Words by: Rosalyn Wikeley
Why Go
For an unapologetically laid-back luxury honeymoon overlooking one of Europe’s most beautiful, private coves with its own powder-soft beach. Daios Cove is an elevated take on Mediterranean romance – a Cretan resort that is stitched so perfectly into rocky cove’s hillside, that every flash of the aquamarine water, the glassy infinity pools or the oversized striped parasols lined up by the palms feels like a glossy magazine cover.
Beyond the giddy views of the cove, there’s wildly delicious food, where local, seasonal fare directs the menus, and one of Europe’s leading spas with state-of-the-art treatments and facilities. Ultimately, this is as good as it gets for a short haul, sun-drenched honeymoon or romantic week away. Scott Dunn knows this only too well, and has the experience and on-the-ground knowledge to optimise couples’ escapes to Daios Cove, converting would-be admin time into memorable, stress-free moments together.
Honeymoon Style
Beyond those heart-thumping views and elegantly-designed contemporary spaces, Daios Cove’s charm lies in its easy-going energy. The resort can be enjoyed under couples’ own steam, however they wish, particularly when booked through Scott Dunn, whose guest relations managers craft flexible but highly-tailored itineraries, and, most importantly, to suggest those insider tips that only come from those who truly know a resort inside out. There’s even a late breakfast closing deadline (a feast of local Cretan fare), complimentary snacks in the fridge, a tavera within floating distance from the beach’s sunlounges. The resort is designed to lower heart-rates and help couples reconnect with both nature and one another, in the most exquisite setting (and with endless pampering). Expect plenty of pooltime, life-shifting spa treatments, romantic boat trips with picnics in tow, and gourmet restaurants that give Athens a run for its money.
Set the Scene
There are few luxury hotels in Europe that snatch your breath quite like Daios Cove in Crete. Some say it’s the surreal blue of the water, or the way the hotel sweeps in amphitheatrical style to overlook the beach and the bay. Others wax lyrical about the treacle sunsets that linger generously on the Aegean horizon for those spectating from the bar, from their balconies, or indeed, their private villa pools. It is unequivocally romantic, from its most elevated private hilltop villa all the way down to its powder-soft beach. The architecture is such that every contemporary building, villa, pool and terrace mirror the spectacular coastal surroundings, complimenting the cove’s transcendental beauty and serving it at all its most thrilling angles to dewy-eyed guests. The prevailing mood here is easy-going luxury. Everything, from the spanking fresh taverna seafood to the rejuvenating spa treatments and pilates sessions, is designed to nourish guests, and lower their shoulders several inches, back into a state of calm. While some days could feature boat trips to nearby islands or jaunts to local olive groves to encounter Cretan culture, others can be filled with nothing more than extended sessions wallowing in the infinity pool, or along the resort’s private beach, nursing margaritas on the ludicrously comfortable sun loungers as the crystal clear waters lap the shore.
Everything is easily accessible via various funiculars – the cavernous spa, the various pools that tip theatrically over the cove, the restaurants and hill-top bars. While sprawling, the cantilevered nature of the resort makes it feel compact, exclusive and perfectly private – ring fenced only by protected, craggy land and essentially dress circle seats for the best views in Greece.
Rooms
There’s no sense of being short-changed on the views at Daios Cove, with even entry level rooms twisting towards that enchanting vista and spilling onto outdoor terraces and balconies. Jump up a room level, and you’re in a deluxe sea-view room with its own seawater plunge pool. Earthy, elegant rooms are decked in tactile, local materials, with walnut wardrobes, smooth, curved woodwork, subtle linens, stones and leathers. The overall picture is one of lavish restraint, with detail where it’s really needed: perfectly crisp bedsheets, soft lighting, state-of-the-art coffee machines, and a deep bath to sink into after a long day on the beach, with local, chemical-free Olivia Thinks products. The suites offer more space – a separate sitting room to lounge in – and the design leans further into those Mediterranean shades. It’s the pool suites that honeymooners should pine for – ultimate privacy for a slow, romantic morning (breakfast can be delivered to the rooms). To dial up the space, the pools and those views, honeymooners can book into the Collection’s ultra-luxe suites, or make it a week to remember in one of Daios Cove’s achingly chic, minimalist private villas. Like the rooms and suites, these are finely-tuned to reflect the coastal rock formations and the textures and colours of the cove, but it’s the space and immense privacy that honeymooners will love – with top-drawer, five-star hotel service, the superb facilities and restaurants right there, but when they’re ready. Our insider tip is that fort-like room 543 is a particular favourite with honeymooners for the views and privacy (its at one of the highest elevations), though couples will be thrilled with any room category, particularly once Scott Dunn have joined the dots on their priorities and proclivities. They can also help advice with the half or full board perks – all room and villa categories beyond the junior suites operate on a full-board basis.
Food & Drink
Consider Daios Cove a luxury all-inclusive – where decision-making only feeds into the positive honeymoon mood, rather than pulling everything back into reality. This wildly appealing alternative universe operates between the light-filled buffet-style Pangea restaurant (for breakfast and supper), the jazzed-up traditional Cretan fare at beachfronted Taverna, and the amber-lit, adults-only RHO, where delicate, finely-crafted plates such as Amberjack carpaccio with caviar and Sóller prawn tartare are washed down with fine wines and Veuve Clicquot. Breakfast is worth a mention – a feast of both local Cretan fare and delicacies from further afield, with stations singing to those with differing breakfast habits (from the eggs benedict and sinfully thick french toast tribes to the bircher muesli and beetroot and quinoa lot). While couples can order to their rooms, the designated adult-only space at Pangea keeps things chic for those slow mornings, but they’d be wise to float down here at least once during their stay to absorb the kaleidoscopic feast, before sauntering down two levels to the beach. The bars here are subtle woven into the picture – right beside the adult-only pool where you can nurse elite pinacoladas in the shade together, or the Crystal Box, whose floor-to-ceiling windows offer spine-tingling views of the cove, particularly at sunset, and where Daios Spritzs (gin, Skinos Mastiha spirit, celery juice and Cretan honey) are the order of the day.
Family-Friendly
As a world-class luxury resorts, with tactile, minimalist interiors and award-winning architecture, Daios Cove doesn’t immediately strike as family-friendly territory. Somehow, they’ve managed to weave little people into the photogenic scene and Mediterranean rhythms with family areas, and (crucially) adult-only spaces such as restaurants, buffet areas and pools. The resulting harmony is particularly impressive for a luxury hotel, and, while honeymooners without children are guaranteed a calm, luxurious escape together, couples with sprogs in two can get the best of both worlds. Not only is this courtesy of Daios Cove’s clever, terraced design, with a compact-looking resort in fact a tardis of endless space, it’s also down to the Scott Dunn Explorers Kids Club. Here, children as young as four months onwards are cared for and entertained by Scott Dunn-trained experts, with substantial experience in the age group they are assigned. On this, the various age-categories and impressive staff ratios really set Scott Dunn apart from other Kids Clubs, with age-specific environments and activities giving parents peace of mind to slink off to the spa for a treatment, or the pool, or even an uninterrupted lunch a deux. Littles ones from 4+ head off on outdoorsy adventures, making the most of the theatrical, coastal surroundings with treasure hunts along the beach, boat trips in semi-submarines to gasp at the colourful marine life, and for the older lot, plenty of watersports and tennis. Scott Dunn’s privileged vantage point, with their own Kids Club at the hotel, ensures honeymooners are fully optimising their time at Daios Cove, while even saving on luggage space with all the tot paraphernalia available through Explorers pre-booking programmes.
When all together, the en famille activities at Daios Cove are second-to-none. Scott Dunn’s experts can weave these into families’ loose itineraries, ensuring they’re not at peak heat time for smalls, and feel truly anchored in their environment, whether its through boat trips to nearby islands or visiting local farms to learn about Crete’s rich farming culture.
The Spa
This is where Daios Cove really comes into its own. The first floor KĒPOS by Goco spa is outstanding, to put it lightly – an architectural and design masterpiece, with spaces that would make a New York art gallery blush. It’s a sanctuary of calm; of blonde woods, creamy stone and soft lighting that hovers just above the beach, spreading out across an impressive 2,500 square metres. These spacious treatment rooms, soothing textiles and earthy tones are the backdrop for a battalion of therapists, nutritionists and doctors hard at work, crafting wellness programmes which couples can go the whole nine yards for (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Colonic Hydrotherapy, Vitamin Infusions), or stick to the signature treatments. While highlight treatments include the 111SKIN facials to brighten skin, and the island-inspired Cretan Renaissance Ceremony, kneading Cretan grape seeds, sea salt, and aromatic herbs into the skin, it’s worth couples venturing in an hour or so prior to treatments to stew in the deliciously warm thermal baths and steam rooms. Scott Dunn have various honeymoon options up their sleeves for couples, whether it’s a private wellness suite featuring the steam room, sauna and hydrotherapy facilities, or the diamond honeymoon package, where couples can book a full 45 minute private run of the spa suite – Champagne in the jacuzzi and the thermal-circuit, rounded off with a couples’ massage.
Eco-Friendly
A small-but-mighty touch in the rooms, suites and villas is a filtered water tap – perhaps you’d consider this an odd thing to mention, but there is a long list of luxury hotels well-practiced in the art of holding guests hostage with no filtered water and pricey bottled water in the minibar, which, regardless of your affluence, is incredibly irritating. Alas, Daios Cove is hot on hydration, with refillable glass bottles, and, on the topic of water in general. To conserve water in an area known for its scarcity, the resort uses its own desalination plant. Around 30% of its water is heated using renewable energy (solar panels) and, quite remarkably, over 90% of the property relies on ultra-energy-efficient LEDs.
Location
As far as honeymoons go, Daios Cove more-than-delivers on location. Firstly, for the cinematic views of the cove, from all rooms, suites, pools, balconies. But secondly, for its seclusion. While there are plenty of daytrips available – pootling along the sun-drenched coast via hidden coves and Spinalonga island, or wandering the pretty streets of nearby fishing village, Plaka, the undemanding, utterly nourishing rhythms and delights of Daios Cove are reason enough to stay firmly put for at least 5 days – unwinding with smooth-as-butter service and enjoying one another’s company in one of Europe’s most spectacular settings. The tailored nature of this service alongside the diligent preparation of the Scott Dunn team – whether it’s a private, toes-in-the-sand dinner along the beach following a wine tasting with the in-house sommelier or a Champagne breakfast alongside the private pool, followed by a morning boat trip – buys honeymooners those logistics-free, precious hours together with nothing but each other and the complimentary Veuve Clicquot to focus on.
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