Elounda Ilion Hotel

3 readers found this review helpful

My husband, me and our 13 year old daughter have just returned from our half-term holiday at the Elounda Ilion Hotel in Crete.
On arrival, we were pleasantly surprised by the accommodation; we had booked with Olympic and the accommodation was stated as a family room. It was in fact a two double-bedroomed bungalow attached to the hotel, with a breathtaking sea view. Unfortunately, the beds had concrete bases and were not very comfortable. We did ask at reception for more pillows and blankets (we like to be cosy, even on holiday!) and this was no problem at all. There was also a simple bathroom with both shower and bath. The rooms were essentially basic, but lovely and clean.
The maid service at the hotel was exceptional; rooms were cleaned daily and towels changed as often as you liked - if new towels were required, you just placed the old ones in the bath.
The service throughout the hotel was of an extremely high standard and the hotel obviously tried to accommodate all nationalities (lots of French visitors there!) The restaurant food was good but we did eat out more often than not for variety. Breakfast was served between 7am and 10am (good for those who like a lie in) and there was plenty of variety - cereals, juices, toast, bread, eggs and the usual continental selection. All of the staff were friendly and helpful at all times - nothing seemed to be too much trouble.
We felt that the hotel was only let down by the poolside snack bar. For some reason, the food there wasn’t very good and was quite expensive - 8 euros for burger and chips! The hotel bar was also quite pricey, with a cocktail selling at 7.5 euros, as opposed to 4.5 euros in the town (had to keep my consumption to a minimum there!).
Elounda itself is a beautiful village, but do be aware that it is AT LEAST a 2km walk from the hotel. This is not so bad walking in, but a little more uphill coming home. A taxi (which reception would arrange for you) was 6 euros.
The restaurants we would recommend to you are THEA, which is on the main road as you walk into Elounda. This is quite pricey, but with an extensive menu and excellent service. In the village, near to the harbour, we would also recommend LEONADIS, a traditional Greek restaurant (try the feta in the oven or just order lots of different starters - yum!).
If you wish to try something a little more cosmopolitan, get a taxi (10 euros) into Aghios Nikolaos. The town there is buzzing with people of all nationalities, with lots of restaurants and bars to choose from. A particular favourite was the only Italian restaurant in Ag Nik but unfortunately I can’t remember the name!
We would recommend the Ilion to people wishing to have a peaceful and relaxing holiday in beautiful surroundings. We have been travelling to Greece several times a year for about ten years and this accommodation and the setting in particular, was the nicest we have ever seen.