Elounda Beach Hotel

We refer to a number of disparaging remarks with respect to the Elounda Beach Hotel food and beverage charges & pricing policies and addressing the matter, we wish to clarify the following: Elounda Beach Hotel as a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, has placed great emphasis on fine dining, with each of our restaurants boasting it’s own Executive Chef, specially selected for their skilful knowledge and expertise in food preparation. Having introduced fine dining in a multiplicity of settings, complemented by a wide variety of cuisine from local fare to ethnic Polynesian tastes, we have over the years, forged a superb reputation and our restaurants and their chefs have been recognised & awarded by celebrated food connoisseurs and culinary publications for their gastronomic excellence. Likewise the Lito Lobby Bar affords the perfect place to unwind to the melodious sounds of piano or harp, while the Veghera Jetty Bar, noted for its majestic location, resting on the lips of the ocean, offers the idyllic setting for pre-dinner drinks at sunset, or after dinner drinks. The Beach Bar and Neraida Pool Bar serve a broad range of refreshing beverages throughout the day. It delights us that 95% of our clientele, although only booked on Bed & Breakfast basis, choose to remain within the resort for lunch and dinner, opposed to utilizing local eateries & bars. Although it is customary, the world over, for 5* Deluxe food and beverage charges to be more pricey than casual bars and eateries, we endeavour to keep prices, if not lower than, in line with those charged at other Leading Hotels of the World. We are very aware of the impacts the current economic crisis is having on the travel industry and have consequently frozen prices. In addition, we have implemented price reductions of 10% to 20% within some our Food & Beverage divisions.

Dear Reviewer, Thank you for your comments about The Elounda Beach Hotel. The idea that any of our guests would be made to suffer the treatment that you have described on this site, is not within the concept of this hotel. Any guest who has any issues with any part of their holiday, would have been dealt with immediately by our guest services department. This department is dedicated to the well being of every one of our guests. We have a full children´s programme of fun and activities and offer a wide, health range of foods for our junior guests. A team of experienced childcare staff, are on hand from early morning to late evening to entertain and care for the families every need. Many of our repeater guests, many of whom are families holidaying in August, find that our attention to detail, comfortable, luxurious accommodation, varied and flexible dinning options, all at the high standard to which they are accustomed, the reason to make The Elounda Beach Hotel their preferred holiday destination. In the coming weeks our new website will be on line and you will be able to view all details of the hotel, menus, prices and children´s activities that we offer. I would welcome the oppoltunity to have you and your girls as guests of our hotel in the near future so you could experience the kind of holiday that you were seeking. Kind regards, Manolis Rassoulsi

Thank you for your kind review of The Elounda Beach Hotel. I am delighted that you enjoyed you stay with us here in Elounda. It is always gratifying to hear that all our years of hard work in the hospitality field result in the happy harmony you so enjoyed during your stay. Each year we are dedicated to improving the holiday experience and try to introduce new concepts with which to delight our guests. The addition of the Thalaspa Chenot being just one of the ideas with which our guests have been able to add to the whole feeling of well being. The variety of choices of dinning venues here in the hotel as well as the famous Cretan hospitality which is embedded in the hotel, makes our resort unique. We look forward to being able to welcome you again in the near future to The Elounda Beach Hotel. Kind regards, Manolis Rassoulis General Manager

Firstly we wish to thank this author for his/her review and are pleased that the ambience of Elounda Beach Hotel allured him/her to return so often during the past ten years. Whilst we appreciate the author’s perceptive, we feel it necessary to address a number of the points raised. We would like to highlight that Elounda Beach is a resort hotel, operating on a seasonal basis from April to November and like all hotels, experiences off-season periods, when occupancy levels are lower. During our peak period, which perceptibly falls into the months of July and August, our room occupancies are at their highest, when undoubtedly, the resort is bustling with the activity of high season. Whilst some guests enjoy this, others prefer the peace and tranquility that the resort affords during the less busy months. Each period has it’s own unique appeal at Elounda Beach Hotel. The author’s observation of a gradual decline in occupancy levels at our hotel is inaccurate, particularly as his last visit to our resort was September 2008, when in reality occupancy levels were higher than in comparison with previous years. Referring to the author’s comments concerning our pricing policy, we find these to be unfounded; particularly as our accommodation prices allow scope for all pockets. As a 5* deluxe hotel and member of The Leading Hotels of the World, offering accommodation prices ranging from €370 to €7,600 Per Room Per Night on Bed & Breakfast Basis, we can hardly be accused of out pricing ourselves. We are most definitely not ‘chasing exclusivity by raising prices’, but our status as one of The Leading Hotels of the World impels our dedication to setting unprecedented standards of elegance in luxurious accommodation, facilities and superb service, which we endeavour to manifest in our collection of accommodations, extending from tasteful luxury garden or sea view rooms to opulent villas and suites, situated on the water’s edge, some with private pools and the most recently launched, state of the art Yachting Club accommodations, occupying a unique location on the very edge of the Mirabello Bay, with breathtaking views and direct access to the sea. In closing we believe our pricing policy to be consistent with ranking of the hotel and its featured facilities, nevertheless we are actively seeking ways of reducing costs without detracting from the eminence of our services.

We are very pleased that the author enjoyed another fantastic stay at Elounda Beach Hotel and hope her patronage will continue for many years to come. Having taken note of the points raised, we regret that certain aspects of her stay that did not meet with her complete satisfaction and consequently wish to address the issues accordingly. Tourism is one of the world’s largest and most dynamic industries and as forerunners in the business; we are only too aware of the importance of the skills and competencies required of hotel employees. Our sense of duty directed our partnership with a number of universities, from which we accept students on internship placements, allowing them to acquire leadership abilities, proficient knowledge and practical experience within the industry. Essentially our internship program is designed to assist in the training of the next generation of leaders in the hospitality industry. We are disappointed that you found having to deal directly with trainee personnel to be so offensive and sincerely regret that this presented you with a negative image of the hotel, but we feel that on-hand training to be the most effective way of learning. During the time of the author’s stay, a total of 290 personnel were employed by the company, of which 16 were trainees – a ratio 5%, which we believe to be unobjectionable. We would like to point however that the lion’s share of our employees are foreign and while they are all fluent in three to four languages, they are not always knowledgeable in the local lingo, as unfortunately it is not an internationally taught language. With reference to Mariag’s comments pertaining to an unjustified hike in Food & Beverage prices; we strongly dispute this comment, as it is simply incorrect. Our F&B prices remain unchanged since 2006-2007 and in some areas; prices have been reduced by 10-20%. A €25 main course dish, of generous proportion, cannot be classed as exorbitant, however when the price of the dish represents 30% of the author’s nightly accommodation rate, it may seem unaffordable to her.

Thank you for taking the time to write about your stay on Trip Advisor. Here at The Elounda Beach Hotel we take pride in looking after all our guests and their holiday needs, to ensure that they go home feeling rejuvenated and already looking forward to their next stay. In the coming weeks you will be able to see our new website with all the menus and pricing of the bars and restaurants. The Thalaspa Chenot here at the hotel also has some very attractive packages to offer our guests, made up of several treatments to refresh and relax both body and soul. When booking an individual treatment they offer other treatments and packages tailor made to suit the individual at competitive prices. As you mention our famous site of Spinalonga Island, the once leper colony, you may also be interested to know that the Greek television is now producing a series called The Island based on the book and the history of Spinalonga. When visiting Elounda and Plaka, the small village opposite Spinalonga Island, you can see the film set and production. We look forward to being able to welcome you again to The Elounda Beach Hotel in the near future. Kind regards, Manolis Rassoulis General Mánager.

Thank you for writing on Trip Advisor about your stay with us here in Elounda. Even in late October into November the water temperature of both pools and the sea remain warm and at a balmy 24 degrees. For those guests who find getting around and about awkward, we do have accommodation both in the hotel and in the grounds that have been adapted so there are no obstacles for those who have difficulty. It is after hearing the views of our guests that we try to improve the hotel and it´s standards so that we can meet the requirements of even the most discerting guests. The 245 rooms that go to make up the accommodation of The Elounda Beach Hotel are divided up in to 26 different categories, therefore there is always a choice and we try to ensure each guest is accommodated in to the most suitable rooms for their needs. The local bus service runs form early morning until 8pm during the autumn months but there are always taxis at a reasonable charge to take guests to and form the lcoal villages and towns. The hotel it´s self is just 1.5klms away from the village of Elounda, a scenic walk of approx. 20 mins most of it along the sea front into the village square. For any information about the hotel and local area, we are always at your disposal. We look forward to welcoming you back to The Elounda Beach Hotel for another holiday stay so that you will be able once again to enjoy our blue Mediterranean sea. Kind regards, Manolis Rassoulis General Manager

Thank you for the review that you have posted on Trip Advisor. As we endeavour to always be aware of the opinions of our guests and are always improving and revising our policies, so as to meet the expectations of our guests, we are delighted to inform you of our coming new web site. On the new site you will be able to see all the facilities of our hotel and the resaurants and bars, along with the menus and prices. With the choice in the hotel of 4 bars and 5 restaurants, plus the other 3 bars and 3 restaurants of our sister hotel next door, there are menus and prices to suit all pockets. The service provided on our trips, either by boat or private hire cars, includes beverages and very often entrance fees to sites and use of fishing gear and bait. All this, plus the service by our dedicated staff, go to make up the price of the complete excursion. The water sports activities are run by an individual operator within the hotel, who also offer family packages made up of different activities, giving hours of fun for all the family members, at very attractive rates. For other information we are always on hand either by e-mail or phone to offer advise on any aspect of your holiday. Our pricing policy is in line with other establishments worldwide of the same standard and category, within the guidelines of The Leading Hotels of the World, of whom the hotel is a proud member. We would look forward to welcoming you and your family for another stay at our resort. Kind regards, Manolis Rassoulis General Manager.

Thank you for choosing The Elounda Beach Hotel for your honeymoon. As your stay in the hotel was in April, the sea temperature would have only been around 19 degrees. The hotel´s main swimming pool is kept at 24 degrees and you are correct it is a seawater pool. However our private pools are fresh water, unless a guest specifically requests that we change it to seawater before their arrival. As the weather at this time of year may vary there is no guarantee that you would have sunshine every day but the average temperature in April is around the 25 degree mark. At this temperature it is ideal for guests who are interested in combining historical site seeing and exploring the island with beach/pool and swimming. Our highly trained staff enjoy the interaction with our guests and love to pass on a little of the Cretan hospitality. It is this that makes the hotel stand out and attract so many guests to return year after year. We hope that we will be able to welcome you back for your anniversaries in the years to come. Kind regards, Manolis Rassoulis General Manager

Thank you for writing a report on Trip Advisor about your stay at The Elounda Beach Hotel. We are delighted that you have enjoyed your stay and that the birthday present was such a sucess. The hotel staff takes great pride in working to make all our guests feel special and well cared for. The carefully selected wines that we serve at the hotel are chosen by the sommelier who ensure that only the finest quality from each vineyard are offered to our guests. On our new website you will be able to see the menus and prices of all our restaurants and bars plus all of the facilities offered by the hotel. The Elounda Beach Hotel is set in the tranquil corner of the island of Crete, it´s natural surroundings are unique and the mature gardens of the hotel create an ambience of timeless elegance that enchants all who stay with us. We are looking forward to your next visit and hope to be welcoming you back in the near future. Kind regards, Manolis Rassoulis General Manager