Blue Palace Resort
Elounda, Crete / Greece
Having made its home close to the small fishing town of Elounda, The Blue Palace hotel sits on the north eastern coast of Crete and overlooks the shimmering azure of the Mediterranean. While the resort's premium spa and Thalassotherapy rituals may be world beating, Blue Palace still offers plenty more, with gourmet dining, first-class accommodation and a breathtaking private stretch of beach awaiting all those who visit.
Spend the day stretched out on the resort's private 200-metre pebbled beach. The beach is bordered by wooden decking and with ample supply of sun beds, where guests can rely on the resort's beach service for snacks and drinks throughout the day.
The Blue Palace resort is home to six different swimming pools, including three outdoor pools, two children's pools and one indoor pool. The pool areas are surrounded by lounge bars and a chilled-out sundeck.
The resort's Thalassotherapy and spa provides a plethora of treatments using natural ingredients such as seaweed, thermal clay, plankton and salt water. The award-winning spa menu includes hot stone massage rituals, facial masks and sugar skin scrubs.
Blue Palace is home to five different dining experiences, offering a range of international themes and cuisines including: a signature steak restaurant, a traditional Greek taverna, an Asian-inspired restaurant and an Italian beach joint.
The hotel provides a private dining service 24-hours a day. Guests can request a private gourmet meal organised in the privacy of their own bungalow apartment, or maybe on the terrace of their villa.
There is a fully-equipped fitness centre kitted out with the latest cardio and muscular workout facilities. Fitness classes such as yoga, aerobics and personal training are also available.
The Blue Palace hotel encompasses the natural splendour of Crete, looking out off the north eastern coast of the island across the pebbled beachfront past Spinalonga Island and further out towards the Mediterranean Sea. The hotel gives a gentle nod to its Grecian roots through its stunning architecture and crisp, minimalist interiors.
The hotel offers a wide range of accommodation types, ranging from the superior bungalows up to the larger suites and villas. While all lodgings include first-rate bedding and furnishings, luxury marbled bathrooms and many have impressive panoramic views of the island, variations are available to include outdoor terraces, private infinity pools and saunas.The Blue Palace prizes itself on its spa and wellbeing resort. Its expansive menu of spa and Thalossotherapy treatments includes an indulgent array of aromatic scrubs, purifying Moroccan-inspired wraps, foot and body massages, hydrating skin treatments and plenty more. The resort is also home to a beauty salon, specialist men's spa resort and state-of-the-art fitness centre.
Blue Palace takes its evenings entertainment very seriously, which may explain why they choose to have five very different dining experiences operating at once. With a choice of a traditional international menu at Olea, fresh Italian flavours of Isola, Japanese and Thai dishes at Asia Blue, authentic Greek delicacies at Blue Door or the quality steaks on offer at Flame, guests face a difficult decision every evening.The resort also has three bars open throughout the day serving a wide mix of fresh fruit cocktails, continental beers and snacks. Both the Arsenali and Votsalo bar overlook the hotel's impressive swimming pools and sundeck – with the Votsalo staying open until long into the evening. The Isola beach bar sits alongside the resort's private stretch of pebbled beach.
With its Mediterranean climate, there isn't really a bad time to visit Crete. The year round climate is generally warm and sunny with the risk of an odd shower over winter. July and August can be very hot and are naturally the busiest months to coincide with school summer holidays. May and October are good months to visit. The Gulf of Mirabello has a microclimate between November and March particularly, with average temperatures never below 14 oC.
Best times to visit: May – October
Average times to visit: April
The Blue Palace is located on the coast of Elounda, just a few minutes walk from the traditional fishing village of Plaka, near the picturesque town of Elounda on Europe's southernmost island of Crete. It is a one hour private transfer from Heraklion International Airport. Please note that Greece is 2 hours ahead of GMT.
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The Blue Palace aims to ensure that their guest rooms provide a stay to match the stunning and serene setting of the resort. There are 251 air-conditioned guest rooms which feature luxury beds, made up with pure cotton satin sheets, a pillow menu and additional benefits such as local alcoholic aperitifs, seasonal fruits, Greek delicacies upon arrival and refreshing bottles of water daily. All rooms have a mini bar, flat screen TVs with satellite channels, pay-per-view movies, Wi-Fi internet access (local charge applies), luxurious marble bathrooms with a bath, separate shower and WC and hairdryer and a balcony or terrace.
Superior Bungalow Sea View
A spacious superior bungalow which has a luxurious light, bright interior accentuated by elegant earthy colours and panoramic sea views. The bungalows have a king or two twin beds and a living space with sitting area and a sofa bed. The private furnished balcony is the perfect setting for a private moonlit dinner overlooking the sea. Selected bathrooms have a TV. Superior Bungalows Sea View sleep two to three guests and the indoor space is approx. 40m2. Interconnecting bungalows are available on request.
Bedroom Deluxe Private Heated Pool
This generous two-bedroom deluxe is split over two floors and and is the perfect choice for families and offers engaging landscape views. The lower level features an expansive bedroom (with bedding of your choice), flat screen TV, an en suite bathroom with bath, shower and separate WC and an open patio. There is a childproof staircase with safety gate which leads to the second floor which features a bedroom with a king bed, sitting area with flat screen TV, a separate smaller bathroom with a shower and a veranda with mountain views. A second enlarged veranda features the private heated pool (21m2) with sun beds and umbrellas. 2-Bedroom Deluxe rooms sleep a maximum of five guests and the indoor space is approx. 79m2.
Offering majestic sea views from their private veranda and featuring a spacious lounge with contemporary furnishings and state-of-the-art technology, junior suites sea view can be either open plan, split level or one bedroom in layout and feature either one king or twin beds. Selected suites feature a second small bathroom or WC. Junior Suites Sea View sleep two to three and the indoor space is approx. 58m2. Interconnecting junior suites are available on request.
Junior Suites Private Heated Pool
As per the Junior Suites however the Junior Suites Private Heated Pool have landscape views and include a private heated saltwater pool (21m2), Jacuzzi bath or walk-in rain shower and are surrounded by an expansive veranda. Junior Suites Private Heated Pool sleep two to three guests and the indoor space is approx. 54m2.
Deluxe Suites Sea View Private Pool
Impressive sea views and an atmospheric and luxurious elegantly decorated bedroom with king size bed and one or two dressing areas. The separate living room has a home cinema and CD/DVD player and leads to an oversized veranda with a saltwater corner infinity pool (44m2) offering unparalleled sea views, sun beds and sun umbrella. The bathrooms feature a Jacuzzi bath. Deluxe suites sleep up to four guests the indoor space is approx. 68m2.
The Blue Palace is a superb choice for families featuring a wide range of activities for children and teenagers as well as activities for families to enjoy together.
Blue Palace Kids Club: 3 - 12 years The supervised Kids Club is free of charge and offers engaging activities including theatrical play, painting, crafts, Greek dancing, mythology and doll making. Upon arrival at the club, each child receives a surprise welcome package. The Kids Club is open Monday to Saturday from 09:00-17:00.
Watersports: 13 years plus Teenage guests can choose from a wide range of water sports including kayaking, canoeing, waterskiing, windsurfing and diving in the calm, crystal clear blue waters of the 200m private beach and in the gulf of Elounda.
Tennis: 5 years plus Every Wednesday from 18:00 until 19:00 children from 5 years old and above can enjoy a free tennis lesson with the tennis instructor. Teenagers can participate at the weekly tennis tournament organised for the resort's guests.
Cretan Dance Lesson: Children of all ages can take part in the 45-minute fun and creative class where they will learn to dance some of the most popular and impressive Cretan dances like pentozali, sousta and syrtos.
Water Sports Centre: Located at the beach, just a short distance from the hotel, the water sports centre offers a wide range of water sports including water skiing, snorkeling, knee boarding, wake boarding, and trick skiing. Guests can also enjoy a private cruise on a motor yacht or on a traditional caique or take a private speedboat taxi transfer from the hotel's own jetty to Spinalonga Island or around the coast of Elounda. The PADI dive master offers scuba, night diving, boat diving, snorkeling, deep diving, and underwater photography. The Diving and Water Sports Center is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00 in low season months and from 09:00 to 19:00 in the high season. Advanced reservations are recommended
Spinalonga Island: Uninhabited since 1957, this enchanting island has a rich history that includes being controlled by Venetians, the Ottomans and being home to one of the last leper colonies in Europe
Tailor-made Spa for Teenagers: 16 Years and older: The award-winning Elounda Spa & Thalassotherapy offer older teenagers a relaxing experience. The double suite can be booked for for a serene bonding experience with a parent-child massage package. Kids Yoga can be organized for a group of children at the spa (16 years and older).
Family Time on a Traditional Caique: Families can get on board the traditional caique "Meraki and enjoy swimming and exploring remote beaches, diving, snorkeling and fishing and sunbathing. The chef will prepare a BBQ lunch for the whole family on the isle of Agios Fokas as the perfect ending to a day of exploration.
Family Excursions: The Blue Palace can also organise family excursions so the whole family can try their hand at golf, horse riding or go-carting. They can also arrange visits to Cretaquarium, one of the largest and most modern aquariums in Europe, just a few kilometers outside Heraklion and Animal Park Amazonas, featuring animals from four continents.
Biking: Bikes can be rented from the resort to explore the hidden sights of the Mirabello Gulf. Bike rentals, maps, helmets, and locks provided.