Stella Island Resort & Spa
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Hotel Details
Location
Stella Island Resort & Spa · Crete, Greece
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Key Highlights
- ✓Guests consistently praise Stella Island for several outstanding features:
- ✓Bars: Four bars, including several poolside options, serve a wide range of "amazing drinks and cocktails".
Expert Review: Stella Island Resort & Spa
Stella Island Resort & Spa in Crete, Greece, a Michelin Key Selected property, is widely regarded as a luxurious adults-only haven, celebrated for its stunning "Maldives-inspired" design and exceptional service.
1. Overall Rating & Sentiment
The general consensus for Stella Island Resort & Spa is overwhelmingly positive, with high ratings across major booking platforms. It consistently achieves scores around 9.0 "Superb" on Booking.com, and 9.6/10 on Hotels.com and Expedia. The resort is frequently described as "exceptional," "spectacular," and "pure bliss," creating an unforgettable paradise ideal for couples and honeymoons seeking relaxation and a high standard of luxury.
2. Key Highlights
Guests consistently praise Stella Island for several outstanding features:
- Design & Ambiance: The resort's signature "Maldives-inspired" aesthetic is a major draw, featuring massive lagoon-style pools that wind throughout the property, giving the impression of floating on water. The blend of modern luxury with traditional Greek elements creates a unique, exotic, yet familiar atmosphere, contributing to a peaceful and romantic adults-only environment.
- Amenities: The resort boasts an impressive array of facilities, including eight pools (lagoon-style, private, and indoor), a private beach area, a state-of-the-art Anassa spa with a sauna, Jacuzzi, and Elemis treatments, and an outdoor gym. There are also six restaurants and four bars offering diverse dining and drinking experiences. Activities like padel and cycling are available.
- Unique Offerings: The overwater bungalows, swim-up rooms, and the option for floating breakfasts add a distinctive touch of luxury and are highly Instagrammable.
3. Room Quality
Stella Island offers a variety of elegantly designed rooms and suites, tailored to discerning tastes:
- Diversity: Accommodations range from Luxury and Premium Pool View rooms to Luxury and Premium Swim-Up Rooms, Grand Overwater Bungalows with Jacuzzis, and Island Villas with Private Pools.
- Comfort & Design: Rooms are described as "beautifully designed" and "stunning quality" with spacious layouts. They feature plush king-size beds (or two single beds) often referred to as "sleeping on clouds". Sofa beds are also available in many room types, allowing for a third guest.
- Amenities: All rooms are equipped with modern amenities such as a 32-inch plasma TV with satellite channels, electric kettles, a safe, and a complimentary, daily restocked mini-bar. Bathrooms are luxurious, often featuring marble, showers, and complimentary high-quality toiletries. Bathrobes and slippers are also provided. Swim-up rooms offer private wooden decks with direct access to the lagoon pools.
4. Dining Experience
The dining experience at Stella Island Resort & Spa is a significant highlight, consistently receiving high praise for its quality and variety:
- Restaurants: The resort boasts six restaurants, catering to various culinary preferences. These include the main buffet restaurants, Kimata and Olive Tree, which serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A la carte options encompass Greek cuisine (Vegera), a Mexican fusion restaurant (Paraiso), a steakhouse (La Parrilla), an Asian/Robata & Sushi bar (Umami), and a fine-dining restaurant (Oceania).
- Food Quality: Guests frequently describe the food as "delicious with great variety," "insane," and "excellent". Emphasis is placed on using fresh local ingredients and traditional Cretan cooking techniques.
- Breakfast: The breakfast buffet is particularly noted for being "good" and offering "great options," including freshly baked pastries, local honey, organic eggs, traditional Greek yogurt, fresh omelet and pancake stations, various cold cuts, cheeses, and fresh juices.
- Bars: Four bars, including several poolside options, serve a wide range of "amazing drinks and cocktails".
- All-Inclusive Option: The all-inclusive package is highly recommended, offering extensive choices in food and drinks and providing excellent value. Reservations are typically required for a la carte dinners and can only be made upon check-in.
5. Service & Staff
The service and staff at Stella Island are consistently highlighted as a major strength and a significant factor in guest satisfaction:
- Exceptional Hospitality: Reviewers frequently use terms like "exceptional staff and service". Staff members are praised for being "helpful, friendly, and attentive," often going "above and beyond" to ensure guests feel welcome and their needs are met with kindness. Some guests have even referred to them as "Greek gods of hospitality".
- Personalized Touch: Staff are noted for remembering guests and engaging in personable interactions, contributing to a warm and inviting atmosphere.
- Flexibility: The resort is accommodating with early arrivals and late departures, often allowing guests full use of facilities and access to shower rooms even outside their check-in/check-out times.
6. Location & Accessibility
Stella Island Resort & Spa is situated in Analipsi, Hersonissos, on the northern coast of Crete.
- Proximity: The resort is a short walk from the beach, though some areas close by may be rocky. It is approximately 1km from Analipsi and 5km from Hersonissos.
- Airport Access: Heraklion Airport is a convenient 20-minute drive away, while Chania International Airport requires a longer 2.5-hour commute. Airport transfers are available, with luxury minivan transfers from Heraklion costing around 45 euros.
- Local Attractions: Nearby attractions include the Aqua World Aquarium and Reptile Rescue Center (5 km away), and the charming towns of Gouves and Heraklion, which are an easy car ride away, offering historical and cultural experiences.
- Resort Mobility: Given the resort's expansive size, golf buggies are available to transport guests around the property.
7. Value & Pricing
As a 5-star luxury resort, Stella Island Resort & Spa's pricing reflects its high standards and extensive offerings.
- Pricing: Room rates typically start from around $256 (USD) per night. Depending on the room type and board basis, prices can range from approximately $331 for a Premium Room with Pool View (Half Board) to over $700 for an Island Villa with a Private Pool (All-Inclusive).
- Value: Many guests feel that the resort offers excellent value for the luxurious experience provided, especially with the all-inclusive option. The quality of food, drinks, service, and facilities often makes the investment worthwhile for a high-end, relaxing holiday. The all-inclusive package is particularly recommended for those who want to avoid additional costs and enjoy a comprehensive, worry-free stay.
8. Common Complaints
Despite the overwhelmingly positive feedback, some recurring issues and criticisms have been noted by guests:
- Cold Pools: A frequent complaint is that the pools, including private ones, are often unheated and can be very cold, even during warm weather. Some guests reported private pools as cold as 15°C (59°F) or found main pools cold even at 25°C (77°F) ambient temperatures.
- Odor Issues: A few reviews mention a "sewage smell" pervading parts of the resort, which detracted from the experience for some guests.
- Noise from Neighboring Water Park: While Stella Island is adults-only, its proximity to a family-friendly sister resort with a water park (Stella Waterland) means that noise from children can sometimes be heard over the fence, impacting the tranquil ambiance for some guests.
- Inconsistent Bed Comfort: While many praised the comfortable beds, some guests found them to be small or uncomfortable.
- Limited Activities for Some: A small number of guests felt there was "nothing to do" at the resort, or that it could be "boring" for those seeking more active entertainment. However, this contradicts other reviews that highlighted various activities and entertainment options.
- Live Music Noise: One guest reported that live music played late into the night could be heard from their room, making it difficult to sleep.
- A la Carte Restaurant Booking: Reservations for the a la carte restaurants can only be made upon check-in, which means popular dining times or specific restaurants might be fully booked if not arranged immediately.
Sources
Points to Consider
- •Despite the overwhelmingly positive feedback, some recurring issues and criticisms have been noted by guests:
- •Odor Issues: A few reviews mention a "sewage smell" pervading parts of the resort, which detracted from the experience for some guests.
Google Reviews
1,713 reviews
Recent Guest Reviews
Elescia McGee
Stepping into the resort, we were pleasantly surprised by the luxurious experience that awaited us. The check-in process was modern and seamless, completed through an app that also included a refreshing complimentary drink. Our journey to our rooms was made convenient by a golf cart, and we were immediately captivated by the suite’s impeccable cleanliness and inviting ambiance. The balcony overloo...
Response from the owner
Dear m. Elescia,<br><br>Thank you for sharing such wonderful feedback. We’re thrilled to hear that your stay at Stella Island exceeded your expectations from the moment you arrived. It’s great to know...
Ingo Nolte
We had the absolute pleasure of spending our vacation here for two weeks. An advertisement that reached me via Instagram caught my attention. To sum it up in advance: it was fantastic... this is the perfect place to spend your vacation, switch off, and relax. First and foremost: the friendliness and attentiveness of the staff. It wasn't fake or forced; almost everyone lived it. An absolutely great...
Response from the owner
Dear m. Ingo,<br><br>Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a wonderful and detailed review of your two-week stay with us. We are thrilled to know that your holiday was everything you hop...
Shelby Cokeley
My husband and I visited this past week and it was an absolute dream honeymoon! We booked the honeymoon package, "Everlasting Love" and the service was above and beyond. Stefania from Oceana, as well as the chefs who prepared our courses, delivered an unforgettable experience during our private dinner. The attention to detail was unmatched, their plating style was art, and we LOVED the ambiance. ...
Response from the owner
Dear m. Shelby ,<br><br>Warm greetings from all of us at Stella Island.<br><br>Reading your wonderful message truly made our day. We are beyond happy to know that your honeymoon with us was everything...
Abi Sanders
Beautiful resort, would definitely come back! We went all inclusive and was really pleased that there weren’t surprise add ons which you find at lots of hotels. The dancers and entertainers were great, they worked very hard to put on great shows. The room, pools, restaurants and staff were all fantastic - lots of pool bar service and places to get drinks. The Greek restaurant in particular was gre...
Response from the owner
Dear m. Abi,<br><br>Thank you for sharing your kind words about your stay with us. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the resort, the variety of restaurants, and especially the Greek restaurant...
Justine Rasche
Stella Island was a wonderful relaxing stop during our Greece trip. The all inclusive food was outstanding, best desserts I’ve ever had. The room was beautiful and the entire resort was very luxurious. The reason I gave 4 stars is that the water areas were cold (October, air temp 72 F) so we didn’t do much swimming and they had very minimal activities. Most of our time was spent eating or lying in...
Response from the owner
Dear m. Justine,<br><br>Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We’re delighted to hear that Stella Island was a relaxing part of your trip through Greece and that you especia...
Charlotte Tiller
From the moment I arrived, I was impressed by this hotel in every way. The food was absolutely amazing — every meal was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The service was incredible; the staff went above and beyond to make sure every detail was perfect and that I felt truly welcomed. The night entertainment was incredible ! The hotel itself is spotless, with great attention to cleanline...
Response from the owner
Dear m. Charlotte,<br><br>Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful feedback about your stay at Stella Island. We are delighted to know that the dining experiences, evening entertainment, and the...
Hyatt
