Elia Platanias
Elia Platanias is a 27-room hotel and apartment building on the old national road at Platanias, 11 km west of Chania, and several of its rooms have a jacuzzi inside them. Elia scores 8.7 on Booking.com across 235 reviews, while its Tripadvisor page holds only 3 reviews, all at Excellent, so this review rests on the Booking.com record. Platanias beach is 500 ft away and the room is the reason to book.
Crete Locals has no commercial relationship with this hotel. We earn a commission if you book through the availability links on this page, at no cost to you and with no effect on what we write; both ratings were read on the date in the table.
Hotel information
| Hotel | Elia Platanias |
|---|---|
| Address | 238 Palea Ethniki Odos Kissamou Chanion |
| Type | Air conditioning · Airport shuttle |
| Style | 27-room hotel and apartments on the old national road at Platanias, 11 km west of Chania |
| Signature | In-room jacuzzis in several categories, in a private hotel rather than a resort |
| Rooms | 27 rooms in five categories, confirmed by the hotel's own booking pages |
| Review record | 8.7 from 235 Booking.com guests; Tripadvisor holds only 3 reviews, all at Excellent |
| Sub-scores | Wifi 9.5, staff 9.2, cleanliness 9.1 on Booking.com |
| Included | Robes, slippers and toiletry kits; private parking, a lift, a garden and a hammam |
| Watch for | Breakfast charged at about 10 euro, and street-side balconies over the main road |
| Beach | Platanias beach 500 ft |
| Airport | Chania (CHQ) about 26 km east, roughly 35 minutes |
| Booking.com rating | 8.7/10 (235 reviews) |
| Tripadvisor rating | 5.0/5 (3 reviews) |
| CreteLocals score | 8.2/10 · read the verdict |
Booking.com and Tripadvisor scores checked on September 28, 2026.
Location
Elia Platanias is located at 238 Palea Ethniki Odos Kissamou Chanion, in Platanias. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
Who Elia suits, and who should skip it
Elia suits couples who want a spacious modern room with an in-room jacuzzi, a private hotel rather than a resort, and the shops, tavernas and beach of Platanias on foot. It suits guests who eat out. Anyone who needs a pool, a quiet street or a substantial breakfast included in the rate should book elsewhere on this strip.
Advantages
- 8.7 on Booking.com across 235 reviews, with wifi at 9.5
- In-room jacuzzis in several categories, described as modern and spotless
- 27 rooms confirmed by the hotel’s own booking pages
- Platanias beach 500 ft away, with shops and restaurants closer still
- Robes, slippers and toiletry kits provided, which guests note as unusual here
- Private parking, a lift, a garden and a hammam on site
Disadvantages
- Only 3 Tripadvisor reviews, so one platform carries the evidence
- Breakfast is charged at about 10 euro and described as plain
- Balconies on the street side face the main road through Platanias
- 8.7 is the second lowest Booking.com score in this batch
- No pool at the property
- Platanias in July and August is one of the noisiest strips in Crete
The rooms: 27 keys, some with a jacuzzi
Elia runs 27 rooms and apartments in five categories: Standard Apartment, Superior Apartment, Deluxe Apartment, Superior Double Room and Deluxe Double Room. The room count comes from the hotel’s own booking pages rather than from our records, and the apartments are the categories with kitchen space.
Book a category with the jacuzzi if that is why you are here. Guests describe a personal jacuzzi inside the room, modern and immaculate, as the feature that lifts the stay, alongside double air conditioning units, robes, slippers and a toothbrush kit. One reviewer rates the hotel a firm four stars on the strength of what the room provides.
Platanias, the road and the price of breakfast
Platanias is the busiest resort strip west of Chania, a continuous line of restaurants, bars and shops along the coast road with a wide beach behind it. Elia sits on the old national road within it, so the town is at the door and the traffic is too: guests mention balconies overlooking the main street, which suits people-watchers and not light sleepers.
Breakfast is a deliberate choice rather than an oversight. It is charged separately at around 10 euro, and a guest calls it plain while noting the price is fair for what it is. With dozens of bakeries and cafes within a few minutes, paying for it at the hotel is optional, and most guests here are eating out anyway.
The evidence needs stating honestly. Booking.com’s 235 reviews average 8.7, which is respectable rather than outstanding, and Tripadvisor has 3 reviews, all positive, which tells us almost nothing. A 27-room property with in-room jacuzzis on a strip full of large hotels has a clear niche, but the review base is too narrow to compare it confidently with the properties above it.
How to get there
Fly into Chania airport (CHQ), about 26 km east on the Akrotiri peninsula, roughly 35 minutes by road. Platanias sits on the coast west of Chania, past Agia Marina.
Pre-book a transfer for the arrival, because the coast road through Platanias crawls in high summer; the operators are in our guide to taxi and transfer services in Crete. Hire a car for Balos, Elafonissi and the gorges, use the hotel’s private parking rather than the street, and check the terms in our car hire guide for Crete. Chania old town is 12 km east, about 20 minutes, with frequent buses along the coast road.
The Crete Locals review
Elia earns 8.2 from us, and the score reflects thin evidence as much as the hotel itself. A 8.7 across 235 Booking.com reviews is a fair record, but 3 Tripadvisor reviews cannot confirm or contradict it, so we have one platform’s view of a small property.
What the hotel does well is the room. In-room jacuzzis, double air conditioning, robes and slippers and a garden, at a rate below the design hotels in Chania, is a coherent offer for a couple who want privacy in the middle of a busy resort. Wifi is scored 9.5 and cleanliness 9.1.
The reservations are the setting and the extras. The main road runs past the front, there is no pool on a strip where most competitors have one, and breakfast is an extra 10 euro for something guests call plain. None of that is hidden, and at this price none of it is unreasonable, but it puts the hotel below the strongest small properties in this batch.
Book Elia for a couple’s stay at Platanias in a room with a jacuzzi, and treat breakfast as optional. Book a beachfront hotel with a pool if you want to spend the day on the property rather than in the town.
