Noverian Scenic Crete 5* Hilltop Villa Resort &spa

We left after just one night of the four we’d booked in July, and lost a lot of the money we’d paid in advance because they wouldn’t refund us. There were too many problems in the first 12 hours. If a place advertises itself as a five-star resort, I expect it to go out of its way for guests. We moved to the Alai, a tribute portfolio resort, and were treated so well for less money. How does that make sense? We’d been catfished by the photos. The grass, supposedly newly remodeled villas, and amazing-looking food in the pictures didn’t match what we found, and it didn’t feel like a five-star resort. The sea-view villa we reserved only had a small view of the sea. The place felt run down: the tub and shower were broken, so bathing wasn’t really possible, and the air conditioning didn’t cool downstairs despite someone trying to fix it. Only the bedrooms had working air. We were told to keep every curtain closed, and the villa had just one key, which had to stay in if we wanted the air to keep running in the summer. The food menu had only eight items, mostly American-style burgers and pizza, with barely any Greek options like pita or tzatziki. Getting to town was another hassle. The hotel had no transportation for guests, so we had to pay for taxis that seemed confused or struggled to find the resort, about 15 minutes from the town below. I understand it’s remote, but even locals didn’t seem to know the place. Why wouldn’t a “five-star” hotel offer a small transport service? The front desk closed at 8 p.m. When we arrived after the 3 p.m. check-in time, they didn’t know we’d already paid through Expedia. It took over an hour to check, though they did give us a nice smoothie while we waited. The bartender then pulled his pants down to show his thong to people beside us during a child’s birthday party. Very strange, especially after several previous trips to Greece without anything like that. The maintenance person was by far the most helpful, coming several times to try to fix things or accommodate us. I’m not usually one to nitpick, but this wasn’t the treatment I expected.

I usually only bother writing a review when I want to complain, but the people here were so nice that I wanted to make the effort to say so. We got a free upgrade because we were a family with different villa types, and they put us next to each other. Since we checked in very late, they also left a bottle of wine, food, and salad for each of us. Honestly, that was a highlight. I poured the wine at 3 a.m. and went for a dip in the pool. The woman whose name I’ve forgotten, and I’m sorry if I have this wrong, was maybe Eastern European or Russian. She was very classy and informative, went above and beyond for my family, and helped whenever we needed anything. Everyone was polite and classy. Just so you know, the place is out of the way, so you NEED a car unless you enjoy hiking every day. A taxi from Malia costs 10 Euros each way for a four-minute drive, which obviously isn’t the real price. I didn’t complain because I figured the least we could do as Westerners was help the local economy a little. Definitely come here, rent a car beforehand, and full send it.

We had no problems at all, and the manager sorted out every request straight away. Everyone was so attentive and overwhelmingly nice. It was the perfect place for our honeymoon, and we can’t wait to come back.

This was our second time staying here as two couples, in a two-bedroom villa with a sea view. The location up on the mountain is dreamy, with stunning views and easy access to all the main places. The villa was clean, well equipped, and simply perfect. Service was excellent too: the courteous staff handled every request with kindness and a smile. We highly recommend the hotel and will definitely return ♥️