Terrific Vacation Getaway in Chania

Guest: Doris (Kurash)
Date of Stay: 08/01/11 Review Submitted: 01/02/12

The harbour-front apartment was spotless and provided a perfect getaway for our family, which included our 21-year old daughter. The view from the front bedroom was gorgeous, 2-bathrooms was very convenient, and the living/dining area was a terrific place for light breakfast / evening snack. Andreas was a terrific host, organizing transportation to/from the airport as well as helping us schedule a one-day trip to Knossos. His restaurant recommendations were spot-on, and we had a number of delicious meals.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

A Touch of Class in Crete

Guest: Heather and Norm (Canada)
Date of Stay: 10/28/11 Review Submitted: 12/13/11

It was our good fortune to rent this property for the month of November 2011. What a wonderful place from which to explore and enjoy Chania and, indeed, the island of Crete. Our first experience was with the delightful Andreas and Alexandra who manage this modern well-equipped apartment. This efficient and professional duo helped us get oriented, handled car rentals, answered a thousand questions patiently, provided sight seeing tips and more. The apartment is as described: charming, clean, modern, private with a million dollar view of the Old Venetian Harbour. Special and useful touches include heated towel bars and lots of travel books on Greece. Plus, we cannot forget Humphrey the Cat who greeted us almost daily on our window sill. Memorable restaurants in Chania included Akrogiali seafood in Nea Chora, Chrisostomos Tavern (open only in off-season) near the sailing club (both within walking distance) and Tamam, around the corner from the apartment. Other fun learning activities were Cooking with Koula and wine sampling at Dourakis Winery, both excursions arranged by the office. We highly recommend this property and if possible, would go back in a heartbeat. The people of Crete are warm and wonderful, the food is delicious, the raki takes you to another dimension and the spirited life around the Old Town are only a few reasons to lure us back again.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Great location, very helpful staff, and I am missing that view!

Guest: Longing for Venice (Alexandria, Virginia)
Date of Stay: 10/21/11 Review Submitted: 11/04/11

We are just back from two weeks in Greece, and we started with 5 days in Chania in this lovely apartment with the stunning view. Andreas could not have been more helpful, from giving directions to following up on whether the Samaria Gorge was still open (it was!), to arranging for a car for us to rent. to sending us to the moveable market. Although the apartment is right on the harbor, and therefore, right in the tourist area, it is still private, and very quiet (though I note we were there in late October, so perhaps not a good measure of how noisy it would be in the high season). The pictures and the description from the website were quite accurate, except that they cannot convey the loveliness of the view. We sat at our table with a glass of wine, watching the glass bottom boats come and go, and watching evening come down over the lighthouse, and we wished to be nowhere else. We walked and walked, visited monasteries built into cliffs, hiked the gorge, ate some marvelous meals, both in and out of the apartment (and we deeply appreciated that there was a collection of spices, some olive oil, coffee, and even capers -- the little things you need, but don't want to buy to cook one or two meals)! When (not if) we return to Chania, we will certainly stay in this lovely and restful apartment, and we would recommend it to anyone.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Wow!

Guest: I loved Crete (Toronto, Canada)
Date of Stay: 07/18/11 Review Submitted: 09/06/11

This place was fantastic, top to bottom. Incredible view, very quiet, very tastefully decorated, and all the refinements, including internet and a beautiful kitchen. Cretan Life was also especially helpful getting us in there quickly and set up with everything right away. They answered all of our questions very patiently, including the same ones twice and three times because, well, we were in vacation mode and forgetful. And if you needed anything, they were a phone call away or a short walk through a beautiful Venetian port town. Would do it again for sure.

Owner response:I will see you again next year for sure Yakos! Thank you very much for the nice review.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Memorable vacation

Guest: Suman (Sammamish, WA, USA)
Date of Stay: 08/15/11 Review Submitted: 08/31/11

This property was very clean and well maintained. It is updated with all modern appliances and updated bathroom. It is very close to shopping, restaurants and sights. The windows give you an excellent view of the harbor. It was wonderful to see the sun rise over the harbor and the twinkling lights at night. Andreas was very helpful from the first time I emailed him about the appartment. When we arrived, he interrupted his dinner to take us to the appartment and show us around and share information about local attractions.And during our stay, he was always available by phone and in person when needed. My husband, son and I had a great time during our stay. We wish we could have stayed longer. Crete is a beautiful place with warm and friendly people. We hope to return again some day to Crete and the appartment.

Owner response:Thank you very much for the great review Suman. It was very nice to meet you all. I hope to see you again in the near future. Don't forget repeat guests get a great discount!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Fabulous apartment with an amazing view

Guest: Carla (Philadelphia, PA, USA)
Date of Stay: 07/07/11 Review Submitted: 07/30/11

Of all the places I have rented through VRBO this was the best so far. The apartment was beautiful and even nicer than the photos in the listing. The rooms are tastefully designed and everything worked well including the internet, TV and phone (which can be a challenge when traveling.) The location is wonderful and the view of the harbor is just amazing. And I can't say enough great things about Andreas and Alexandra; they helped me with all my planning prior to arriving and gave me a wonderful orientation of Chania when I arrived. I was traveling alone from the United States and they made my trip really easy; arranging for a rental car, advising me on restaurants and things to do in the city. And they made me feel like I had friends in the city that I could contact whenever I needed help. I enjoyed the accommodations and the location so much that I plan to return in the future with my family.

Owner response:We would love to meet your family Carla. It was very nice to meet you, and we are looking forward to seeing you again.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Perfect ending to our vacation

Guest: Gail (Snohomish, WA/USA)
Date of Stay: 06/16/11 Review Submitted: 06/21/11

We ended our 3 week trip to Italy and Greece by staying at this wonderful apartment in Chania. The location was ideal, located on a pedestrian only street with many restaurants and shops within a very short distance of the apartment. The apartment was perfect for us with 2 separate bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, and spacious common areas. Andreas was absolutely wonderful to work with. He set up our trip to the Samara Gorge, arranged our taxi to the airport and made our stay in Chania exceptional. Our only regret is that we could not have stayed longer.

Owner response:Hi Gail, Thank you very much for the kind words. It was a shame that you could not stay longer indeed. We hope to see you again in Chania in the not-too-distant future. Andreas

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+.

Amazing View and Location

Guest: Hoosurnurse05 (Annandale, Virginia, USA)
Date of Stay: 05/14/11 Review Submitted: 06/02/11

We recently stayed in this amazing apartment and couldn't say enough good things about both the property and the property manager, Andreas. In an ideal location with a breathtaking view, its hard to get anything better than this apartment. The pick up at the airport by Andreas, welcome items (coffee and creamer for the following morning especially!!) and Andreas' help with planning out of town outings was priceless. Settled in a niche of the old harbor, pretty much everything was within easy walking distance. We did have a rental car but had no troubles finding street parking (about a 10 minute walk away). Don't miss Tamams (literally right around the corner) or "The Meatery" (as its known by the locals). If we were coming back to Chania, this is where we would stay, without question!!

Owner response:Thank you very much for a great review Carolyn! This is fantastic! We would love to have you all back to Crete soon. My regards to the rest of the family.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with young children.

Very convenient stay in Old Town Chania!

Guest: pat (Fairfax, VA USA)
Date of Stay: 05/03/11 Review Submitted: 06/01/11

I was a fortunate Grandmother indeed to travel with my daughter, her husband and their 2 year old son to Chania! The walk through the streets to the place and the arches inside give a feel of old Crete. Through the large window, we loved watching the light change throughout the day-fair or stormy weather; We also enjoyed a lovely view of the Chania Harbor with it's old lighthouse, wave-touched walkways and lively night scene. We could easily walk to harbor, restaurants and Old Town, where many historical structures and retail businesses were located. The listing was very clean and pleasant; the kitchen was up-to-date and contained ample dishes, appliances, soap, a supply of condiments, and linens. We were provided maid service mid-stay and fresh towels as needed. There is privacy for the main bedroom as it is separated from the 2nd bedroom by the living room and kitchen. Andreas was a huge help! He had an office nearby and was able to provide useful information about the region. He arranged for a taxi to and from the airport(recommended!), a rental car for our 4 days of travel, and he met us at our location when our plane arrived late in order to help us move our luggage to the listing (few cars can park on the "2 donkey"-wide streets in Old Town). For anyone with disabilities, you should know that there are stairs up to this listing and stairs to the 2nd bedroom and there is walking involved in order to access the taxis or rental cars. I believe this is true in most if not all of Old Town. However, walking to the Public Market and the nearby municipal park with its peacocks, kri-kri and great playground is interesting and easily handled by most visitors. It was great to feel a resident of Chania for our stay!

Owner response:Thank you very much for the review Johanna. It was great meeting you all. I hope to see you again in the future.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with teenagers.

Beautiful View

Guest: Pat (California)
Date of Stay: 04/16/11 Review Submitted: 05/02/11

We spent 2 weeks in this apartment and had fun exploring western Crete, both mountain villages and fabulous beaches. We never tired of the beautiful view from the apartment windows, watching the sun rise over the old harbor and then seeing the lights twinkle in the evening. Thanks, Andreas, for a wonderful experience!

Owner response:Thank you very much for your kind words Pat and David. It was nice to meet you both. I hope to see you again in the future!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.