Grecotel Creta Palace

A magical Greek wedding

A huge thank you to the Grecotel Creta Palace in Rethymnon, Crete for hosting my daughter’s wedding in true Greek style with exceptional hospitality, food, service and wine. From the moment our family and our guests arrived we were welcomed warmly by the staff and made to feel like every detail was under control. From the welcome drinks to the many staff greeting us, we knew we were in good hands.They focussed on making our stay relaxing and taking over the logistical side of arranging a wedding halfway around the world. All the staff from reception, room service, food and beverage, to the restaurants and bars, were outstanding welcoming us a group and fussing over us as the bridal party. The buffet served at breakfast and dinner was outstanding in its variation of international cuisine and exceptionally fresh seafood and local Cretan dishes. The resort is located 3 kilometres from the town of Rethymnon which makes it easy to visit if you can tear yourself away from the stunning pools and private beach of the resort which serves the guests complimentary seasonal fruit every afternoon by the pool. The sun lounges and towels were of a very high standard and the pools were crystal clear. During our event, the most outstanding members of staff were Ms. Antigone, head of events, Mr. Dimitri, the hotel manager who personally oversaw the day of the wedding and Mr. George head of food and beverage. There were many other excellent staff members from Jason and Raffaela at the Sky Bar and the wonderful lady, head of the Labyrinth restaurant and each and every person who appeared on the wedding day and undertook the many tasks that were required to create the magical day that it was. The wedding buffet was superb with the most exceptional dishes served by chefs and replenished even after the guests could eat no more. The desserts were heavenly and the wedding cake, the creation of the choux chef, deserves every accolade for the delicious flavours he created to make it a memorable feature of the day. A special thank you to Mrs. Antigone, who worked tirelessly day and night to ensure everything went to plan. She made us feel like family and saw to every detail from arranging trusted staff to carry the wedding dress and providing a luxurious room for the bride to prepare for her special day. She was omnipresent and we wondered if she ever went home! She was warm, extremely competent and very professional in her very demanding role. When we parted it was very emotional as we had become good friends. Mr. Dimitri, the hotel manager held my daughter’s veil out of the preparation room down to the ceremony to ensure it stayed in place and at the end of the ceremony, he orchestrated a rose petal shot by showering the couple with the beautiful white rose petals. Mr. George, food and beverage manager was instrumental in ensuring that every need of every guest was catered for. He was also responsible for the most successful buck’s night for the groom, with the guests still talking about the generosity of the hotel in allowing them to watch the FIFA world cup and keep eating and drinking until the very early hours of the morning. The hotel must be congratulated for providing discreet areas for celebrations which do not disturb the other guests. Cocktail drinks and canapes were placed under magnificent ‘Bridgerton style’ umbrellas right next to the beach to take advantage of the idyllic surrounds

Our guests travelled from Australia, UK, Italy, Germany, Sweden and USA and all left enchanted and mesmerised by their experience at the recently renovated luxurious resort with internationally acclaimed food buffets and wine. The rooms were spacious and very luxurious and the beds were no exception. The marble modern bathrooms matched the beauty of the views of the beach from our room. The rooms and the grounds were extremely clean and the gardens surrounding the various bungalows and the hotel common areas were lush and well cared for and gave the resort a tropical feel. The amenities from the boutiques, sporting facilities, greek kafenio (cafe) and an aqua park are magnificent. The Sky Bar is a spectacular experience particularly as the sun sets and the evening lights come on and sampling the various unique cocktails was a wonderful experience. The small church on the premises where the ceremony was held is a perfect symbol of the reverence shown to the Greek orthodox religion of the Greek people and was a beautiful place to light a candle. The entertainment each day varied from Cretan dancing which involved the guests to Greek cooking classes for children. There were magic shows, music shows and many beautiful boutiques to browse. The Greco farm products grown locally were a must and served as our wedding favours especially the oil and honey cultivated by the Grecofarm affiliates. The hospitality of the Grecotel Creta Palace was legendary and as most of the staff were from Rethymno, it highlighted the warmth and welcoming nature of the beautiful Cretan people.

Under the Greek sun and mediterranean sea beckoning, how lucky we were to have chosen this beautiful resort and island to celebrate our family’s special day which will remain as the most idyllic venue where precious memories were made and will last forever. Thank you to all our friends at the Grecotel Creta Palace and the town of Rethymnon which also exuded warmth and kindness to us as tourists.

We came as guests and left as friends. We hope to see you all soon.

We have just returned from a 12 night break at the Grecotel Creta Palace. Our expectations were exceeded. The hotel is beautifully designed with pleasing aesthetics. It is spotlessly clean, the quality of the food is outstanding with plenty of options to suit all. The staff cannot do enough for you they are always smiling and willing to go the extra mile to make your stay special.

Particular shout out to..Mr Yanis for his joyful welcome at breakfast. Marcus at the Brasserie at lunch time, although we were on the Luxe me package we always like to eat out locally. Marcus recommended a wonderful restaurant and even made the reservation for us.

Jenny the lifeguard with the most lovely smile was always making sure everyone was safe and having a good time. Angelo the hero! Without doubt has the toughest job there, he works super hard to make sure everyone has a bed. There are enough beds around the resort but the beds around the main pool are at a premium. Emma the most delightful waitress, she looked after us well. However, all the staff are absolutely superb.

We will definitely book again, you would not be disappointed.