The five-star resort CRETAN MALIA PARK, located near the sandy beach, is an oasis of cool local marble and stone surrounded by lush Mediterranean vegetation, a retreat in the full sense of the word, where mind and design seamlessly intertwine, offering a new take on Cretan luxury.
CRETAN MALIA PARK is a member of Design Hotels, situated in the north of the Greek island of Crete, between the small towns of Malia and Stalida, just 30 minutes drive from Heraklion International Airport.
CRETAN MALIA PARK can be called a microcosm of the island because it is an accurate and detailed snapshot of Crete, where all guests are offered the widest range of holiday options, suitable for both couples and romantic holidays — from its boundless slow-paced aura, carefully aligned with the tempo of the island, to an authentically Cretan gastronomic experience.
Majestic palm trees, Indian figs, cacti, banana and olive trees are part of the exotic garden, which dynamically blend with the architectural elements of the hotel.
The hotel’s modernist structures were erected in the late 1980s and the CRETAN MALIA PARK was renovated in 2018 by Vana Pernari Architectural Studio, which used different colours, materials and styles from different design eras while maintaining the Cretan identity.
The interiors of the hotel, including the rooms, feature traditional materials, textures and colours of Crete as well as rare local objects.
Chestnut, walnut, bamboo combined with rattan, ceramics, brass create a palette of woody, mustard yellow, copper-red, blue, green and orange tones that give a relaxed boho mood, while murals depicting the nature of Crete serve as the main focal points in the interior design.
COMFORTABLE STAY
The hotel offers 204 rooms, including suites and bungalows, with balconies or terraces and magnificent garden and sea views.
The superior rooms feature a living room and separate bedroom, customised furniture and design elements, luxurious bed linen.
The rooms are provided with modern equipment and all amenities for a comfortable stay — air conditioning, Wi-Fi, Nespresso coffee machine and tea station, locally made bath amenities.
TASTES OF CRETE
As is well known, cuisine occupies one of the most central places in the Cretan way of living and this fact is recognised in the island’s food heritage, which is protected by UNESCO.
Every element of Cretan gastronomy, from the island’s rich produce to traditional recipes, is skilfully incorporated into all the food and drink that CRETAN MALIA PARK offers.
There are 5 restaurants and one garden restaurant, 2 bars, a gelateria and one traditional kafenio.
Breakfast at Bostani
Our introduction to the hotel’s cuisine began with breakfast in the Bostani garden amidst lush garden trees and the hotel’s own vegetable and herb garden, with vegetables and herbs destined for all of the hotel’s food outlets.
The hotel team tends the vegetable garden with great care, harvesting seasonal crops including pomegranates, aubergines, onions, tomatoes and peppers, olives, sage, oregano and rosemary, as well as the revered Crete diktamos.
Breakfast featured a wide variety of cold and hot snacks, cheeses, fruits and vegetables, fresh pastries and breads, juices, coffee and traditional Greek pies and rolls, yoghurt and honey in combs.
Everything was cooked & baked fresh right in for my of our eyes, and served specially for us at the table. All this creates an unforgettable experience of a rural village breakfast filled with love and care.
Even though this option is available for a pre-order, all the guests have a choice of 2 different venues for a morning meal: Cretan breakfast at Mouries restaurant or a Buffet-style breakfast at the main restaurant.
Bar Melissi
During the day, you can pop into the bright and elegant retro-style Melissi Bar, located in the hotel lobby.
The bar’s Gio-Ponti-inspired interior with clean lines, soft organic curves and spectacular use of colour and texture provide the backdrop for the drink menu, suited to both pre- and post-meal.
There are creative handcrafted cocktails by award-winning mixologist Aristotelis Papadopoulos, based on local and seasonal ingredients, as well as an extensive wine list with classics and wines from young Greek wineries.
In the evening, more exciting culinary surprises awaited us at Mouries Restaurant and Almyra Italian Restaurant.
Mouries
The Mouries restaurant, which the hotel team calls the true soul of Crete, pays homage to Crete’s most time-honoured recipes with an authentic menu by Chef Lefteris Iliadis.
Adhering to the Cretan “diet”, herbs and vegetables, wild herbs, high quality meat and seafood, and olive oil are honoured here, and dishes are characterised by honesty and simplicity.
Many specialities, such as the Cretan Xynochondros frumenti, are brought to life by seasonal vegetables harvested from the hotel’s own garden, while meat and fish are cooked parastia-style over an open fire in the restaurant’s central open kitchen, which, in keeping with authenticity, operates entirely without the use of electricity, relying solely on an open stone oven and grill for cooking.
We tried some delicious local dishes such as Tyrokafteri, Apaki Cretan Smoked Pork flavored with spices, Bulgur Salad, Eggplants Imam, Dolmadakia and Anthoi, served with freshly baked bread, olive oil and fresh tomato paste.
For the main course we had Ofto Lamb — a signature Cretan dish cooked in the oven, sprinkled with sea salt and served with baked potatoes and tomatoes. This is an absolute must!
A sweet ending of dinner — Traditional Kataifi with Greek yogurt ice-cream, walnuts & cinnamon.
And a well-chosen wine accompaniment accentuated the flavour palette of the dishes.
Life music with characteristic Greek melodies is performed in the evenings and even more enhances the ambience of a village-style Greek taverna.
Kafenio
On the other day, before heading to the Italian restaurant Almyra, we stopped by the tiny traditional Cretan Kafenio tucked away in the lush green gardens of Malia Park.
Stone walls, wooden chairs, rustic atmosphere and a wonderfully simple menu including both typical Cretan starters, delicious local desserts and perfectly brewed Greek coffee, and of course traditional Raki, the aperitif we happily enjoyed before dinner.
Almyra
Positioned at the northernmost tip of the property and overlooking the sea, Almyra presents a menu crafted by Chef Athinagoras Kostakos, where Italian dishes incorporate sustainably sourced, local ingredients for an assemblage of meals that are both fresh and authentic.
Here guests will find local fresh fish, summer salads, pastas and risottos, and pizzas (the restaurant has about a dozen of them) cooked in an open stone oven that is heated by a pile of wood on display.
We tried a couple of starters such as Burrata with tomatoes and Beef Tartar.
Followed by Pasta with truffle and perfectly cooked Beef tagliata for the main course.
We finished the meal with a traditional Italian dessert Panna Cotta with vanilla and fresh strawberries.
As a wine accompaniment, we chose Luigi Baudana Langhe Bianco ‘Dragon’ and Isole e Olena Chianti Classico.
THE CUTE SPA
Stepping away from everyday life to find peace and tranquility is rightly no longer seen as an indulgence; it is a necessity in our fast-paced world.
When staying at any hotel, it has become a good tradition for us to visit the Wellness and Spa areas.
The Cute Spa, hidden amongst the hotel’s banana trees and cacti, provides its own paradisiacal universe, secluded from the other activities at CRETAN MALIA PARK.
It offers treatments that promote spiritual and physical well-being for the face and body. The renowned Anne Semonin brand, a pioneer in innovative facial skincare since 1985, offers treatments to restore youthfulness and preserve its radiance.
Body and massage treatments from spa brand KOS PARIS combine the power of active ingredients from the world of plants, rich textures and respect for the environment.
Cretan Malia Park
Address: 70007 Malia, Crete, Greece
Instagram: @cretanmaliapark
Text: Marina Timo
Photo courtesy: EATWEEKGUIDE
