Both Alex and Ioanna were perfect hosts, spending plenty of time, despite not arriving until 10pm, showing us round and explaining all the features, leaving us with welcome gifts, providing us with something to eat and drink, giving us lots of information about local services etc. They had mosquito plugs already in and ready to zap! And there were flowers on the dining table and in the bedroom.
The house itself is just as the photos portray it; it's been tastefully renovated, it's clean, comfortable and spacious with everything you need for a comfortable stay. The bathroom is a bit small but it's functional and the shower is very hot and powerful.
During our stay and when we used the hob for the first time, the hob was locked - a child safety procedure - and it wasn't clear how to unlock it. Within 15 minutes Ioanna left her work and came to show us how to do this!
Alex frequently messaged us to see if we were okay and to ask if he could help us with anything; for example, he arranged for a taxi transfer to the airport when we left.
Within minutes from the house are the beach (1 minute), bus stop for getting to Heraklion (2 minutes), car rental company - we used Holiday Cars and they were very good (3 minutes), a couple of lovely restaurants (4 minutes) and a new large supermarket with 2 ATMs (5 minutes).
The bus journey to Heraklion was about 20 minutes and from there you can get a bus to Knossos, so no need to hire a car for local trips. The Archeological Museum in Heraklion was very interesting and the cafe there was excellent and everything reasonably priced.
We learnt the Greek words for greetings/please and thank you etc and all the local Cretans really liked that.
All in all, a super holiday!