First look
Rosewood is planting its first Greek flag here. The Blue Palace has sat above the Gulf of Mirabello in Elounda for years; Rosewood has taken it over and reworked it from the ground up, with Athens architects K-Studio leading the redesign and London-based Afroditi Krassa shaping three of the six restaurants and bars. On paper it's a properly Cretan project rather than a brand parachuted in.
The numbers are substantial: 154 rooms and suites, 85 of them with private pools, plus an Asaya spa and pools looking across the water to Spinalonga, the old Venetian-fortress island. An all-day restaurant is meant to pull produce from an on-site organic garden and local growers.
Not yet scored. We publish a Fat Score only once a hotel is open and real guests have stayed and written about it — this is a first look, not a verdict.
What we'll be watching
We haven't stayed yet — here's what will decide whether it lands when we do.
- Whether the dining lands. Rosewood resorts can lean on the setting and let the restaurants slide — but six venues, three of them shaped by Afroditi Krassa, is a real swing. We'll be watching whether it's ambition delivered or names on a menu.
- Whether 154 rooms feels like a resort or a village. That's a large count for the intimacy Rosewood trades on; the keys to want are the 85 with private pools. We'll be watching whether the rest feel like an afterthought.
- Whether the rebuild feels Cretan. The Blue Palace had years of character; K-Studio's ground-up rework can root itself in the place or come out generic-Mediterranean. The materials and detail are the tell.
- Whether it's actually ready. The opening has already slipped more than once — from 2025, then 2026, now a 2027 reopening — and first-season resorts on this scale often need a summer to settle. We'd want the date to hold before booking the early weeks.
What's changed
We track this opening and log every change. Newest first — dates are when we confirmed it, not necessarily when it happened.
- Now expecting 2027 (was 2026).
First look · gallery
Renderings & press imagery, courtesy of the hotel — details may change before opening.
Want us to get you in when it opens?
Nothing to book yet — rates usually load a few months out. We're Sofie and Nicolas; tell us roughly what you're after and we'll come back the moment Rosewood Blue Palace is bookable, with rates, what the rooms are actually like, and whether we'd go in the first season.
You'll be dealing with the two of us the whole way through, which is why we only take on a handful of trips at a time — if we're full, we'll say so. We reply by email, usually within one working day. The hotel pays us, not you: your rate is the same as booking direct, and the perks come on top.
Before it opens
When does Rosewood Blue Palace open?
Rosewood's own site now points to a 2027 reopening. The debut has slipped more than once — originally targeted for 2025, then 2026 — so treat any date as reported rather than final.
Where is Rosewood Blue Palace located?
In Elounda, Crete, set above the Gulf of Mirabello and looking across the water to Spinalonga, the old Venetian-fortress island.
Is this Rosewood's first hotel in Greece?
Yes. Rosewood has taken over the long-running Blue Palace and reworked it from the ground up — its first property in Greece, with Athens-based K-Studio leading the redesign.
How many rooms will Rosewood Blue Palace have?
154 rooms and suites, of which 85 will have private pools.
What restaurants and facilities will it have?
Six restaurants and bars — three shaped by London-based Afroditi Krassa — an all-day restaurant drawing on an on-site organic garden and local growers, an Asaya spa, and pools over the Gulf of Mirabello.
Will Fat Voyage score Rosewood Blue Palace?
We publish a Fat Score only once a hotel is open and real guests have stayed and written about it — drawn from luxury travel communities, editorial publications, and verified guests, never paid placements. This is a first look, not a verdict; we'll score it once there's enough independent signal to be fair.
Open now
What you can book today
Rosewood Blue Palace is still under wraps. Here's what's already open and scored in our collection — more from Rosewood, and nearby in Greece.
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