‘I stayed at Crete’s most romantic hotel with a man I’d known a few weeks – here’s how it went’ (Image: OK!)I have plenty of bucket list hotels I’ve been desperate to check out. but the top of my list was Daios Cove Luxury Resort & Villas 5-star beach hotel in Agios Nikolaos, and this year I was lucky enough to check it out. Not only that, but I decided to take something of a small risk and head there with a man I’d been dating, at the time of booking, for a matter of weeks. I’d read plenty of hype about the modern and upscale resort promising Michelin-quality dining, dreamy views and holistic healing, but I don’t think I was fully prepared for the romance and luxury of the resort. What I imagined would have been a relaxed long weekend beach stay turned out to be near-Michelin quality fine dining, sundrenched cocktails and panoramic balcony views so stunning it could make any two people fall in love. And did it, you ask? It was definitely the most romantic few days of my life – and, spoiler alert, we’re still together now three months later – but the real story is that it was this bayside hotel and all of its magic that I really fell in love with. The complex I checked into one of the resort’s new premium suites. There are 26 in total and each one features an open-plan living room that leads to an outdoor dining area with uninterrupted cove views. Sitting and having a coffee in the morning and looking out over that view was an unparalleled bliss that I miss daily. The Collection guests staying in the suites also get treated to Residents’ Club services, meaning they get full access to the à la carte restaurants, bars and 24-hour in-room dining.
You have the choice of relaxing by the main pools or heading down to the beach
(Image: Daios Cove)
Daios Cove Hotel boasts four restaurants and three bars – all serving fine dining food and luxury cocktails
(Image: Daios Cove)
Eating and drinking Mealtimes quickly became my favourite moments of the day. There are four à la carte restaurants: The Beach House for lunch and dinner, Ocean Restaurant with Mediterranean cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Rho – healthy raw food for dinners, and Taverna, which serves Cretan food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I still dream about the lobster pasta at Taverna. There’s also a buffet restaurant, Pangea, which has the most expansive range of food I’ve ever experienced. I could have spent a full week working my way through it. Wellness In 2022 the hotel unveiled Kēpos by Goco, a sanctuary combining holistic healing with innovative medical tech Pop in to use the pool, Finnish sauna or private hammam suite, like I did, or book in for a high-tech healing treatment like cryotherapy or a vitamin infusion. New for 2024 is Kēpos’ wellness programs: five individually curated, goal-oriented plans that combine treatments, movement, nourishment, rest and bathing. You’ll also find a BXR Gym (a trendy London fitness destination) offering PT sessions and classes.
Zoe’s favourite place to visit was the beach club for a late lunch
(Image: Daios Cove)
You can swim in the crystal clear waters or head out to do some water sports
(Image: Daios Cove)
Off the resort The town of Agios Nikolaos is just a stone’s throw away, and if you can tear yourself away from the hotel grounds, it’s well worth the 10-minute taxi ride over. Go in the evening to have a cocktail and watch the fishing boats come back into the harbour, or book a boat excursion to Chrissi Island. If you’re looking for souvenirs, trinket shops line the marina offering linen dresses, pretty gold and azure jewellery and Cretan delicacies to take home. Book it Prices start from €442 for a Deluxe Sea View room on a half board basis for two adults or two adults and 1 child sharing, and from €946 for a The Collection Junior Suite Sea View including Residents’ Club. Book via daioscovecrete.com. BA flights are available from major UK airports to Crete Heraklion with prices from £75. Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterMore OnTravel
