This apartment in central Herakleion is a true luxury apartment in every sense of the word.
I'll start with the location. In a word-it's perfect. It's less then a 5-minute walk to anything downtown including museums, shopping, and food. The views from both balconies are truly heavenly with lookouts onto the Venetian palace, luxury cruises, and the sea. The seaside views means that it's a little windy, but that's certainly well worth all the other amazing perks that this location provides. It was also a seven-minute drive to the airport with a 24-hour taxi stand right outside. The stand can be viewed from the balcony, so you always know if there's a cab there (there always was).
The inside is absolutely amazing as well. Four fully furnished bedroom and three full bathrooms mean that there's plenty of privacy if needed. Also, the humungous common room with two full sofa sets ensures that the kids can watch Netflix while the grown-ups sip ouzo and discuss politics. (Small aside: smoking is allowed inside, unfortunately, but there was only a tiny whiff of cigarette smoke when he first walked in. I have asthma and a very sensitive nose and was pleasantly surprised by the lack of a bad odor.) The place also was impeccably clean, the kitchen was fully stocked with cooking supplies, and there were numerous books and maps for the adventurous tourist. We've stayed in numerous high-end apartments over the years, and this one easily ranks among the top.
Bill was amazing to communicate with. We texted almost every day, and his response time was unbelievable. He responded so quickly and supportively to every question and concern I had. He met us out on the street, gave us a tour, and could not have been a better host. He even had Christmas cookies ready for us and left some staples (eggs and butter and coffee).. He truly is deserving of his super host status.
Our big concern with the place was parking. After spending some time in the other cities in Greece, we were a little concerned that the place didn't have parking. Bill told us that we could find street parking anywhere nearby, but that seemed a little too complicated for us. Instead there was an outdoor parking lot two blocks away that charged €4 to park. The lot worked perfectly for our needs, and the lady who worked there was incredible at maximizing the confined space in the lot. Although it was slightly inconvenient, don't let the lack of parking be the reason why you don't stay here.
Overall, if you're coming to Herakleion with a family (or two), this apartment is an ideal place to stay. From the communication, to the view, to the apartment itself, I couldn't recommend this apartment highly enough. Easy 5 stars across the board!