- Greece Holidays
- Panormos
- The Royal Senses Resort and Spa
Family-friendly resort on the coast of Crete. Overlooking the Sea of Crete, our resort sits along the north coast just 15 minutes from Rethymno City. Stroll through preserved medieval streets or visit nearby Melidoni Cave for incredible sights. Enjoy the sparkling private beach just across the road, revive your senses at our spa, and enjoy unique culinary workshops and pop-up dinners. Our seven restaurants and bars highlight the flavors of Crete, from grandmother’s recipes to pop-up concepts from local makers. Choose a wine from our expansive cellar, and enjoy a meal with a view at CRETAMOS.
Due to the surrounding area and the number of steps around the hotel, it may not be suitable for those with mobility difficulties.
Long before we checked in we had chatted directly with the front desk about how best to get there, and on arrival, were collected from the bus stop nearby as arranged - this inspired confidence from the start! The hotel makes quite an impression on arrival. We were personally greeted immediately with a handshake, cold towel, welcome drink and snacks (although, our luggage was left outside on the driveway!). Set on a hillside estate, every room has a seaview and is accessible on foot - the hotel has a golf buggy service and a hillside lift for those less inclined or with mobility limitations. Our room was spotlessly clean (thank you to the housekeeping team) and modern, with a welcoming bottle of wine. Later, we were upgraded to a family suite, which was a lovely gesture from the hotel - thank you! We enjoyed time on the cabanas around the adult only pool, as well as in the family pool area, which was well furnished with sun loungers. Midway through our stay, the weather turned... the temperature dropped and the thunderstorms rolled in. We were surprised to learn that access to the heated infinity pool in the spa area came at an additional cost - we feel a complimentary visit would have been a nice touch. Prior to the change in weather, we enjoyed some time at the beach at the sister property across the road. This can be acceseed on foot or via mini bus, which is provided free of charge. The beach was clean and had plentiful sun loungers available, along with two bars, towel stations and toilets. We opted for a half board package, meaning breakfast and dinner were served in the main restaurant Gea, and were both buffet style. It was often very busy and loud, but the food and beverage team worked incredibly hard and maintained a calm, professional demeanour throughout. We have stayed in several places where timed dining was used and appeared effective in avoiding queueing for a table. Perhaps something to be considered in the future here. Food options were incredibly varied, fresh, frequently replenished and extremely tasty! A "Cretan corner" was available at all times, with a variety of local dishes. The wine list is extensive, giving the opportunity to sample wines of the island, and beyond. Our thanks to the entire F&B team, led by Manilos and supported by Kostantinios, Alexandra, Smaragda, Katerina, Marietta, Giannis, and so many others, for making our meals so memorable! We enjoyed the live music in the Zeno bar, where we also were served after dinner drinks and snacks. It is worth noting however, the lack of seating available here, which was a surprise as it is the only bar open in the evening. The hotel is ideally positioned for an easy bus ride to Rethymno, and also well positioned for a walk or "road train" to the nearby beach front village of Panormo. Having stayed at other Crurio properties in Europe, we feel that the hotel offers good value, particularly off-peak. At The Royal Senses, it's the people who make the difference. Many of the team we met, went above and beyond - even so far as to teach us some elementary Greek, which we enjoyed and will remain with us. Polykala!
I stayed at the hotel with my three-year-old son, and we had a wonderful time. We received a room upgrade, which was a lovely bonus. The hotel was clean, our room was very comfortable, and the service was friendly and efficient.
The half-board meals were excellent, with a wide variety of fresh options for both children and adults. The heated main pools were a real highlight, especially on cloudy and rainy days. There is also a small water park with slides, but it was not heated, so we did not use it in the cooler weather.
The main downside was that our private pool was not heated, and the additional heating charge was quite high. If you are booking a room with a private pool during the cooler months, I recommend checking the heating cost beforehand. The kids’ club was inviting, with plenty of activities and a lovely outdoor play area. My son thoroughly enjoyed his stay.
Overall, we had a fantastic stay and left with wonderful memories. With comfortable rooms, excellent food, warm pools, and plenty for little ones to enjoy, this is a lovely choice for a holiday with family or friends. We would happily return!
From the moment we arrived at Royal Senses Resort & Spa to the moment we left, every detail was perfect! This is, without exaggeration, one of the best places we have ever stayed, and I would go as far as to say it is the best resort in Crete. If you are deciding where to book, stop looking. It is an absolute must-go!
When it came to the Atmosphere & Decor - The ambience is out of this world… The decor, the decorum and the overall atmosphere create a feeling of luxury and a calm grounded-ness that was extremely comforting in a very subtle and relaxed way, that stays with you throughout your stay… Everything is beautifully presented, immaculate and thoughtfully designed…
The Rooms, especially our room was spectacular: spotless, stylish and comfortable, with every detail taken care of… It was exactly the kind of retreat you hope for on a holiday! We were on the 4th floor in a private suite with private pool and it was AMAZING! Even the ski lift that took you up and down to all the floors was a great experience.
The entertainment was fantastic and added so much to the evenings… I’m a musician/artist/singer/songwriter myself so particularly enjoyed all the live music available near on every evening… There was something for everyone, and it was top quality, which made every night feel special…
The Staff: They are truly the Heart of the Resort and the whole stay and experience! Every single member of staff we met was outstanding in service, friendliness, care and hospitality... They made us feel genuinely welcome and looked after the entire time. A few people deserve special mention:
GEA Restaurant: Alexandra, Marionis, Minas and Konstantinos delivered exceptional dinner service night after night. Attentive, warm, professional and always smiling, they elevated every meal. The tall gentlemen on the dinner team were equally brilliant, as was the gentleman who cleared our tables with such quiet efficiency and kindness. Thank you all! (I’m sorry I didn’t get all of your names)
The main restaurant alone was worth the trip! The spread was spectacular and changed daily, with an incredible choice at every meal... Fresh local Cretan dishes, international favourites, live cooking stations, beautifully presented salads, seafood, grills, and a dessert selection that was hard to resist... Everything was fresh, full of flavour and replenished constantly, and there was always something new to try... Whether you wanted something light or a full indulgent feast, it was all there, and the quality never dipped once during our stay.
The Mini Mart: David was an absolute star! An incredibly hospitable and helpful gentleman who always had time for a chat and made every visit a pleasure for everyone…
The Jewellery Shop: The lovely lady working there was friendly, helpful and gracious, and an asset to the team.
To the management: Please bring back all of this season's team next year! They are a true credit to the resort and a huge part of what makes it so special!
My Final Verdict: Perfect atmosphere, perfect service, perfect rooms, perfect entertainment. We cannot recommend Royal Senses highly enough, and we are already planning our return with a larger group of family and friends. Do not miss this one. It is a 10 out of 10 experience, and the best in Crete.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highly, highly recommended!
My partner and I booked this hotel 2 weeks before and had the best time. The aesthetic of the place is beautiful with plenty to do at the hotel. The location is in between both airports and being centre of the island you can get to different places very easily
Food: We went half board which we were very grateful for. Both breakfast and evening meal have different items with some staple dishes served. If you like a buffet and want to try different things, this perfect!
Staff: It’s clear to see all the staff work very hard. Everyone is smiling, attentive and we got the feeling they just want you to have a lovely time. This includes all staff - reception, restaurant, cleaners, outside, gym/spa, etc.
Room: We got upgraded to the villa, the room was very clean and tidy. Bottles of water provided every morning and good range of amenities in the room! We were on the 4th floor and it was very quiet.
Things to know: The lift will either be your friend or your enemy.
It is a family friendly hotel and depending on the parenting of others can be annoying at breakfast/dinner.
We would recommend hiring a car. We spoke to a few companies but the person at the hotel we found was the best. Ask him for recommendation - Spili was our favourite place to visit.
Having an onsite shop is super handy and prices are reasonable! (The bottled water is cheaper from the shop down the road)
Overall we had a lovely time and an experience my partner and I will remember.
Thank you to everyone at the hotel :)
We had a great 10 day stay here towards the end of September. This was a 5* experience from the greeting we received on our arrival very late on our first evening to the lovely parting gift on check out. We can’t comment on the location as we deliberately chose a relaxing stay in the hotel grounds after a frantic working year. Suffice to say that all our needs were well catered for. Our room was made up and cleaned to a high standard every day. All facilities and public areas were clean and good quality. All our main meals were taken in the buffet restaurant - and don’t be put off by the term ‘buffet’. The choice was large, the quality of the food was excellent and each evening featured a ‘special’ including salmon-en-croute and melt-in-the-mouth leg of lamb. We must mention here all the hotel staff were great but especially the restaurant staff who all worked incredibly hard whilst remaining very cheerful throughout even the inevitable busy times. We’d like to give a very special mention to two people; to one wait staff, Smaragda who looked after us really well and to one unsung hero who worked really hard each evening carrying used pots back to the kitchen. All this balanced on one hand carrying a huge tray - Fousseyui Debele. Overall the hotel is relaxing where your every need is catered - a very 5* experience indeed.
