- Rosewood Blue Palace, located in Elounda, Crete, will now open in 2026 instead of 2025, as it was initially announced in 2023.
- The resort falls under the luxury Rosewood Hotels & Resorts brand, known for upscale properties worldwide.
- The Blue Palace transformation aims to establish a modern identity while respecting Cretan culture and history.
- The project is supported by a €43M loan from the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
- It includes three luxury hotels, 44 furnished tourist residences, wellness centres, and more, totalling 743 beds.
- Environmental preservation conditions apply, ensuring local history and landmarks remain intact.
Opening Delayed: Rosewood Blue Palace Needs Extra Time
For those eagerly awaiting the reimagined Rosewood Blue Palace, mark your calendars for 2026 instead of 2025. Yes, the much-anticipated opening of Elounda’s sparkling resort has been pushed back. Deadlines—they’re not for everybody, apparently. While disappointing, the delay comes with promises of unmatched luxury and attention to detail. Hopefully, it will be worth the wait.
This ambitious transformation of the iconic five-star resort sits in the capable hands of the Phaea group, led by Agapi and Costantza Sbokou, who brought the project to life alongside Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. At its core, the resort tackles the tricky task of merging old-world charm with contemporary lavish design to create a unique destination on Greece’s largest island.
Checklist of Changes: What the New Plans Include
- Transformation of two existing hotels into a cohesive “Integrated Tourist Complex.”
- Construction of three upscale hotels, combining tradition with cutting-edge design (yes, this is a one-time “cutting-edge” fit).
- Addition of 44 swanky, fully-furnished tourist residences, boosting overall accommodations by 170 beds.
- Two wellness centres (spas, for the uninitiated) catering to up to 100 visitors at a time.
- A slew of supporting facilities to sharpen up this pricey coastal retreat for the modern traveller.
BUT—this all comes with a condition: developers must keep several existing features intact. Historic cobblestone pathways, an old WWII gun emplacement, and other landmarks must survive untouched—no bulldozers here (well, at least not around the antiques).
Economic Boost or More Tourists Hogging Sun Loungers?
The enhancements won’t just fatten Rosewood’s already loaded profits (oops, did we say that out loud?). Phaea’s mega-investment also aims to make a positive economic dent in Elounda and the wider region of Eastern Crete. Expect to see:
- More local jobs with the expansion bringing much-needed employment opportunities.
- Retention of the area’s population through improved economic stability.
- Increased tourism revenue in both Elounda village and Agios Nikolaos.
- An influx of high-spending travellers, drawn to the luxe offering (in case you didn’t catch that from the “private pools” part earlier).
While this all sounds rosy, only time will tell what impact the Rosewood brand’s arrival will have on the area’s character. Let’s hope it won’t be overrun with “influencers” staging fake poolside workouts.
