Alsus Boutique Hotel - Adults Only

The Alsus Boutique Hotel is in via Andrea Papandreou, in Ammoudara, the coastal strip that comes before Heraklion on the north shore of Crete. The beach, golden sand with a Blue Flag, is a few steps from the entrance; the centre of Heraklion, the ferry port and the palace of Knossos are a few kilometres away, and the airport is close enough to make even a short holiday sensible. Shops, tavernas and the bus stop are on the street.

The property is a four-star hotel reserved for adults, recently renovated and awarded for its lighting design: dense gardens, sharp shadows, natural materials. The rule on age applies to the whole hotel, not just to one zone, and there is no separate area for families.

Pool and wellness

The heart is the outdoor tropical pool, with a waterfall and a whirlpool zone built into the basin, ringed by a solarium terrace with loungers and daybeds and served by the pool bar, which works with cocktails, sushi and shisha. Some room categories raise the stakes: the Veranda Suites have a private outdoor whirlpool, the Majestic Suites a private heated pool.

Wellness here is in the open air and it must be said precisely, because it changes the choice: there is no enclosed spa, so no sauna and no steam bath. There are massages, which are given in the gazebo at the poolside sheltered by light curtains, and a gym with glass walls facing the garden, open twenty-four hours, with cardio, free weights and yoga mats. The cooking is entrusted to the Ethimo restaurant, of Cretan monastic inspiration, with vegetarian and vegan options too. The right address for anyone who wants the sea, design and adult quiet near Heraklion.