This hotel is in the most beautiful scenery you can imagine, it is absolutely stunning. The view from the restaurtant is incredible, I will never forget it and long to go back to Crete. Wonderful people and lovely island (apart from Malia which is hideous!!) Aghios Nicholas is a lovely town and about 10K from Elounda. Elounda is nice and quiet. There are pleasant beaches there but they are small, maybe better out of the main season. If you want loud nightlife, you won't find it here. If you want a bit more sophisication, friendly people and a setting from a postcard, you will be happy!! The hotel is not in the centre of the village but about a 25 min very pleasant walk away.
Rooms at hotel are not 4 star but perfectly adequate. The food was excellent, we enjoyed eating there every evening and looked forward to it.
Do not use the hotel if you have older children (they may be bored) or are disabled - it is on a steep hill. The view is worth it if you can manage it!! The staff were excellent - very friendly and professional.
Use the local buses on Crete, they are fantastic. You can travel anywhere very cheaply and they are reliable.
Would go back to Crete and this hotel tomorrow!!

this hotel was a let down for my family, we (my daughter, granddaughter, and myself) arrived at the elounda blue bay at 7-30pm on 16th august, the coach driver refused to drive up the hill, so we had to drag our luggage upto the reception at the top of a very steep hill. We were allocated a very small room which was dirty and the bathroom was aweful, thick hairs in the corners and the smell was terrible, saw one huge cockroach in the bathroom and on top of this we were looking on to a car park from our balcony, we could touch the cars, which made us feel like we were on show all the time, I had paid for a sea view room, we could see the sea, over the cars and motor bikes!! when I complained we were offered a room that was over grown by trees and very dark, but this we could not have untill the Thursday, we declined this offer and we were then offered a suite for the Saturday which was loverly,clean, fresh and spacious, but this had really spoilt our holiday because we were only there for a week. the food is very basic and repetative, we found the waiters to be quite ignorant at times.No enterainment whatsoever, except music from the bar area.
After saying this, we found Elounda a beautiful place, and it made up for our experiences, the views were spectacular, beach was small but quite pleasant, pool very salty, unbearable for children, hotel is not a four star more like a three star.
the climb to this hotel is very steep, so is the climb to the rooms (all up hill) I would definately go back to Elounda , (but not to the blue bay), it is a gorgeous place, the sun sets and morning dawns are some thing not to be missed, they were wonderful. Spinalonga is a place not to be missed its very interesting. The sea was crystal clear and the town itself was clean.

We booked this hotel based on ok reviews and really good rate (for high season) but planning more to travel around the area during the day than stay here. The hotel is nice enough but it has some limitations...
Breakfast buffet: nice, about what you get in other hotels but the view from the restaurant terrace is a great way to start the day.
Pool: on the small side but looked ok. We're more beach people.
WC: tiny tub (more like a deep shower), but the bathroom was clean and relatively new.
room: spacious but not really pretty and the A/C didn't work that well. but ok for the price.
view: Stunning. really makes up for a lot of the hotel's shortcomings. And watching the orange moon rise at night on the horizon was something really unique.
access: really difficult, especially if you are in one of the top rooms (we were). really glad we rented a car and didn't have to climb up the hill.
unexpected bonus: wasn't crazy about the isolation at first, but at night we would see so many stars and shooting stars that it ended up being one of the highlights of the stay.

My boyfirned and I were quite worried about booking a package holiday but we were pleasantly surprised. Elounda Blue Bay is a great hotel to stay in the rooms are large and airy with breathtaking views of the bay. We arrived at 6:00am just in time to watch the sunrise from our balcony. The food in the hotel is a lovely mixture of greek dishes and more international food. The staff are mainly friendly and the hotel is quiet, even though it was fully booked Yes there is a hill but its manageable if you reasonably fit. The town of Elounda is about a 20 minute walk away via the sea front. There is also the more traditional Plaka which has a larger less crowded beach with a unobstructed view of the island of Spinolonga. We really enjoyed our stay. We managed without hiring a car and only regret that we missed out on the trip to the Minoan Palace.

Let me start at the beginning. I spent weeks scouring brochures and internet sites for somewhere, anywhere, in Greece for a 10/14 day holiday for myself, my fiance and his 11 year old son.

Restricted to certain dates it was a bit of a chore and the brochures never really give you much to go on. I eventually got down to a short list and then came across this site and checked out the reviews of the hotels I'd seen. It was enough to scare me to death! What looked fantastic in the brochure sounded awful and this added another level to my search!

Eventually, I came across the Blue Bay Hotel at Elounda and checked out the reviews, I was pleased to see that most of them were really good, and I just had a feeling that this was "the one!".

We proceeded to book on-line with a well known web based company and thought all was well, until a call the following day told us they had double booked us and we couldn't go! You can imagine then how we felt! Back to the drawing board! In then end we decided to call the hotel direct just in case they were able to do anything for us, and they could.

We spoke to George the assistant manager, who was really helpful and took our booking over the phone.

We sorted flights ourselves, and booked a taxi transfer from the airport from a number found on another website. Everything was in place, and I just hoped and prayed that it turned out to be as good as we were hoping!

We flew from Bristol at the crack of dawn and landed in Heraklion to be greeted by a very smiley taxi driver in his air conditioned Mercedes which swallowed our (huge amount of) luggage with no problem at all.

The journey took just under an hour (would have been about 3 hours by coach!) and he pointed out places of interest along the way. Our first sight of Elounda was breathtaking, it is set in the most stunning bay surrounded by mountains, with Spinalonga island set at the far end. Blue sky, clear turquoise water and a gentle sea breeze completed the scene.

The road took us past the "expensive" hotels at the top end of the bay, and on through the village of Elounda with its pretty harbour. Another few minutes and we were suddenly there and accelerating up an extremely steep hill to the hotel reception. The taxi cost 55 Euros and was well worth it to arrive completely cool and stress free!

We checked in, the reception staff were very friendly and told us everything we needed to know. We headed to our room dragging our (huge amount of) luggage up the hill. Luckily we were on the first floor so didn't have too far to stagger! The room itself, was small for the 3 of us but adequate for what we needed. It was clean, with double doors leading on to the balcony with table and chairs. THE VIEW WAS TOTALLY STUNNING.

The room was air conditioned (which leaked at one point, but was instantly mended as soon as we mentioned it). There was a tv, fridge, hairdryer, safe and fridge.

The bathroom was small and basic (but no less than what you would expect when you go to Greece!). I was expecting the usual drain in the floor but there was actually a small bath as well as a shower.

The bedding and towels were all clean and changed regularly (in the afternoons, so beware if you were hoping for a siesta after lunch!).

We found shorts and t-shirts and headed off in search of lunch. Back down the hill to the poolside, and this was the scary part! As we walked though into the pool area, most people were seated at the hotel snack bar enjoying lunch. This is in a slighlty elevated position and it felt that everyone just stopped and looked at us as we walked in! Feeling slightly nervous and "on show" we took a table at the snack bar and ordered some lunch. Having not yet acclimatised to working on Greek time it seemed to take an age before our lunch arrived. It was a busy place at lunch time with only 1 lady serving so you had to be patient. The food however, was really lovely with a good selection of salads, pastas, pizzas, fish, meat etc, with prices much the same as you would expect at home.

The pool was salt water and boy was it salty! There was a fresh water shower which was much needed! The pool was cleaned each morning and never seemed to be overcrowded. There were lots of beds around the pool and it was very quiet. You almost felt you were making too much noise if you splashed too much in the pool!

Dinner was buffet style and there was a huge selection of salads, soup, bread, pasta, and various meats and vegetables. Everything was really fresh and things were whipped away and replaced before they were even empty. The menu did vary day to day and I think we only saw chips for 3 out of the 10 nights we were there!

We were on half board basis, and if we gave 24 hours notice, we could swap our dinner for lunch, to enable us to go into Elounda to eat in the evening instead.

Wine in the restaurant was expensive compared to what you could buy in the local supermarkets - but hey we were on holiday!

We ate most nights, on the terrace outside the restaurant with its stunning view across the bay. The waiters were attentive and your plates were whisked away the instant you had finished your meal. If you have long hair wear it up for dinner, unless you enjoy hair in your soup! It can get a bit breezy up there!

After dinner we would either have a drink in the bar downstairs (great barman, looked like Andre Agassi and moved just as quickly!) or head off along the coastal road (20 mins flat and beautiful walk) to Elounda village.

There was a pool table, table tennis table, and a tv to watch if you were so inclined. The bar/lobby/reception areas, are all modern, clean and spacious and take on a different atmosphere at night (perhaps that was just the pina coladas!).

Back to the rooms, the beds could have been softer but we were supplied with extra pillows when the maid must have noticed the fact we had rolled up most of the bed clothes to put under the little pillows we were given!

There was no noise from above, below or from either side and the curtains were made for the black out so there was little to disrupt your sleep.

Breakfast is served from 7am-9.30am (dinner is at the same times but obviously in the evening! which was great because you only had to remember one lot of times!). It was largely continental in style, with lots of bread, cheese, ham, fruit, cereals etc. They usually had baked beans with either sausages, bacon or funny little square omlettes! Catch breakfast early or else you may feel like you've walked into the school canteen!

The second day we spent at the hotel's beach at the bottom of "the hill". It was a narrow strip of sand on the edge of the bay, a bit pebbly as you got into the water but there was some sandy places which were easier on the feet. The water (once you were in!) was warm and clear and there was plenty to see when snorkelling. It was flat as a mill pond first thing, and they got a bit more wavey as the day wore on, either from the wind or the boats going back and forth to Spinalonga Island. We were charged for the sunbeds and parasols (6 Euros per day for the 3 of us). There was a kiosk on the beach which sold drinks, snacks etc. and even lent out fishing nets to the kids. There was also a little changing room and a toilet. There were no watersports on offer directly from the hotel, this would mean a trip to either Elounda or Plaka next door. It was a really lovely spot, so pretty and so quiet, and really safe for children too.

Beds could be left happily while you returned up "the hill" to lunch. Another word of advice, make sure you drink plenty of fluids before attempting "the hill" I was very nearly sick one day on the climb up for lunch - not much fun at all!

An expedition to check out the tennis court one day encountered hills of such magnitude that you really didn't need to play tennis once you got there! (I'm told!) the view from the court though is amazing!

There is a small shop where you can buy anything from postcards to suntan lotion, again its cheaper to go into town, but its got everything you would generally need.

We hired a car for a day and visited Agios Nikolaos over the hill (about a 20 minute drive). Its a really pretty town, much busier than Elounda though, and well worth a look.

Travelling west from the hotel through Plaka we climbed up into the hills along little windy roads and found remote villages in the middle of nowhere. It was stunning scenery.

Back in Elounda itself there is a good selection of bars and tavernas. If you get the chance go to the Ferrymans Taverna. We stumbled across it one night and went back two or three times. Situated right on the waterfront, the food is fantastic and the service was excellent - not cheap - but a really lovely evening could be spent here with a carafe of wine or two!
There are plenty of supermarkets and gift shops as well. Another tip, the supermarkets are much cheaper than the gift shops for basic goodies such as olive oil, soap, confectionary, honey, olives, wine & spirits etc.

There's also a really good sandwich shop which will make deliveries to the beach at the Blue Bay at lunch time! We discovered this on our last day and so will remember this for next time!

Trips to Spinalonga Island run every 30 minutes all daylong from Elounda and we made the trip during the middle of our stay. You get an hour on the island itself (could have done with a bit longer) and again the views from here were amazing.

On the day we left we were able to keep our room until we left at 10pm that night which was great, and just one of those things that makes life a bit easier.

The same taxi driver took us back to the airport again in grand style. Heraklion airport on departure was AWFUL! The staff were so disorganised, there were lines of people everywhere waiting for this or that, and it wasn't a great end to the holiday.

I know I've prattled on, but its all still fresh in the mind as we've only been back a couple of days.

So, all in all, we would say that no, the Blue Bay is not a 4 star hotel, its a good 3 star, but what it lacks in refinement it more than makes up for in location and atmosphere. If you want to relax and unwind this is the place to do it. The people were very friendly, the other guests were a mix of nationalities, and you really do come home feeling totally at peace.

We really do feel that we've discovered a gem of a place and we will be going back.

I will start with the good things. The service at the restaurant, tavern, and bar where excellent. Breakfast, and Dinner had many dishes to choose from, and the staff were very friendly. To get to the hotel, and to our room we had to walk up a very steep hill, and it was very hard to find a parking spot. The room had a door which would not open entirely and a crack, from which you could almost see outside. The balcony door was very had to open and close, but it led to a wonderful sea view, and the bathroom was small with a shower and we had to pay for the safe. The remote control to the TV was different brand from the TV, thus we were limited to controlling channels, and volume. We couldn't even set the sleep timer. Room service was terrible. They would come change sheets between 2-4 pm, just when we were trying to take a nap. Finally the area surrounding the pool was almost never cleaned, and the pool itself was not cleaned properly every day, since we could see the same bugs trapped inside the filters day after day. The beach is a small, almost private like, with a beach bar which offers beers, refreshments, chips and sandwiches, but we had to pay 4,50 Euro to use an umbrella and two sunbeds. The overall food prices of the Hotel were reasonable to cheap, considering outside market prices. Overall I guess you get what you pay for.

I have just come back from Elounda Blue Bay Hotel in Crete. The area is beautiful and is about a 1 mile walk to the village. The walk to village is wonderful with a scenic view of the bay and hills. I would not recommend the hotel to old people or anyone who is not too fit as the avenue to the hotel from the beach is a steep hill. I am reasonably fit but after two days i took a sore back. The tennis courts are very high up above the hotel and by the time you get to the top you are tired. The dinners are fantastic with great choices of salads and fish. The staff are friendly and the beach is at the bottom of the avenue. Beach is reasonable and private which was perfect. I would recommend the hotel but is not the same as a 4 star hotel back home in northen ireland.

After reding the other reviews here about this hotel I was quite excited to be going. This quickly dispersed when we arrived. They gave us a double room instead of a twin which we had specifically requested. When we questioned it, the guy on reception told us there was nothing he could do until the morning (it was 11 oclock at night). He was really unhelpful and I was disgusted that he expected two females to share a double bed. He did not even offer us a camp bed. The room was filthy dirty and I had to put shoes on to go in the bathroom. We eventually changed rooms in the morning but had to pay a supplement!! This is by no means a four star hotel. I would struggle to give it three stars. The restaurant was small with wooden tables and chairs and the window frames were cracked and falling apart. I have stayed in other four star hotels in greece and this one by no means comes any where close to the others. On a better note, the food was lovely and we really enjoyed the beach over the road where there was a good beach bar. Elound is a lovely town, we hired a car which i would recommend if just to get you up the hill!Lucky to say the holiday did improve but i would definately not go back to the blue bay.

The Blue Bay was all we wanted it to be, clean, fantastic views, quiet but town easy to get to.

The hotel is built up the side of a hill so if you don't like walking or find it difficult then, do as it says in the brochures, go elsewhere!! We arrived at midnight and found our room with ease, airconditioning is free as is the fridge, only thing to pay for was the safe and that didn't break the bank...

Food is on a buffet basis and you can take it on the patio looking out over Elounda and the mountains or inside where you can still get a window seat. Evening meals tended to be a bit hit and miss but, as the menu was put up at breakfast, it was up to you whether you ate in or out. Manilos and Michalis are the two main waiters with the two Christinas helping them. We saw no signs of bullying despite same earlier comments however, if you uinderstand the Greeks you will know that is just the way it sounds. Tried to speak just a little Greek to them and they respond well. Wine is what you would expect to pay in an hotel at around 14 euros a bottle (£9.50) but you are on holiday so who cares....

Nikos runs the bar and is great value for money. He flirts with the women and cracks jokes with the guys and also has a vast array of spirits from around the world all at reasonable prices, especially for the measures he pours!!

Pool was nice with sunbeds around it, some with umbrellas and some under the trees. The snack bar was good too. The people in the hotle couldn't do enough for you and the trips they can organise are far cheaper then the Tour Operator ones. Car hire is also better done through reception as it is about 30% cheaper.

The walk into Elounda is about 1 mile on a flat footpath next to the sea and if you don't fancy a walk then get a taxi for 4 euros, puts our cabs to shame!!

All in all one of the best holidays we have ever had and it was a crying shame when we had to come home. Next time we go though, we will be booking direct with them as Airtours were a total shambles!!!

After travelling from Heraklion to Elounda I thanked God that we hadn't been dropped off before our destination! Elounda as a resort is a beautiful sleepy town that wakes each evening to encourage tourists into its entourage of tavernas crying out for custom. The Blue bay is a brisk, safe, scenic and enjoyable 25 minute coastal walk from the town centre. (Taxi eu 4 each way. Don't wait for the bus its one an hour and two hourly on Sunday!). There is a hubub of activity without it being too noisy and invasive. The shops remain open late selling a variety of goods from beautifully presented jewellry to sponge .. and of course the usual tourist tat! Food available ranges from the 'World of sandwiches' offering fries (eu 1.50) and fresh sandwiches(eu 1.90) to fresh fish restaurants offering seafood platters for around eu 10. Try visiting Plaka (next village) where you can visit Spinalonga island for eu 7 and eat home made cake at the Pine tree taverna while you are waiting for the ferry.

Blue bay hotel met my expectations based on other reviews I had read on Trip advisor. Blue Bay is built into the side of a steep hill with stunning views. The walk up to the hotel from the main road is like the first hundred metres of Snowdon (.. a daily challenge that ensured you burn of the crepes you had just eaten in town!). We were located on the third floor (.. there are five altogether!) The climb to your hotel room with suitcases is ... overwhelming! Once youve got rid of your luggage it gets much easier. Accommodation was clean and comfortable, though the bath is very very narrow. Hairdryer is provided and a safe can be hired at a cost of eu26 for two weeks. A spacious fridge can be found in the cupboard, great for chilling your eu 0.80 litre bottle of water or eu 4.50 red wine purchased from the great range available at Supermarket Elli in the town. Breakfast is served between 7.00 -9.30 ... dont be late because it shuts up shop promptly!. Food offered consists of continental, fruits, a range of fresh bread and biscuits/ egg and beans. Evening meal was self service and comprised of scrummy soup, a heaving heap of salads and four main courses consisting of fish, chicken, lamb and veal recipes. We found them tasty and enjoyable.. but its well worth going into the town for a change. Wine at the table is expensive (eu15) for what it tastes like!. The pool is salt water and loungers are available with shade (.. there was never a 'battle of the towels'). Reception staff are friendly and helpful. The barman is great, serving cocktails(eu 6) until 2.30 a.m! My only criticism of this hotel would be that there is absolutely no entertainment!.For a family with four children ranging from 17 to 5 there was little to occupy them. The pool table is eu 2.1 a game. There is a gym but equipment is broken. We took them to Driros beach and had a go on the 'flyers (rubber ring pulled along by a speedboat .. wicked! even my 5 yr old enjoyed it! ...but at eu 10 each not a daily activity!) All in all we had a great holiday! Elounda is fantastic (.. if you dont want to rave!) I think the Blue Bay is a 3* not 4* hotel and if you can get a bargain grab it! If you have children pick a hotel were you are guaranteed to find some life .. that way you'll get the peace you crave!