Aquila Elounda Village Resort, Suites & Spa

I have already written a review so you can see, I thoroughly recommended both the hotel and Elounda - we had a fabulous holiday there

This hotel is in a beautiful location and has wonderful grounds. It’s a fair distance from the village but it’s still only a taxi ride away. Staff for the most part are extremely helpful especially in the restaurant and around the grounds. In the bar during the evening staff are rushed off their feet. I booked a “Mythica Junior Suite” with “expansive private terrace”. Note the wording here which is taken from the hotel website today. I arrived late at and was told I had been upgraded. The upgrade consisted of one additional room and a shower cubicle but not the terrace I had hoped and indeed paid for. The room was in fact quite shabby and it only took a few paces in white sports socks to find you’re wearing dirty socks. It took several days, with the initial help of Thomas Cook, to establish that the room I had booked did not exist. Rheee is no junior suite with an expansive private terrace. The nearest thing is a junior suite with a shared private terrace. Huge apologies from reception staff - this had never happened before - it was a marketing mistake and would be sorted. But it hasn’t. It’s still being advertised. So if you fancy a suite with a private terrace this is not the place for you. And grumbles from other guests I chatted to really does make me wonder what in the website does really exist and what is imagination and incorrect marketing. Naturally I complained - but hey I’d been upgraded - not our problem. Would I trust this hotel with another very expensive holiday? No.

The hotel pretends to be a luxury high-end resort but unfortunately is rather disappointing. The general layout is cumbersome, with lots of steps and long walks up and down. The pools are a real let-down: their sizes range between small and very small. Some are in poor state of repair, with strips of paint peeling off the sides. The food is mostly mediocre and the selection of dishes is very limited. Cost-cutting is very much in evidence: the meat is usually second rate (tough, fatty or gristly), the dishes are often tasteless, sometimes barely warm, the fruit and veg selection and the offer of deserts is very basic – the kind you would see in a run-of-the mill 3 or 4 star hotel. Economising on food seems to be the norm in Greek resorts these days, but is still surprising in a five-star hotel. The most inconvenient aspect of the stay here is the stiff formality of getting even the simplest drinks or beverages. You can’t just ask for them at the bar or pour yourself some beer/wine during dinner. Everything has to go through waiters – which can take ages if there are lots of other orders or if the waiters choose to ignore you. After each order, whether at the pool bar or restaurant, you are also presented with a receipt to sign, even if the bill comes to €0.00 (in case of the all-inclusive). What an unnecessary waste of everybody’s time! The staff attitude to guests is very uneven. Some of the employees demonstrate kindness and hospitality, some others seem unable to smile, greet or even make eye contact with the guests. In some instances we couldn’t help feeling ignored or unwelcome. We find this very surprising in a hotel of this standard and a country so famous for its hospitality. A few days after our arrival we received a request to complete an online survey and duly conveyed most of the above concerns to the hotel. Even though we specified our room number there was no reaction from the management and no improvement in any aspect of our stay.

Im staying in the hotel next year and wanted to just appreciate the team at Aquila as they have been so helpful in sharing information about the hotel and travel which is really helpful towards planning our trip next year. The Hotel team are so kind and helpful and really looked forward to my stay. Will be leaving a final review when I come back

Excellent service wonderful food. Location slightly off the main track so go for all inclusive as you can get everything you need on site which makes for an excellent relaxation experience. Staff all professional and friendly without being OTT. Special mention to Nikos for being so friendly and the 2 ladies in the bar (sorry did not get your names) who worked tirelessly always friendly and cheerful. This was our second stay and we will be back!!

Stayed for 10 nights on all inclusive. The hotel lives up to its description. Service is top quality with all staff friendly and helpful. Buffet in the main restaurant was excellent with plenty of choice at all meals. Hotel was quiet at the end of October so no fight for sun beds. Beach area with enclosed swimming area very nice, with a friendly service from the beach bar with drinks and snacks. Poll could possibly do with refurbishment, I found blue paint on my feet after swimming! All inclusive does not include the other restaurants, just a 25% discount. As the buffet was so good we didn’t bother with these. Would certainly visit again.

The hotel I’m afraid is not worthy of a five star in our opinion, whilst elements of the hotel were good, mainly the food in all the dining areas, with a very good breakfast choice, the staff in all the hospitality areas were very helpful and polite, the reception staff not quite so, in fact they were a bit aloof and not particularly friendly, We were in a sea view junior suite that at first seemed nice, with a fantastic view of the sea, but on closer examination it was a bit tired and old fashioned, we reported issues with the cleanliness of the room (after a few days in the room) these were addressed apart from the dirty underside of mattress and bed, the customer service blamed it on a shortage of cleaners, that’s not good enough in a five star hotel. We would of thought that being a five star hotel that guests would of dressed up more in the restaurants , but nobody seemed to bother, we feel there should be a dress code in the evenings , with men in at least a collared t shirt and trousers. The buffet restaurant was a bit of a bun fight, with a feeling of a large work canteen. The Al a carte restaurants were nice and food was presented well. We booked a massage each and while expensive, it was a very good massage. Please be warned that the hotel is quite a long way from the nearest town , with about a 40 minute walk to Elounda along a narrow road or 12 euros each way in a taxi, so eating out of the hotel would prove costly unless you had a hire car. The entertainment in the lobby bar on several evenings was enjoyable and we never had a problem getting a drink. We think the hotel should be down starred to at the very most a four star as it didn’t live up to our expectations we are afraid, we don’t like to leave negative reviews but we felt we had to on this occasion, summing up while some elements were good, it’s not quite good enough to warrant a five star.

Argeo spas ladies Joanna and Eleana, Thank You both for amazing full body massage! Atmosphere and service was perfect! Best recommendations :) Good luck!

Our Yearly Escape to Cretan Paradise — Serenity, Warmth, and Perfection Beyond Expectations!” We have the joy of returning to this adults-only paradise every year, and each time our expectations rise — yet somehow, this five-star resort with a six-star atmosphere not only meets them, but surpasses them in the most beautiful way. From the moment we arrive, we’re embraced by an overwhelming sense of serenity. The calm, the elegance, and the natural beauty of the surroundings make it the perfect sanctuary for anyone seeking peace and rejuvenation. The hospitality and service here remain unmatched. The staff are exceptional — professional, warm, and genuinely caring. Every encounter feels sincere. They have a way of making us feel not just welcome, but truly valued — more like friends than guests. That personal touch is what brings us back year after year. We always stay in the Deep Blue Suite with a private pool, and it continues to take our breath away. Watching the sunrise reflect its magic across the waters is an experience beyond words — romantic, idyllic, and out of this world. It’s as if time stands still and the sky paints a private masterpiece just for you. Every detail — from the comfort of the suites to the top-quality service — speaks of care, passion, and excellence. Each stay gifts us with new positive memories we will never forget, moments that linger long after we’ve left. For us, this place is more than a resort; it’s a feeling, a tradition, and a piece of paradise we can’t imagine missing. Until next year — thank you once again for making perfection seem effortless.

Elana was my therapist and she was incredibly strong and attentive to my needs. Highly recommended, best massage i've ever had.