A Special Place

As three married couples we spent 5 nights at Villa Zoi and had a great time. The interior of the house is clean, simple and functional for 6 people. What is amazing is the outdoor living space. We were hardly in the house! We spent all our time around the pool or in the outdoor kitchen/dining room which provides the perfect mix of outdoors combined with shelter from evening breezes.

The drive up to the house is interesting every time, it is steep in a few places but was not any real problem. The nearest beach is about 5 minutes by car and the nearest INKA supermarket is about 12 minutes by car. No problem.

The owners were wonderful to work with, the caretaker took care of things for us each day and the local English speaking contact was full of advice.

The pictures on the website don't really convey how great the house is, you really need to see it yourself. We would definitely recommend Villa Zoi to friends and have already discussed with our friends a longer trip so that we have more time.

We hiked the Samaria gorge (excellent), spent some time in downtown Chania (a bit touristy unfortunately), visited the local vineyards in Vatolakkos (amazing Greek hospitality only 20 minutes away!), did some snorkelling (bathtub clear water) and ate great food at different places as we drove around. We ran out of time so it seems we will have to return for another week.

Our party included four teenage kids and four adults and the villa was perfect for us. Some of us enjoyed sleeping outside under the stars which was truely magical. The eating areas are great, especially the outside one where we sat until bedtime. Views are lovely and we enjoyed the drive up to the villa everytime - even the one where a car was trying to go the other direction to us! There's plenty to do - mountain-visiting, swimming, snorkling, aqua parks and enjoying beautiful Chania! The owner and their manager supported us with car hire and with absolutely anthing else we asked about. The cleaning staff were very hospitable and ensured they were around when we wanted them. We would recommend this villa to anyone as 'Zoe' is the nicest villa we've ever stayed in.

Lovely villa-luxurious and spacious
Fantastic views on all sides
Quiet and beautiful location
loads of space-sitting areas outside, barbecue
excellent kitchen with all the latest appliances
dvd and satellite-but no internet
good selection of travel and other books
Heated pool major benefit in October-takes a couple of days to fully warm up though
can be a little hard to find along winding lanes at night-follow the signs for villa Real for parking
although it seems remote in 6 minutes you are on the coastal road with range of shops and tavernas-about half an hour to the centre of Hania with its venetian harbour, leather workshops,naval and archeological museums
because it is built into a hillside, shadows come over the pool area around 3.30
due to the location the water pressure is a little low but the combined shower and turkish bath was appreciated
a car is a must and this venue suits people who like a quiet and relaxing location rather than fun-seekers. In late October some tavernas etc are closing for the winter but it was nice to browse around Hania without crowds!
John, the property manager was helpful and popped around to make sure everything was ok
watch out for the striped cat that wanted to adopt us!!

We rented villa Zoi for two weeks in July 2008. We have been to Crete more than 10 times but this was the first time in a villa.

We found the villa well maintained and it was like moving into a real country home. The villa has art on the walls and nice, homey and practical interior decoration. The view of the mountains from the kitchen windows is fantastic, and the ocean view on the pool side and from the bedrooms the same.
Basic grocery had kindly been provided for us and that made the first morning relaxed. We enjoyed many late evenings barbecuing on the terrace by the pool, if you want really good meat we would recommend the meat market in the market hall in Chania. In the morning you can also buy fresh fish there. We didnt try the pizza oven though even if we planned to do so. Two weeks go by so fast.
Allthough it is generally very warm in July it is always a pleasant breeze up at the villa.
We were 4 adults and 3 children (boys) in the age of 7, 8 and 9. We and they loved the place. It is very quiet and children friendly. The boys could play in the pool without annoying anyone (except their parents). We drove to the beach most mornings and spent the afternoon at the villa. The drive down is 5 min only.
My husband and his friend pre-rented offroad bikes that we had delivered at the villa. They went cycling in the mountains every 2nd day for hours. The most exhausting trip up to Omalos and start of Samaria gorge. This can be recommended only if you are very fit as it is a long ride in the heat. The roads up in the mountains behind Pano Stalos are narrow but the scenery is beautiful and there are a lot of small towns to see and visit.
This is so different from a typical charter holiday, and it is nice to drive up from the beach and up to the quiet area around the villa. We even saw a hawk family of 3 birds hunting every morning around the villa, very exiting for the boys.
We believe that villa Zoi is suitable both for families with and without children, and we hope to come back in a couple of years.

Villa Zoi is the perfect place for a 'get away from it all ' holiday. The villa has plenty of space inside and out and all the facilities you could need for a vacation. The views from the terraces are stunning and there are many different views to be had from multiply terraces and balconies. The property was clean and well presented with some lovely original art. Although the bedrooms were quite small there was plenty of storage space and the air conditioning kept them cool at night. Villa Zoi has a lovely pool and pool area for sitting out without getting in each others way! Zoi is located at the top of a very steep hill ( first gear neeeded) but luckily the road only goes to the small group of villas and therefore there is virtually no other traffic. The owner provided excellent service and we appreciated the wine that was left for us, although as English visitors we would have preferred a cup of tea on arrival! The villa is quite a way from good restaurants but there are some reasonable taverners within a short drive. Nothing is within walking distance. Zoi is well placed for trips into Chania which is a great place with a fabulous harbour. It is lively and cosmopolitan - the perfect place to browse around the shops, visit the archaelogical museum and eat in smart restaurants.

My husband and I have rented Villa Zoi before, and we look forward to our next visit in September together with our daughter and her family. Based on previous visits, I'm sure this will be a fantastic vacation for everyone, teenagers and adults alike.
The reason why we have chosen to go back to the same location and Villa Zoi again is partly due to the location and partly the amenities. This superb combination met our wishes to the full, and good service at the site made our stay a perfect holiday.
The owner had provided recommendations for restaurants, shops and attractions, which we found very helpful.
Summarised, a perfect place for a perfect holiday.