Daios Cove Review: One of the Best Luxury Family Hotels in Crete?
Daios Cove beach
If you're looking for a luxury family holiday in Greece that genuinely works with young children, Daios Cove is a resort that regularly comes up in conversations within our travel community. Set on Crete's north-east coast, this five-star resort combines beautiful surroundings, exceptional food and thoughtful family friendly touches, without feeling like a traditional family resort.
One member of our Tinies & Co Travel Community Anna Sachdev recently stayed at Daios Cove with her two-year-old son and described it as "the perfect balance of luxury and family-friendly". Here's her honest review.
At a Glance
Location: Crete, Greece
Board Basis: Half Board (although we'd choose All Inclusive next time)
Transfer Time: Approximately 1 hour from Heraklion Airport
Room: Deluxe Sea View Room with Individual Pool
Children's Ages: 2 years old
Family Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Would We Return? Absolutely.
Best For
✅ Babies
✅ Toddlers
✅ Luxury family travel
✅ Relaxed beach holidays
✅ Parents who want a more grown-up hotel feel
⚠️ Less suited to older children looking for waterparks, slides and extensive entertainment programmes.
First Impressions
Our first impression of Daios Cove was simply wow.
The resort is incredibly beautiful and feels more like a boutique luxury hotel than a traditional family resort. Despite its sophisticated feel, it was also genuinely welcoming to families with young children.
The atmosphere was relaxed rather than formal, and the staff immediately made us feel at home. Although the resort is spread across different levels, getting around is easy thanks to the funicular and golf buggy service. In fact, the golf buggies became one of the highlights of the holiday for our two-year-old, who loved every ride around the resort.
The staff were fantastic with children and often took him on little buggy trips, which he thought was the greatest adventure.
Location and Transfer
Daios Cove is located around an hour from Heraklion Airport.
We arranged a private transfer through the hotel and were impressed that a car seat was provided without any fuss. After a flight with a toddler, having everything organised made arrival feel completely stress-free.
One of the biggest draws of the resort is its private sandy cove. Sheltered from the wind and waves, the beach felt incredibly safe for young children and became one of our favourite parts of the holiday.
We stayed for a week and never left the resort once. There simply wasn't any need to.
The Rooms
We stayed in a Deluxe Sea View Room with an Individual Pool.
The room worked perfectly for two adults and one toddler, although we were all sharing the same sleeping space. Families travelling with older children or siblings may prefer one of the larger suites with separate sleeping areas.
Having a private pool felt like a real luxury and made the room feel extra special, although we still spent most of our days at the main pool and beach.
The room was peaceful and quiet, making naps and bedtime straightforward, and all of the baby equipment we needed was provided. The bathroom also included a bath, which was particularly useful when travelling with a toddler.
Food and Restaurants
The food was exceptional throughout our stay.
Every restaurant felt family-friendly without compromising on quality, and children's menus were available across the resort.
The standout for us was the beachside restaurant. Being able to enjoy dinner while our little boy played safely on the sand nearby made evenings feel genuinely relaxing rather than stressful.
It's one of those rare places where both parents and children are equally well catered for.
Pools, Beach and Facilities
The resort offers a lovely mix of facilities for both adults and families.
There is an adults-only pool, a stunning infinity pool and a designated children's section. Children are also welcome in the main infinity pool, and the gradual steps make it easy for little ones to access the water safely.
The beach was one of our favourite features. The calm, shallow water made it ideal for paddling and playing, especially for younger children.
There is also a playground next to the kids club, which can be used freely throughout the day.
One thing to note is that there isn't much evening entertainment. This suited us perfectly, but families looking for nightly shows, mini discos or lots of organised evening activities may prefer a larger resort.
How Family Friendly Is Daios Cove?
We found Daios Cove incredibly toddler friendly.
The resort provides all the essentials, including baby equipment, children's menus and even milk deliveries to your room in the morning or evening if required.
The staff consistently went above and beyond to make our son feel welcome, which made a huge difference to our overall experience.
That said, Daios Cove isn't a resort packed with water slides or splash parks. Instead, it focuses on beautiful surroundings, thoughtful service, calm pools, a fantastic beach and quality childcare.
For families with babies and toddlers, that combination worked brilliantly
Kids Club
Our two-year-old attended the kids club and genuinely loved it.
While there is an additional charge, we felt it was money well spent. He settled quickly, happily waved us goodbye and came out smiling at the end of each session, something we hadn't experienced elsewhere before.
The team even took the children swimming at certain times.
Families booking through Scott Dunn can also access their well-known children's club programme.
Things to Know Before Booking
The main consideration is that the resort isn't particularly buggy-friendly due to its hillside setting and multiple levels.
However, the golf buggies and funicular system make getting around surprisingly easy, and it wasn't an issue for us.
If your child still relies heavily on buggy naps, it's worth considering, but for most families the layout shouldn't be a deal breaker.
We also stayed on a half-board basis, but if we returned, we'd definitely opt for the all-inclusive package. The all-inclusive offering is known for being one of the best in Greece, with premium food and drink included rather than a restricted menu.
What We Loved Most
The relaxed luxury atmosphere
The beautiful private sandy cove
The genuinely warm and welcoming staff
The excellent food throughout the resort
Dining on the beach while our toddler played nearby
The perfect balance of luxury and family-friendly facilities
Anything We Didn't Love?
Honestly, very little.
Our only regret was not booking the all-inclusive package.
Final Verdict
Daios Cove is one of those rare family hotels that manages to appeal equally to parents and children.
If you're travelling with a baby or toddler and want a luxury Greek resort with exceptional food, a beautiful beach, excellent service and a calmer, more sophisticated atmosphere, it is hard to fault.
This isn't the place for waterparks, loud entertainment or action-packed schedules. Instead, it offers something many parents are looking for: a genuinely relaxing holiday where children are warmly welcomed and parents can properly switch off.
For families with babies and toddlers, we'd highly recommend Daios Cove.
This review was submitted by a member of the Tinies & Co Travel Community (@annasachdev) who stayed at Daios Cove with her two-year-old son.
