Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa

Yes, we spent a lot of money on staying at Cayo, but then what we experienced was living in the lap of luxury for a week! We booked a villa and we weren’t disappointed. Spread over 3 floors and including a gym room with treadmill and exercise bike, plus complimentary mini-bar that was restocked daily, and of course, the private pool, I’m not sure we had much reason to venture out very much! It’s true that the villa is not what everyone chooses, but it was an excellent choice for us and well worth the extra we paid. The staff were excellent. The breakfasts were superb (thank Heaven for the bike and treadmill to try and minimise the damage of over indulgence). And, for the time we stayed there, we really did relax. Although each room has its own private pool, we did use the main pools in the hotel area - two large pools, separated by a terrace, with plenty of loungers for each, and the upper one next to the hotel bar. We can’t comment on dining at Cayo because, apart from breakfast, we ate at restaurants in Plaka (as a rule, when on holiday, we tend to skip lunch and have early dinners, and the options available in the village suited us better). Plaka is only a short walk down the hill although there is a shuttle service from the hotel if you’d prefer. We didn’t get to Elounda although it is only a short taxi ride from Cayo and looks to be a lovely port town. For relaxation, for quality family time, for excellent facilities, for friendly staff, for scrumptious breakfasts, for great location (remote but within easy access if you’d prefer more activity), I’m not sure you can beat Cayo. It’s firmly on our list of places we’ll return to.

I’d be nitpicking to comment on what we didn’t like and, to be honest, I can’t really think of anything. For what we wanted from a holiday (total relaxation, experiencing luxury, being able to keep ourselves to ourselves), it ticked all the boxes.

We had a lovely stay at this hotel. Our accommodation met our expectations and was well serviced daily. Staff were extremely attentive maybe a little too attentive at times. Location was good as regards to the views etc

All staff were very pleasant apart from the security guard who worked during day day. We found him rude eCh time we arrived back at the hotel. Maybe the hotel could issue a window sticker or something to pop in the the window of the hire car. Even at the end of our holiday we were questioned if we were guests we thought he may have recognised us by then. The breakfast was very nice however the hot food was only warm. We didn't eat any evening meals at the hotel so cannot comment on that.

Wow. The rooms were fabulous. Very well designed and thought out for form and function. Pool was perfect for hot mornings and early afternoon before sun dipped behind mountain. Great staff. The hotel restaurant was fabulous - kerlari! We only got to go once as it was closed the other night we were there. Such a surprisingly delicious meal!!! Great service too. Hotel was well made and well managed. Bountiful buffet breakfast. Great staff. Beautiful views. Adorable little town only 5 min walk to water with some dining options. Had a wonderful stay.

Na

Amazing view from the suites. very good breakfast. great service and staff. clean, good atmosphere in resort surroundings. Elounda area is nice and cozy. we had a rare problem of some noise coming from some equipment in the room. the staff did every effort to fix it and also to solve the situation for us immediately, including to offer us a change to another suite (so we will not wait till it’s fixed) and solved the situation with care and kindness.

From the moment we arrived, we felt we were being looked after and truly on holiday. This relatively new hotel is built into the hillside in the pretty location of Plaka. All rooms have the most breathtaking view over towards Spinalonga and the coast so you can watch the little boats making their journeys. We had a room with a pool which is much larger than in other hotels. We also had a balcony area and ate there one night with the staff making it so romantic for us. The room was large with a Nespresso machine and twice a day staff checked for cleaning so we always had lovely fresh towels. There was also a turn down service too and a healthy option to the usual chocolate on the pillow! We loved the novel funicular which transports you up and down the floors. I used the gym which was great and also had my hair done twice by the most lovely visiting hairdresser, Fotini Kaltsou. The hotel arranged this. Jean at the spa was really helpful too. As other reviewers have stated, all the staff across the entire hotel are so friendly and efficient. Nothing is too much trouble. Everything was incredible here and we are looking at possibly planning our wedding at the hotel.

Nothing at all. There is building work being done next door to create the next phase but DO NOT WORRY. It is all screened off and there is no noise or disturbance at all. Please do not let it affect your decision in choosing this hotel. I think the hotel is planning on developing its evening restaurant options as it probably needs one more dining venue to offer guests a little more choice. However there are plenty of restaurants in Plaka…we loved Ostria at the bottom of the hill, for example.

Location and staff for this place are amazing. Food is fantastic. View is unforgettable. Would come again because of hospitality and kindness of everyone working there.

Spa is the worst spa I have been too. Hammam smells like mold, sauna temp is off, massage was done in the freezing room and completely wrong kind of massage from the one communicated at the time of booking, facial is a joke. All this super overpriced. The biggest regret while staying here. +/- 500 Euros totally wasted. Management should look into spa arrangement and improve.

All was anything but perfect. From the incredible room, with top-class comfort and stunning view to the exceptional staff who mix kindness, efficiency and sense of perfect service. A great experience from the first to the last minute. Special mention for the private beach of the hotel, that is at 10 min walk, but with all necessary equipment and service provided exactly like at the hotel pool.

Nothing, absolutely nothing. To write something, one have to be conscious that the hotel's restaurant prices are aligned with the hotel category, thus expensive compared to the ones in the village.

We stayed at Cayo during our honeymoon and amongst a number of gems we discovered during the trip, this was the place we NEVER wanted to leave!! The resort itself is gorgeous. Someone designed the place with attention to architectural and structural detail that I can't even begin to describe-- from the funicular that travels up the hill, to the way rooms are arranged to show neat architectural angles with a view of the bay and the sea, each detail is perfect. The rooms are beautiful, clean, and modern, and thoughtfully designed to flow. You wake up and look out your window beyond your private pool to a gorgeous view of the sea. Vacation mode, ON! The staff were really helpful with everything prior to our visit, communicating via Booking.com and email. They helped us book transportation to and from the airport, and we were able to rent a car at the resort in order to explore the eastern half of Crete more (highly recommend renting a car) and visit Knossos. It was extra sweet to meet Nikoleta in person when we arrived, after exchanging emails! While we were there, each person we met was incredibly friendly and genuinely kind. We had dinner at Kelari one night and it was a lovely experience. Food and service were perfect. Breakfast, which is included, is a fresh, delicious, Greek buffet situation. Overall, if you're considering-- GO! We are already scheming how we can return. Maybe to celebrate our first anniversary :)

The only drawback to be aware of is location. Cayo is in Elounda which is on the eastern part of Crete, and because of the remoteness of the location, it takes some time on small roads to get there. This means that it would take you several hours to get to the southwestern part of the island-- Crete is big! This made visiting Elafonisi beach impossible during our stay, as we would have either had a big day of driving or booked an overnight stay there. We were fine with this!! We will be back. But if you want to explore the other side of Crete, you may consider staying in more than one place.

Beautiful situation, friendly helpful staff, great food. Loved the private pool!

€80 for late check out was a bit much, especially as we didn’t get clean towels or anything that day. But lovely place, would return, and will recommend it to friends.

Magical resort. Wonderful staff. Every request was rapidly answered always with smile and real care. The place room and view are stunning!! Perfect place for relaxing. special thaks to 2 Eleni's- Eleni from the reservation & Eleni from the reception & to all drivers who took us to the beautiful beach within minutes during all day .u'r wonderful ,thanks a lot. Sure come again!