotel. Wonderful staff, immaculately clean rooms, great a/c, stunning cocktails and a relaxed vibe. The attention to detail was evident everywhere from the shuttle down to Plaka, housekeeping and the speed and efficiency of the room service. Nothing was too much trouble and every single member of staff was friendly, polite and efficient. Highly recommended!

Avoid at all cost, the staff the worst that you would come across from the manger to the porter, unclean rooms and bathrooms and very poor room maintenance and through out our stay. Set down is promised but staff would not turn up. There were bugs everywhere bees at breakfast, fruit flies and Centipedes throughout the room. You will be charged for things and asked to pay without clarity and transparency…. The hotel is 4 1/2 hours away from the beautiful beaches of Chania and other major attractions in Crete. It was a very poor choice … if I can give it minus marks I would…

Amazing hotel, stunning views. we had a room with its own pool which was amazing. The sun rise over the pool was beautiful and the view of spinalonga was spectacular. The hotel has a good fitness centre and the shuttle bus to Plaka beach was helpful.

What can I say, the CAYO is magnificent , if you are looking for relaxation then this is the place to be, the rooms are amazing and have everything you need, every room has its own pool with outside sun loungers, outside shower and a table and chairs, the wardrobe area is separate from the room and caters for the traveller with the most luggage, it was fabulous ! The shower cubicle was great, very powerful water and 2 wash basins again in a separate area . All the staff from reception to concierge to the housekeepers to the ladies at Breakfast were so lovely, greeted us daily, gave us excellent info on the area , special mention to Yannis the concierge and Margarita at the Ambrosia. We were on a half board basis but as we hired a car we went out most nights but did stay for the Sunday Cretan Night Buffet which was a lot of fun with local dancers and singers, who got everyone up to dance. Food quality excellent, fresh and well displayed. The resort has 3 large pools, it was never a problem to get a sunbed anytime of the day I think this is because each suite has its own pool. Total bliss, quiet music in the background and very good quality loungers, every detail has been thought about, the whole resort is so clean. You do need to be fit as the rooms are built into the hills so if the funicular is not working then it’s a very steep walk depending on which level you are based on, they do however have golf buggies to drive you to and from. We never used the hotels beach as it was very small and the sunbeds were very close together as well as it being open to the general public for a fee. Plaka itself is lovely but the restaurants here are much more expensive than in the lively resort of Elounda which we tended to go into every evening, which has so much choice and a great atmosphere , 10 mins max by car. We went over to Spinalonga from Plaka a 6-7 minute boat trip, what an emotional trip, with its sad history , a must visit if you are staying at CAYO. We would return in a heartbeat, we felt like family and were treated so well, the staff really can’t do enough for you, from parking your car, to cleaning the room twice a day with fresh towels, replenishing water bottles twice a day, the whole experience was wonderful. We have stayed in many hotels worldwide and we both agreed that has to be one of the best for the rooms, view and general hospitality. We came back bronzed from the Cretan sun, relaxed and rejuvenated. Top marks to Cayo your resort and team are wonderful ! Thank you