




In short: Tripplo’s analysis covers a sample of 26 guest reviews of Amirandes, A Resort to Live. Guests in the sample highlight Service & staff, Pools, beach & aquapark and Location.
Set amidst fragrant gardens and palm-fringed lagoons in Gouves, Amirandes, A Resort to Live features an Olympic-sized seawater pool, a children's pool and a spa centre with indoor pool, sauna and fitness equipment. Guests can choose among 10 top-quality restaurants and bars, while meeting/banquet facilities and jewellery and clothing boutiques are also featured on site.
The rooms, suites, villas and bungalows of Grecotel Amirandes are fitted with floor-to-ceiling windows, soft colours and designer furniture. Each is equipped with air conditioning, safe, flat-screen TV and mini bar. The en-suite bathrooms come with a bathtub, free toiletries, slippers and bathrobes. Some units offer private pools.
Amirandes Main Restaurant serves traditional Mediterranean cuisine combined with international delicacies for breakfast or dinner, while guests can also enjoy international gourmet dishes at the impressive setting of Lago Di Candia Restaurant. A variety of Italian dishes are served at the uniquely decorated Minotaur restaurant, where guests can enjoy the amazing collection of genuine Picasso ceramics adorns. A poolside, a lagoon and a beachside bar are also available on site.
The Elixir Alchemy Spa centre proposes facial and body treatments with organic plants and extracts from Crete’s aromatic herbs. Guests can also stay fit using the on-site sports facilities, such as the 3 floodlit tennis courts or the 5x5 football court. A variety of activities and facilities, including playground, children's pools and a kid's club, is also available for the younger guests.
Amirandes, A Resort to Live is located 21 km from Heraklion City and Port, while Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport is 18 km away. The famous archaeological site of Knossos Palace is at a distance of 23 km.
Facts we have checked
- All inclusive
- Private-pool rooms
- Kids' pool
- Family suites
- Kids' menu
- Sunbeds or beach club
- Sea-view rooms
- Spa
- Indoor pool
- Sauna/steam
Tripplo's verdict, based on guest reviews
Tripplo’s analysis · Updated 10 October 2026 · How we review hotels
Amirandes suits travellers who want a resort large enough to fill a week without leaving it. An Olympic-sized seawater pool, ten restaurants and bars, a private beach and a full spa sit in landscaped grounds at Gouves. The layout means real walking, ten dining options can add up on the bill, and there is no town at the gate.
Guests score it 9.0 out of 10 — the average across the 53 hotels we list on Crete is 9.1.
Featured in our guides: 11 luxury hotels with private pools in Crete: The best in 2026, 12 luxury beachfront hotels in Crete: The best in 2026, 10 luxury family hotels in Crete: The best in 2026
What Guests Loved
- The seawater pool spans an impressive Olympic length, offering serious lap swimming alongside a separate children's pool for families staying together.
- With ten separate restaurants and bars spread across the property, guests can vary their dining experience daily without leaving the grounds.
Things to Consider
- Given the scale of the property, with gardens, multiple pools and ten dining venues, getting from room to restaurant or beach can involve a longer walk.
- While variety is a strength, dining across ten different venues can add up compared with resorts offering a single all-inclusive restaurant package.
Free PDF: what guests really say about Amirandes, A Resort to Live
The Tripplo Report gathers the whole analysis in one PDF, ready in seconds.
- Pros and cons in every category guests mention
- The complaints that come up again and again
- Room guide and price analysis
- Alternatives worth comparing
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Should you book it?
Amirandes, A Resort to Live is worth booking for families wanting varied dining plus separate children's pool — but pick somewhere else if you dislike long walks between rooms, dining and beach.
Book it if you want
- Families wanting varied dining plus separate children's pool
- Couples seeking private-pool suites for extra seclusion
- Swimmers wanting an Olympic-length seawater pool on site
- Wellness-focused guests wanting a spa with indoor pool and sauna
Pick somewhere else if
- You dislike long walks between rooms, dining and beach
- You want to keep dining costs to one set package
- You want town shops and nightlife within walking distance
Rooms & which one to pick
Our tip: Couples wanting a view should book the Luxury Room with Sea View (35 m², sofa bed and queen bed) or, for a quieter outlook, the Luxury Room, Side Sea View or Lagoon View. Families needing space are better off with the Superior Family Room (50 m², sleeps 5) or the Swim up Family Room with Garden, which adds direct pool access for the same sleeping capacity.
- Swim up Superior with Private Garden1 sofa bed and 1 queen bedsleeps 340 m²Private GardenDirect Pool Access
- Superior Family Room2 sofa beds and 1 queen bedsleeps 550 m²Family FriendlySpacious
- Dream Villa with Sea View and Private Pool1 queen bed and 2 sofa bedssleeps 480 m²Private PoolSea View
- Superior Room, Garden View1 queen bedsleeps 230 m²Garden ViewBalcony
- Luxury Room with Sea View1 sofa bed and 1 queen bedsleeps 335 m²Sea ViewLuxurious Amenities
- Luxury Bungalow with Garden Front Row1 queen bedsleeps 260 m²Garden FrontComfortable Setting
- Swim up Family Room with Garden2 sofa beds and 1 queen bedsleeps 545 m²Family FriendlyDirect Pool Access
- 2-Bedroom Suite, Gym & Private Pool1 king bed and 2 twin bedssleeps 690 m²Gym AccessPrivate Pool
- Luxury Room, Side Sea View or Lagoon View1 sofa bed and 1 queen bedsleeps 335 m²Side Sea ViewLagoon View
- Amirandes Residence Waterfront1 king bed and 1 king bed and 2 sofa bedssleeps 6120 m²WaterfrontSpacious Living
Room types as listed on Booking.com; availability varies by date.
Prices at Amirandes, A Resort to Live
When we last checked (1 October 2026), a 2-night stay for two adults cost from €690 in total (€345 per night).
Across our last 5 daily price checks, the nightly rate has ranged from €320 to €345.
Prices sampled daily by Tripplo for a two-adult stay about a month ahead, in EUR. Your dates may differ — use the price check to see live availability.
Photos from previous guests
Photos provided by GoogleWhat guests say
Reviews from Google“What I liked: • Beautiful resort with stunning gardens, pools and beach. The atmosphere is relaxing and luxurious. • Exceptional service : friendly, professional and always helpful staff. • Lovely surprise with the heart decoration on the bed • Excellent housekeeping and very clean rooms. • Great food quality, with different dinner options every evening and an outstanding pastry selection. • Very convenient hotel app for check-in and activities. • Supermarket inside the hotel with reasonable prices. • Free and easy parking • Plenty of sunbeds available . • The hotel really feels like “A Place to Live” - you can easily spend a week or more enjoying the facilities, activities and restaurants. What could be improved: • Rooms are comfortable but feel a little outdated compared to a modern luxury resort. • Bathroom amenities are average, and the coffee machine could be easier to use. • Gym is quite basic and could have a wider variety of equipment. • Breakfast gets very crowded between 9:30–10:30, so arriving earlier is recommended. • Wi-Fi could be stronger in some areas of the resort. • Surprising that there is no public jacuzzi/whirlpool area for a resort of this level. Overall: A fantastic resort with outstanding service, beautiful surroundings and excellent food. we had a wonderful stay and would happily return.”
“The staff is EXTREMELY friendly and helpful. One of the best I have honestly ever encountered! We had a great time: the resort is spacious, clean, has beautiful views, and a wide variety of restaurants too. Thank you so much Marina and Maria for everything and for making our stay worthwhile- you guys are truly amazing! Thank you for taking excellent care of all of us! Highly recommended!”
“We loved this hotel! It is amazing. It gave us a “wow” experience. The views from the lobby and rooms are breathtaking. We loved the beautiful infrastructure, several restaurants, infinity pool, buffet, live music m, romantic lounges, and organized activities for families. We were also thrilled to find such a kid friendly hotel. It’s a rare combination. The staff also goes out of its way to help satisfy your every need. Live music at night in the outdoor bar was also a welcome treat! We recommend this hotel highly. The staff surpasses expectations and aims to please. The check in process could be more streamlined as it took us 1 hour and 15 minutes to get into the room. All else was spectacular.”
“We had together with our daughter, her husband and grandkids wonderful holidays at Amarandis. First we would like to thank the reception team. They made it possible, that we (a couple - arrival 5 days later) had a swim up superior room next to our family with a swim up family room. The Hotel complex is in a simple but very impressive way designed. The architecture adapts to the environment of the Hotel and everything is generously executed. The main pool is huge and the sun loungers are very comfortable with alway fresh towels and lie apart from each other. We had dinner in the main restaurant but also at Blue Monkey. The food tasted excellent and also the variety of different art of food we enjoyed very much. The staff is very friendly und very accommodating. Two minor things we would mention which could be improved; the red wines are served too warm and the beds were for us too soft. We’ll definitely come back in one of the next years (after the new airport of Heraklion is running 😂).”
“Is a truly a hotel to live. Everything I experienced was exceptional and exceeded my expectations in every aspect. It is the best hotel I ever went. The location, the service, the room, the restaurant, the people (employees) who were there for everything I needed. The pool with salt water and with is unique design, the front beach with sunbed and umbrella in any places throughout the resort, the design pool that surrounds the hotel which gives a unique look to the resort, everything is outstanding . The hotel is a show in itself. You can choose which restaurant you want, each with different options and of course with great food. I highly recommend this place for an outstanding vacation, relaxation and good mood. I would like to mention our concierge Alyna Romanova. I would like to thanks her for being so kind and helpful. You made our vacation even more enjoyable and your personal touch was very appreciated by us. Thank you very much, Alina.”
What guests actually say
Tripplo’s analysis uses a sample of 26 guest reviews. Texts may be shortened. Mentions are counted after automated classification and describe the sample, rather than every guest’s experience.
The sample follows how Booking.com and Google sort reviews, which puts satisfied guests first, so criticism is under-represented. Read the drawbacks below and the latest reviews on Booking.com before you book.
Food & restaurants
- +Good variety of restaurants and dining options
- +Great food quality with different dinner options every evening and an outstanding pastry selection
- +Food and drinks rated good, with a great lounge bar
- –All-inclusive lunch was less varied and tasty than other meals
”Great food quality, with different dinner options every evening and an outstanding pastry selection.” — guest, translated
Service & staff
- +Staff repeatedly described as extremely friendly, helpful and professional
- +Management and reception went out of their way to accommodate special requests
- +Attentive and fast service even at busy times, including at the pool
- +Warm welcome from staff on arrival
”The staff is EXTREMELY friendly and helpful. One of the best I have honestly ever encountered!” — guest, translated
Pools, beach & aquapark
- +Main pool described as clean, big and beautiful with amazing sea view
- +Direct walk to the Aegean sea with expansive island views
- +Stunning gardens, pools and beach areas, including an infinity pool
- +Large complex with multiple pools and beach areas, comfortable sun loungers
”The main pool is huge and the sun loungers are very comfortable.” — guest, translated
The rooms
- +Villas with private pool and gym, spacious enough for a family
- +Very clean rooms with a lovely surprise heart decoration on the bed
- +Swim-up superior and family rooms available
- +Breathtaking views from the rooms
”We stayed in a villa with a private pool and gym, spacious enough to fit three single beds for our family.” — guest, translated
Condition & cleanliness
- +Excellent housekeeping and very clean rooms
- +Resort described as spacious, clean and well designed
- +Main pool kept clean and beautiful
Location
- +Excellent location right by a beautiful beach, literally walking distance to the Aegean sea
- +Lovely entrance with views of turquoise sea and palm trees
- +Tranquil beach setting praised by guests
”The property and its location is excellent. You literally walk to the Aegean sea with expansive views of the island.” — guest, translated
Noise levels and value for money are mentioned too rarely in the sample for an honest picture — we don't guess.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Amirandes, A Resort to Live from the airport?
Amirandes, A Resort to Live is 12.4 km from Heraklion Airport (HER).
How far is Amirandes, A Resort to Live from the centre of Crete?
Amirandes, A Resort to Live is 46 km from the centre of Crete.
How do guests rate Amirandes, A Resort to Live?
Amirandes, A Resort to Live is rated 4.7 out of 5 on Google, based on 1,671 reviews. On Booking.com it scores 9.0/10 from 369 guest reviews.
How many stars does Amirandes, A Resort to Live have?
Amirandes, A Resort to Live is a 5-star hotel.
What amenities does Amirandes, A Resort to Live offer?
Amirandes, A Resort to Live offers 2 swimming pools, free parking, free Wifi, airport shuttle, family rooms and beachfront.
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Main Street, Gouves, 711 10, Greece





