The biggest of the Greek islands, sun-kissed Crete is known for its ancient sites, friendly locals, beautiful beaches, nature trails, wineries, excellent cuisine and abundance of fresh, locally sourced products nurtured from the soil.

Proudly family-run and Greek-owned, Giannoulis Hotels & Resorts is passionate about bringing its guests the very best of Cretan tastes and experiences, from wines to oils, honey and speciality dishes.  Guests can dive into Cretan flavours with hands-on cooking lessons, tastings, or simply relax and relish the authentic dishes and local wines prepared and served by the dedicated hotel chefs and their teams.

Ranging from family-friendly properties to sports & wellness-focused resorts, and boutique, adults-only retreats, Giannoulis has four hotels near Chania and one near Ierapetra. Operated by the family of the original founder, each hotel is situated on a beautiful stretch of beach and offers magnificent vistas, stylish rooms and suites, a range of restaurants and truly authentic Cretan hospitality.

Giannoulis Cavo Spada Luxury Sports & Leisure Resort (5*)

Located 22km west of Chania, Crete, Giannoulis Cavo Spada Luxury Sports & Leisure Resort sits on a Blue Flag awarded beach and offers majestic views of the Gulf of Chania and Cape Spada. The 150-room resort offers a wonderful free-style lagoon-style swimming pool, three restaurants (two a la carte and one buffet), a main bar, a swim-up pool bar, kids’ club and boutique store. The beautiful spa and wellness area is home to an indoor heated pool, sauna, hammam and Jacuzzi, and offers a range of massage and beauty treatments. Ideal for active families and couples, the resort’s extensive sports facilities include two tennis courts, a paddle tennis court, spinning room, a beach volleyball court, obstacle area, two boule courts, a bicycle station, a running track, and a fully equipped gym.

Cavo Spada invites guests to discover Cretan cuisine and its hidden treasures at weekly Cooking Lessons (Tuesdays). The Head Chef and his team will teach Cretan recipes and cooking techniques which have been passed down through families for many years. Some of the recipes taught include Kreatotourta, Kalitsounia, Saganaki, Dakos and many more.

There is also a local Wine Tasting event, every Friday. Guests can discover why Crete’s mild climate, with plenty of sunshine, warm temperatures and fertile soil, make it an ideal region for producing top quality wines. Local wine producers visit the hotel to present their wines, so guests can taste a wide variety of Cretan wines to satisfy all preferences and tastes.

And on Saturdays, there is an Olive Oil Tasting event, where guests can discover the wide range of flavours found in Cretan extra virgin olive oils. An expert shares their tips on how to determine the quality and characteristics of the best oils.

Several Cretan dishes are served in the restaurants, including kreatotourta, tsigariasto, kreatotourta, sfakianes pites and local boureki. But also on the menu are:

• Skioufihta: a traditional handmade Cretan pasta made with whole-wheat flour, water, salt and olive oil or butter.
• Xerotigana: crunchy and sweet Cretan Lenten dessert which is also served at Cretan weddings and baptisms.

The local wines available to enjoy, include varieties from the Pnevmatikakis Winery (Retsina, Vinos, Agapi, Chrisi Nota, Sapphire, Star Light, Ipographi, Alovitos, Egomion), Zaharioudakis Winery (Codex, Victoria, Kotsifali), Daskalakis Winery (Psithiros), Monastery Toplou (Gerto, Linos), Douloufaki Winery (White Hare), Paterianiakis Winery (Mellisokipos, Mellisinos) and Manousakis Winery (Nostos Pink).

Giannoulis Cavo Spada Luxury Sports & Leisure Resort is open until 31 October 2025, reopening in May 2026. Prices in October 2025 start from £122 per room, per night on a bed and breakfast basis, based on two people sharing a room.  All-inclusive rates are also available from £167 per night, based on two people sharing a room.

Giannoulis Santa Marina Plaza (4*)

Giannoulis Santa Marina Plaza is an adults-only, boutique, 51-room hotel set on the long sandy beach of Agia Marina village, 8km from Chania city centre. The hotel provides a serene environment for holidaymakers who want to relax in a peaceful, child-free environment. Guests can enjoy the outdoor pool, dining with a sea view at the a la carte or buffet restaurant, drinks at the main or pool bar, morning yoga classes and relaxing with an outdoor massage under a tranquil gazebo.

Giannoulis Santa Marina Plaza hosts a Cretan night every Wednesday. Local dishes served include:

• Trachanas soup: Traditional sour trachanas made from Cretan sheep’s milk and selected wheat. An authentic product of Crete that clearly stands out for its unique texture and tangy flavour.
• Cretan meat pie (Tourta or Kreatotourta): This Chania-style meat pie is a traditional festive dish, served on special occasions. The secret to this recipe is the combination of mint, cheeses, Cretan “tyromalama,” myzithra, and staka or stakovoutyro (clarified butter) mixed with lamb meat.
• Chania-style Boureki: Made with thinly sliced courgette and potatoes, myzithra cheese, yellow cheese, mint, Cretan virgin olive oil, flour & cinnamon. This recipe symbolises the hard life of Cretan shepherds.
• Cretan Pilaf or Gamopilafo: A well-thickened Cretan risotto made with chicken broth, fresh lemon juice and black pepper.
• Fried Lamb (Tsigaristo): One of the most characteristic dishes of Western Crete and the Sfakia region. Its taste comes from the local flavourful meat of goats and sheep that graze freely on the rugged terrain of Crete.
• Ofto Lamb: This recipe originates from Heraklion, Crete, and sees lamb cooked with sage or rosemary, and plenty of salt.

Cretan dishes served in Giannoulis Santa Marina Plaza’s lunch or dinner à la carte menu include:

• Dakos: An essential part of Cretan cuisine, this simple yet flavourful recipe includes Cretan barley rusk, olive oil, freshly grated tomato, Cretan myzithra cheese, olives, and oregano.
• Cretan Salad: Based on the aromatic ingredients of Cretan land, this salad includes cucumber, tomato, peppers, myzithra cheese, olives, Cretan barley rusk, virgin olive oil and vinegar.
• Cretan Pasta: Rooted in the Mediterranean, Cretan diet and fresh vegetables, this  contains finely chopped onion, tomato, olives, zucchini, carrot, garlic, parsley & peppers. It is deglazed with white Cretan wine made from Vilana or Vidiano grape varieties, both quintessentially Cretan.
• Talagani Cheese: Similar to halloumi, this cheese’s main characteristic is that it doesn’t melt when grilled, making it ideal for frying or grilling. Best served with fresh Cretan tomato marmalade.

Cretan products served at the hotel’s breakfast buffet include:

• Sfakian Pies: Essentially a flat dough filled with myzithra cheese, cooked in a pan and served with Cretan honey.
• Cretan sweet “Lychnarakia”: Handmade delicate dough pastries filled with soft myzithra cheese and scented with cinnamon and lemon.
• Cretan sweet “Anepata”: These differ in that they contain leavened dough. They are also filled with soft myzithra and are traditionally baked by the hundreds every Easter.
• Kalitsounia with Myzithra and Spinach: The most well-known savoury snack in Crete. Hand-rolled dough filled with myzithra and spinach, baked until golden brown.

And finally, Giannoulis Santa Marina Plaza’s wine list showcase of wine from Crete’s finest wineries, including Pneumatikakis Winery, Zacharioudakis Winery, Paterianakis Winery, Daskalakis Winery, Douloufakis Winery, Moni Toplou Winery.

Giannoulis Santa Marina Plaza is open until 31 October 2025, reopening in May 2026. Prices in October 2025 start from £87 per room, per night on a bed and breakfast basis, based on two people sharing a room.

Giannoulis Santa Marina Beach (4*)

Set on a beautiful, sandy beach on the west side of Crete, just 8km from Chania, Giannoulis Santa Marina Beach’s has had visitors returning since the hotel opened its doors in the 1980s, no doubt thanks to the authentical Cretan warmth and hospitality of the staff. With a range of entertainment on offer and a fun-filled kids’ club, Santa Marina Beach is ideal for families. Guests of all ages can relax on the sands of Agia Marina, enjoy a meal at one of the four restaurants (two a la carte and two buffet), swim in the three swimming pools, one of which is a dedicated children’s pool, plus enjoy the wellness area offerings.

In the hotel’s restaurants, the teams utilise local honey, wines, fresh seafood, Cretan pastries, olive oils and much more. Guests’ favourites include the local olives, tomatoes, dried figs and yogurt.

Cretan dishes served in the restaurants include:

• Xinochontros soup: A Cretan delight of soured milk or yogurt and fermented cracked wheat – served with cured pork ‘apaki’, a local delicacy that is typically prepared with cured pork loin which is smoked using a combination of wood and various herbs
• Cretan Greek salad: made with love and locally grown, fresh produce.
• Kreatotourta (meat pie): A traditional dish in Chania, of tender lamb and xinomizithra cheese enclosed in flaky pastry and baked in the oven.
• Lamb ‘Tsigaariasto’: A traditional dish from Crete, Tsigariasto is a slow, baked way to prepare lamb and goat meat.
• Boureki of Chania: Boureki is a zucchini and potato gratin from the city of Chania, layered with rich goats’ cheese, butter, tangy tomato and fresh mint.

Cretan wines served at Giannoulis Santa Marina Beach include the “Melissokipos” wine from Parerianakis winery (vidiano variety), “Ypografi” wine from Pnevmatikakis winery (Syrah variety) and reds and whites from producers including Manoussakis, Zacharioudakis, Daskalakis wineries.

Giannoulis Santa Marina Beach is open until 31 October 2025, reopening in May 2026. Prices in October 2025 start from £87 per room, per night on a bed and breakfast basis, based on two people sharing a room.  All-inclusive rates are also available from £134 per night, based on two people sharing a room.

For more information and to book, please go to www.giannoulishotels.com, call +30 28240 22640 or email info@giannoulishotels.com.