Big private-pool suites, a 1,400 sqm wellness club and a kitchen led by Greece's first Michelin-starred chef — 30 minutes from Heraklion.
Nana Princess Suites, Villas & Spa is the most wellness-forward luxury address on Crete's Heraklion coast: 107 sea-view suites and villas opened in 2018, most with private heatable pools, anchored by a 1,400 sqm Royal Wellness Club and three restaurants directed by Michelin-starred chef Lefteris Lazarou — all about 30 minutes from the airport. Book it for spa-led seafront luxury near Heraklion; skip it if you want secluded scenery over a busy resort strip.
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HotelsForKings composite, weighted: Romance 20%, Service 20%, Design 20%, Food 15%, Location 15%, Value 10%. How we score.
Nana Princess opened in 2018 as the grown-up, design-led flagship above the long-running Nana resort complex in Hersonissos, and it set out to do one thing exceptionally: deliver large, suite-and-villa accommodation with private pools and a serious wellness programme on the seafront. The register is plush and contemporary-opulent rather than minimalist — think marble, deep tones and statement bathrooms — with the Cretan Sea filling every window.
It welcomes both couples and families, and that flexibility is deliberate: guests who want kids' programming and a waterpark can use the adjoining Nana Golden Beach next door, while Nana Princess itself keeps a calmer, more adult feel. The location, on Crete's developed Heraklion coast, is the trade-off — convenient and lively rather than secluded and scenic.
There are 107 suites and villas, all with sea views, and the great majority come with a private pool that can be heated on request. The higher categories layer in extras that are unusual even at this level — private steam rooms, saunas, and in the top villas a private gym. Sizes climb steeply from generous suites to multi-room villas built for a family or a milestone group.
Our call: for a couple, a private-pool suite with a sea-facing terrace is the sweet spot; for a special occasion, the villas with a steam room or sauna turn the room itself into the wellness experience. Skip the lowest suite tier if a private pool is non-negotiable — confirm the category includes one, since the appeal of Nana Princess is precisely the private-pool-and-spa combination.
Three restaurants carry menus created by Lefteris Lazarou, the first chef in Greece to earn a Michelin star, with a live violinist at breakfast as a signature flourish. The cooking spans modern Greek and international, and the kitchen's pedigree makes staying in for dinner an easy choice — useful, since Hersonissos's surrounding dining is more about volume than refinement. The breakfast, by most accounts, is a high point.
The headline amenity is the Nana Princess Royal Wellness Club: a 1,400 sqm spa and fitness facility built around the modern Italian Starpool brand, one of the largest and best-equipped hotel wellness complexes on the island. Combined with the in-suite saunas and steam rooms in the upper categories, it makes Nana Princess the natural pick on Crete for a spa-centred stay. The seafront, pools and beach round out a resort built for slow, restorative days.
Nana Princess sits on the seafront at Hersonissos (the Stalida/Hersonissos stretch), about 70014 Crete, roughly a 25–30 minute drive from Heraklion International Airport (HER). That proximity is a genuine advantage over the Elounda cluster an hour further east — you can land and be at the spa within the hour. The counterweight is the setting: Hersonissos is one of Crete's busiest, most developed resort areas, lively rather than tranquil, so the seclusion you'd get in Elounda isn't on offer here.
Recent guest feedback consistently praises the spa and wellness facilities, the size and privacy of the suites and pools, and the breakfast and dining. The most common honest counterweight is the location — the busy, built-up Hersonissos strip is not the scenic, secluded Crete some guests picture — and the maximalist styling, which reads as opulent to some and over-the-top to minimalists.
Details verified against the hotel's official site and its MICHELIN Guide hotel listing.
Mostly setting and styling, neither of which the hotel can fully change. Nana Princess delivers superbly on suites, pools and spa, but it can't relocate the developed Hersonissos coast around it, and its plush aesthetic won't suit travellers who want pared-back Cycladic calm. Skip Nana Princess if you want secluded scenery or minimalist design — book Cayo Exclusive in Elounda or Domes Zeen Chania in the west. Book Nana Princess if you want big private-pool suites and the island's best hotel spa within half an hour of the airport — for a wellness-led Crete stay it's the standout.
HFK Score: 8.8 / 10. Crete's premier wellness-and-suites resort, with large private-pool accommodation, a 1,400 sqm spa and Lazarou dining a short hop from Heraklion. Its limits are environmental — the busy Hersonissos location — and stylistic, for those who find the opulence a touch much. For a spa-centred seafront stay near the airport, nothing on Crete beats it.
Best for: wellness-focused couples, spa lovers, and travellers who value a short airport transfer and big private-pool suites over seclusion.
Five-star, seasonal (roughly April–October). Private-pool suites and villas with saunas book out earliest.
Check Availability →When did Nana Princess open?
In 2018, as the design-led luxury flagship above the long-running Nana resort complex in Hersonissos. It has 107 suites and villas, all with sea views.
Do the suites at Nana Princess have private pools?
Most do — the great majority of the 107 suites and villas come with a private pool that can be heated on request, and upper categories add private steam rooms, saunas or even a private gym. Confirm your category includes a pool when booking.
How big is the spa at Nana Princess?
The Royal Wellness Club spans 1,400 sqm and is built around the Italian Starpool brand — one of the largest and best-equipped hotel wellness facilities on Crete, which is the resort's main draw.
Who created the restaurant menus?
Lefteris Lazarou, the first chef in Greece to earn a Michelin star, directs the menus across the three restaurants. A live violinist plays at breakfast as a house signature.
How far is Nana Princess from Heraklion airport?
About 25–30 minutes by road from Heraklion International (HER) — noticeably closer than the Elounda resorts, which sit roughly an hour east.
Is Nana Princess adults-only or family-friendly?
Both. It keeps a calmer, adult feel itself, while families can use the kids' club and waterpark at the adjoining Nana Golden Beach next door.
Nana Princess or Cayo Exclusive?
Book Nana Princess for the island's best spa, big private-pool suites and a short airport transfer. Book Cayo Exclusive for a more scenic, secluded Elounda hillside with Spinalonga views and all-pool suites.
116 all-sea-view, all-private-pool suites on the Elounda hillside above Spinalonga.
152 design-led rooms, suites and villas with 71 pools and an Elemis spa, near the airport.
Our ranked list of the island's best luxury hotels.