Cayo Exclusive Resort and Spa

BRILLIANT service in a gorgeous hotel. Felt like all the staff really wanted us to have the best time of our lives. Nothing was too much trouble. Our room was kept spotlessly clean and tidy by the helpful and discrete cleaning team. Dora and the other lovely ladies on the front dress always seemed pleased to see us and gave us great insights for planning our days. Maria and Margherita at the restaurant were brilliant at making our breakfasts romantic, whilst also supporting families with little ones and large groups. It just felt like everyone zent that little but extra. We were told the name "Cayo" means sea rock, and this really came across in the luxe interiors which featured lots of polished stone, poured concrete and organic features. Tiny details like the sparkling lights which decorate the pools in the evening make this one of the most breathtaking hotel grounds I've stayed in. Once all the planting has grown in more it will be comparable to The Sunset Marquee in West Hollywood. We had a salt water plunge pool in our roon which was bigger and better than any we've had in Ibiza. But it really is the fabulous staff that make this resort so exceptional. The blonde lady at the bar made the best cocktails we drank all holiday. When we had a small problem, we were able to talk to the Hotel Manager, Nikos. He made an effort to really listen to us, got to the bottom of the issue and resolved it completely. We left the hotel feeling like we had had the time of our lives. Hoping to come back for our Honeymoon to try out the spa which other guests told us was phenomenal!!!

Well what can I say - amazing, just amazing. We had 2 superior sea view rooms with private pools and they were absolutely spot on. The pools are 1.1m deep and certainly big enough to swim in. Rooms are spacious, views are brilliant and a great view across to Spinalonga island. The staff are all lovely - nothing is too much trouble. A special mention to Antonis and Menia on reception for their perseverance getting us taxis (not the hotels’ fault) and a particular thank you to Menia who helped us with everything and facilitated our late check out so smoothly - customer service and beyond - thank you, Menia. Although we were there at the end of the peak season the hotel never seemed overcrowded and as most of the rooms have private pools the 3 main pools always had sun beds available. The food in the Ambrosia restaurant was plentiful with a good selection of quality food available, both for breakfast and the evening buffet. We didn’t visit any of the other restaurants, a couple of which only opened during the day and the restaurant at the beach only opened certain evenings. There is a nice bar by the pools that was open until 11pm. If we thought anything was lacking it was evening entertainment, of which there was very little. They have Cretan night on Sundays and a saxophone player another night but we felt there could be more. I’d also note that despite the 2 funiculars there are a lot of steep slopes and steps. The hotel is, after all, on a mountainside. The hotel shuttle bus to/from the beach runs all day, on request, and until 11pm when we were there in late August. The village of Plaka is only a few minutes walk, and we did that a few times, but it’s quite a steep hill so the shuttle was very useful. Plaka is lovely and nowhere near as busy or commercialised as Elounda. Plenty of tavernas and a few nice gift/souvenir shops plus a couple of supermarkets. Elounda is 10-15 minutes away in a taxi and there is a standard fare of 10euro. We did a few small trips and I’ll review them seperately but this was a lovely holiday that we all thoroughly enjoyed and we would not hesitate to stay at Cayo again.

A beautiful hotel with absolutely stunning views. Has a very new and spotlessly clean feel. The staff were amazing friendly and attentive throughout. The “cable car” style lift was very unique and lovely to use. They have a beach bar which is also great and very comfortable sun beds, with waiter service, which are free for hotel guests. The walk to the beach, beach bar and village is only 10 mins max but there is also a free shuttle that runs all day, on demand, especially if you don’t feel like the walk back uphill. When we booked it in the day at the beach bar, they gave us ice cold water and an ice cold towel while we waited (all of about 3 minutes!!). A true sign of quality. The food in the hotel was good but we ate a lot at the restaurants on the seafront. Many great ones to choose from and beautiful settings. A perfect atmosphere for a relaxing holiday. Would highly recommend CAYO and Plaka