Domes Aulus Elounda

We had a lovely time staying at Domes Aulus Elounda. We enjoyed the food, buffet and à la carte, the gorgeous setting/location and the staff who were very friendly and accomodating.

Having read reviews before going there had been a few things I was apprehensive about - the room size, the steep hills and the early rise for a lounger at the pool.

We booked a Sapphire nest with sea view. The view was gorgeous. The room was very small, much smaller than other hotels we have stayed in before for a similar cost. The bathroom was tiny, the shower barely big enough to fit one person and the shower screen was so small it meant that every night the bathroom and toilet was soaked. However, the room was clean and housekeeping cleaned it every day so we settled on the fact it was just a space to sleep and that was fine!

I wouldn’t be put off by the hills up to the rooms - we were in the 500 block (highest before going to cool living I believe) and the walk up from the pool was totally fine for us. There were buggies going up and down regularly but we tended just to walk.

We visited at the start of July and as early risers we had no issue with getting loungers at the pool each day - though it was definitely not a 6:30 rise as some reviews point out. There were usually still spaces at 9:30/10am just with a bit less choice.

We enjoyed the food, the bar service was good and we often opted for a walk into nearby Elounda. We missed there being an outdoor/pool bar area as it was only indoors. The beach had gorgeous views but was very small. I must also say the pool was not like the pictures - it’s a dark colour and not the appealing light blue in the pictures.

Overall, we did have a lovely time, it was a clean, welcoming and enjoyable place to stay and ultimately holidays are what you make them too! I do think there are other hotels that offer more within this price range but there’s always going to be something ‘better’ no matter where you go.

We stayed at Domes Aulūs Elounda with high expectations, but unfortunately our experience didn’t reflect what we’d expect from a 5-star hotel.

The hotel is visually beautiful at first glance, and the views are lovely, but once you look more closely the property already feels quite worn. There were grubby pool loungers, areas that looked tired, and even a leak in reception that was simply being managed with towels on the floor rather than properly addressed. It didn’t have the polished feel you’d expect from a luxury resort.

Our biggest disappointment was mainly the service. While there were a few friendly staff members, the majority seemed genuinely unhappy to be there. We were often met with sighs when ordering drinks, eye-rolling, and generally unhelpful attitudes. It reached the point where it felt uncomfortable asking for anything.

Housekeeping was also inconsistent. On several occasions we were left without bath towels or beach towels. One morning we asked reception for beach towels and were told to collect them at 8:00am. We returned at 8:00am only to be told there wouldn’t be any available until around midday, meaning we spent the day without towels and had to lie directly on the grubby sunbeds. Reception handled the situation with little interest, simply shrugging and staring at us without offering a solution. When my partner explained to him that it’s really disappointing to feel as though the staff do not care when addressed with issues, the response was “I do care, but I cannot do anything.” We felt that it was not a huge request for 2 towels considering there was 4 being used for the leak next to reception.

Another frustrating issue was the lack of available sunbeds. If you weren’t out by around 7:30am, there was very little chance of getting a bed by either the pool or the beach. Guests would reserve them with towels for hours, leaving many people without anywhere to sit. This often led to arguments between guests when towels were moved or sunbeds were taken, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere that isn’t what you’d expect from a relaxing holiday. Better management of the sun-bed situation would make a huge difference. Beach chairs were put out at the end of the private beach for guests, however they would be in the beating sun with no cover.

We also tried to book a boat trip through the concierge, but once again were met with an uninterested attitude and told someone else might be able to help later. When we noticed the colleague return to the desk, we saw her tell the lady that we had requested information about a boat trip, to which she looked over at us & went straight back to using her phone, along with the colleague who told us to come back. Unfortunately, this seemed to be the standard response whenever we needed assistance. We also spoke to several other guests during our stay who had experienced similar issues with the service.

The food was average for an all-inclusive resort. There was plenty available, but it was largely the same every day, so we ended up eating out for dinner twice during our stay. In addition, the hotel advertised itself having 5 main restaurants & 3 bars. The only 2 accessible for normal guests (not Cool Living) are the Meze, which doubles as a lunch/dinner restaurant & Amphiteatro - which you are only allowed once each. We noticed when we had dinner that there were a lot of empty tables, which leads you to the question of why are you only allowed to book each one once. Again, the service in restaurants is poor with food slammed down on tables without enough time to ask for a top up of the wine. We experience the same get me out of here attitude, with tip books being placed on tables before you’ve finished your food.

The evening entertainment was another letdown. It only ran from 8:00pm until 9:15pm, and by around 10:00pm the music stopped and everything became very quiet. The hotel felt almost deserted in the evenings, with very little atmosphere. The bar shut at 12:00am as stated most nights, however, a couple of the nights we were refused service around 11:40pm, I’d presume due to the bar area being quiet(?), which is probably due to all the guests wanting to get an early night to enable them to get a sun-bed at the crack of dawn.

Overall, we had a pleasant holiday because Crete itself is beautiful, but the hotel didn’t live up to its 5-star rating. We’d rate it closer to a 4-star resort. We’ve stayed in several other 5-star hotels in Greece that offered a much higher standard of service, facilities and overall experience.

Sadly, we wouldn’t return or recommend this hotel based on our experience.

Good points :

• Staff is very kind and helpfull. They work a lot but they remains really professionnal.
• very clean place.
• food 10/10.
• really calm place.
• nothing more to stay about the hotel itself.

-good location. You can go downtown ( elounda) in 20 minutes by foot. You can also take a taxi if you want, but the walk worth it. It's a beautifull area.

• rooms are small but really clean and cosy. As it is only for sleeping, it is perfect. Really confortable.

Bad points:

• people lack of respect.

Everyone " reserve " his place at pool or at the beach, by putting the towels on the couches. So if you want a place with a little bit of shade, you have to wake up very early to get what you want. The hotel receptionist said it was forbidden to "reserve" but everyone is doing it. The hotel should forbid it and place some staff at the beach/pool that manages the towel so no one can reserve and everyone can get a nice place. Unfortunately, people are people, and that's why I am not a big fan of these kinds of hotels. We can pay holiday, but we can not pay education ...

Not bad, not good:

-Beach. Easily accessible by foot from the hotel, but it is not the most beautiful place you will go to. The view is nice. It is like all the other beaches in crete or grece. Really rocky, blue water, nice view, sometimes clean, sometimes dirty, according to other people ( once again ) .

• music from 10 am to ... at the pool & the beach. Not that annoying, but we are happy when it stops.

Overall value for money 8.5/10 It would have been 9/10 if the hotel had some management on the towels directly at the pool and the beach, to prevent the people's lack of education.