Elea Village

We had a disastrous stay and lost half our money because the owner and Booking.com kept referring us to each other, saying it was their policy. The room was disgusting, the electricity went out twice in the five minutes we were there, and the toilet didn't work, so we had to put everything in the bin. The private pool promised in the booking wasn't accessible from our room. Do not book here.

We arrived in February 2019 with my husband and daughter, expecting Elea Village to be beautiful and traditional. It was off season, but the online booking said nothing about it being closed, and even showed most villas as sold out. In reality, Elea Village was closed. We had no villa assigned, so they put us in a random one that wasn't prepared, yet we were still charged for a villa and had a confirmed online booking. It was freezing inside. We were told the oil heaters had no oil, and the owner spent ages trying to find batteries to turn on the AC for heat. The hot water was off, and when I tried to shower the water was freezing. When I turned the hot water on, it lasted two minutes before going cold again. There was no shower screen or curtain, so water went everywhere. I sat outside while we waited for the owner to find batteries, trying to keep warm. The villa is isolated on a mountain hill, with no nearby shops or restaurants worth going to. There was no Wi-Fi in the villa, only near the bar, which was closed. Nobody was around, the pools were disgusting, and my daughter couldn't swim. There was nothing for kids to do. The TV didn't work, and there was nowhere for us to sit together as a family because the couch was tiny and smelly. The villa looked nothing like the photos. The bedrooms were up narrow, winding stairs that felt unsafe, and I struggled on them while pregnant. Everything smelled old and dusty, and the place felt like a cold cave. The kitchen utensils were dirty and random, with no proper plates or mugs, and no kettle. After such a disappointing stay, all I wanted was a cup of tea. We decided to try sleeping there one night. Upstairs, I pulled back the blankets to check the bed and found a wet urine stain on the bedding. It seemed to be from the family who had just left, and we'd been given their used sheets. The other bed had stains, dirt and a smell like someone had smoked in it. I was horrified. At 20.30PM, we packed up and tried to tell the owner, whose door was two doors away, but she wouldn't answer. The whole thing was disturbing and stressful, and just kept getting worse through the night. We left and booked a really nice hotel in the city centre of Heraklion. I recommend infinity city boutique hotel, which was amazing and reasonably priced. This review isn't a joke. We were devastated by Elea Village. It was a complete Sh*t show, and I wouldn't recommend staying there even in season.

The owner was magnificent, and she and her staff were attentive and hospitable. We had such an amazing stay!

The conditions were deplorable for the price, and the listing's claims of a private, relaxing place were misleading. The outdoor areas were shared, with neighbors overlooking the property, so there was nowhere quiet. The photos were misleading too. The beds were uncomfortable, the chairs and sofa were broken and stained, some advertised appliances weren't there, and some lights didn't work. Cleaning was poor, with other people's coins and books left behind. The sheets were more like scraps of fabric and stained with mold. The power went out three times in ten minutes. When we tried to find a solution, the owner showed up at 8:00 AM and refused to discuss it. She just berated us, shouted, interrupted and didn't listen, then tried to defend herself by saying the dishes were clean, though that wasn't what we'd complained about. She was offended because she had done the cleaning. We clearly weren't taught the same way to clean or communicate. She told us to leave by 11:00 AM if we weren't happy. ELIA 3 in Heraklion by Oreo Travel is a place to avoid at all costs. Don't get stuck trying to find a place at the last minute. Luckily, another owner was incredibly kind and considerate, welcomed us warmly, and had perfectly fine accommodation.