This was our home away from home for a week in early September 2018. The owner (Christina) met us on arrival. She is a nice person who wanted to be sure we were comfortable and happy while staying there. The groceries we requested were there when we arrived. The management company also put us in contact with a local chef (Chef Stelios of Petite Fleur), who came to the villa one evening and prepared for our group of 6 people a private 5-course meal. It was delicious! Location: the villa is beach-side; viewing the sunrise each morning, as well as evening sunsets, was spectacular. It is only a few blocks to local shops and restaurants nearby, in the cute village of Panormo. Inside the villa, the decor is well done. The bedrooms are spacious - each has a bathroom, nice touch. The main floor has a bedroom (the purple room) - it is conveniently located near the main living areas. There is also a half bathroom on the main level. Up one flight are two more bedrooms (the green room and the pink room). On the top floor is the last bedroom (blue room) with wrap-around outside patio. The lift (elevator) came in handy when we moved luggage - otherwise, we typically used the staircase. Pool: great to have it at the villa. We used it a few days during our stay. It is small, but functional. Parking: never an issue. In front of the house, around the corner on the street. Electronics: we had an issue with the tv - but Christina called and somebody came by to remedy it. Took us a while to adjust to the air conditioning - it shuts off in a room if you leave a door open (after a certain amount of time). This is an energy efficient system. We did eventually get the hang of it, though, we just had to remember to always keep the doors shut. As for keys/security - the house is well equipped electronically. We would recommend a programmable electronic key pad for access. (vs. actual keys). Keys can get lost - we did not lose our keys, but I can see how that might happen. Closing Summary: would we stay here again? Yes! It was really fabulous. The management company was great to work with (Etouri) and the owner (Christina) is a nice lady, who has tremendous pride in her villa. The village is charming and great to wander through. The ocean and beach are beautiful. We rented a van for our group (6 people) which helped us get around, since Crete is large island. Activities we did: Samaria Gorge hike; visited Chania; did a foodies tour in Heraklion. All recommended.
