The villa is set a fantastic location, with super views of the countryside. The outdoor room was a huge hit with everyone and perfect day and night. The villa is well equipped and the pool, jacuzzi and gym were perfect to ensure everyone had a brilliant time. We were well looked after during the booking process and spoiled by Katerina and her family during our stay. The villa is well located for exploring whether locally or further afield, including to the south side of the island. It was hard not to stay where we were though! One nice surprise was the breeze on the hotter days. Overall, we couldn't have enjoyed our time any more and hopefully one day we'll be back! Thanks again!

We are a family of six which includes 3 teenagers so demands are high. Not one of us could fault the villa and we all had a lovely time relaxing around the pool. The outdoor living area which includes a fully fitted kitchen plus bbq was a great hit with us all. Bedrooms and bathrooms were all very clean and decorated to a high standard. The villa itself is only 15 minutes from Rethymno which is lovely To visit day and night for shopping and eating. Panormos, only 10 minutes away is a charming fishing village with numerous restaurants to visit. Dimitri and Katerina our hosts were most hospitable and provided fresh eggs plus a traditional Greek meal, all very much appreciated. I can highly recommend Villa Aelia.

After we had found this beautiful villa we hoped that the villa would come close to what the pictures on the Internet have shown/offered. After the booking and payments went smooth we were in very good hands from the owners and the agent. They took care of everything and supported us in any questions we had. After we had arrived in Heraklion in the morning the owners were very flexible and offered us to come a little earlier because they knew we had two small childred with us, which were exausted after getting up early and the hot weather. We were kindly welcomed and shown around in the villa. Everything was explained to us in detail. On first sight you already saw the villa was in very good shape and very clean. The beds were very comfortable and we all slept well in them. Most of the time we spend outside in the pool area or the outdoor kitchen. Towels and bed sheets were also changed regularly. Everything you needed to cook was available and clean. Also when we arrived we received fresh fruits and olive oil. Throughout our two weeks at the villa the owners also had brought some cookies and other tasty things. They really took good care of us. We had a private chef twice which we booked after he was recommended to us by the agent. We all agreed that this was worth it. The food was coming from local farmers and was hand selected. The cook and his two helpers did a great job and we very much enjoyed the food and the evenings. Looking forward to hopefully come to this beautiful place again. I would give 10 stars if I could. Thank you so much to everybody (especially the owners family) who made this a wonderful and unforgettable vacation!

We took a family holiday and stayed here mid May. The brochure pictures were tantalising and our expectations were high but on arrival I think it was clear that the pictures understated just how amazing this Villa is. We were greeted by Katerina and Dimitris who were wonderful hosts. More about them later. The Villa has just about everything you can ask for and more than you would expect. The indoor space is plentiful, the kitchen has everything you require. The games room and home cinema kept us entertained late into the evenings and all the bedrooms were of an extremely high standard. What we found a nice touch to the villa was the thought put into making everything convenient. There were toilets and showers located throughout the villa and outdoor space. These facilities were also spacious and of high standard. The games room also had a small kitchenette, which although we didn’t make use of, it was clear how useful that could be if there were younger children at the villa. As other reviews have stated, the outdoor space is where we spent most of the time. It has a fully functioning kitchen and a place to eat and relax and apart from the pool side, was the main gathering point for the family to all get together. It’s also worth mentioning that some of Cretes top attractions are accessible from the villa via a car. Rethymno has a beautiful old town and harbour which is well worth exploring and only 15 minutes from the villa. There are also plenty of nearby places to buy food and we chanced upon a very good bakery I think somewhere in Skaleta. Back to the hosts. We had a wonderful greeting on our arrival. They were both friendly, knowledgable and helpful. At no point did we feel we couldn’t approach them or ask for advice on places to go. Dimitris resolved a minor issue very quickly and Katerina generously offered up some home cooked dishes during our stay. For me the hosts can make a difference to your stay and these personal touches only enhanced it. So thank you to you both. Overall I found myself in a difficult position when writing the review. A small part of me wants to keep this villa a secret so not many people know about it. But overwhelmingly, I want everyone to know what a great place this is and endorse this villa as much as I can. We didn’t have enough time to see all of what Crete has to offer so we will be returning in the near future and at the top of our list would be come come back to this villa.

If I could build my own villa, it would be exactly like the Aelia Residence! It is indeed a luxurious house that feels like home and has everything you need to enjoy a perfect villa holiday and being set in beautiful gardens with plenty of space for the whole family, it really can't get any better!

This is a villa of our dreams! Beautiful and well kept. And the surroundings! It is not so often you have a view to sea, mountains, garden and pool all together. We were very well taking care of before our stay by Valia; getting a lot of hints and help with the car renting etc. Whatever requests or minor issues we had during the stay were taken care of smoothly and efficiently by Dimitris & co. And we also warmly welcomed the fresh eggs, pastries, olive oil and traditionally cooked lamb that we were lucky to receive. End of April to beginning of May is a perfect time to avoid the crowds and enjoy a lot of greenery and flowering. We enjoyed the sunbathe, swimming, jacuzzi, walks and cycling. Highly recommend to rent a car to see more attractions. This company of 7 adults from twenties to their fifties loved our stay and highly recommend this villa. Hope to come back some day!

We visited this fantastic house two families (4 children and 5 adults) in october 2018 and it was great. Extremly spacious and lot's of luxury and every detail in this house is carried out superbly. The pool house with hot tub was very popular among the kids combined with the out door pool. The house looks good when you see the pictures - but nevertheless it was stunning to arrive and do the first tour arround the house. Our hosts Katarina and Dimitris were great and very attentive. We felt us very welcome. We highly recommend this place. Ulrikke and Christian, Denmark

Villa Aelia Residence is a fantastic newly built villa located in an olive grove away from main roads and with a wonderful host family whose attention to detail is excellent. The villa is stunning with all the facilities one could ask for on a family holiday plus some extra. The pool is incredibly clean, the gym area is well equipped and the indoor cinema makes a useful space for time spent indoors. There is also a full size pool table and massage room on the lower level. The décor and comfort of the villa is faultless but without doubt the star of this amazing holiday home is the area next to the pool equipped with it’s own kitchen area, dinning table, comfy seating, toilet, shower and hot tub! The only sad thing about Villa Aelia for us was that we didn’t get to spend much time in the amazing main villa as 95% of our time was spent in this area by the pool!!!! The features throughout the property are too many to mention but as an example the roof of the outside area electronically opens to allow either the sunshine in the day to flood in or the night sky to be admired during an evening meal. The owners were undoubtably the most hospitable we have come across in our many years of villa holidays. They are so attentive and we wish them every success with their superb new villa in the future. The only problem with recommending Villa Aelia so highly is that we expect it to be booked out from now on so may not be able to return as often as we would like. However, we have thought about this for next year and already have a booking for June 2019! Places visited Panormos village – nice tavernas, shops. Klados Winery – informative and fun wine tasting in a small family run winery. Spilies beach – small secluded cove with taverna and beach bar, hard to find so worth going to. Melidoni Cave – single cave with some interesting features, 4 euro entry, nice drive to get there and we combined with the Klados winery. Agios Antonios Gorge – a picturesque gorge with various routes to explore with varying degrees of exertion from easy walking to boulder clambering. Rethymno – closest town to the villa, numerous tavernas (favourite one Alana restaurant), beaches, shops in the old town. Asteri – inland village 15 min drive from villa, go to Poliou House taverna on a Thursday evening for meal with traditional Greek music and dance. Had good sports / relaxation massage by Alex in the massage room – contact details for Alex can be found at the villa.

Superb villa with luxurious facilities and amazing hosts in Katarina and Dimitris. Just a wonderful house with an added house ( the pool house) included. With 3 teenagers and a 10 year old with us, there was so much for everyone to do (pool table, PS4, hot tub as well as excellent Wi-fi) we rarely left the property. Our hosts were incredibly kind to keep us supplied in fresh eggs, cakes and even a wonderful dinner ready to go one evening. We travel a lot on business and this is the quality of a luxury boutique hotel... just for us Thank you Katarina and Dimitris and wish you a successful seasons rentals... you deserve it!

The villa was amazing and the owners were really helpful and kind. They even supplied fresh eggs olive oil and vegetables from their garden (and they delivered two lovely home cooked Greek meals!) We particularly liked the outdoor cooking and living area - wonderful!!