Aloe Boutique Hotel & Suites

The Aloe Boutique & Suites is not in Chania town, and it is worth saying so at once: it is in Almyrida, a seaside village in the region of Apokoronas, twenty-five kilometres from the centre of Chania and a few steps from the water of the Cretan Sea. It is the difference between an urban base and a village facing the bay, with the tavernas within walking distance.

The house counts fifty-seven units divided into several categories, from rooms to suites; some higher-level units have a private pool shared among a few rooms, and the VIP Suite has an outdoor whirlpool all of its own. The Asteri restaurant looks at the sea and works from breakfast to the evening, while the pool bar stays open late. There are parking, a charging point for electric cars, a library and a twenty-four-hour reception.

Pool and wellness area, what is there and what is missing

There is a single pool, outdoors, in fresh water, ringed by the solarium terrace. There is no indoor pool: out of season the water is not an option.

The wellness centre is measured and it is worth knowing exactly how it is made. There are two sauna cabins and a massage room, plus a gym fitted with treadmills, elliptical trainers and free weights. There is no steam bath, and there is no shared whirlpool either: anyone who wants one has to book the VIP Suite. It is not a spa with a full wet circuit, it is an essential wellness area in the service of a seaside holiday.

The property receives only guests aged sixteen and over, so the whole house, pool included, remains an adult environment. Suited to couples who want western Crete at a calm pace with the sea within walking distance.