Villa Rosa Apartments

Helen and Manolis welcomed us like family and were so helpful during a fantastic week at Vila Rosa. The apartments are just a few minutes from two minimarkets, and a 5-10 minute walk from two stunning beaches and the restaurants of Stavros. The rooms were beautifully clean and much more spacious than the photos suggest. We loved relaxing on the ground and first floor balconies in the morning sunshine. The pool was also larger than it looked in the pictures, clean and refreshingly cool. There was always a sun lounger and some shade, though the fierce early afternoon Cretan sun was hard to escape. There are shaded seating areas beside the pools, with toys for little ones, plus an all-day shaded dining area where we often had lunch. Guests can also use a stone BBQ, and the garden has beautiful plants and flowers.

We stayed for 10 days and arrived to a dirty apartment with hair everywhere. When we told the host, Manuel, he first denied it was dirty, then agreed to clean by simply mopping up the hair. The downstairs room had an old mattress that felt like it had metal springs from the 1980s poking into you. We didn't ask for a replacement because we didn't want an unpleasant exchange with Manuel, who was rude, nervous, and neurotic. His wife Helen was nice and helpful with our kids, but it seemed she was also the cleaner, doing the dirty work while he annoyed guests and vaped his electronic cigarette. The bathroom was very dirty, with a tiny shower, no more than 0.6 square metres by my estimate. It was hard to turn around without touching the dirty curtain. The apartment has two floors, but the only bathroom is upstairs. The second floor became like a sauna, so it was impossible to sleep in the room without air conditioning. We don't recommend this place. Helen was kind to our kids, but the host was extremely unpleasant and annoying. In response to the reply: I have two children under three, and peace isn't easy to find, but I do look for a quiet, clean, comfortable place on holiday. We didn't find that at Villa Rosa, and we also had a very, very neurotic host. If I'd known a refund was possible, I certainly would have asked for one. Lesson learned.

The family are warm and welcoming, and the place is lovely and quiet. It's in one of the best parts of the island and offers great value.

One of the best villas in Stavros, Chania.