The 22 Best Luxury Hotels in Crete
From the OROS Luxury Beach Resort to the Rimondi Boutique Hotel: the finest luxury addresses in Crete, hand-picked by our travel experts. Every suitespot booking comes with free breakfast for 2, a room upgrade subject to availability, hotel credit and VIP service – benefits worth over €500.
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
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The top hotels in Crete at a glance
From legendary grand hotels to intimate design addresses: these properties lead our ranking for Crete. See at a glance where each hotel is located, which loyalty program earns you points and where nightly rates begin. "From" prices are current entry rates and may include limited-time promotional rates.
| Hotel | Location | Hotel program | suitespot score | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OROS Luxury Beach Resort Crete | Petres | I Prefer | – | 170 € |
| Rimondi Boutique Hotel | Old Town | – | – | 100 € |
| Niko Seaside Resort Crete - Adult Only | Community of Agios Nikolaos | ALL (Accor) | – | 140 € |
| St Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel Crete | Kreta | – | – | 330 € |
| Minos Beach Art Hotel Aghios Nikolaos | Xirokampos | Marriott Bonvoy | – | 350 € |
| InterContinental Crete | Kreta | IHG One Rewards | – | 140 € |
| Domes of Elounda Crete | Παραλία Δρήρος | Marriott Bonvoy | – | 290 € |
| Elounda Peninsula Luxury Resort | Community of Elounta | – | – | 480 € |
| Phāea Cretan Malia | Community of Malia | Marriott Bonvoy | – | 180 € |
| Porto Elounda Golf Spa Resort | Community of Elounta | – | – | 210 € |
Current offers & deals for luxury hotels in Crete
Many of our partner hotels in Crete offer special conditions bookable via suitespot – from free nights to discounts on longer stays. Your suitespot benefits (breakfast, upgrade chance, hotel credit) apply on top.
| Hotel | Offer | Bookable until |
|---|---|---|
| JW Marriott Crete | 15% discount for stays of four nights or more | October 10, 2026 |
Your guide to the best luxury hotels in Crete
OROS Luxury Beach Resort Crete · PetresWith every booking through suitespot you receive a comprehensive package of suitespot benefits:- Complimentary breakfast for two
- Room upgrade subject to availability
- Up to 100 USD hotel credit per stay
- Early check-in and late check-out subject to availability
- Standard points and status benefits in the hotel programmes
The centre of luxury hospitality in Crete is Elounda in the east: eight of our properties stand along a few kilometres of coast there – the Elounda Peninsula Luxury Resort (from around 480 €), Phaea Blue (340 €), Domes of Elounda (290 €), Elounda Mare (240 €), the Elounda Beach Hotel (230 €), the Elounda Gulf Villas (220 €), the Porto Elounda Golf & Spa Resort (210 €) and the Elounda Bay Palace (170 €).
A few kilometres on, in Agios Nikolaos, come the Minos Beach Art Hotel (350 €), the St Nicolas Bay Resort (330 €), the InterContinental and the Niko Seaside Resort (140 € each). In the west around Chania stand the JW Marriott on Marathi Bay (400 €), Tella Thera in Kissamos (390 €), Domes Zeen (310 €), Domes Noruz (270 €) and the Casa Delfino in the old town of Chania (180 €).
Villas with a private pool – the strength of Elounda
If Crete has a speciality, this is it: five of the eight properties in Elounda offer villas or bungalows with a private pool – a concentration found in no other region of our portfolio.
Rimondi Boutique Hotel · Old TownThe Elounda Mare goes furthest with its Royalty villas of one to three bedrooms, each with its own pool (entry from around 240 €). The Elounda Peninsula Luxury Resort offers Peninsula Grand villas with two and three bedrooms plus a Presidential Villa (480 €), and the Elounda Gulf Villas no fewer than five different pool-villa types, from the Aegean to the Imperial Spa Pool Villa (220 €). Add the Island and Hideaway villas of the Elounda Beach Hotel (230 €) and the Mediterranean Villa of the Elounda Bay Palace (170 €).Personal luxury travel adviceOur travel advisors personally accompany your booking – 365 days a year, from the first offer to late check-out. Reach the suitespot VIP service via email or WhatsApp.Phone: +49 30 81452346 · hotel@suitespot.comThis is the real reason Elounda works for longer stays: you are not in a room but in a house of your own with a pool and a sea view – at rates well below the villa categories of the Cyclades.
One booking note: these categories are limited in number and go early in summer. Tell us how many of you are travelling and whether the pool is essential – our travel advisors know which properties still have villas for your dates.
Our travel advisors' insider tip
The most practical thing to know about Crete is the airport. The island has two: Heraklion in the middle and Chania in the west. Heraklion is about 70 kilometres from Elounda; Chania is only a short drive from the western part of our portfolio. Fly into Chania for a stay in Elounda and you face two and a half hours in the car – check this before booking the flight. We will coordinate the transfer for you.
Second, the season: Crete has the longest season in Greece. May, June, September and October are the best months – warm enough to swim, without the heat and the rates of high summer. In July and August the north coast gets very hot.
Third, the programmes: Marriott Bonvoy leads by a wide margin with eight of the 22 properties – unusually many for a Greek island. Add the Leaders Club (2) plus ALL, Hilton Honors, IHG Rewards and iPrefer with one each. Eight properties take part in no loyalty programme.
Five-star hotels in Crete by location: which part of the island?
Crete is 260 kilometres long – Chania in the west to Elounda in the east is about a three-hour drive. Choosing the area therefore matters more here than on any other Greek island.
Niko Seaside Resort Crete - Adult Only · Community of Agios NikolaosThese four areas cover our portfolio.
Elounda – the centre of luxury hospitality
Eight of our 22 properties stand along a few kilometres of coast on the Gulf of Mirabello: the Elounda Peninsula Luxury Resort (from around 480 €), Phaea Blue (340 €), Domes of Elounda from the Autograph Collection (290 €), Elounda Mare (240 €), the Elounda Beach Hotel (230 €), the Elounda Gulf Villas (220 €), the Porto Elounda Golf & Spa Resort (210 €) and the Elounda Bay Palace (170 €). If you want a villa with a private pool, this is where you look.
Agios Nikolaos – the town on the gulf
Ten minutes from Elounda, with a harbour, restaurants and shops on the doorstep: the Minos Beach Art Hotel (350 €), the St Nicolas Bay Resort (330 €) and the InterContinental and Niko Seaside Resort (140 € each) – the two lowest entry rates in the east of the island.
Chania and the west
The greener, less developed part of Crete, with the Venetian old town of Chania: the JW Marriott on Marathi Bay (400 €), Tella Thera in Kissamos at the far west (390 €), Domes Zeen from the Luxury Collection (310 €), Domes Noruz in Agioi Apostoloi (270 €) and the Casa Delfino in the middle of Chania's old town (180 €).
Rethymno, Heraklion and the central north coast
Five properties sit between the two ends: The Royal Senses Resort near Panormos, from the Curio Collection (230 €), the OROS Luxury Beach Resort on Episkopi Beach (170 €) and the Rimondi Boutique Hotel in the old town of Rethymno (100 €) – the lowest entry rate in our entire Crete portfolio. Further east follow Alai in Stalis (220 €) and Phāea Cretan Malia (180 €).
An honest note on the south coast: our entire Crete portfolio sits on the north coast. If you are specifically looking for a property in Matala, Plakias or on the Libyan Sea, we cannot currently offer one – though the south is an easy day trip from Rethymno and Agios Nikolaos.
Adults only or with children? Crete does both
Few questions about Crete come up more often – and the answer is clear in both directions.
St Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel Crete · KretaAdults only, we list exactly one property in Crete: the Niko Seaside Resort Crete – Adult Only in Agios Nikolaos, an MGallery house on Akti Koundourou (from around 140 €). If an adults-only hotel is a condition for you, that is currently our address on the island – we would rather say so plainly than recommend a property that does not meet it.
In the other direction, Crete is one of the most family-friendly regions in our portfolio: thirteen of the 22 properties have dedicated family categories. The broadest ranges are at Domes Zeen Chania, with four different family types up to the Family Grand Pavilion (310 €), Domes of Elounda with Family Garden, Family Sea and Luxury Family categories (290 €), and the Elounda Beach Hotel with family villas that have their own pool (230 €).
Family categories are also available at the JW Marriott (400 €), the St Nicolas Bay Resort (330 €), Phaea Blue (340 €), the Elounda Gulf Villas (220 €), the Royal Senses (230 €), the Elounda Bay Palace (170 €), OROS (170 €), Phāea Cretan Malia (180 €), Domes Noruz (270 €) and the Casa Delfino in Chania (180 €).
The most expensive and the best-value hotels in Crete
The highest entry rate is the Elounda Peninsula Luxury Resort at around 480 € per night.
It is followed by the JW Marriott on Marathi Bay (400 €), Tella Thera in Kissamos (390 €), the Minos Beach Art Hotel in Agios Nikolaos (350 €), Phaea Blue in Elounda (340 €), the St Nicolas Bay Resort (330 €) and Domes Zeen Chania (310 €).
At the other end, the Rimondi Boutique Hotel in the old town of Rethymno starts at around 100 €, followed by the InterContinental and the Niko Seaside Resort in Agios Nikolaos (140 € each), the OROS Luxury Beach Resort and the Elounda Bay Palace (170 € each) and the Casa Delfino in Chania and Phāea Cretan Malia (180 € each).
The real finding is the range: with a median entry rate of around 230 € per night and no property starting above 500 €, Crete is the best-value region in our Greek portfolio – in Mykonos two properties start at 600 € and the median is 300 €. For the same money, Crete regularly buys you a larger category.
What makes a luxury holiday in Crete
Crete is not an island for three nights. What our travel advisors arrange here most often are therefore longer stays – frequently in a villa with a private pool in Elounda – along with the excursions that are otherwise hard to plan: the boat trip to the fortress island of Spinalonga off Elounda, the drive to the lagoon of Balos and to Elafonissi in the west, and the walk through the Samaria Gorge, which needs an early start and a return transfer.Personal luxury travel adviceOur travel advisors personally accompany your booking – 365 days a year, from the first offer to late check-out. Reach the suitespot VIP service via email or WhatsApp.Phone: +49 30 81452346 · hotel@suitespot.comFor orientation: from the east (Elounda, Agios Nikolaos), Spinalonga and the Lasithi plateau are close, while Chania and the west are three hours away. Stay in the west and Balos, Elafonissi and the Samaria Gorge are on your doorstep instead. If you want both, split the stay – we will put the combination together, transfers included.
As a suitespot guest you travel with VIP status: we pass your preferences to the hotel before you arrive – in Crete above all the villa and family categories, which are limited in number. On top of that, every property includes breakfast for two, an upgrade subject to availability and up to 100 USD hotel credit. At a median entry rate of 230 € per night, that is a noticeable share of the trip.
Earn points & use your status in Crete
suitespot rates are genuine direct rates: you keep earning regular points and elite nights in the hotel's loyalty program and retain your status benefits – on top of your suitespot benefits. These programs are represented in Crete:
| Program | Hotels | Examples in Crete |
|---|---|---|
| Marriott Bonvoy | 8 hotels | Minos Beach Art Hotel Aghios Nikolaos, Domes of Elounda Crete, Phāea Cretan Malia … |
| Leaders Club | 2 hotels | Elounda Beach Hotel Crete, Elounda Bay Palace Crete |
| ALL (Accor) | 1 hotel | Niko Seaside Resort Crete - Adult Only |
| Hilton Honors | 1 hotel | The Royal Senses Resort Crete |
| I Prefer | 1 hotel | OROS Luxury Beach Resort Crete |
| IHG One Rewards | 1 hotel | InterContinental Crete |
Frequently asked questions about luxury hotels in Crete
How much does a five-star hotel in Crete cost?
Entry rates for our 22 luxury hotels in Crete start at around 100 € per night (Rimondi Boutique Hotel in Rethymno) and reach about 480 € per night at the Elounda Peninsula Luxury Resort. The median entry rate is around 230 € per night.
That makes Crete the best-value region in our Greek portfolio: no property starts above 500 € – in Mykonos the median is 300 € and two properties start at 600 €. For the same budget, Crete regularly buys you a larger category, and in Elounda often a villa with a private pool. With suitespot you always book at direct rates, and the benefits worth more than 500 € come on top.
Which part of Crete should I stay in?
This is the key decision in Crete, because the island is 260 kilometres long – Chania to Elounda is about a three-hour drive.
Elounda in the east is the centre of luxury hospitality: eight of our 22 properties stand there along a few kilometres of coast, among them the Elounda Peninsula, Domes of Elounda and the Elounda Mare. Ten minutes on lies Agios Nikolaos, with a harbour and town life (Minos Beach Art Hotel, St Nicolas Bay, InterContinental, Niko Seaside).
Chania and the west are greener and less developed, with the Venetian old town as the draw (JW Marriott, Domes Zeen, Domes Noruz, Casa Delfino, Tella Thera). In between lie Rethymno and the central north coast (Royal Senses, OROS, Rimondi, Alai, Phāea Cretan Malia).
Do I earn points and can I use my status with suitespot?
Yes. suitespot rates are full direct rates: you earn the usual points and status nights in the relevant hotel programme. Crete is unusually rewarding for this – eight of the 22 properties belong to Marriott Bonvoy, far more than on any other Greek island in our portfolio: the JW Marriott, Domes Zeen Chania (Luxury Collection), Domes of Elounda and Domes Noruz (Autograph Collection), Alai (Tribute Portfolio), the Minos Beach Art Hotel, Phāea Cretan Malia and Tella Thera Kissamos.
Add the Leaders Club (Elounda Beach Hotel, Elounda Bay Palace) plus ALL, Hilton Honors, IHG Rewards and iPrefer with one each. Eight properties take part in no loyalty programme. You keep your status benefits everywhere; the suitespot benefits come in addition.
Are there adults-only hotels in Crete?
In our portfolio, exactly one: the Niko Seaside Resort Crete – Adult Only in Agios Nikolaos, an MGallery house on Akti Koundourou with an entry rate from around 140 € per night.
We say this plainly on purpose: if an adults-only hotel is a condition for you, that is currently our address on the island. Several other properties are quiet and adult-oriented but run no formal adults-only concept, so we do not present them as such.
If calm matters more to you than the formal label, talk to our travel advisors: they know which properties have separate pool areas, and which periods see hardly any families – May, June and October above all.
Which hotels in Crete have villas with a private pool?
This is the speciality of Elounda: five of the eight properties there offer villas or bungalows with a private pool – a concentration found in no other region of our portfolio.
The Elounda Mare has Royalty villas of one to three bedrooms, each with its own pool (entry from around 240 €). The Elounda Peninsula Luxury Resort offers Peninsula Grand villas with two and three bedrooms plus a Presidential Villa (480 €), and the Elounda Gulf Villas five different pool-villa types (220 €). Add the Island and Hideaway villas of the Elounda Beach Hotel (230 €) and the Mediterranean Villa of the Elounda Bay Palace (170 €).
These categories are limited in number and go early in summer – register your preference through our travel advisors before you book.
Are there luxury hotels on the south coast of Crete?
Not in our portfolio at present. All 22 properties are on the north coast – between Kissamos in the far west and Elounda in the east. If you are specifically looking for a property in Matala, Plakias, Agia Galini or on the Libyan Sea, we cannot currently offer one; we would rather tell you than sell a north-coast address as the south.
The south does work well as a day trip, however: from Rethymno, Plakias and Preveli are around an hour away; from Agios Nikolaos, the south-east coast around Ierapetra takes about 45 minutes. Our travel advisors will arrange the drives with a driver if you would rather skip the hire car.
When is the best time to visit Crete?
Crete has the longest season in Greece – the key difference from the Cyclades, where properties close in autumn.
The best months are May, June, September and October: the sea is warm enough to swim, the excursions are comfortable, and rates sit well below high summer. In July and August the north coast gets very hot, and family categories are taken months ahead.
If you plan to walk – the Samaria Gorge, for instance – travel in May, June or October. In high summer the gorge is doable but hard work, and in winter it is closed.
Which luxury hotels in Crete offer the best value?
The lowest entry rate in our whole Crete portfolio is the Rimondi Boutique Hotel in the Venetian old town of Rethymno, at around 100 € per night.
Above it come the InterContinental and the Niko Seaside Resort in Agios Nikolaos (140 € each), the OROS Luxury Beach Resort on Episkopi Beach and the Elounda Bay Palace (170 € each), the Casa Delfino in the old town of Chania and Phāea Cretan Malia (180 € each) and the Porto Elounda Golf & Spa Resort (210 €).
What is notable: with the Elounda Bay Palace and Porto Elounda, two of these sit in the middle of Elounda – the same stretch of coast as the island's most expensive property. And the Rimondi and Casa Delfino are at once among the cheapest addresses and the portfolio's two old-town hotels.
