Domes Aulus Elounda Review: An Honest Three Nights in Crete

Some hotels win you over slowly. Domes Aulus Elounda had us at the front door, then spent three days keeping us on our toes. This is the review I wish I had read before we arrived, because this hotel is genuinely brilliant at some things and genuinely frustrating at others, and knowing which is which will completely change your stay.

A quick disclosure before we start, because I always do this. Our stay was self funded, with a free room upgrade given to us by the hotel on arrival, not something arranged in advance, and nobody has asked me to write a word of this. Good, because they would not have been able to edit out the bit about the sunbeds.

I travelled with my friend Pam and her Shih Tzu, Daisy, for three nights in July. Keep an eye on Daisy throughout this review. She had a better welcome than most celebrities get.

In short: Domes Aulus Elounda is a five star adults only resort in Elounda, Crete, that excels at service, suites and views, falls short on in resort dining and sunbed availability, and rewards guests who eat out in Elounda's excellent local restaurants. My overall score is 3.7 out of 5.

• Suites and rooms: 5 out of 5. The upgraded hillside suite with a private pool was one of the best rooms I have ever stayed in.
• Service and hospitality: 5 out of 5. Concierge, welcome and thoughtful touches were faultless from arrival to departure.
• Food and drink: 2.5 out of 5. A vast breakfast buffet, but our Greco Levante dinner disappointed and à la carte lunches need booking.
• Pools and beach: 3 out of 5. Beautiful spaces, not enough sunbeds. Reserve early or head to the rooftop.
• Dog friendliness: 5 out of 5. Daisy rates it, and Daisy has standards.
• Location: 4.5 out of 5. Ten minutes from Elounda town, around an hour from Heraklion Airport, with Spinalonga and Agios Nikolaos on the doorstep.

From the moment we pulled up, the concierge team were out to greet us, and because Daisy was with us, the fuss levels went through the roof. Staff, guests, passing strangers. Everyone wanted a moment with her. Pam is a regular with Domes Resorts, so the team were expecting Daisy and were visibly excited to have her back. It set the tone immediately. This is a hotel that remembers people, and apparently dogs outrank us all.

We had booked a standard room. What we got was something else entirely. The team upgraded us to a suite high on the hillside with a private pool and a view I still think about. It felt like a honeymoon suite, and I will say it plainly, it is probably one of the nicest rooms I have ever stayed in. On top of that, they upgraded us to all inclusive, booked every restaurant for our three night stay before we had even unpacked, and did not ask for a card behind the desk. We felt like we had hit the jackpot, because we had.

Half an hour after we reached the room, there was a knock at the door. Sparkling wine, macarons and a fruit plate, delivered with a smile. We were quite stunned by how far they went with the welcome. If first impressions are a competition, Domes Aulus Elounda is not playing fair.

Domes Aulus Elounda sits at Agia Paraskevi, just outside Elounda on Crete's northeast coast. Heraklion Airport is the one to fly into, around 68 kilometres and an hour's drive away on a good road via Agios Nikolaos. We hired a car, which I would recommend, because it opened up the town, the olive oil tasting and the hills for us all trip, and the hotel even brought it up to our suite on departure day. If you would rather not drive, private transfers from the airport are easy to arrange, and once you are here, Elounda town is around ten minutes away by car or taxi.

Worth understanding before you book, because it shapes your whole stay. Domes Aulus Elounda runs two tiers. Comfort Selection is the half board option aimed at people planning to explore, with breakfast and dinner at the main restaurant and the flexibility to swap dinner for lunch. Cool Living Selection is the Ultra All Inclusive tier, which moves you into the upgraded suites and adds exclusive dining at Greco Levante, branded drinks, daily minibar refills and snacks at the beach and pools.

We were bumped up to all inclusive as part of our welcome, so we experienced the top tier without planning to. My honest take after three nights: if you intend to eat out in Elounda most evenings, and having read this far you can probably guess I think you should, half board may serve you better than paying for an all inclusive package you will only half use. If you want zero decisions and every drink included, Cool Living is the one. Either way, book your à la carte meals the moment you arrive.

Breakfast is served on a terrace with the bay glittering behind the railings, which forgives a lot before you have even picked up a plate. It is a buffet, and I will be upfront that there is no omelette station and no fresh eggs cooked to order, which surprised me at this level. They do premade omelettes, all the usual fruit, and a spread that is genuinely vast once you have a proper look around.

Two things I loved. The porridge with a whole honeycomb you slice yourself, which is such a lovely touch, and the fresh orange juice machine, because who does not want freshly squeezed orange juice with a sea view? As buffets go, it is a good one. Just do not arrive dreaming of à la carte eggs.

Our first night was booked for us at Greco Levante, the restaurant at the top of the resort, for an Asian inspired evening beside the rooftop pools with a view over the whole of Elounda. The setting is stunning. The meal, less so.

We asked for rosé and were poured the house all inclusive rosé, no wine list offered, and it was not my cup of tea even after a hopeful couple of sips. The sushi starter was forgettable, and the less said the better. Then came my salmon teriyaki, which was the single biggest piece of salmon I have ever been served. A slab of fish on rice with a mango sauce and a drizzle of teriyaki over the top. I am used to salmon that has actually met its teriyaki sauce. This felt slapdash, a little overcooked, and very much a typical all inclusive meal that happened to be plated in a beautiful place. I ate half and we called it a night. Pam's pork and vegetables did not fare much better.

One dinner is a small sample, I know. But it was enough to change how we ate for the rest of the trip, and honestly, that turned out to be the best decision of the holiday.

Now for the bit I really wish someone had told me. Domes Aulus Elounda has a lovely shingle private beach dotted with thatched parasols, a gorgeous curved main pool, and two spectacular pools at the very top of the hill with 180 degree views. What it does not appear to have is enough sunbeds for everyone who wants one.

On our first full day we headed to the beach mid morning and found nothing free, just rows of loungers reserved with towels. Back up at the pool, same story. In the end we buggied all the way to the rooftop pools to find a spot, which meant more waiting for buggies. When you are paying serious money for an all inclusive stay, that stings.

So on our final morning we became the very people we tut about. Down at the beach at 8.30am, towels on loungers, before breakfast. I am embarrassed to admit it, and I am also really glad we did it, because only two beds were left even at that hour, and we finally got our proper morning by the water. Is the hotel overbooked for its beds? Are the beds spread too thinly between the beach and all those pools? I do not know the answer. I just know the game, and now you do too.

One more quirk of the all inclusive setup. On our arrival day we walked straight into an à la carte restaurant for lunch, no problem at all. So on our last full day we assumed we could do the same. Wrong. No reservation, no freshly cooked lunch, and the alternative was the buffet. Pam's response was short and absolutely final. She was not having buffet food.

The lesson: at Domes Aulus Elounda you book everything you want cooked fresh, including lunch. It is a small thing that makes a big difference to how your day flows, especially when factoring in buggy time. And as it happens, being turned away for lunch pushed us into town, which brings me to the best part of this whole trip.

Travelling with a dog in Greece can be hit and miss. Not here. Daisy was expected, welcomed by name, fussed over by staff and guests alike, and treated like the VIP she firmly believes she is. Domes Resorts publishes a proper pet policy, Pam travels with them regularly for good reason, and even our taxi driver was dog mad. If you have a small dog and have been nervous about bringing them to Crete, this corner of the island makes it easy. Elounda town even sorted Daisy out with a new floaty from one of its little shops. Standards were maintained.

Elounda town is ten minutes away and it is a delight. We hired a car, parked up and spent a windy afternoon wandering the harbour front, where fishing boats bob against the wall and one taverna rolls into the next. Do not miss the harbour walk. It is simple and lovely, all the best restaurants sit along the front, and if you keep going you reach a beautifully set lunch spot right on the water. The wind had whipped the sea up too much for the boat trip we had planned, so instead we pottered around the little shops, the trinkets, the crafts, the handbags, and yes, that is where Daisy got her floaty. A really lovely, quaint little town that deserves your afternoon.

That same day we also went extra virgin olive oil tasting nearby, which we absolutely loved and would recommend adding to your trip even if you are fully all inclusive.

Our one regret. We had planned a boat trip out to Spinalonga, the tiny fortified island that guards the mouth of Mirabello Bay, but the wind whipped the sea into a state that day and we called it off rather than spend the crossing regretting our life choices. It stays firmly on the list for next time, and it should be on yours.

If you do not know the story, Spinalonga is extraordinary. The Venetians built its fortress in the sixteenth century, and from 1903 to 1957 the island served as Greece's leper colony, the last of its kind in Europe. Victoria Hislop's novel The Island made it famous, and today boats run regularly from Elounda harbour, taking around twenty to thirty minutes each way. Book a calm morning, take water and a hat, and allow a half day. And if the wind gets you like it got us, the harbour walk and a long lunch at Ergospasio is a very acceptable consolation prize.

A question worth answering, because the names trip people up and the two hotels sit in the same resort area. Domes of Elounda is the group's original flagship here and welcomes families. Domes Aulus Elounda is the adults only one, with a more relaxed, sociable, rooftop DJ sort of energy. If you are travelling as a couple and want child free pools and a livelier vibe, Aulus is your hotel. If you are bringing the kids, you want the other one. Same bay, same standards of service, quite different holidays.

And when you leave, do what we did next and point the car ten minutes down the coast to Agios Nikolaos, where our trip continued. You can read about where we stayed and ate there.

After that first dinner, we went to Tamara at the concierge desk and asked where she would actually eat. We arrived armed with a couple of AI suggestions, and she gently swapped them for two of her own that she promised would suit us better on atmosphere and all round experience. She booked both the moment they opened and texted us confirmation. Tamara, for the record, could not do enough for us all stay.

Tamara's first pick was Kanali, set on the water on the opposite side of the bay so you catch the sunset over dinner. She timed the booking around it, which tells you everything about her. We were late, partly our own fault and partly because we had not yet learnt the buggy buffer rule, but the evening was a dream anyway. Have the salt baked sea bass. And the crab salad, which might be the nicest crab salad I have ever eaten. That is a big claim. I stand by it.

Our harbour lunch spot, found while exploring the town, turned out to be Ergospasio, a gorgeous old carob factory on the water at the far end of the front. We shared the feta and honey plate, bread with extra virgin olive oil and tomato paste, and some potatoes, simple things done beautifully. It sounds humble. It was delicious. Fun fact I suspected from their business card and have since confirmed: Ergospasio and Kanali are run by the same family, so you can consider them sister restaurants and eat at both with confidence. If we had one more night I would have booked an evening table here without hesitation.

Tamara's second recommendation was Mamma Mio, a tiny mezestaurant ten minutes up into the hills above Elounda, and it ended up being the meal of the trip. It was also the cheapest meal we had in all of Greece, which tells you nothing about the fun of it. George, the owner, is hospitality in human form, personable, funny, and running the whole show. We were the only British table in a room full of locals, which is always the best sign there is. Even if you are fully all inclusive at the hotel, get yourself up that hill and see this man.

A special mention for Michael, our taxi driver for both restaurant nights, who could not do enough for us either. Lovely Mercedes, very happy to take Daisy because he has a dog himself, and when we arrived at Kanali without the right change he simply waved us off and said pay me on the way back. He had never met us before. That is Elounda for you. If you need a trustworthy, dog friendly taxi driver with a nice car while you are here, Michael is your man, and you can reach him on +30 694 522 1199.

Whatever else I say in this review, hold onto this. The people at Domes Aulus Elounda are exceptional. The concierge team who greeted us like old friends. Tamara, who booked and rebooked and texted and generally ran our social calendar better than I do. The staff who brought sparkling wine to our door unasked. And on our final morning, someone had quietly brought our hire car up the hill and parked it next to our suite, so we could load up and leave without a single buggy involved. It is the kind of detail nobody would have missed if it had not happened, and that is exactly what good service is.

• Couples who want adults only, all inclusive ease with a big dose of style and a suite worth staying in for
• Dog owners with small dogs who want a genuinely warm welcome rather than a tolerated one
• Anyone who plans to mix resort days with proper Cretan evenings out in Elounda and the hills above it
• Travellers who value people and views over food, and who do not mind playing the sunbed game

Who it is not for: dedicated beach loafers who want to wander down at 11am to a free lounger, and food lovers planning to eat every meal in the resort. Both of you will be happier adjusting the plan, not the hotel.

Domes Aulus Elounda gave us one of the best welcomes and one of the best rooms I have ever had, staff who genuinely could not do enough, and a hillside view I will be thinking about for years. It also gave us a disappointing dinner, a daily sunbed scramble and a buggy system that needs a buffer in your diary. Both of those things are true at once, and that is fine, because the fix is simple. Take the hotel for what it does brilliantly, the suites, the views, the people, the dog fuss, and take your appetite into Elounda, where Kanali, Ergospasio and Mamma Mio are waiting ten minutes away.

Would I go back? For that suite, for Tamara, and for Daisy's fan club, yes. And this time I would pack my towel for the beach at 8.30am without a shred of embarrassment.

• Hotel: Domes Aulus Elounda, Curio Collection by Hilton, Agia Paraskevi, Elounda, Crete, Greece
• Style: five star, adults only, half board to Ultra All Inclusive
• Getting around the resort: golf buggy on request, dial zero from your room and allow thirty minutes at busy times
• Dogs: welcome, see the hotel's pet policy
• Elounda town: around ten minutes by car or taxi
• Map: Domes Aulus Elounda on Google Maps
• Our stay: three nights in July, self funded, with a free room upgrade received on arrival

I stayed at Domes Aulus Elounda for three nights in July with my friend Pam and her dog Daisy. The stay was entirely self funded and booked as a normal guest. The room upgrade and all inclusive upgrade were given to us by the hotel on arrival, unarranged and unasked for, and the hotel had no involvement in this review, no sight of it before publishing, and no say in a word of it. Every photograph in this post is my own, taken during our stay. Every restaurant named is one we actually ate at and paid for ourselves. That is how every review on The Chic Explorer works, and it is why the sunbeds and the salmon are in here alongside the suite and the service.

Yes. Domes Aulus Elounda is a five star adults only resort in Elounda, Crete, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. It is aimed at couples and adult travellers, with a choice of half board or Ultra All Inclusive stays.

Yes, and genuinely so. The hotel has a published pet policy, and our travelling companion Daisy the Shih Tzu was expected by name, welcomed warmly and fussed over by staff and guests throughout our three night stay.

In practice, yes in high season. On our stay the beach and main pool loungers were taken or reserved with towels by mid morning. Going down before breakfast, around 8.30am, was the only way we secured beach loungers, and even then only two remained.

Yes. Reservations are needed for the à la carte restaurants, including at lunchtime. Without a booking you will be directed to the buffet, so reserve every freshly cooked meal you want, ideally through the concierge team as soon as you arrive.

The resort is built into a steep hillside, so guests move between the rooms, pools, beach and restaurants by golf buggy. You dial zero from your room to request one. At busy times there can be a wait, so allow an extra thirty minutes around meals and check out.

Elounda town is around ten minutes away and its food scene is superb. We loved Kanali for sunset dining and salt baked sea bass, Ergospasio on the harbour front, which is run by the same family as Kanali, and Mamma Mio, a small family run mezestaurant in the hills above the town.

For couples who want adults only luxury, exceptional service and standout suites, yes, with caveats. I scored it 3.7 out of 5 after a self funded three night stay. The rooms, staff and dog friendly welcome are five star. The in resort dining and sunbed availability are not, so plan to eat out in Elounda and reserve your loungers early.

Around 68 kilometres, which takes roughly an hour by car or private transfer on a good road via Agios Nikolaos. Hiring a car is worthwhile, as Elounda town, Agios Nikolaos and the surrounding hills are all an easy drive from the resort.

They are sister resorts in the same bay. Domes of Elounda is the original flagship and welcomes families, while Domes Aulus Elounda is adults only with a more relaxed, sociable atmosphere, rooftop pools and a choice of half board or Ultra All Inclusive. Couples wanting child free pools should choose Aulus.

Yes, easily. Boats to Spinalonga run regularly from Elounda harbour, around ten minutes from the hotel, and the crossing takes roughly twenty to thirty minutes. The island is a sixteenth century Venetian fortress that later became Greece's leper colony until 1957. Pick a calm day, as trips can be affected by wind, which is exactly what happened to us.