Daisy has had some epic welcomes over the years. Champagne with her name on the card, squeaky toys presented at reception, staff who learned her name before mine. Domes Aulus Elounda beat all of them, and it did it before we even arrived. During check-in they told us, quite casually, that the team had held a meeting that morning to talk about Daisy's arrival. A staff meeting. About a Shih Tzu. I have stayed in a lot of dog friendly hotels in Crete and across Europe, and nobody has ever prepared for Daisy like this place did.
We rolled up on the Monday after three nights at NIKO Seaside Resort in Agios Nikolaos, which is only 30 minutes down the road, so this was the easiest transfer day of the whole trip. What followed was three nights at an adults only all inclusive that did almost everything right, taught me exactly how I want to use an all inclusive, and gave us the single best room view of our three hotel Crete adventure. By a mile.
The Welcome, and I Need a Minute
Let me set the scene first, because arrival here is not like other hotels. The resort is built into the side of a mountain above the bay. You drive up, a guard opens the gate, and you do a hill start steep enough to make your palms sweat. We pulled up outside reception, parked right there, and that was the last time we thought about our luggage. The team took the bags, took the keys, and took over.
Then the welcoming committee arrived. I do not use that phrase lightly. The restaurant manager came to greet Daisy. Guest relations came to greet Daisy. Concierge came to greet Daisy. The golf cart drivers greeted Daisy. I am fairly sure everybody working in that resort knew she was coming, because they told us they had discussed her arrival at a staff meeting that very morning. Never have I felt so looked after within the first ten minutes of a stay. The message was clear. We are here to give you the best experience possible, and the small fluffy one is the VIP.
Check-in itself was silky smooth. Tamara looked after us, we handed over our passports, and everything else just happened around us. We were told our room had been upgraded, which is always a lovely sentence to hear, and because we had missed lunch they brought us up to the restaurant for a gorgeous chicken sandwich before showing us to the room.
And then the detail that finished me off. Daisy had her own welcome letter. Her own. In a big envelope, addressed to her. In years of travelling, the welcome letter in the room says something like welcome Pam, and if Daisy is lucky she gets a mention at the bottom. Here, Daisy had her own letter and we had ours, alongside a welcome pack covering the resort, our pre-booked dinner reservations for the whole stay, and even a coupon for a night out in Agios Nikolaos. We had just come from there so we did not use it, but what a thoughtful touch for guests who want a town evening.
The Room, the Upgrade and That View
We booked a Sea View Sapphire Nest, and the upgrade landed us in the Sapphire Zen Suite with private pool, a junior suite that out-roomed every other room of the trip, and the other two were seriously impressive. You walk in and the bed sits in the centre of the room facing a full wall of glass patio doors, three panels that pull right across. Outside, an L shaped plunge pool, two deck chairs, a proper seating area and two sun loungers. Inside, an indoor bath plus a separate shower room, a bottle of red wine, the Turkish delight and snacks Domes always leaves out, and a fridge full of soft drinks.
Then a knock at the door. A bottle of sparkling rosé arrived with fresh fruit and macarons, and we sat outside with it and just stared at the view. Cheryl said it out loud first. I never want to leave here. The room looks straight out over Elounda Bay, and no photo or video we took does it justice. Sunrise, sunset, and every hour in between, it was the view of the trip.
Daisy's setup rolled in over the stay. Waiting for her in the room were a bandana, a leash and her bowls, and the next day, while we were out at the olive oil tasting, a dog bed was delivered to the room. Between the letter, the bed service and the bowls, this was top tier Domes dog treatment, and Domes were already setting the standard.
One honest note on the plunge pool. It is not heated, so the sweet spot is when the sun is on it. Cheryl had her dip in the afternoon and that timing is the move.
Daisy in her new Domes bandana, part of a welcome kit that grew by the day, dog bed delivery included.
Dining, and My Honest Take on All Inclusive
Deep breath, because this is the part where I have to be straight with you. I am not an all inclusive person, and this resort did not convert me on the dinner front. It did something more useful. It taught me exactly which half of all inclusive is worth it.
Dinner at Greco Levante
Our first night we were booked into Greco Levante, the restaurant up at the rooftop pools at the top of the mountain. The setting is seriously impressive, two massive pools, huge loungers with proper thick mattresses, and the bay spread out below. At night we could not see much of the view, but we could tell we needed to come back up in daylight.
The food, though. It was an Asian themed set menu that night, and we went for the sushi to start. I have never bought supermarket sushi in my life, but this is what I imagine it tastes like. I had the pork, Cheryl had the salmon, and neither main landed. The wine was not it either. None of it was bad, it just was not the standard of the meals we had been eating around Crete, and when you know what is waiting in the tavernas down the hill, that gap matters.
So we made a decision that night. We would love the resort for everything else and eat our dinners out in Elounda. If you are an all inclusive person who wants to settle in and never leave, I think you would be very happy here, and we met lovely people doing exactly that. We are explorers. Morning at the beach, lunch, out adventuring, back to get ready, out for dinner. That rhythm is the whole reason we travel.
In fairness to the resort, I have to own something here. There are six dining venues in total and we only gave two of them a proper go, so I cannot tell you the other restaurants are not brilliant. We were just having such a great time eating out in Elounda that we were not willing to gamble an evening on finding out. The meals waiting in town were experiences we knew we would never forgive ourselves for missing. If you try the rest of the restaurants, report back, because I would love to know what we missed.
The One That Got Away
There is one à la carte restaurant, Meze, where the chefs cook for you fresh to order, and you can use it once during your stay. That gorgeous chicken sandwich on arrival day came from there, and it was really good. That is my kind of eating. The catch is that everyone else knows it too. When we tried to go back for lunch on our last beach day it was fully booked, even though it looked empty just before two o'clock. Book it early in your stay, do not save it for the end like we accidentally did.
Breakfast, With Daisy This Time
After breakfast without Daisy at NIKO, I checked straight away, and yes, Daisy was welcome at breakfast on the terrace. There is indoor and outdoor seating, the terrace was no hardship at all, and the staff were delighted to see her trotting in every morning. She had eggs and bacon every single day. Madam has standards.
The breakfast itself was very good. Every morning I had melon, eggs, freshly squeezed orange juice, bacon, a hash brown and some toast, and that set us up for the day. And here is where all inclusive actually wins me over. Wanting a Coke Zero and just grabbing one. Snacks when you want them. A Hugo Spritz at the rooftop pool without doing mental arithmetic, because at a normal resort that cocktail is €15 and three of them across an afternoon is nearly €50 before you have even thought about it. Give me the breakfast, the drinks and the snacks, and let me book my own dinners. That is the formula.
The Beach, the Pools and Where Daisy Could Go
The beach is small but long, only two rows of sunbeds deep, maybe 40 sets in total, and it sits on a calm, shallow bay. The water is lovely, and while you will want your water shoes, they matter less here than at other Cretan beaches we hit this trip. Down on the sand there are free snacks, coffee and drinks whenever you want them, which is the all inclusive dream working exactly as it should.
Now, the tactics, because you will need them. We wandered down at eleven o'clock on our first morning and there was not a bed in sight, so we retreated to our own sun loungers and the plunge pool, and honestly, problem solved, which is the quiet luxury of a room with its own outdoor setup. Lesson learned though. The next morning we had breakfast around nine, went straight down, and got one of the last two sets. There is also a turnover around one o'clock when the morning crowd clears out, so early or after lunch is your window.
And then Daisy's big moment. I brought her floaty down and took her out on the water, little shark fin bobbing along, and the entire beach was in stitches. People were filming us. Strangers were laughing and smiling and pointing her out to each other. I am fairly sure Daisy in her floaty was the beach entertainment that morning, and she absolutely knew it.
Daisy in her floaty at the dog friendly beach, fresh from her swim in the calm bay and very aware of her audience.
Pool wise, there is the main pool at the main building and the two huge rooftop pools up top overlooking the bay. We spent a windy but lovely hour up there with a Hugo Spritz. I do not believe dogs are allowed at the pools themselves, and I want to be fair about that the same way I was at NIKO. These are typical tiled pool decks, and I would not have brought Daisy to them anyway. Domes Zeen in Chania is the exception to that rule, with a pool area actually built for a dog to lounge beside you. Here, Daisy chilled on our bed or our own loungers during pool time and got the beach instead, and she did not file a complaint.
We did not really use the other facilities, and the spa went untested this stay, but we did catch the England game at the hotel, and that brings me to a detail I have not seen anywhere else. There are beer taps on demand, at the rooftop pool and in the main building and bar, where you pull your own pint whenever the mood strikes. Watching the football with a self-poured pint at an all inclusive is a specific kind of happiness. And when we let the professionals take over instead, the bartender was top notch.
The Standout, Being Truly Expected
Usually the standout moment of a stay is one scene. The champagne on the balcony, the dinner that went to another level. Here, the standout was the entire arrival, and the feeling that never left for three days. They knew Daisy was coming, they prepared for her like a celebrity guest, and every single person we passed treated her like the reason the resort existed that week. The welcome letter with her name on it is going in the memory box.
The people carried the whole stay. Tamara arranged two dinner reservations for us in town and looked after everything we needed. On the evenings she was off, another lady from concierge quietly made sure the three of us were always sorted. Nothing was ever an issue.
Eating Out in Elounda and Plaka
This is why we skipped the all inclusive dinners, and I stand by every bite.
One thing to know first. Elounda town is not on your doorstep. Unlike NIKO, where we walked out of the lobby and into the harbour restaurants, here you need a taxi into town, or a walk of around 35 minutes, which is not what you want after dinner with a dog and a Cretan hill or two involved. Between the hotel arranging cars and Michael on speed dial, it was never a problem, just budget for taxis in your evening plans.
Ergospasio sits right on the water in Elounda, in the old carob factory, and gave us one of the dishes of the trip. Goat cheese with honey and honeycomb, and my mouth is watering typing this. We also had sourdough bread with olive oil and a ginger tomato paste that was spectacular. The crushed potatoes with their odd sauce were the only miss. It was a windy day so the glass wall was up, with turquoise water splashing against it while we ate, and the chef came out and presented the food himself. They have a small, tight menu, which is always a good sign, and it is top of my list for a dinner next time.
Kanali was one of Tamara's bookings, a fish restaurant down on the water by the canal out on the peninsula. Sea bass, the most amazing prawns and a crab salad, eaten right at the water's edge. You are simply not getting that by staying inside a resort, any resort, and that is the hill I will die on.
Then there was Mamma Mio, up in the mountains, where the whole meal came to about €66 and we basically ate the entire restaurant. The food was divine and it is getting its own post because it earned one. [INTERNAL LINK PLACEHOLDER: Mamma Mio Elounda restaurant review]
We also drove down to Plaka and had a lovely wander around the little shops, where Daisy came away with a new floatie, because apparently one is not enough. And since we were only 30 minutes from Agios Nikolaos, we fit in our olive oil afternoon at the Vassilakis Estate olive oil tasting too.
A word about Michael, our taxi driver, who deserves his own paragraph. Lovely black Mercedes, completely reliable, brought us to Kanali and Mamma Mio and collected us after both, and he can help with airport runs too. He has a little Jack Russell of his own, so dogs are never a problem in his car. The hotel can arrange him, or you can reach him directly on WhatsApp at +30 694 522 1199.
Daisy at the dog friendly waterfront tables in the old carob factory, turquoise water splashing against the glass while we ate.
Practical Details
The mountain is the thing to understand before you book. The resort is steep. Properly steep. You are reliant on the golf buggies and cars to get to and from your room, and they run whenever you call, but walking up is simply not happening, and even walking down is a workout. We learned this the hard way on night one, when we gave the buggy driver the wrong room number, got dropped in the 400s when we were staying in the 600s, and spent a good ten minutes wandering a dark cliffside trying to find our room. It felt like an hour. Triple check your room number on day one, it is dark up there at night.
We got lucky with a parking space right by our room, so we could drive up and down ourselves and load the car at the door on checkout morning, which took all the stress out of leaving. If you have a hire car, ask about parking near your room when you book.
Getting there is easy from either direction. We drove the 30 minutes from Agios Nikolaos after our NIKO stay, and if you are flying in, we came to Crete with Aegean, and our Aegean Airlines pet policy review covers exactly how that works with a dog. After Elounda we drove across the island to Domes Zeen in Chania for the last night of the trip.
Booking notes. Mention your dog in advance, obviously, though at this resort I suspect they would hold a meeting about her either way. The pet policy allows one dog or cat up to 15 kg with a €100 fee per stay, though in our case they waived it, which tells you a lot about how they see their four-legged guests. Book Meze, the à la carte restaurant, for early in your stay before it fills up. Get to the beach by nine or wait for the one o'clock turnover. And three nights, Monday to Thursday in our case, was the right length to enjoy the resort and still do Elounda and Plaka properly.
Who This Hotel Is Best For
Couples and friend trips with a small dog, first of all. Beyond that, it depends on which traveller you are. If you love a true all inclusive, where you settle in, never open your wallet and never leave the grounds, you will be in heaven here, and the people we met doing exactly that were having the time of their lives. If you are like us, and the words set menu make you reach for the car keys, treat it as a gorgeous base with breakfast, drinks and snacks included, and spend your evenings in the tavernas. Both versions work. Just know which one you are before you book, because the magic of this place is everything around the dinners, not the dinners themselves.
If you are still choosing your corner of Crete, our full Crete with dogs guide covers both ends of the island, or plan your trip with Daisy and we will point you at the right resort.
Final Verdict on Domes Aulus Elounda
9 out of 10, and very much Daisy Approved.
The missing point is for the all inclusive dinners, and even that is more about who I am than what they do. Everything else was remarkable. The best welcome of Daisy's travelling career, a staff meeting held in her honour, her own welcome letter, a junior suite with a plunge pool and the best view of the entire trip, a calm beach where she floated her way to local fame, and a team, led by Tamara, who made every single day easy.
We have now done three Domes resorts, and they have each been brilliant in completely different ways. Domes Noruz gave me the best solo trip of my life with Daisy. Domes Zeen gave her the most inclusive pool and dining experience she has ever had. And Domes Aulus Elounda gave her the welcome. The full three way comparison is coming. [INTERNAL LINK PLACEHOLDER: Domes resorts comparison post]
Would we go back? Yes, with dinner reservations in town already made, and Daisy would like it noted that she expects the letter every time now.
