Phāea Blue - Small Luxury Hotels of the World

The hotel is splendid location is far from everything but it is great

My daughter and I have enjoyed a wonderful week at the Phaea Blue. The staff as others have said are all warm, friendly and very helpful; the food is outstanding, rooms serene and views beautiful. We particularly loved the idyllic Blue Door restaurant where the food and views are delicious. We really enjoyed our evening at the Farmer’s Feast communal dinner in the vegetable gardens and broke bread with Californians, Texans, the Dutch, Germans and Greek families. We also took a trip to Spinalonga having read The Island a few years ago. The only issue with the Phaea Blue is the Meltemi wind which of course the hotel can’t control. The winds were very, very strong all week. We managed to swim a couple of times but the waves were large and it was impossible to read a book or grab a drink on the beach without books and glasses flying away and breaking. We walked into Plaka a couple of evenings for cocktails and supper at local tavernas. Giovanni’s was particularly good as was Gorgona. We also took a €30 taxi into Agios Nikolaos which is a charming little seaside town full of colour and character. We ate overlooking the lake at Gioma Meze; do book a table if you can. The views were to die for as was the food! Despite the winds, we had a super week at Phaea Blue. Thank you everyone!

This is hands down one of my favorite hotels. From the moment we arrived - everything was total perfection. The welcome greeting to the amenities, to the activities to the accommodations. The food was as extraordinary as the service - we came away feeling like everyone we encountered there is now a good friend! Highly recommend the traditional “pop up” dinner - which was absolutely spectacular. We also loved going out on the boat and having lunch and swimming. Every meal was incredibly delicious… and every person we encountered was so helpful and kind- from the general manager to the food and beverage manager… the executive chef and Maria who served us each morning. The rooms are stunning and comfortable. My husband and I shared a suite with our two daughters. We hated to leave - but as they reminded us, we must leave in order to come back. And we WILL be back.

The friendliness, professionalism and efficiency of the staff is what really makes this hotel. Firstly I'd like to thank Maria and her team each morning at breakfast and also Tasos who we got to know through many of our buggy trips. There is no mention of the building work next door on the hotel website which I think is an error and a little unfair. I'd seen mention of it on previous reviews so my travel agent contacted the hotel prior to my arrival and our bungalow was the furthest away and we were not hindered by it. Down on the beach, yes you could hear it but in my opinion it wasn't bad at all. I think you have to accept this happens everywhere but if you're made aware of it before booking then you have the option to change your plans. We stayed in a deluxe seaview bungalow with heated pool. The hotel provides pictures and details of the accommodation so you are not mislead but please don't get caught up on the word "bungalow" as it's not. Our accommodation was kept immaculate throughout, the coffee and tea replenished. I think for the price you pay and the 5 star status, fresh milk should have been provided in the fridge, we bought some in the village. Breakfast was excellent. Freshly squeezed orange juice served in decent sized beautiful glasses was top notch. Excellent buffet and an menu to then order hot dishes. We made an observation about there not being any cooked meat on the menu, eg sausage or bacon, the next day, we were asked if we wanted sausages or bacon and this was the same every day throughout our stay. First class service, attention to detail, couldn't fault that, thank you. There is a problem in my opinion with the sunshades and beds (which are very comfortable I have to say). The straw shades are not big enough to cover two beds and are fixed into the ground, I presume to stop them flying away in the winds. The beds are sited on wooden platforms on the pebbly beach which are very small, basically it is impossible to move your beds around unless you lift them onto the pebbles which places you in full sun. The same goes for around the pool, the shades are fixed and small. I was disappointed that you weren't able to swim in the pool before 10am. I would have liked a swim prior to breakfast. I would also have expected courtesy water provided at the beach and pool as I've experienced in other hotels abroad. I am concerned about the new hotel being built and what effect it is going to have on on Phea Blue, especially the beach. The gym was excellent, used by us both. We ate in Plaka every evening, plenty of places to eat. The hotel is situated on a hill and depending where your accommodation is situated, there can be a lot of steps to negotiate but you can always message for a buggy to take you around the property. Thanks again to all the staff that helped to make this a great holiday.

We recently stayed at this hotel and have been a number of times before ,all of them very enjoyable, but this visit was really excellent in every way. It is in a beautiful setting with superb facilities but the new, smaller scale, style means an even more marvellous level of personal service by all of the staff. In particular we greatly enjoyed the dining experiences - very good local ingredients were beautifully prepared and served. The beach, pool, spa and gym are all first class and the rooms are excellent in every way with super views. There is some construction going on nearby but it did not impact on our enjoyment of the experience. I highly recommend the Phaea Blue under the excellent management of Mr Rocos, and we will be returning soon.