The Royal Senses Resort & Spa Crete, Curio Collection by Hilton

Rahel Nora Röthlisberger

We spent 7 nights at The Royal Senses Resort. The hotel grounds are modern, beautifully designed and offer stunning views. We would especially like to highlight the staff working in the breakfast area, buffet restaurant, pool area and beach service. They were consistently friendly, attentive, and welcoming throughout our stay. The spa was also excellent and i particularly enjoyed the nail salon service. Unfortunately, there were several issues that significantly affected our overall experience. Upon arrival, check-in took 30 minutes because our reservation could not initially be found and we had to show our booking confirmation multiple times. After a long journey, this was not the best start to our holiday. We were also disappointed by the cleanliness of the bathroom, which did not meet our expectations for a 5-star hotel. The biggest issue was the air conditioning in our room. The room temperature remained at around 17°C, making it uncomfortably cold. We had to wear jackets and use extra blankets to stay warm. We reported the problem several times during our stay. While staff members came to inspect it, no solution was ever provided. We were repeatedly told that someone would come and fix it, but the issue remained unresolved until our departure. We found the communication regarding this matter disappointing and not particularly solution-oriented. The dinner buffet offered a wide variety of dishes, but the quality and taste did not meet our expectations. We would have preferred a smaller selection with a stronger focus on quality and local cuisine. Although we had booked half board, we only had dinner at the hotel twice and chose to eat elsewhere on the remaining evenings. We did appreciate the thoughtful birthday surprise waiting in our room, including cake and drinks. This was a lovely gesture and very much appreciated. The beach area at the sister hotel, which can be reached by shuttle, was beautiful. However, finding available sunbeds was often difficult as they were frequently fully occupied. We also felt that hygiene and behavior rules around the pool area could be enforced more consistently. Overall, we had a pleasant holiday and the resort itself is visually impressive. The friendly service staff, the beautiful setting, and the spa are certainly strengths of this hotel. However, due to the many inconsistencies we experienced during our stay, we would not consider returning in the future.

Jeff Claydon

The Royal Senses Resort & Spa Crete is an excellent choice for families seeking a luxury resort with fantastic facilities and reliable sunshine. We visited in June and enjoyed perfect weather throughout our stay, with warm temperatures, clear skies, and ideal conditions for relaxing by the pool or exploring the island. The hotel is beautifully designed, cascading down the hillside with stunning sea views from almost every angle. Our room was spacious, modern, exceptionally clean, and very comfortable, making it easy to unwind after a day in the sun. The accommodation was a standout feature of the stay. The resort is particularly focused on families, and this could make it less attractive to couples. The spa deserves special mention as a peaceful retreat from the busier parts of the resort. It remained consistently quiet during our visit, the treatments were excellent, and the tranquil setting provided a welcome opportunity to relax. One minor issue was that the lift was out of service on two occasions. Given the hotel’s hillside layout, this was occasionally inconvenient when moving between different areas of the resort. Fortunately, the disruptions were temporary and had little impact on our overall experience. With so many families staying at the resort, the dining areas were often crowded and noisy, particularly during peak periods. At times, it was difficult to find the relaxed atmosphere you might expect from a five-star resort, with queues and congestion around the buffet service. As a suggestion for improvement, the hotel could consider creating a dedicated adults-only dining area within the buffet restaurants. This would give couples a quieter dining option while preserving the resort’s strong family-friendly focus. Overall, The Royal Senses Resort & Spa Crete offers excellent accommodation, beautiful facilities, and a superb spa, particularly in June when the weather is ideal. With improved lift reliability and more adult-focused dining spaces, the guest experience could be even better.

James Warren

Just returned from 10 very relaxing days at this hotel. Service from the word go and throughout was excellent. We were half-board and the selection, quality & variety of the buffet at breakfast and dinner were all excellent. Room was large and air-conditioning worked great. Staff were very friendly and worked hard to keep everyone happy. Well equipped gym, and shout out to the Yoga/fitness instructor who excelled at his job. Plenty of sun beds around the three pools, and a separate water park kept the kids happy. Just a few minor points that would improve the experience: It would be nice to have a bottle of water for the table included at meal times (given the heat), the outside dining area could do with some shade (canvas awnings perhaps), and it would have been good to have a few tables/chairs to use a laptop at in the common areas - saw a lot of people hunched over laptops on the sofas. All in all a great, well run, hotel for a relaxing break. Would certainly visit again.

Joerg Plechinger

Despite a somewhat difficult start, we ended up having a truly wonderful stay. The hotel itself is absolutely high-end, beautifully designed, and offers exceptional service. We especially want to highlight the entire staff and management team: incredibly friendly, attentive, professional, and genuinely solution-oriented. Even though our initial issues were not caused by the hotel itself, the team made a tremendous effort to improve our experience — including upgrading us to the highest room category. We are genuinely grateful for that. The overall quality of the resort, the atmosphere, and the warmth of the staff are simply outstanding. The only thing future guests should know: the hotel is not directly on the beach. That disappointed us a bit at first. However, there is a beautiful beach nearby that we absolutely fell in love with: Spilies Beach. Not exactly a hidden gem anymore, but truly fantastic. Helpful tip for future travelers: if snorkeling or freediving is important to you, definitely visit Spilies Beach. Also, renting a car is highly recommended, as it gives you access to many stunning beaches and bays nearby. In the end, everything turned out beautifully and we left with very good memories. Thank you again to the entire team!

Christian

The resort is beautiful with spacious, stylish rooms and excellent cleanliness. The front‑desk staff were very friendly, the food selection was large and the daybeds at the adults‑only pool were extremely comfortable, creating a very relaxing atmosphere. Unfortunately we didn't like some aspects which definitely have room for improvement: The service in the restaurant was extremely slow. Sometimes we had already finished a plate before our order was even taken. (A small tip but not included in the rating: An adults-only area in the restaurant would improve the dining experience.) Our room with a private pool was lovely but the terrace received very little sun, and there was no time of day when both loungers were in the sun. There was sometimes an unpleasant smell of drainage in the bathroom. Nevertheless we really enjoyed our stay!