"Innside by Meliá Elounda is a simply stunning hotel. It’s small enough to maintain a relaxed, chilled-out atmosphere, with nowhere ever feeling overcrowded, yet big enough to feel like you’ve truly escaped and can find your own space. The gorgeous decor is definitely Instagram-worthy, but for us, the real highlights were the food, staff and views — some of the best we’ve ever experienced.
We arrived at the end of August for our honeymoon, having got married in June. We booked directly through Meliá, staying in an Innside Sea View Room on a Half Board basis. We were pleased to be contacted in advance to confirm our arrival time, special requests and whether we were celebrating an occasion — so, of course, we mentioned our honeymoon.
I also had a complimentary upgrade birthday reward from Meliá, which was honoured, and we were upgraded to a lovely Loft Sea View Room.
One of our biggest disappointments throughout the stay was that our honeymoon was never acknowledged. Even a simple note in the room congratulating us would have made such a difference. We walked past a room one day with a ‘Happy Birthday’ plate outside, so we know the hotel does make these gestures for some occasions.
There was also a small issue with the TV in our room, which displayed “Welcome [guest name]” — but never our name. We flagged this with reception and were told someone would look into it, but it was never resolved. Ordinarily, this would have been a very minor thing, but combined with the lack of any honeymoon acknowledgement, it was a little frustrating.
These are very minor issues in the grand scheme of what was a beautiful stay, but if someone asked whether I’d recommend this hotel specifically for a honeymoon, I would probably say no based on this. For a relaxing luxury holiday, however? Absolutely yes.
Room
As mentioned, we stayed in a Loft Sea View Room, which was an upgrade from the room we originally booked. Our room was slightly different from the images online, with a terrace and stone wall rather than a glass balcony, but the views were incredible.
We were in room 521, below the pool, and it was surprisingly peaceful — tucked away from the driveway with only one connecting room, from which we heard no noise at all. From the layout of the hotel, I imagine most rooms feel similarly private, as there aren’t long corridors with people constantly walking past your door.
I would 100% recommend booking a sea view. Waking up to that sunrise is worth every penny.
The bed was big and comfortable, the room was cleaned perfectly every day, and the complimentary minibar was refreshed too. It contained water, iced tea and lager, and the fridge itself was a good size — useful if, like us, you buy a bottle of water around the pool and don’t finish it.
There’s also a coffee machine and some really nice touches, including a night light for the toilet, USB-C plugs, a good hairdryer and a full-size mirror, which is always appreciated!
Food
WOW. The food was definitely one of the highlights of this hotel.
Breakfast had a great selection, with Greek yoghurt, honeycomb, fresh (and huge!) omelettes, pancakes and smoked salmon being our favourites. The orange juice was a little hit-or-miss, and a few more juice options would have been nice.
We had lunch from the pool bar most days, either at our loungers or at the bar, and every single thing we tried was delicious. Everything tasted fresh, and portions were generous enough to share. Favourites included the burrata, Greek and Caesar salads, tzatziki with flatbreads and the chicken wings. There was so much choice that we didn’t have enough time to work our way through the whole menu!
We were Half Board and would absolutely recommend it. We didn’t realise quite what a treat we were in for before arriving, but it was one of the best decisions we made. Alongside the buffet, every evening you can choose from three freshly prepared main courses — always a meat, fish and vegetarian option — and they were consistently delicious and beautifully presented. We had steak on a few nights, as well as sea bream and sea bass, all of which were fantastic.
We also ate at HarúpI, the à la carte restaurant next to the pool, on Saturday, which was Sushi Night. Honestly, it was some of the nicest sushi we’ve ever had. The waiter told us the chef was one of the best on the island, and he wasn’t wrong. If you go, you have to try the huge tempura prawns!
There’s also a great selection of drinks. As a non-alcoholic drinker, I particularly loved the Strawberry & Lemon traditional drink.
Pool Vibe
The views from the pool area were simply incredible, and the sun loungers were really comfortable. One of our favourite things was lying on the beds watching the boats and jet skis out on the sea.
It took us a little while to get used to the music around the pool. Personally, I would have loved a few quiet hours to really soak up some peace, but that’s just personal preference. The music itself had a nice vibe, and we particularly enjoyed the saxophone player.
The pool staff were lovely — attentive, friendly and always happy to help. A really nice touch was being able to order bottled water around the pool (€3), which was then brought to your lounger in an ice bucket to keep it lovely and cold.
The pool itself was lovely, although definitely on the cold side!
Staff
The staff were one of the most positive parts of our stay. The pool team in particular worked so hard and were consistently friendly and attentive — they’re a real asset to the hotel.
A special mention also goes to the concierge team, who were always incredibly friendly and happy to give you a ride, no matter how short the journey. We requested an iron and yoga mat for our room, and both arrived promptly.
For such a new hotel, everything ran incredibly smoothly, and I think that’s a testament to the hardworking staff.
We did unfortunately have an issue with the transfer we had booked home (not through the hotel). The concierge — sadly, we didn’t get his name — spoke to the provider on the phone for us in Greek, and the reception team then went above and beyond to make sure everything was sorted and that we got to the airport on time.
That was probably the most lasting positive impression of our stay, so a huge thank you to the team.
We very much hope to come back one day.
Helpful Notes:
* Taxi into Elounda: €12 each way and very easy to arrange through reception. The hotel also has a WhatsApp service, so if you struggle to find a taxi home, you can message them, and they’ll arrange one.
* Entertainment: Evening entertainment is fairly light, which suited us, but don’t expect entertainment every night. When there was live music, though, it was excellent!
* Nearest shop: Around a 5–10 minute walk from the hotel."
