Avis Villa Contessa by Checkin

Très bien située à l'entrée du vieux Malia, la Villa est calme et accueillante comme son propriétaire George, tout en discrétion, toujours disponible pour un conseil. Dans son écrin de verdure et de fleurs c'est un établissement bien entretenu où l'on se sent bien. Seul bémol une salle de bain équipée d'un carré de douche trop petit.

Venez découvrir la crête, les tavernes magnifiques avec les platanes ou les bougainvilliers en guise de parasol où l'on mange merveilleusement bien, les gens un peu bourrus mais prévenant et très avenant et les paysages à couper le souffle en un mot on a trouvé notre PARADIS

Hotel con mucho encanto, buen precio, personal muy agradable.

Villa Contessa is a labor of love. Charming with an arboretum feel. Simple clean lodgings for the frugal traveller keen on archaeology and medieval villages. Fan, security box cost extra. Rooms cleaned every third day. George the proprietor is super. Love George. VC's quiet location on top of the historic district with marvelous sweeping views of the mountains leading to the Lasithi plains from its wells situated bougainvillea wrapped balconies, makes it special. The place is a serene respite from the devastation of the main party street of downtown Malia, which is Bleeker street meets Key West with ghastly ATVs and no civic controls. Corner store next door perfect for cold water, fruit, Malia is under appreciated for its un-Arthur Evans'd Minoan ruins, ecological beauty and its proximity to the mountains of Eastern Crete. Its Minoan Necropolis is impressive. Good base to explore North Eastern Crete. Potamos beach excellent sandy beach. Milatos Cave a must along with Zeus Cave, Lasithi Plateau and Agios Nikolaus. All within 45 minutes of Malia- hence VC is strategic. Also, great restaurants, the Petrino Garden, The San Giogio, Nostimo and Alexis Tavernt. Athina is the local reliable car rental lady. Immersive labyrinthine pleasure walking to VC. Safe and fun for teens to wander unchaperoned around VC. We will be back soon.

I cannot describe just how kind, thoughtful and generous George, his father and Maria were right from the start, and all through the 5 nights we stayed there. I had forgotten a plug adaptor: George provided one - though I found out on the final day of our holiday that they are available to buy at the mini-mart 50m away. I was on crutches, which made access to the rooms a little unwieldy, but our hosts could not do enough for us. We were invited to join them in the evening on the patio, where they shared food and drinks with us. (The fresh figs were delicious). Old Malia is so quiet in the evening, that you can hear everyone and everything around you. During the night, the heat was such that we needed to keep doors open, which meant that the noise of the cicadas was deafening, and the antics of the very drunk party people next door were clearly audible. Nothing that the owners of Villa Contessa could do about that, but if you are going during the 'season', I suggest that you pack a pair of earplugs - max strength - if like me, you are used to a very quiet environment. We booked a number of activities during our stay. Pick ups were available for all, and even with the unexpected addition of my crutches, the people of Crete could not have been kinder. They were determined that we should enjoy our time and experiences with them. If I had known about the scooter/quad-bike hire before we left, I would have been tempted to explore inland a little more. Defo going back!