Ella Rocrita

A mixed experience at a newly opened hotel – potential, but with significant room for improvement We stayed at Ella Rocrita recently and had a relaxing time overall, thanks to the predominantly Asian staff who were very kind and eager to help. However, given that the resort just opened this year, we were quite surprised by several shortcomings. Arrival: We arrived at 10:30 PM and had to wait over 20 minutes with only one check-in ahead of us. There was clearly a lack of staff at reception to ensure a swift process. Rooms: The room itself is very nice, but we noticed some minor structural flaws and impractical design choices—such as a missing clothes rail in the entryway wardrobe and poor lighting around the bathroom mirror. Also, the windows were heavily coated in sea salt from the storm the week before and unfortunately were not cleaned. The Grounds: The resort is nicely landscaped and fits well into the surroundings. However, the green areas look unmaintained, overgrown, or dried out, leaving you to wonder if there is a gardener on site. Dining & Drinks: The food is decent and of okay quality, though not particularly upscale, and the menu lacks variety. That said, the coffee is truly subpar—it was impossible to find a decent coffee, espresso, or cappuccino anywhere in the resort. Furthermore, out of the entire week, only one waiter was able to give a proper wine recommendation; the wine list seemed completely unknown to the rest of the staff. Sustainability: There is still plenty of room for improvement here. At the snack bar, everything is served in single-use packaging, creating a massive amount of waste. Despite these issues, the stay was relaxing due to the friendly staff, but a brand-new hotel should operate much more smoothly.

Overall, we had a pleasant stay, and the hotel facilities are beautiful. Unfortunately, several important issues significantly affected our experience. With the exception of Anaïs, the reception staff were cold, rarely smiled, and did not make us feel welcome. The worst incident happened on the last day of our stay. As I am pregnant and was feeling extremely tired, I simply lay down discreetly in a corner of the reception area for a few minutes to relieve the discomfort in my stomach. The person responsible for the restaurant reservations immediately came over and told me that I was in a public area where there were children and that I should remain seated. This comment was completely inappropriate. I was fully dressed and was simply resting for a few moments because of my pregnancy. A little empathy would have been appreciated. This incident unfortunately ruined the end of our holiday. Not to mention the hotel’s manager, who constantly walked around the property talking on speakerphone. Even more shocking, we witnessed him yelling at a young Filipino housekeeping employee who was simply sweeping the floor. He shouted at her in front of all the guests, ordering her to stop. It is shameful. Fortunately, the restaurant staff, the vast majority of whom are of Filipino origin, completely changed our perception of the stay. Their professionalism, constant smiles, kindness, and genuine care were exceptional. Without them, our experience certainly would not have been the same. They are the true strength of this hotel. However, there is another issue that we found deeply disturbing. European employees eat in the hotel’s restaurants alongside the guests and are served by the foreign employees, while those same foreign employees have their meals in the basement. This difference in treatment is deeply unfair and gives a very poor image of the establishment. Such a practice should no longer exist in 2026. For this reason, we will not return to this hotel, and we will pay much closer attention to this kind of treatment when choosing where to stay in the future. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Anaïs from the reception for her beautiful smile and kindness, to Marina from the Carūma restaurant for her incredible kindness, to Lizel for her radiant smile despite her long and demanding workdays, to Jico Balujaw for his kindness and his incredibly delicious cocktails, and especially to Joy Bartolome whose gentleness, kindness, and beautiful soul brightened every one of our days. We also know that they do not always work in easy conditions, with very long working hours and sometimes far away from their families and loved ones. Despite this, they continue to offer their smiles, kindness, and dedication every single day. For that, they have all our gratitude and our deepest respect.

A truly beautiful resort and a wonderful stay! The drive is almost two hours, but it’s a beautiful journey with stunning scenery and absolutely worth it. Everything is exceptionally clean and well maintained, and the rooms are comfortable and beautiful. The staff are incredibly kind, professional, and genuinely hospitable, with outstanding customer service. The food and drinks are exceptional, and we loved the thoughtful touches around the pool, especially the complimentary cold watermelon and ice cream. Check-in is a little different and can take longer than usual, as guests are personally escorted to their room by a member of the guest services team. It’s a lovely and welcoming introduction to the resort. The on-site shop is also extremely convenient and open throughout the day, with essentials such as sunscreen and tobacco available. Overall, a fantastic resort with wonderful staff, excellent food, beautiful surroundings, and exceptional service. We would happily return!

This hotel is for families with young kids and Definitely not for couples. If you want a family holiday with all activity onsite for young kids, this venue works. If you are looking for some quiet time, away from screaming kids, the service that is oriented towards adults not kids and families, you should NOT book this hotel. This hotel is 2 hours’ drive from Heraklion, and there is nothing around other than the hotel. You are stuck at this hotel. Then there is the fine print you never are aware of until you arrive. Booking a swim-up pool sounded like a cool idea. First you share the pool, you may use your in-room fridge but this only stocks cold drinks. Should you like to have a sundowner glass of wine the service fee will be €20 and if you order a wine from the included wines this is on top op the service fee. There is also a limit on how many times you may book an à la carte restaurant: 3-day booking, 1x à la carte booking, etc. We had 9 days and we got 3 à la carte bookings. So you are eating buffet most of the time. The Spa is small but well equipped, there are two fitness centres which get over-crowded quickly. The pools are very crowded with families and they “reserve” pool loungers early in the morning. Staying at this hotel should not be more than 4 days or you start repeating meals and activities. Our highlight was the cave snorkelling which is run by a third party.

We stayed for eight days at this newly opened hotel with our daughter, and overall we had a truly wonderful experience. What stood out the most was the exceptional service, the genuine friendliness of the staff, and the beautiful ambiance. The entire hotel is very clean and designed with great attention to aesthetics, creating a really pleasant and relaxing atmosphere. The food was another highlight: every single day there was a great variety, and the menu changed continuously throughout the week. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were always different and thoughtfully prepared, which kept things exciting and fresh. The staff was incredibly kind and attentive at all times. Even though there were a few minor issues here and there—which is completely understandable for a newly opened hotel—we are confident that these small things will naturally improve over time. Everything about our stay felt well thought out: the activities for children, the music, the live DJ performances, the pool service, the cocktails, and the reception—everything contributed to a truly enjoyable and well-rounded holiday experience. There is also a gym available, which is equipped with all the essentials and perfectly sufficient for a good workout. We didn’t get the chance to try the wellness area, but it looked very inviting and high-quality. We would especially like to thank the entire team for their kindness and flexibility, particularly for allowing us to stay and enjoy the facilities for the whole day even after check-out, without any additional charges. All in all, it was a fantastic stay, and we are very grateful for the experience. Thank you very much to the entire team! The Liegmann Family