The Blue Palace Resort & Spa is hidden away on the magical island of Crete, is a very stylish, and beautiful Resort, boasting over 140 private pools. The sea views from the verandas in one of the very stylish bungalows or suites is memorable, and all the rooms are very luxuriously furnished.

It was this type of overhyping that attracted me to find out if the Blue Palace Resort & Spa was all it was cracked up to be.

First impressions tend to last, and this is very fresh very modern, and very well designed, and it sort of blends in. Of course it helped to be collected at the airport, and brought to the hotel. I just love it when that is organised for me, it immediately makes me feel special, the more so when you see the rest of your fellow passengers trooping on to coaches!!

The service is impeccable, and prompt, we never had to ask for anything twice, and just as important there were enough sun beds, and beach chairs.

We were fortunate to have a private pool, although it was extremely cold, and  the suite was roomy, but not over special, although the bathrooms were large, and very well equipped. Overall  somewhat minimalistic compared to other rooms and suites we have stayed in.

At lunch time we ate in the beach bar, which we enjoyed, and of course we used the spa, making full use of the thalassotherapy and massages.

Our days were spent on the beach, and the attention and help we got from the beach girls, and the kiosk man made all the difference.

We felt the restaurants were very expensive, and this was a disappointment as the hotel isn’t that close to villages with restaurants. Having said that the food was beautifully prepared, but can be a little monotonous, if you are staying for a fortnight.

We rented a car, and ate out of the hotel quite a lot, which we found relatively inexpensive.

Overall we enjoyed our visit, and did not find the Blue Palace a let down in any way at all despite the hype, neither could we agree with the poor reviews we read online prior to going.