We had a lovely stay at Cabanavillas Rio and the location is excellent, particularly for families with young children. The villa is very close to the beach, with shops, restaurants and bars all within easy walking distance, which made getting around effortless.
The villa itself is spacious and very well laid out, with a lovely kitchen, comfortable bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms. One thing to be aware of is that there is no general bathroom on the main living level, as all bathrooms are ensuite, so accessing a bathroom requires going upstairs or downstairs.
The pool area has a beautiful view overlooking Theodore Island, although unfortunately the pool was very murky and green when we arrived and clearly had not been cleaned properly. We raised this several times with the owners and again just two days before leaving, as we had hoped to have a pool day with the children on our final full day. Unfortunately, the maintenance issue was only resolved that evening and the pool did not become properly clear until the day we were leaving, which was very disappointing. The jacuzzi was also out of action for around a week before it was eventually repaired.
On a positive note, Gianni was excellent throughout. She was very responsive, helpful and clearly did her best to resolve the issues we raised. In our view, having the pool clean and ready for guests on arrival should be a basic priority, particularly when the pool is such an important part of a villa holiday.
We have been visiting Crete for almost 10 years and, unusually this year, we also experienced a problem with small mosquitoes. Several guests were bitten. We kept the doors and windows closed as much as possible, which unfortunately meant we could not properly enjoy the balcony and outdoor areas in the evenings. We also bought candles and plug in repellents, but the mosquitoes were still getting into the house. Obviously this is not something the owner can completely control, but having effective repellents or other preventative measures in place before guests arrive could potentially make a big difference.
Overall, the villa has a fantastic location, great space and beautiful views, and Gianni was excellent to deal with. However, the issues with the pool, jacuzzi and mosquitoes did take away from what could otherwise have been a fantastic stay. We would happily return to the area, but we would hope these issues could be addressed for future guests.
REPLY:
After you informed the owner that the pool ...