Beautiful charming old house and garden, surrounded by olive groves. Every room has its own little outside bit, in addition to the top terrace with the view you see in the pictures. Friendly staff, laid-back atmosphere, lovely pool with a view and it was still working and warm enough to swim in in late October. (No hot tub or anything like that though). Comfortable bed and pillows, beautiful furniture in the room. Powerful hot shower. We also very much appreciated that they made up the room every day.

We were a bit disappointed with the breakfasts, having had high expectations from some of the other reviews on here. OK, but nothing really delicious.

The hotel is a great location in the area to do different activities around Crete (hiking, visiting Chania, or to drive to a beach). The breakfast was the best we had in Crete and the host was very friendly and made you feel welcome. You have the option to book dinner. They serve delicious typical healthy cretan food.The garden of the hotel is a small paradise. You can simply enjoy all the flowers and wildlife, or relax at the pool with a great view.Very relaxing and refreshing to get out of the fast paced day to day life. Would recommend it anytime.

Efi is delightful and very helpful with ideas of where to go, etc. The hotel is in a very rural situation surrounded by lovely olive groves. The view from the dining area (up steep steps) and from the pool area is stunning. Pool is lovely with hardly anyone there. Good breakfasts with plenty of choice.

The standard room (which we booked) was really tiny and crammed with a lot of heavy furniture. The bed was very narrow and not adequate for two adults. Bathroom again very small indeed. Sadly the view from the room was into high trees and bushes making the room dark.

Lovely secluded setting. Felt very special. Spa treatment was amazing. Lots to do and see but equally lovely just by the pool. Views outstanding.

Nothing.

The breakfasts offered an array of local delights from fresh-squeezed orange juice to homemade pastries. The sitting areas for enjoying breakfasts or an evening cocktail were lovely and private, surrounded by gardens. Likewise, the dinner on the upper terrace with a mesmerizing view were carefully prepared and reasonably priced. We often had the pool to ourselves mid-day and the staff couldn't have been more helpful all around.

The upper terrace would have been transcendent were the lighting a little more subdued...either candles, real or electric or more mellow lighting rather than the overhead, harsh and cold lighting would have added greatly to the experience.

This is a wonderful little hotel. The setting is beautiful – in the foothills of the Cretan mountains, this traditional farmhouse with pretty gardens and olive groves, is just a fifteen minute drive down to the coast. The rooms are spacious, comfortable and full of character, and every room has its own outdoor seating area. We enjoyed having breakfast and home-cooked dinner (if you wish) on the al fresco terrace, overlooking the olive grove and the Mediterranean beyond. (We watched the sun set every evening from the terrace.) But, best of all was the warm welcome and all the help we received from Efi and her staff - nothing was too much trouble.

Nice staff; good breakfast; nice pool; interesting guests to chat with, most on long-term stays; quiet location; easy to access beaches from hotel

There is no spa, per-se -- it's just an outdoor pool. The building, furniture and fixtures are older and needs a little facelift. We never met the owners -- rather they have a management staff that oversees the place; we were offered the on-site dinner many times, but because we are vegetarian, choices were limited.

The whole property was beautiful, it was traditional but with everything you need for a modern stay. The mezzanine for dinner was spectacular and we loved that you could take your breakfast anywhere. The rooms were well equipped, functional and felt very authentic to Crete. The beds were very comfortable and we liked the daybeds / sofas too. We used our private terrace a lot and enjoyed coffee, cards and wine there. The 10 week old kittens were an added bonus! All the staff were all very helpful, kind and went above and beyond to make our stay exquisite. I enjoyed chatting to them and getting their wonderful local insight. They accommodated our dietary requirements really well and the food and local wine was great. The property was serene and we particularly enjoyed being amongst the olive groves.

Excellent hotel in a great location. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Food was good and all in all we had a great stay. I would recommend Elia Hotel & Spa as a place to stay.

There was nothing I didn't like.

Breakfast was superb for such a small hotel. Location very rural so a car is vital. We had the small room (last one available when we wanted to travel), but it was plenty big enough for two with a good bathroom.