The Rosewood Blue Palace resort in Crete, Greece, will reopen in 2027 with 85 private pools facing Spinalonga

On the north-east coast of Crete, facing the island of Spinalonga, the Blue Palace is preparing for a second life. The resort will reopen in 2027 under the Rosewood banner, the brand’s first in Greece, with 154 rooms and suites, 85 of them with a private pool.

☰Contents

1. Greece’s first Rosewood will be in Crete
2. 154 rooms, 85 of them with a private pool
3. Six restaurants and bars facing Spinalonga
4. An Asaya spa and three sea-facing pools
5. Between Plaka and Elounda, in north-east Crete
6. Phāea Blue, while waiting for Rosewood
7. When will the Rosewood Blue Palace reopen?

Greece’s first Rosewood will be in Crete

Rosewood has chosen an already famous hotel for its entry into Greece: the Blue Palace, which will reopen in 2027 after a complete overhaul. The resort clings to a hillside above a private beach, between the small fishing port of Plaka and Elounda.

The estate belongs to Phāea, a Greek family company run by Agapi and Costantza Sbokou, the second generation of hoteliers. For Sonia Cheng, who heads Rosewood Hotel Group, Crete brings guests closer to “the soul of the destination”. Details in the official Rosewood press release.

154 rooms, 85 of them with a private pool

The resort will have 154 rooms and suites, 85 of which will have their own private pool. No room sizes or images have been released yet.

The design has been entrusted to Greek practice K-Studio, which draws on Cretan traditions and identity. The renderings show pale stone vaults, cypress trees and a fountain opening onto the sea.

Six restaurants and bars facing Spinalonga

Rosewood has entrusted the spaces of its 6 restaurants and bars to Afroditi Krassa, a Greek-born, London-based interior designer. They will include several speciality restaurants and a beach club on the edge of the private beach.

The bar will offer sweeping views of the island of Spinalonga. The all-day restaurant will source from local producers and from the estate’s organic kitchen garden.

An Asaya spa and three sea-facing pools

Rosewood wants to make the Blue Palace a wellness destination. The resort will have an Asaya, the brand’s wellbeing concept, with a gym, a movement studio, a yoga pavilion and spaces devoted to hydrotherapy, or water-based treatments.

Outside, 3 outdoor pools, including one for adults and one for children, will all face the sea.

Between Plaka and Elounda, in north-east Crete

Plaka is a small fishing village and Elounda an elegant harbour town, both on the island’s north-east coast. Just opposite, the island of Spinalonga and its fortress can be visited by boat.

The bay already has several luxury addresses. Right next door, in Plaka, the Cayo Exclusive is joining Mar-Bella Collection and will reopen in April 2027, with 117 keys facing Spinalonga.

Phāea Blue, while waiting for Rosewood

In the meantime, the estate is still welcoming guests under the name Phāea Blue, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World since February 2024. Many of its bungalows and suites already have a private pool, and the hotel organises outings by caique, the traditional wooden boat, in the Gulf of Mirabello.

The hotel’s website, phaeablue.com, is still taking bookings. No closing date for the works has been published yet. Rosewood, meanwhile, is pressing on with its European expansion with the Bauer in Venice, which is reopening under its banner.

When will the Rosewood Blue Palace reopen?

Rosewood’s official page announces a reopening in 2027, with no specific month. The date has slipped: when the project was announced in October 2023, the trade press was talking about the 2025 season, then 2026.

Bookings under the Rosewood banner are not yet open and rates have not been published. The project page is online on Rosewood’s official website.