Elounda Residence Resort & Waterpark

Went here beginning of May, worse holiday ever had by far! How this hotel is a 4 star is beyond me! Food was ‘ok’ not the best it was not hot it was warm, we went out a few times and had gorgeous meals in the town of Elounda. All entertainment is French, we then got shouted out by other guests for winning a music quiz that then carried out throughout the whole holiday whilst said guests was present. To be honest entertainment team did translate to English so we could understand and attempt to join in. Thank you to Esteban (unsure of spelling sorry) from the entertainment team for making us feel included! Pool safety, horrific! One life guard for the whole resort that stood at the top of the slides in a hut with sides on manning the slides. Dirt around the pools where drinks had been spilt on the floors and sun loungers days prior and not cleaned. Rooms are very dated, we had a villa with a private pool and could count on 1 hand how many times we used this pool as it had all sorts of dead insects, cockroaches, worms floating in it reported to reception they cleaned it the night before we left absolutely disgusting!! The maid who cleaned our villa daily was so lovely when we spoke to her and did a really good job cleaning our villa. One of my children had to be taken to hospital with an ear infection doctor advised it was due to being in dirty water. Mouldy cups left in the kitchen for us to use. Air con wasn’t working to find no battery’s in any of the remotes in our room. On our last day we rang reception to pick our cases in the golf cart (they offer as free service to get around the resort) to take suitcases at 10.45am we had to be out our villa 11am. At 11.08am the phone rang it was a lady on reception telling us we needed to be out. My husband explained to the lady we are waiting for the suitcases to be picked up they told us to leave them on the front said no as we didn’t want our luggage left there as was a main road running down the side of our villa. The male who drives the golf cart around arrived at our room to collect suitcases arrived at our room and then took it upon himself to swear at us and called us ‘f ing British’ I have never in my life felt so singled out on any holiday I have ever been on apart from this one for being English. I am not one to complain, however before people spend thousands of pounds to come here for 10 nights for a holiday like we did to enjoy ourselves with our children, I’d rather warn people to think twice before booking here and book elsewhere. Elounda the town itself was lovely and the Greek people couldn’t do enough for us and was very welcoming, quite the opposite to the experience at this hotel.

The place that feels like a second home for us ! We love everything about here the people who work here feel like a family for us ! They really take time for there customers the vieuw is incredible the food is good and every day here is like a dream that came true

Extremely Disappointed – Not Worth the Money We recently stayed at Elounda Residence Waterpark Hotel in a private villa with a pool, and I can honestly say it was one of the most disappointing holidays we’ve had — especially considering the amount of money we spent (thousands). From the beginning, the experience was poor. After checking in, we were told to wait for someone to take us to our villa. When the staff member arrived, he clearly wasn’t happy to help. He dropped us off without offering any assistance with our bags to the villa — only helped get them onto the golf buggy. Not what you expect from a supposedly high-end resort. The villa was a huge letdown. It looked nothing like the advertised photos. Outdated interior, a plug hanging off the wall, and an overall tired feel. The only modern part was the bathroom. We were given pots and pans for cooking — but no cooker or facilities to actually use them, which made no sense. Our private pool got dirty quickly due to the wind. While the pool cleaner did an excellent job, you have to request cleaning yourself, which should be automatic — especially for a premium-priced private pool. The housekeepers, however, were brilliant. They kept the villa clean and did a great job throughout our stay. One of the few positives. The views are absolutely breathtaking — the location offers stunning scenery over Elounda and the bay. It’s just a shame the service and facilities didn’t live up to the surroundings. The entertainment was not in English at all — everything catered mainly to French guests. If you speak English, you’ll feel completely left out. We spoke to several other guests who felt the same way and said they wouldn’t return. The hotel advertises a 24-hour lift service around the resort, which is built on a very steep hill. In reality, there was one man and he was extremely bad-tempered — made us feel like a burden every time we asked for help. Most other drivers were friendly, but he really let the experience down. On our last day, it got even worse. We woke up at 8am to find our electricity had been cut off. When we phoned reception, we were told “you’re leaving anyway,” so that’s what happens. Absolutely unacceptable when check-out is at 11am. We couldn’t shower (the bathroom has only a small window, so it was pitch black), and we couldn’t charge our phones before travelling. They also offer a “lift” into Elounda town, but you’re only dropped part of the way and left to walk 5–10 minutes downhill to the centre — not made clear anywhere. Everyone we were with was shocked, especially a pregnant woman who struggled to manage the steep walk. Taxis are recommended but cost €8 each way — not ideal if you were expecting full transport from the hotel. Lastly, if you’re a young couple or looking for entertainment, there’s not much to do in the area. The resort is quiet, and there’s very little nightlife or external activities nearby. Overall, this hotel did not live up to expectations. While

I can’t recommend Elounda Residence & Waterpark enough, I am a limited mobility individual who relies on crutches and a wheelchair. We arrived at 2am after a long night and the night receptionist handed us a simple lunch package and a couple of bottles of water, which was amazing for that hour and something we didn’t expect. That kindness really set the tone for the rest of the trip. On our first morning, we met Theo the manager and his warmth and genuine care made us feel instantly at home. He went above and beyond throughout the entire trip and added to the overall kindness that we felt each day (and night) and for that we are grateful. On our final day we met his brother Pavlos, he was driving the golf cart that took us back to our room. Although they are both busy, they both carved out time in their day to speak to us, we never felt as though we were a burden. It is obvious that family spirit is woven into every corner of the resort. The resort is on a hillside with a jaw-dropping view, and could easily have been a nightmare but it wasn’t even close. From the assistance received from staff, to the 24/7 golf cart service the entire trip and resort was made a breeze. With areas a little harder to access, all we had to do was ask for assistance and it was given with no hesitation. All main meals and snacks are buffet-style, and honestly they were delicious every time. The food was fresh and often replenished. There are a couple of sit down restaurants that you can book in advance with special menus that differ day by day. There is an on-site spa and the massage I had was sublime; my therapist was attentive and the hour disappeared. The swimming pool at the bottom couldn’t be easier to reach - I would call or pop into reception and the golf cart would drop you right at the entrance. The lifeguard Dimitris deserves a special shout-out as he went out of his way to be of assistance to me, leaving us feeling safe and entertained throughout the day. The mini market on site was great for odd bits, extremely fair pricing and staff that were as friendly as everyone we had spoken to at the residence. What truly blew me away was the amount of languages the staff spoke, there was never a moment of confusion. If we wanted to explore the village, there was a free shuttle service that the hotel offered, however we were made aware that the shuttle doesn’t go straight into town and there will be a hill to climb, after speaking to reception Kristina arranged a local taxi that was cheap and meant that we could avoid the steep roads, taking us straight to where we wanted to explore. We did this multiple days in a row. Finally on our last night we attended their very first DJ night on the new patio area and it was a fun surprise. Everyone was dancing, guests and staff. It also ran a little later than the bar normally would and that was a great touch. If you are looking for a place to stay where the staff will go that extra mile to attend to you, this is 100% the

Please note, the holiday was great, but not because of the hotel but in spite of it. It starts with check in, an A4 piece of paper given to you with the usual, breakfast and pool opening times, reception lady went through very fast and gave us the key to our room. She told us it was up the hill and left, what she didn't tell us is there was a golf cart that runs 24 hours a day to save you hiking up Kilamanjaro, except at one point I saw it wheels off sat on pieces of wood? Get to our room after going up the 3 peaks challenge we got a lift in a mini bus with our luggage, but when one of the first people you see is seriously grumpy, it doesn't set a positive tone. Likewise if I'd have known about the hills I'd have brought my walking sticks, bobble hat, oxygen tank, climbing boots and Regatta coat, but I thought this was a Crete pool holiday not camping in the hills and valleys of Wales. The door opens, you see your room for the first time, a put me up single bed from WW2, so hard a drill sergeant would sign it off, no actual proper couch or chair to sit on, apart from 2 wooden chairs round a tiny table that barely had any space to sit down on and certainly not comfortably anyway. Nice touch - 3 small bottles of water in the fridge on arrival. The room is quite small, tiny TV on the wall with only one music station tuned in, just about tuned in as well. Bedroom, 2 adults plus cases and clothes, you've got no chance There's 6 hangers and a few shelves but due to the layout of the room only one of you can realistically be anywhere near the wardrobe at any time. If you've got a child's clothes to throw in as well, one of you is living out your suitcase on the living room area floor till you go home. The balcony had a great view, of mainly cactus plants that had seen better days, but in the distance to be fair was quite a stunning backdrop of the sea and hills far away and beyond. First thing in the morning it was stunning, apart from the noise disruption which I'll get to shortly. The balcony itself was quite small for 3 to sit on, table took up most of the room, metal chairs the rest, they get quite hot as you can imagine, if you used the washing line extension type thing it again took up what little space there was free. We head down to get something to eat, we've gone all inclusive. I'm not a fussy eater, but I won't eat anything I wouldn't eat at home, which takes away, quite a few things straight away, salad bar is vast, but that's about it in terms of choices. The Mediterranean buffet, chicken legs that had that air of been there a while about them, pork cut into almost half a burger size slices sat in some sort of fat/juice, rice, pasta, and honestly very little else. Oh, wait, I forgot the spring rolls, apologies Chef. We sit wondering what the entertainment will be like, there's a sign hidden away in the corner on a plastic board that's barely legible and written only in French. I did GCSE French so glad I got the days

This Hotel was incredible for my needs. I was there at the end of season (Oct) with my teenage daughters. Our apartment had everything we needed. I did ask for additional bowls which got delivered within minutes. I also had a ...lets say interesting neighbour who cause potentially a huge issue for me on the 2nd night of my stay and the manager handled it incredibly well. As a single mum with 2 teenagers it could have potentially gone horribly, but the manager made sure it didn't impact the rest of my holiday. My teenagers obviously enjoyed time without me leaving me on my own a lot which resulted in me chatting with many of the staff on a daily basis. They are all an absolute credit to the Hotel and always with no exception made me feel so welcome and that they had all the time in the world for me. Even the Lovely Nala in the shop made sure she had my brand of cigarettes for me after they ran out and were potentially not restocking so near to the end of the season. Nothing was ever to much trouble and always greeted with a smile where ever I was in the hotel. Which after a long hard summer can be a challenge sometimes having had experience of the industry many years ago. The public areas of the complex were always clean and tidy and regularly maintained allowing you to completely relax. The golf carts which helped guests around the complex due to the hilly location were a welcomed sight on many occasions. The bus service into resort was also an added bonus I didn't expect and although left you on a steep hill it gave you the most breath taking views of the whole resort and the perfect photo opportunity, making the 5min walk to the resort and the beach no issue. The apartment was cleaned everyday and fresh towels left , even towels for your sun lounger too, what more could you ask for really. There was still entrainment all day and every night at this late stage in the season, which we enjoyed enormously as there was a lovely mix of nationalities that got involved every night. I even got invited to play French Bowls some lovely French families and quite literally beat them at their own game lol. Although the hotel is moving to an all All inclusive one next year and it is not normally what I like to do I would absolutely go back here in a heart beat. One of the things I was most looking forward to was eating Meza and as much as I could I did. There Meza restaurant had an incredible view (as did most of the hotel, especially my balcony where I could watch the sunrise each morning) and the foot was outstanding. The main restaurant had s huge variety with everything from chicken nuggets to Moussaka and everything in between. Reminding us Brits how easy it is to at well and healthily. They even managed to showcase a lot of locally sourced produce, honey, and fish being my favourites. I would absolutely recommend this to just about anyone, I'd just be mindful that it is on s cliff side so for those with mobility issue keep t