Maria’s more than a ‘superhost’: she did everything she could to ensure our stay at her Romantic Minoan Villa exceeded our expectations.
As we planned this part of our recent vacation in Greece, Maria took time to understand why we chose Archanes and what we wanted from our five-night stay. She arranged our transportation, drove us to local sites, helped with the practical items like laundry, and generally provided all that we needed to enjoy the area. Without any semblance of intrusion, she was always accessible by text or phone, throughout our stay.
But, this was so much more than a ‘stay’ at a lovingly restored local architectural treasure; it was an all-too brief, intermittent ‘conversation’ with a remarkable, accomplished, optimistic journalist about her home town of Archanes, its ancient Minoan roots, and the its place in the world. It was one of those sought-after encounters that distinguish an AirBnB experience from a hotel stay.
Through her suggestions, we met a couple of great local chefs, to enjoy their food, their wines, and their conversation. (I should include in that group, Maria’s mother who greeted us with some of her scrumptious horta pies and sent us on our way with her delicious cake.) Through her local connections, we were able to see all the archeology sites that enticed us to Archanes, including an unexpected opportunity to visit the celebrated cemetery at Phourni.
We won’t forget Maria, her mom, and her 95-year-old grandmother who made Archanes so welcoming. We are eager to return!