The Domes of Elounda Hotel, Autograph Collection is category 8.
This means it costs 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to stay there for one night. At the time of our stay, in the middle of summer, it cost around CA$ 1,000 for one night…!
Note:We booked this hotel BEFORE the changes of March 2019, when ALL luxury hotels cost “only” 60,000 points per night (including the Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort and Spa, Dubai).
Want to learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy program? Check out our ultimate travel hacking guide to Marriott Bonvoy.
Unlike the Domes Noruz Chania Hotel, Autograph Collection – reserved for adults – the Domes of Elounda – Autograph Collection hotel welcomes many families.
Whether you choose to pay in cash… or points, this one will be very expensive!
If you use your points to stay 5 nights at this hotel, you will only pay 4! This is the case in all Marriott Bonvoy hotels, read more here.
To earn Marriott Bonvoy points in Canada, the easiest way is via one of these 3 credit cards:
Each one offers a nice welcome bonus and the ability to earn Marriott Bonvoy points on each of your purchases.
You could have both Marriott Bonvoy cards and collect your points in your Marriott Bonvoy account!
If you are in a relationship (or 2 friends…), you could each apply for to these cards and then collect your points in one account!
You have the right totransfer up to 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points from one account to another in a calendar year!
As for the card Cobaltᵐᶜ American Express, it allows you to transfer your Membership Rewards points to Marriott Bonvoy points at a rate of 1:1.2.
With the 5 membership rewards points per dollar you earn on:
it is like earning 6 Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar!
It’s the travel hacker’s favourite card in Canada.
Not sure if it’s better to use your membership rewards to pay for your hotel or transfer them to Marriott Bonvoy? The answer to this question can be found in this article.
As part of our one-week trip to Crete – without the kids – before going to the Domes Noruz Chania Hotel, Autograph Collection, we stayed 2 nights at the Domes of Elounda hotel, Autograph Collection.
The Domes of Elounda Hotel, Autograph Collection is located on the northeast coast of Crete, close to the city of Elounda and about an hour’s drive from Heraklion.
His address: Tsifliki, Elounda – Crete 72053 Greece
About an hour’s drive from Heraklion and 3:30 hours from Chania, the Domes of Elounda Hotel, Autograph Collection is located in an area still very wild on the seaside.
If you are in a rental car, a valet will take care of your car. Our luggage is taken care of too, and we will see them back in our room.
Instead of checking in at the front desk, we will be brought outside by a receptionist, which makes for a nice introduction!
While she was handling our passports and some formalities, the bartender brought us some very refreshing welcome cocktails.
We appreciate the calm on this terrace and a light breeze while it is more than 35 degrees Celsius.
While Jean-Maximilien is busy filling out the registration documents…
… I take the opportunity to walk around this terrace.
It is a particularly pleasant place, especially in the early evening when a pianist is present near the bar.
Once the registration is complete, the advantages reserved for Titanium (and Platinum) Elite members are presented to us:
We will then be taken to our room in a cart.
The room booked with points was type “1 suite with a room and a bubbling bath”.
We were upgraded to a 2 bedroom suite with private pool, i.e. 4 categories above. Thanks to Titanium Elite status for this new upgrade!
So we arrive directly in the living room:
Lounge that has a very nice ceiling height:
In this lounge, there is a well-stocked mini-bar.
And a Nespresso coffee machine, with an office that we won’t use… preferring “the one” on the terrace!
A welcome gift awaited us (Jean-Maximilien said we were celebrating a birthday during our stay):
Head to the master bedroom, with a wardrobe separating it from the bathroom.
The master bedroom is pretty ordinary. No “wow” effect as in other luxury hotels we have been able to stay in.
The bathrobes are good quality, on the other hand the television is rather old and small. But who watches TV during a holiday in Greece?!
Little surprise when we return to our room the first night… 😉
The bathroom consists of a large bathtub/shower and toilets.
The copper sink is surrounded by the usual toiletries.
The focal point of this room is of course the huge bubbling bath, in the center of which is the shower!
The other part of our suite is made up of a second room that we will not use.
The second bathroom consists of a copper sink, toilets and a small shower.
The centerpiece of this suite is its terrace.
It consists of a sofa, 2 sun deckchairs and a table Jean-Maximilien will use as a desk:
From this terrace, we have access to a small private swimming pool.
You won’t do any lengths in this pool! On the other hand, it is handy to cool off – every 10 minutes – during a tanning/working session on the terrace.
The view is particularly pleasant in the morning when the sun is flooding the terrace with light.
This room was almost perfect… to one detail: its location. Our block of rooms was located at an intersection of 2 cart passages… and the truth is, we felt that all the hotel residents were passing under the windows, especially between 4 and 7pm.
It became so disturbing that we preferred to leave the room to go to the beach. The next day we asked to change room…. you’ll find out below.
Our second suite will be located in a much quieter place. Upon entry, the pool – nicer than our previous suite:
This pool is also very nice in the evening…
… or sunrise!
The terrace is smaller and is under an olive tree.
Whether it’s morning or evening, it’s a nice place!
By entering, we arrive in the living room.
The special feature of this suite is that it is a duplex.
In a small adjoining room is the mini-bar, the Nespresso coffee machine and an office.
A bathroom is located on this level…
… and is made up of a large shower.
We clearly preferred this room to the one on the first night.
Next door is the bathroom…
… with a large bathtub.
On the same floor, at the top of the stairs, we access the very large terrace.
Only regret: there could have been 2 sun deckchairs to occupy the space!
Here’s a sunrise from this terrace… Pretty good, isn’t it?
Below the reception is a lightly used swimming pool.
This is the adult pool. As there are many children in this hotel, other swimming pools are dedicated to them.
No closed gym here: everything is outdoors.
Let’s go to the beach now!
To reach it, it is necessary to walk the path that leads to it (possibility of being taken down by cart) and which passes under the road along the seaside.
The beach is private and rather narrow.
However, there are many areas to be isolated under olive trees.
A bar and restaurant are present on both sides of the beach.
A pontoon allows you to admire the view, or make an appointment for water sports.
See you now at the spa!
Unlike the Domes Noruz Chania spa, Autograph Collection which is free and with the possibility of access to it at will, the spa of the Domes of Elounda, Autograph Collection is not free.
However, thanks to the Titanium (and Platinum) Elite status, we had access to a 30-minute route.
I couldn’t photograph the other rooms that consisted of a sauna, a steam room, multiple showers with hot/cold/sound effect, and a rest room.
To access the family complex, I advise you to ask to be driven there by cart. This one is behind the hill of the main building.
In fact, the Elounda complex is divided into two parts.
On foot, you can first go up to the helipad, which will give you great views of the area…
… before accessing to the family complex.
The first space you will see is the teen club:
… or the big kids!
Next door is the children’s club with indoor and outdoor spaces.
Everything is well-thought-out and the babysitters take care of the children.
Then you have access to a very large swimming pool for families, and a paddling pool for the little ones.
Many relaxation areas are available, as well as a convenience store with international newspapers and magazines.
A bar and restaurant are present:
To go back to our suite, we will use a cart.
Thanks to Titanium Elite (also possible with Platinum Elite) status, we were entitled to a free breakfast each morning.
This is a restaurant with indoor and outdoor spaces.
We chose to sit in the Silence Zone – compared to the one for families (including the terrace).
It’s a buffet, but it’s possible to get eggs served your way.
The sweet part:
The salty part:
This buffet was perfect, as was the table-service.
Thanks to Titanium Elite status (also possible with Platinum Elite), we were treated to a dinner for 2 people, once during our stay.
We chose to have dinner there on Saturday for the Greek Evening. Here are the pictures of the buffet starting with the salty:
Then the sweet part:
A very good buffet to taste many Greek specialties!
This hotel is a beautiful resort for families.
If you are in a relationship, we would advise you to stay at Domes Noruz Chania, Autograph Collection, unless you go to Crete outside the school holidays.
Indeed, there is always a lot of activity, all over the complex, and we always stay with a bitter taste on our first room: so beautiful… but so noisy at times.
Since we have stayed in the two Domes in the region, it is rather easy for us to compare them: the value for money leans, in our opinion, in favour of the Domes Noruz Chania, Autograph Collection:
In our view, the Domes of Elounda, Autograph Collection would be better categorized in level 7 than in level 8.
Savings are here:
