Radisson Blu Beach resort Milatos, Crete: your ideal pandemic-getaway.
If you are reading this and suffering from pandemic fatigue let me help you with planning and dreaming of your next luxury holiday. This Radisson Blu Beach resort is located on the beautiful island of Crete in a remote town called Milatos. Crete is one of the sunniest places in Europe and perfect to enjoy some summer heat.
The island of Crete is a beautiful island, the most southern of the Greek islands. The waters are blue, beaches go from white to pink (Elafonisi is a must see!) and the weather is sunny almost the whole year. Crete is the perfect destination to escape the cold weather in any season and I was so happy to pack summer clothing and leave my turtle necks behind for a bit. It felt good to escape the daily rush and pandemic-stress while staying in a luxurious 5-star resort by the beach. The Radisson Blu Beach resort is very remote and private, a perfect all-inclusive vacation with all the luxury you need. It's aprox 40 minutes from the Heraklion airport by car and aprox 2h30 from Chania airport. Keep in mind the island is very big (the biggest amoung the Greek islands). Landing on Heraklion is highly recommended if you are booking a stay at the Radisson Blu as is renting a car to get there and explore the island. I personally always rent a car when I'm on an island since it gives you so much freedom to explore. Even when it comes to getting to your accommodation and back to the airport you save so much money by renting a car rather than taking a cab. Especially if you are like me and you love comfort renting a car is the best way to get around unless you don't mind taking the public transport.
The drive towards the resort is peaceful and the landscapes are stunning. When the gates open at the entrance it literally feels like driving into heaven. The reception and entrance are very beautiful and you immediately get the feel of real luxury.
The resort is huge but due to the pandemic some areas of the resort were closed. I actually loved that it was more quiet now and you still had access to all things needed for a wonderful stay. The resort has various restaurants, bars, buildings and pools. I even lost count that is how many facilities there are !
We decided to grab some lunch before checking in, you know traveling makes me hungry! For lunch there were two places to eat at: the Italian Deli restaurant or the Payot beach bar. We decided to have Italian food and oh boy it was so delicious! You could pick starters, a main dish and dessert, wine, soda,.. everything à la carte freshly made.
The Payot bar offers snacks like wraps, burgers and fries, some sweets and all kinds of drinks and delicious cocktails. This is perfect if you would like to stay by the pool and grabbing a bite in between swimming and lounging.
Check out my highlight 'Crete' on my Instagram to see more of the food served at the resort.
After lunch we were ready to check in. We stayed at the 'island suite' a nice spacious room with a dressing, a huge bathtub (photoshoot material hello!), a shower, a separate toilet, a flat screen tv and an outside area. The room was amazing and perfect to store all my stuff.
After shooting this video up here and some pictures it was time to explore some more of the resort. We discovered the private beaches of the resort: white sand and crystal blue water, so beautiful ! I loved the chairs and lounge areas by the beach and pools. It gave me a fun beach club vibe but more private, just amazing ! It was very safe to swim in the sea by the hotel. There is a safety guard on duty as well as an area closed off for the guests to swim by big rocks.
I highly recommend checking out my YouTube channel where you can see a full cinematic trailer of the resort and travel related content. For other pictures and of my stay on my Instagram
Not only traveling makes me hungry but relaxing and swimming as well :). That means: time for dinner! You have the choice to have dinner at the restaurant Ariadni which serves Greek specialties or at the Italian restaurant. We picked Ariadni where we had some amazing Greek food and the best desserts ever ! Every three days there is also a BBQ event instead of dinner at the restaurants to keep as much variation as possible. Fresh grilled meat and fish, tons of Greek dishes all served by the beach was a great way to switch things up. Oh, and the souvlaki's: best thing EVER!
I honestly wonder sometimes if I should have been a food reviewer/blogger instead lol.
The resort offers a variety of activities like yoga and group classes but also private lessons or a good workout session at the gym. There is a gym instructor at your service for assistance of to motivate you if needed. For the kids there is a mini club all day available which is amazing! The smallest ones also have a separate pool and for the (almost) teens there are some really cool waterslides. There is so much to discover at the resort you definitely will not be bored!
The resort also has many different types of rooms and suites with jacuzzi, private pools, sea view, bungalows, duplex rooms and many more. You can book floating breakfast and other exclusive experiences at the Radisson Blu resort. I was luckt enough to discover some of the suites and exclusive rooms but my favorite one was the private suite with jacuzzi on the outside sundeck. I just loved the private suite, so beautiful ! I guess I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves ;).
If you would like to see more videos of the private suite or from my floating breakfast experience go check out my instagram account or the instagram account of the resort by clicking here.
Breakfast was just amazing. There were infinite options to pick from. Hot and cold buffet, so many types of bread, yogurt, fresh juices and fruits, waffles and pancakes and even a whole buffet of sweets and cakes. And oh, the espresso was so good! Perfect to start the day! The setting is also beautiful. The terrace looks out onto the pools and beach. I can't think of a better place to have breakfast. Everything was also covid-proof. The staff served the food or the food was packed in a safe way for us to take ourselves. For example the yogurt and cereals were pre packed in containers closed off with a lid. This way you could grab it yourself but in a covid-proof and safe way.
On our last day we had the opportunity to enjoy a private dinner by the beach. This is also one of the top notch experiences that the Radisson Blu Beach resort offers to their guests: a real luxury and exclusive dinner in the most beautiful setting. You can find more content such as pictures an videos on my Youtube channel and instagram account.
My stay at the Radisson Blu was just what I needed to escape the winter blues and all the stuff going on in the world for a while. 30 degrees Celsius in October ?! Count me in! On top of that relaxing at a luxurious Beach Resort with more food than my belly can hold: double check! I enjoyed every minute of my stay at this dreamy resort. The rooms are stunning, the beach area is incredible and the food is amazing. What else do you need for the perfect holiday ?!
Disclaimer: This article has been written as part of my collaboration with the Radisson Blu Beach resort but all opinions are my own.