About eighteen months ago we mentioned that the former Candia Maris resort on the beautiful Greek island of Crete was being taken over and turned into the Mövenpick Resort and Thalasso Crete. In fact, they've spent a good two years doing renovations and are finally open for business.
With all that time passing we're figuring the new resort won't resemble the old one very much. The Mövenpick people are advertising the new Crete resort as being upscale and modern, with some particular cultural characteristics, including an:
exquisite combination of typical Greek hospitality and the traditional Swiss passion for efficiency, reliability, punctuality and precision.
They have a huge seawater spa known as the Aegeo Spa Center which includes a range of seawater baths, a sauna, solarium and steam baths, just to name a few of the ways you can relax there. The resort also includes several restaurants with various dining styles, including the open-air "Taverna" which fits the Greek surroundings well.
For all the talk of being upscale and fancy, Crete's Mövenpick seems very reasonably priced. At short notice, we'd be able to book a double room for tonight for just €95 (US$150); we're not sure if it's opening teething problems or solid bookings, but online availability of rooms from mid-May through the summer is non-existent at the moment.
Cubicle Dreamin' is a feature in which we ask the hotel mavens to take some time out of their busy work day, surf the Internet, and tell us what hotel they wish they could beam themselves to right that very second--all on the slave driving companies dime, of course. Oh, like these people aren't surfing aimlessly anyway--at least now their purposeless clicking will be cobbled together into useful hotel stories--we hope. Have a destination hotel you are just dying to leave your cube for? Send the story our way.
In this episode, Hotel Maven Amanda K fantasizes about a Meditteranean getaway. Enjoy.
My holiday inspirations sometimes come from odd places. A British documentary about four friends building a villa on Crete (and all the subsequent arguments) fascinated me this week and now I've got a craving for a bit of Greek island sunshine. On greeka.com, who claim to be the Greek island specialists, I searched for somewhere to stay on Crete in the luxury category and between 0 and 50 meters from the beach (why anyone would want to search for a hotel that was more than 200 meters from the beach is a bit beyond me, but just so you know, the option was there).
The Alpha Odeon Rethymno villas turned up at the top of the list. Only three years old, this set of five villas can be found in a village named Agia Triada in the Rethymno region of Crete. They sound super-luxurious until you read the website blurb:
Facilities meet the most demanding deluxe standards offering a reluctant type of lodging.
Well, I'm really not sure what they meant there, but I'm not reluctatn to stay there, with the private pool for summer, the jacuzzi for all year and the fire place for winter; and magical views:
The view from the verandas is outstanding and panoramic, facing the crystal clear sea and the original traditional village of Agia Triada between olive trees and vineyards.
And the villas are built 4 meters from the beach. Just long enough that you won't fall in and get wet accidentally, but an easy stumbling distance when you wake up on a warm summer morning and want to start the day with a dip. Prices range from 210 Euro to 545 Euro, depending on the season and the villa.
Cubicle Dreamin' is a feature in which we ask the hotel mavens to take some time out of their busy work day, surf the Internet, and tell us what hotel they wish they could beam themselves to right that very second--all on the slave driving companies dime, of course. Oh, like these people aren't surfing aimlessly anyway--at least now their purposeless clicking will be cobbled together into useful hotel stories--we hope. Have a destination hotel you are just dying to leave your cube for? Send the story our way.
In this episode, Hotel Maven Picky Chick lets us know about her recent "quickie."
While sitting in my windowless office, I often scour the Internet...looking for places to escape to. Even if it's only for a few minutes, there's something about finding that spot...that destination...that getaway where you can imagine yourself napping between chapters and reading between fruity cocktails.
See Picky Chick's destination desire after the jump.
Swiss coziness (and maybe a decent helping of alpine chocolate) will meet the relaxed Greek way soon as Mövenpick Hotels take over the Candia Maris resort on Crete. From early 2008 the four-star spot will be known as the Mövenpick Resort and Thalasso Crete.
Sounds like Mövenpick has big plans for its first Greek hotel, which is nicely located directly on the beach and seven miles from the aiport--they plan to do renovations during the next two winter seasons. The big drawcard is the massive Thalasso spa complex which will offer regular thalassotherapy and beauty treatments plus niche specialties like a unique spine rehabilitation institute. Two indoor thalasso pools will add to the huge volume of water you'll find lying around here.
And on top of their Crete move, Mövenpick's looking to expand their presence around the Mediterranean, so keep an eye out for your other favorite resorts turning all Swiss on you.
Let's get two things out of the way up front, Elounda is a resort town.
Furthermore, plenty of Brit expats find themselves starting a new life in this small Crete town--what exactly are they running from anyway?
Anyway, if you want to test the waters before relocating to resort town, or just go on a holiday where you don't need to worry about leaving your hotel, Elounda Gulf Villas & Suites could be your style. The owners of this beautiful villa-dise are hands off, which is perfect if you don't want some stranger up in your grill from the moment you step off the plane.
Villas include cliff-hanging infinity pools, jacuzzis with ocean views and mood lighting, airport transfer and your own personal assistant. Some villas even come equipped with a full-fledged gym.
This place screams Med honeymoon, but before you book, call ahead and make sure there is no work being done on the property. Nothing ruins a cliff side view faster than construction workers banging on the villa next door.
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by amandak
