Villa Elaia Crete

A little bit of luxury out in the countryside.

The welcome basket and Wi-Fi were nice touches, and there are plenty of things to enjoy: a private 4x8m pool, barbecue and bread oven, plus a gym and tennis facilities a few kilometers away. The villa is superb, with a breathtaking view.

It’s affordable and lovely both inside and outside. The spot is a little remote, which also makes it peaceful.

The view is lovely, and the villa is spacious and quiet. The pool is nice too, as long as its cleaning pump is working. But the place badly needs proper maintenance. The sewage smell from the basement bathroom is so strong that neither of the two bedrooms on that floor can be used. There are many other problems: torn mosquito screens, a dishwasher that doesn't work, a loose shower head, rusty, dirty fixtures, a filthy bathroom, a cracked Jacuzzi tub that leaks and can't be used, a rusted washing machine, a broken towel rack, unreliable internet, and the broken pool pump. The vintage-looking furniture might seem impressive at first, but there's hardly any cutlery and the clothes hangers are plastic. It quickly became clear that this wasn't really a “luxury” villa, which you wouldn't guess from the Booking.com photos.