Giannoulis – Grand Bay Beach Resort Chania

Primely positioned on the sun-kissed, sandy pebble beach of Kolymbaria, Grand Bay Beach Resort is an adults-only seaside haven of privacy and tranquility, just a 2 minute drive from Kolymbari village, 23 km west of Chania centre.

It offers a heavenly “adults exclusive” holiday experience as the minimum age of guests is 16 years old. Expect a luxurious, relaxing, child-free environment and upgraded facilities for solo travellers and couples amidst beautiful surroundings.

Grand Bay Beach Resort is part of the Giannoulis Hotels and Resorts boutique chain and our thoughtful hospitality drives our impeccable service in order to ensure you’ll have everything you could ever have imagined.

Choose your hideaway from one of our 78 rooms some of which have a privately shared pool. Enjoy the tranquil ambiance of our beach, or dip into our main swimming pool.

Indulge yourselves at the bar, pool bar, buffet restaurant, or the exclusive Azzuro a la carte restaurant for a special dining experience. As for your entertainment, we have a playroom and a fitness room for keeping you fit.

ROOMS & SUITES
At Giannoulis – Grand Bay Beach Resort there are 78 accommodation units, made up of the room types mentioned below. All the room and suites luxuriously furnished, spacious and comfortable.

Design flair, cool and relaxing colors, cozy textiles, wood furnishings, modern and tasteful decor all add to the pleasure of your stay.

SUITE DIRECT POOL ACCESS
Suites (approximately 44 sq.m.) offering a master bedroom with a king size bed and a spacious lounge. These spacious suites are decorated in earth tones, with natural fabrics, and furnishings from wood, and lead to a generous terrace with private sun beds, and sun umbrellas a step away from the hotel’s “river-style” swimming pool.

SEA FRONT JUNIOR SUITE SHARING POOL
Spacious ground floor Junior Suites (approximately 35m sq.m.) featuring living and sleeping areas decorated in warm colors echoing the vibrant Cretan summer.

Overlooking the crystal blue waters of the Gulf of Chania and nestled on the very edge of the beach each one of them opens to a tastefully furnished shaded veranda that leads to a private swimming pool shared by 5 rooms.

DOUBLE ROOM SEA VIEW SHARING POOL
Spacious (approximately 24 sq.m.) Double Rooms with superior decor that open up to shaded verandas with private sun beds and sun umbrellas, lying directly on the edge of a private swimming pool shared by 4, or 5 rooms; offering undisturbed frontal sea-views.

MAIN RESTAURANT
The Main Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner – all buffet – an endless choice of foods, delicacies, traditional Cretan dishes as well as international dishes. This is a large area with ample seating. The buffet itself is set up indoors, while seating is available both indoors and on the outdoors terrace.

A LA CARTE AZZURO RESTAURANT
The a la carte Azzuro Restaurant with is exclusive and pre-booking is necessary as there is limited seating. This is set above the main restaurant on an outdoor balcony with wonderful views to the beach and sea.

The well priced Azzuro restaurant offers many Cretan and international dishes (appetizers, salads, pasta dishes, pizza, burgers, toasted sandwiches, omelets, risotto, several meat/chicken/fish main dishes and desserts). Treat yourself to a special meal and make your stay at Grand Bay Beach Resort even more memorable!

MAIN BAR
The Main Bar at Grand Bay Beach Resort is open daily from 19h00 – 24h00. Fine drinks combined with good music make for just the perfect ending to your holiday days. A great setting, friendly environment and service – simply adds pleasure to your stay.

POOL BAR
The Pool Bar located at the main swimming pool serves refreshments and snacks (open 10h00- 19h00 daily) while you enjoy your time swimming and sunbathing.

Beach – Swimming pools
Take just a few steps from the main swimming pool at Grand Bay Beach Resort to the sandy and pebble beach of Kolymbari. This beach has been awarded a Blue Flag and is organized with sun beds and umbrellas (extra charge) and has a lifeguard.

Ideal for families as the sand/pebble area is a large and comfortable space for children to play, build castles, dig and enjoy Crete’s summer sun. The main swimming pool is available for all guest use. Its depth varies from 1.40 to 1.80 meters (varies at different locations).

This swimming pool also has a separate children’s swimming pool with a depth of 0.30 cm. The pool bar at the main pool offers refreshments and snacks (open from 10h00 to 19h00).

A second smaller river-style swimming pool is also available for all guests. This is a quieter area, ideal for those who appreciate sunbathing, relaxing and swimming further from the main swimming pool and beach. Guests staying in a Junior Suite sea front, direct pool access have direct access to the swimming pool.

And finally, the privileged few staying in a ‘Junior Suite, sharing pool’ (only 5 such suites at Grand Bay Beach Resort): the terrace of each of these suites leads directly out to a swimming pool which is to be used only by the guests staying in these suites.

Wellness
The Fitness Room at Grand Bay Beach Resort is a small indoor facility equipped with basic gym equipment such as a treadmill, exercise bike, weights, stepper and more. This is open all day and is complimentary for guest use.

Relax and let your body be soothed – take a Jacuzzi in the Jacuzzi Room. This is at an extra charge and by arrangement only (reception will assist you).

Some massage services and facial treatments are also available by arrangement with reception. These take place in a kiosk set up on the beach. The kiosk ‘door’ can be left open for you to enjoy the view to and breeze from the sea or closed for complete privacy.

For more specialized treatments, such as massages, facials, manicures, pedicures, hairdresser, tennis and more, please feel free to speak to the reception.

Special arrangements can be made for you to receive the treatment of your choice (even a swim in an indoor heated swimming pool) at our nearby sister hotel Cavo Spada Luxury Resort & Spa. Keep in mind – Grand Bay Beach Resort guests receive a special discount for these treatments.

Disability Services
Holidays for people with special needs can be seen discouraging due to the fact that the peculiarity of the limited mobility requires the accompaniment of special assisting equipment. This equipment is always hard to be transferred at the vacation’s destination.

Giannoulis Hotels & Resorts originates a solution in cooperation with ‘Eria Travel’. We offer the possibility for people with limited mobility to enjoy their stay at our hotels & resorts without any worry about their accessibility to the hotel areas, the equipment and their transfers.

All of our hotels & resorts are accessible for people with limited mobility. Additionally, Eria Travel, with its 10 years of experience in holidays for people with special needs, can equip and organize our rooms in order to be friendly and easy accessible for people with this kind of issues.

There is a wide range of special equipment and service facilities available, and we are always capable and delighted to organize everything in order to satisfy your needs.

WEDDINGS

‘Wedding’, a day that the love finds its nest in the common life of the people! This special day deserves to be truly memorable, romantic and inundated with delightful happiness!

Imagine the majesty of the beautiful skyline sunset joint with the endless blue of the Cretan Sea to be the background highlight during your wedding ceremony. At Giannoulis Hotels & Resorts we are committed to deliver the greatest experience in a variety of settings, at the hotel of your taste.

The hotels cooperate with an experienced wedding expertise team that will take care of your needs and wishes by coordinating from the first very moment, providing the planning and utilising your ideas to ensure perfect results.

Through our care, detailed knowledge and professionalism, we will relieve you from the worry and stress that accompany the build up of your wedding.

We will be delighted to arrange your wedding reception and we are sure that our following packages will give you the inspiration and vision to start formulating your wedding wherever you decide to hold your ceremony, either to one of our hotels or to a magnificent location within the prefecture of Chania.

We look forward to arrange everything for you in order to you create the perfect day that will reward you all those special memories that will last a lifetime.

The cost of the below packages vary as they can be tailor made according to your wedding wishes and needs. Our chefs’ team will be happy to discuss and suggest the wedding event menu after your request according to your own taste preferences as it can be customized by choosing from a broad catalogue.

KOLYMBARI – CHANIA
Kolymbari is a small, quiet fishing village, 23 km west of Chania at the foot of Crete’s Rodopou peninsula. It combines the feel of the rugged and untamed peninsula with majestic mountainous backdrops and panoramic sea views.

The locals are primarily farmers and stockbreeders cultivating olive and citrus trees, grapevines and vegetables. As such, the local produce is olive oil, honey, wine, meat and dairy products. Along the coast, fishermen provide fresh fish and tourism has, over the last years, flourished.

Whether you are taking a couple’s break, a family holiday or combining one of these with some business, Kolymbari would work well for you if you are looking for a quiet time, to relax on the beach and to explore Crete.

Within this small village you can find a small selection for your everyday essentials; pharmacy, ATM, souvenir shops, bakery, supermarket, bus stop, post office and more. Small fish taverns and cafes are clustered along the beautiful stretch of beach.

Though night-life does not feature highly here it can be found either in the nearby coastal village of Platanias or in Chania centre and Old Venetian Town.

Surrounded by natural beauty, you can take in this solitary place by taking relaxing walks along the beach, having the time to read a book, reflect, and rejuvenate – tranquility at its best.

For the days where you wish to be adventurous and explore you can easily access several of the ‘must-see’ monasteries, beaches and gorges such as the famous 13th Century Greek Orthodox Gonia Monastery (used today as a cemetery), Elafonisos beach, Falassarna Beach, the gorge of Samaria and the Balos lagoon and Gramvousa islet. Kolymbari village and beach provide you with the opportunity to fill your days and please your soul.

SPORTS & LEISURE

Once a week, Grand Bay Beach Resort offers its valued guests the traditional Cretan Night event hosted in the main restaurant. Greek/ Cretan dancers will entertain you with traditional dances while you enjoy your buffet dinner (traditional Cretan dishes). A night filled with good food, music and entertainment for your enjoyment!

Entertainment / Animation is also specially arranged on occasion and features sports activities such as aqua aerobics and gymnastics, beach volley ball tournaments, fun games and action of the day events (theme days such as ‘pool party day’ and ‘Olympic games day’).

Play a competitive game of tennis or just hit the ball about in any of the two tennis courts are available at Cavo Spada Luxury Resort and Spa (transportation arrangements to our sister hotel will be made for you at reception). Equipment is provided and playing at night is made possible by flood lights.

DIVING
The diving experience in the crystal clear waters of Chania is really unique and we challenge everyone to try it out. Giannoulis Hotels and Resorts in co-operation with the Blue Adventures Diving, offer this unique experience with a total respect to the environment and a focus to the safety of our guests.

Scuba diving is gaining daily more and more friends because, along with the strong excitement and entertainment it offers, it also brings to divers the added dimension to explore the undersea world of treasures and feel the acquaintance with the sea and the underwater life which is always an unforgettable experience.

At Giannoulis Hotels and Resorts anyone has this chance to live out that thrilling experience through unique submarine explorations in the marine area of Chania.

WHY DIVING IN CHANIA

Someone can choose Chania for diving for several reasons. There is a smooth variation in depths which is suitable for the diving challenge of the new visitors of the underwater world, same time that experienced divers will be delighted by the safe and clear waters which are full of life.

It is an ideal destination for those who want to be trained in diving, but also for those who want to enjoy the depth. The very interesting bottom composition is a result of the many volcanic formations from the past, the clear water with visibility of up to 30 metres, mild weather and high temperatures all provide the ideal environment, to experience the dive sites safely.

The sea temperature from May to November ranges from 21 to 28 degrees of Celsius, making the water accessible all the time. The offer of the dive sites are of particular interest.

Eastward from the harbor of Chania, about 4 nautical miles away, there is a beautiful rocky area with clear blue water and visibility of up to 30 meters called Agios Onoufrios. In this area we offer many different types of dives, the best of which include a variety of cave and cavern diving.

Divers can admire a colorful environment, including the unique pink coral as they explore the many interesting passageways and chambers which make these sites some of the most popular dives around the Chania area.

The depth of the caverns, range from 9 meters to 21 metres. Wall diving, deep diving, night diving, multi level diving and drift diving are also available. Cave and Cavern Diving are our most exciting dives and we offer these dives to Open Water Divers.

Cavern exploration will give the diver the most incredible light show, as the sunlight pierces through water, like laser beams. Don’t miss out on the experience of the incredible images of an underground world filled with stalactites and stalagmites

The PADI Five Stars instructor Development Centre (IDC) certification, and the twenty years of experience in diving offered by the collaborating Blue Adventures Diving is a guarantee for safe and full of pleasure dives. Come and experience a new and distinct diving destination – Chania.

CYCLING – TREKKING
Crete island and especially Chania region offers several places of rare natural beauty and interest. The combination of sun, sea, mountains, wild rivers, gorges, narrow trails, and the many small Cretan villages; all create this undiscovered sports paradise in the Southern part of Europe and they wait to be explored.

So, if you are adorer of the adventure and the outdoor activities we offer you the opportunity to enjoy all these amazing places of wild nature at Chania through our specially designed bike tour packages.

The weather in Chania is ideal for cycling & trekking as the temperatures during the summer season are between 25 and 33 degrees Celsius. The intense heat is eased by the breeze of the Meltemi; a light refreshing north wind which makes the ride more enjoyable.

During the autumn and the spring period the temperatures are more than ideal for cycling and trekking. In winter there are also plenty of sunshine days and the rains are limited with temperatures between 15 and 23 degrees Celsius.

Giannoulis Hotels and Resorts in co-operation with ‘Sports Tours Hellas’, present two (2) cycling stations within the hotels; the first one is based at our Cavo Spada Luxury Resort & Spa and the second one is based at our Santa Marina Beach Hotel.

In this way, we are offering to all of our guests the opportunity to discover the amazing wild Cretan Nature with a bike. ‘Sports Tours Hellas’ is a company created from ex. Riders and coaches and its staff has a great love for outdoor sport activities and especially cycling.

After a long experience of 30 years and presentation in the International Sports Cycling Scene, our cooperators are capable of providing a high level of services focusing on safety and with an overall respect for the environment.

At our daily available Cycling Programs, the routes are combined with rides beside the sea and among the mountains. You can also choose a program combined by cycling and trekking in amazing landscapes such as Mesaulia Gorge and many other additional choices are available to select.

All available routes are differentiated and offer uniqueness in order to carter all tastes and meet the needs of all ages.

CYCLING AND WINERY VISIT
A fantastic experience!Participants are collected from their stayed hotel and they will be transferred to the place at which program starts. New bikes are available (‘Wilier’ Italian brand name) and after 1.30h of cycling, crossing orange and olive trees, cycling route finishes at the winery of ‘Manousakis‘.

All the participants will have the opportunity to learn about the production of wine and its history from specialized in the winery. At the end of the tour visitors will be able to taste all different kinds of wines. The company car will transfer them back to their base.

TREKKING AND ORTHODOX MONASTERY VISIT
After a 1hour and 45min of trekking activity (off road path) participants will visit ‘Gouverneto Cave’ through a wonderful view.

During the way back, they will have the opportunity to visit the Orthodox monastery of ‘Agia Triada’,where they will informed about the history of the monastery and they will taste the local products produce by the monks.

SAILING ADVENTURE –MINI CRUISE
The ‘Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40′ boat can accommodate up to 8 people in its 3 twin cabins and 2 toilets. The ample space inside offers freedom of movement and the kitchen is fully equipped with a large gas oven.

Daily or multi day excursions can be organized to the island of ‘Gramvousa’. There is a captain on board during all of the excursions.

SIGHTSEEING – EXCURSIONS
Visit the well known beach of Falassarna (20 km from Grand Bay Beach Resort, about a 25 minute drive). At this beach you will also find windsurfing, and kite surfing. Along the way, visit the 13th Century Gonia Monastery (just 2km from Grand Bay Beach Resort).

Visit the lagoon like beach of Elafonisos and stop at the Monastery of Chrysoskalitissa along the way (about a 45 minute drive from Grand Bay Beach Resort).

Balos lagoon and Gramvousa islet – a full day trip (take a ferry, available daily, from the port of Kissamos). For further info, have a look at http://www.gramvousa.com (on-line booking is now possible).

Visit the ruins of the ancient city of Polyrinia (20 kilometers from Grand Bay Beach Resort). Polyrinia is considered to be the oldest city that the Dorians built in Crete (following the Minoan Period).

Visit the Archaeological Museum of Kissamos (16 km from Grand Bay Beach Resort) housed in a Venetian-Turkish monument.

Hike the Samaria gorge – This is the well known gorge of Samaria, where thousands of visitors come to Crete and hike this gorge. This is a 15km (mainly downhill) hike – a whole day event. You can do it on your own by use of the local bus service from Chania central bus station or, and this is more convenient for you, by organized tour from Grand Bay Beach Resort (ask us while you are staying with us).

Therisso gorge: This is a unique gorge as it is one that you drive through to reach the village of Therisso where there are several tavernas. Continue to explore the traditional villages of Zourva and Meskla – beautifully scenic drive.

The Eleftherios Venizelos tombs: (historical site) are located high above Chania centre and old town (great views) in the direction of Chania airport.

Aptera archaeological site – This small archaeological site (ancient town of the Minoan era) is well worth a visit. From here there are wonderful sea views to the port of Chania (Souda) and the Akrotiri peninsula.

Itzedin Castle: A Turkish castle, built in the 19th Century. Also known as the Kalami fort.

Lake Kournas – The only freshwater lake in Crete! A good small trip to take with the family to enjoy the wonderful views to the mountains, lake and the sea. Walk around the lake, paddle-boat, feed the ducks and have a snack/lunch at one of several cafes/taverns.

Imbros gorge – A short and easy hike (about 8km) that starts at originates from the last houses of the village and end at Komitades village. A guide is not needed. Once at Komitades village you can take a taxi back to your car (or if you are up to it, hike all the way back).

Diktamos gorge – Hike the 7km gorge of Diktamos. This begins at Katochori village Malaksa and ends in Stylos village (or vice versa). The hike takes about 3 and a half hours each way. At Stilos village visit the church of Agios Ioannis Theologos and enjoy a drink/ meal at one of the taverns.

Hike the Deliana gorge (this unchallenging but rewarding hike takes about two hours in total). You will likely see goats and the Griffon vultures.

Maheri gorge – Hike this 4km gorge which starts at Kares village (at the church of Agios Nikolaou) and ends at the entrance to Maheri village (or vice versa). This church of Agios Nikolaou is located at Kuriakosellia (towards Samonas village) and has byzantine frescoes. It is a beautiful church with archaeological significance. If you intend on visiting this church, do let us know as we would need to make arrangements for the key to the church (as it is not always open).

Visit the centre of Chania as well as the must-see old Venetian harbor and town (about 23km from Grand Bay Beach Resort).

Some of the more popular places there are the Naval Museum, the Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Museum, the Archaeological museum, the Turkish mosque (which now functions as an arts exhibit hall), the Municipal Art Gallery of Chania, the Jewish Synagogue and Hallidon Street (the most famous street of the old town). For more information, have a look at http://www.chaniatourism.com and http://www.xania.net/oldharbor.html (with several photos) and http://www.west-crete.com

Platanias is the core centre of tourism, entertainment and night life in Chania. In this coastal village, there are several restaurants, bars, clubs, cafes, Go-Karts, children’s entertainment venues, mini-golf, trampolines, internet café, mini-markets, supermarkets, pharmacy, ATM, post office, doctor’s office, car and bike rental companies, souvenir stores and more.

In Kolymbari village, just over 1km from Grand Bay Beach Resort you will find supermarkets, ATM, cafes, petrol stations, a hair dressing salon, car rental, bakery, post office, small shops and more. Within the same distance, there is a small hub of fish restaurants and taverns – just the thing to enjoy!

The bus station (for busses to Chania) has in the past years been in front of the INKA supermarket (just 500 meters from our resort). In 2011, it is likely that the bus will include a stop directly in front of Grand Bay Beach Resort (please check with us while here). Tickets cost 3.30 euro and can be bought on the bus.

Website: www.grandnay.gr

Rooms: 78

Price: from 181 EUR per night