I celebrated my birthday with friends and family at the Villa Niolos. When I entered Villa Niolos for the first time, I stepped into a fabulously contemporary and airy living and dining space with floor to ceiling sliding doors that opened out to incredible views! What a WOW moment! I particularly fell in love with the modern architecture of the villa – clean lines and open spaces with graciously appointed furnishings. The smart design of the villa featured panoramic vistas from the living room and the upstairs bedrooms that all overlooked the swimming pool and ocean views! My room was in the loft/top floor and I’ve never slept so well. The villa was also very well maintained and super clean. Villa Niolos is truly a lovely well-positioned home in a wonderful idyllic location off the beaten track but less than 10 minutes from the Hania International airport and very accessible to a couple of lovely local beaches. I enjoyed the fact that we were also 20 minutes from the Venetian Harbor in the Old City. Coming back to the Villa each night was wonderful as we were located in a quiet community – away from it all. The pool area was where we’d unwind with cocktails and quiet conversation. Etouri, the management company arranged Yoga classes for us in the mornings with a very talented young lady by the name of Vassos. Being away from the city center proper also allowed a higher degree of privacy. We enjoyed massages poolside and simply unwound in this luxurious spot soaking up the sun and amazing views. Also near the villa is a selection of tavernas, and minimarkets easily reached on foot. In addition, we enjoyed driving to two of the islands best sandy beaches, Elafonissi and Falassarna -- both within an hour’s drive from Villa Niolos. Stella, the owner, with her lovely daughter, Anna, went above and beyond to make us comfortable – even brought home-made Cretan dishes to delight! Thank you Stella! We truly enjoyed our visit, and hope you’ll have us again!
I would be remiss if I did not expand on the tremendous assistance afforded to us by Etouri, the management company for the villa. Kostas, Eleni and staff were so very, very helpful. We had an incident where we missed a bus to Santorini for a day trip, and Eleni, with no hesitation, stepped in to advocate on our behalf, and we were able to take a subsequent bus without losing our money. Etouri went beyond in liaising with various service professionals to arrange car rental, massages, tours, and exercise classes for us. There were many highlights, but the most memorable, we my birthday aboard a RIB Boast arranged by Etouri. We sailed to Balos, and celebrated my birthday with an on-board lunch and champagne toast! The other memorable tour was arranged with Tatiana, a local archaeologist. What a fine person and tremendous tour that provided a great historic introduction to the island during our first few days of arrival. Thank you all!
Kelli