Experience waking up to the stunning view of the Bay of Elounda from our hillside hotel, surrounded by crystal-clear waters and a rocky landscape, the perfect choice for a top tourist destination in Crete. INNSiDE Elounda on the Greek island of Crete is the perfect destination for couples seeking a romantic getaway. With modern and sustainable facilities, guests can enjoy Mediterranean cuisine, relax by the infinity pool or take part in yoga sessions by the sea. The hotel also offers a Big Ideas Space for creative inspiration and an InFit open air gym to stay in shape.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Innside By Meliá Elounda garners praise for its cleanliness and the exceptional service provided by its staff, who are often described as friendly and eager to enhance guest satisfaction. Many travelers are impressed by the spacious and immaculate rooms, which offer stunning sea views and are maintained with daily housekeeping.
The hotel's amenities, including a variety of food options and clean facilities, contribute to its relaxing atmosphere, though some guests feel occasional live entertainment would be a welcome addition. Additionally, the hotel is recognized for providing reasonable value, with affordable local transportation and pricing.
Atmosphere
Tranquil
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Satisfactory
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Just got home from a week in the illion elunda.its was a lovely sunny week the views are spectacular. The staff can't do enough for you.special thanks to Albert and Gregory the barman.its on a hill so you need to be healthy. Elounda is 45 mins walk or 2 euros on the bus or 10 by taxi.when we arrived at midnight we used the phone at the bottom of the hill. The night man came and collected us and our luggage. We were given food and drink then taken to our room where he carried both our cases to our room.food was good but as the hotel was closing things weren't as plentiful. Which is to be expected as there was only a few of us left on last couple of days.we would still recommend it .thanks to everyone Michael and linda.
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Date of stay: October 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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Response from Manos Kounalakis, General Manager at Innside By Meliá Elounda
Responded Oct 31, 2024
Dear F9675EAmichaelb, Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled you enjoyed your stay with us at Elounda Ilion Hotel. We hope to welcome you back soon! Best Regards, Guest Relations Team
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Having just returned home after a weeks stay at the Elounda Ilion, I can honestly say this hotel surpassed all of our groups expectations. We had an early start to our trip, we were up at 1am due to the current calamities at the UK airports, we flew from Birmingham with Jet2 on the 06:00 flight, so arrived at Heraklion airport at 12:05, we had a private transfer which I thoroughly recommend as it was so easy and very comfortable. We arrived at the hotel and we were dropped off at the bottom of the hill, being able to we walked up to the area just before reception with our cases, although there is a phone at the entrance which you can use to call reception, our cases were promptly collected and delivered to our rooms. We were met by a very nice receptionist who gave us three Superior Bungalows with Sea View (with Bed and Breakfast), we had 34, 35 and 36, very nice to be given rooms as a group together, lots of other hotels don't do this. The rooms were lovely, everything you'd expect from a decent hotel room, nice soaps and shampoos etc. The views were to die for, probably the best views I've ever had. So, we all decided to have a chill by the pool and then take a walk into Elounda later that night for food, which is were we met Simos and Vasiliki, they both run the bar, Vasiliki from 10am and then Simos from 4pm, these two are perfect for front of house, they are very attentive and we had some great afternoons and evenings with them both, thank you. The breakfast selection was great, lots of breads, cheeses, fruit, yoghurt, cereal, cake, juices, coffees, teas and cooked options all available Most days we walked into Elounda, it's about 1.5 miles into the centre and it's pretty flat once you get off the hotel drive but then got a taxi back in the evening, the taxi will cost 9 euros. The hotel drive is steep but with steep comes the magnificent views that you get from either your room, the pool area or the restaurant but please be aware if you have any mobility issues. The hotel complex is always tidy, whilst we were there the gardeners were busy, the cleaning staff always left the rooms immaculate, so as you can tell it's a great place to stay.
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Date of stay: May 2022
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip:We had 34, 35 and 36 the views were awesome.
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Response from Anna Tsapaki, General Manager at Innside By Meliá Elounda
Responded Jun 5, 2022
Dear Q6905CDstevep Thank you so much for your kind words and lovely rating. Your feedback gives us motivation to keep improving our services and ensuring the highest level of satisfaction for our guests. We are glad to know that you enjoyed your stay with us and that the view contributed to your positive experience. We would love to have the chance to welcome you back in Elounda for another stay. Best Regards,
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Stayed 11 nights at the start of the season and how great it was almost having the hotel to ourselves for a few days! This was our 5th stay and it didn't disappoint . Room was well appointed, had fabulous views and our cleaning maid as always kept it spotlessly clean . Rooms were presented with covid guidance ,sanitisers and reassurances for guests . Meals (half board)were plain but very good and the new chef has been unlike previous chefs ,he seemed to be visible and checking on how the food was being presented and replenished. Staff here are all too good to mention and are always more than helpful with guests . The hotel management have done a great job during a difficult period upgrading some parts of the hotel since covid began and have upgraded some of the balconies in the bungalow rooms to glass panels which really are great as the views at this hotel are fabulous . Work to the dining area has also been completed and the new glass panels there give a more modern feel . The Hotel Illion is a great place for a relaxing break and Elounda is really a very special place with special people too. Highly recommend the newer bungalow rooms and if you like a soft bed a comfort mattress can be provided if you ask prior to arrival . Hopefully be back again before too long to my favourite holiday destination .
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Date of stay: May 2022
Value
Location
Service
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Response from Anna Tsapaki, General Manager at Innside By Meliá Elounda
Responded May 23, 2022
Dear Mr. Hobgob The hotel staff and mysekf would like to thank you very much for choosing the Elounda Ilion Hotel once again and for being a returned customer for the 5th time, it means so much to us. We were truly pleased to hear that you enjoyed the changes in the rooms and the rest of the simple touches we have done over the past two years. Once again, thank you for your excellent review and we look forward to welcoming you again next year at the Elounda Ilion Hotel. With Best Regards,
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The worst experience at the hotel ever. We travelled as a couple and my wife was 6 months pregnant at the time. Upon our hotel arrival, receptionists were talking between themselves in Greek about our booking problem. My wife speaks fluent Greek & she understood everything it was said between employees at the reception of the hotel. Someone in the hotel’s computer system changed rooms for our booking. We booked 'Junior suite Elounda panorama' and it seemed we were assigned different room type (we knew this because they were referring to room numbers) but nothing was explained to us in English. They took us to 'Superior bungalow sea view'. This room had no sea view and it was facing the hotels swimming pool the very reason why we booked initially 'panorama room' which is on the top floor. We wanted this to be memorable holiday before our first child was born. And it was memorable but for a different reason. We declined this room and when back to the reception. We asked receptionist why we were not given the room that we booked and paid for in full through Expedia 3 months before arrival. They told us they can't do anything about it now as the hotel is full and all rooms are taken. We asked to see the hotel manager. When hotel manager turned up, she explained to us that this is the only room they have available and they can't give us panoramic room because it was taken. I reminded her that panoramic room was booked and paid for 3 months before our arrival and they can't take this room from us last minute and give it to another guest. Then hotel manager said that they contacted Expedia to inform about the room change. We never received any message from Expedia. Then hotel manager went back to her office to produce print of an email when Expedia was informed about panoramic room ‘cancellation’ but this document looked so fake even 10 year old would see it. After 1 hour ‘stand-off’, we decided to call Expedia and ask for help. The only option offered by Expedia was to choose another hotel. We did choose alternative accommodation but Expedia didn’t offer much choice on the day. We had to pick something without looking and checking on-line as we were standing outside Elounda Ilion hotel in the middle of the day with outside temperature reaching almost 40 degrees. It is unclear to us why Elounda Ilion Hotel Bungalows management changed our booking last minute. I just want to warn people about this hotel and the way they deal with bookings. We never wish to come back here again. Shame on you Miss Kallia Manousaki (hotel manager) for lying to us about ‘room swap’, not trying to help us (apart from offering 1 choice - room with noisy swimming pool view) and leaving my 6 months pregnant wife & myself with no choice but to seek accommodation at another hotel on the same day off arrival on the island of Crete.
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Date of stay: July 2019
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
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Location: The hotel is in a wonderful semi secluded location next door to three other larger hotels. And we were in room 80 at the bottom of the hotel drive, it felt like our own apartment! The gardens are beautiful with Bougainville flowers growing everywhere.
As I write this I am sat on the terrace above the verandah looking at the view and typing. This is the hotel for you if you want far reaching views of Elounda bay which stretch all the way to the edge of Schisms and you can just make put the peninsula where you will find remains of the sunken city olous.
If you want to catch the bus to ag.nik or Elounta then it is a bit of a climb up a hill behind the hotel which leads to a large, busy main road. For ag. Nik cross road and stand at hut. About 3,60 euros for two on single ticket.
It takes 40 mins to walk to Elounta but you can catch a taxi for 9euro.
The hotel: On a slight incline and if your room is at the bottom it will take up to a minute to get to the very top of the hotel where the pool and bar area are. It is stunning!!! Olive trees and gardens make this place unbelievably breathtaking.
There is only one main pool. One bar. One restaurant. The food each night is varied and a large bottle of water is around 4.50. wine was from 5 euros a glass. Soft drinks about 3 euros.
The cakes are yummy and there are different lil pasties at breakfast and dinner. Lots of delicious desserts!!!
The staff: Theo and Andreas and Giannis you are all true gents. And to the gentleman on reception you were excellent and thirty five years in the tourist industry is a milestone! Thank you Andreas and Giannis for the drinks and to Theo for offering us good and carrying out bags to the hotel room. The domestic staff are so kind they brought our washing in and laid it on the bed when they made up our rooms. The manager was always around in the evening and morning if she was needed. All in all the staff including the very talented gardeners keep this place looking special.
We don't often return to the same place twice but we will certainly return! Goodbye and thank you for an amazing holiday
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Anna Tsapaki, General Manager at Innside By Meliá Elounda
Responded Sep 10, 2022
Dear Lily M, Thank you for choosing us to be your home away ! We try hard to provide the best possible service to our customers and their satisfaction is our reward. We really appreciate you taking the time to write such a wonderful and discriptive review. It is wonderful to know that we met your expecations. We look forward to having you with us again in the future. Sincerely,
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Great hotel, family atmosphere, never felt like being in a package holiday. Swimming pool area is wonderful, superb sea view. The food is 100% fresh, never had any frozen or canned food. But, above all, the staff is simply amazing. Top professionals, super friendly. The kind of stay that you (and your children) will never forget. Would be back tomorrow without hesitation.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Anna Tsapaki, General Manager at Innside By Meliá Elounda
Responded Aug 21, 2020
Dear Pedro, Thank you very much for your kind rating. We are glad to know that you enjoyed your stay with us and that our staff contributed to your positive experience. We would love to welcome you back in the nearest future. With Best Regards, Anna Tsapaki
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We spent a week in early September and had a really great time. The hotel is very well run, and has spectacular views of the sea. All the staff are friendly and go out of their way to make sure you feel welcome and have what you need to enjoy your stay. We had a great room (number 11) with a balcony looking out to sea. Lovely well tended gardens too. The pool bar has a beautiful carob tree to sit under, and does lovely lunches. We also had very nice dinners there a couple of nights when we had been out all day. It's about a 20 minute stroll down into Elounda, and cheap to get a taxi back. Hotel Ilion offers exceptional value for money, especially when compared to some of the very expensive 5* hotels nearby - and we are very glad we chose to stay.
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Date of stay: September 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
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This hotel is great value for money with some of the best staff you can get, very efficient room service/cleaning and good waiting staff. The waiting staff smile and interact with the guests and are very attentive and prompt both taking your order and delivering it. We went half board and booked with JET 2 holidays UK but you can travel and book independently. The town is a 20 minute walk but is full of bars and restaurants. You can get a boat ride from there to the tourist site of Spinalonga. The guest come from various EU countries.
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Date of stay: August 2022
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:All rooms seem to have sea views and to be honest the hotel was quiet across the board
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Anna Tsapaki, General Manager at Innside By Meliá Elounda
Responded Aug 24, 2022
Dear rjwakefield, Thank you for recommending Elounda Ilion Hotel after the experience you had with us! We are delighted to hear that you had a positive experience at Elounda Ilion Hotel and that our staff made your feel at home. We would love to have the chance to welcome you back in Elounda for another stay. Best Regards,
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First of all the good points. Rooms cleaned daily, very friendly staff, we had an amazing sea view. Simmon on the poolside bar deserves a special mention for his lovely sense of humour and his great customer service.
Bad Points After reading previous reviews detailing 'the perfect place to rest' we were very disappointed to only be able to enjoy the pool area for around 3 hours during our 2 week stay due to children (around 10 a few days) running round the pool area, screaming and dive bombing the pool. This was reported to staff but we were told there was nothing they could do. The hotel is located up a very steep hill and upon arrival we were dropped at the bottom of the hill and had to lug 2 large suitcases up hill and then up 2 flights of steps. There was no 'meet and greet' and no one to help with luggage. We stayed on a bed and breakfast basis and whilst the choice is plentiful it was spoilt by cereals served in 'open' bowls and I can only comment on the cornflakes which were quite stale. The hot food was mainly dried up (whatever time you turned up) and again, the atmosphere was spoilt by young children being allowed to run riot around the breakfast area - this was an accident waiting to happen on some mornings. We did pay for an evening meal one night which cost £18 euros per person and again we cannot complain about the standard of the food, it was again spoilt by being left out and dried up due to not being covered up. We found eating out at local tavernas was much preferable and with the cost of the taxi included (16 euros return) deemed to be a much cheaper option. I would recommend this hotel for families but not as a 'get away from it all and relax' holiday for couples. Whilst I appreciate that children are the parent's responsibility, the hotel management must take a stand, the pool area should be an area for all to enjoy not just the unruly, selfish few.
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Date of stay: July 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:Higher Located Rooms have some lovely views
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Anna Tsapaki, General Manager at Innside By Meliá Elounda
Responded Aug 2, 2021
Dear baggiebird33, Thank you very much for choosing to stay at Elounda Ilion Hotel, although it was with concern to note that you were not satisfied with your experience. We know the problem with buses dropping guests who then have to bring their luggage up the hill, that is why we have placed a telephone at the entrance of the hotel, with a notice to contact reception for someone to help with the luggge. I am sorry that you missed it. Your observations about our buffet have already being discussed with our chef and Matre d hotel and a solution will be given. As for the children by the swimming pool and restaurant area, I understand that it could be an inconveniece to some, however there is not a lot a Manager can say or do, as you said it is the parent's responsibility. Hope you could give us another opportunity to welcome you back and prove that we can serve you better. With sincere regards,
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We had a lovely stay at Elounda Ilion. The communal areas of the hotel are spacious and well maintained. The pool area is superb with plenty of places to relax. The pool itself is a very good size and spotlessly clean. The poolside bar is great; a brilliant selection of drinks, cocktails and light meals at very reasonable prices. Our room was a little more basic than we expected but it was clean with a lovely big sea facing balcony.
The staff were all delightful. Always a smiling face to welcome you.
The breakfasts were excellent with a plentiful selection of breads, fruit, cold meats and hot options. We enjoyed 2 evening meals in the restaurant which we very nice. Again a wide variety of traditional Greek dishes with delicious salads.
It's a fair walk into Elounda Village (approx 2km) but it's a pleasant walk and usually took us about 25mins.
My one note of caution would be for anyone with mobility issues as the hotel is situated on quite a steep hill and unless you are able to walk easily, a trip into the village is a €9 each way trip.
Would definitely stay again.
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Anna Tsapaki, General Manager at Innside By Meliá Elounda
Responded Jun 9, 2022
Dear a_mac7779 Thank you very much for rating your stay in Elounda Ilion Hotel. Your feedback gives us motivation to keep improving our services and ensuring the highest level of satisfaction for our guests. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your stay and you enjoyed our breakfast selection and our staff and the service you received made such a positive impression and that you appreciated the value that we offer. Once again, thank you for your excellent review and we look forward to welcoming you again soon at Elounda Ilion Hotel. Best Regards,
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Wolverhampton, United Kingdom16 contributions1 helpful vote
There is an easy-to-use safe in your room for no extra cost, as well as air con. I don't think the A/C is anything amazing but better than the heat. The AI drinks are just the AI drinks. There's specific drinks you'll have to pay for unless you're a specific tier of guest but there's a good selection
There are more places to choose from in the Elounda area.
PRICE RANGE
$245 - $319 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Elounda Ilion Hotel
LOCATION
GreeceCreteLasithi PrefectureElounda
NUMBER OF ROOMS
85
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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