THE BEST PLACE IN CRETE: LOOK NO FURTHER!
For some background, I travel a lot for work and have been blessed to experience a lot of really fantastic hotels around the globe. As a result, my expectations are forever high. To be honest, I was a little nervous about booking a home on Airbnb as you're so independent and sometimes that means a complete lack of service and hospitality. I was delighted to learn and discover that this was absolutely not the case at the Aether Villa!
I really could talk for hours about how much we loved this place. I booked Ioannis' home for one week, which I shared with my parents on a family vacation (it was their first trip to Greece and I wanted them to be wowed). The pictures were obviously beautiful, and the reviews were impeccable, and Ioannis was extremely communicative in advance (he offered to set up excursions, private chef, etc!), but I was really blown away in person (as were my parents) not only by the house but by Ioannis and Alexandra. They are the most lovely couple you could ever hope to meet.
The design of the home and property is incredible and reflects very thoughtful creative choices. It's super chic overall and complements the natural surroundings in a very special way. It's spacious, and as others have said, there's plenty of privacy for all, which is great. The outdoor spaces were our favorite part though - the pool is a dream (we spent most of our time there!), and the outdoor seating area is so amazing. It's complete with an AC throughout the home, which we were very grateful for in the 90+ degree heat. :)
We knew that we had chosen the best house ever though when Ioannis offered to pick us up and show us a few nearby sites - we thought maybe it would be a short tour where he would point out a few areas from the car, but it ended up being the most amazing, thoughtful drive around Elounda where we saw churches, beaches, the sunken ancient city, monasteries, etc., and we were simply in awe of the area. Our to second last night in Elounda we went to dinner with Ioannis and Alexandra and absolutely adored them. They also made the recommendation to go to Kanali restaurant in Elounda, which was one of the most beautiful restaurants and special dinners we've ever had (we went there on our last night).
Although the home is on the higher end, price-wise (we traveled in very high season), just know that it's worth it! Nothing was too much trouble at all service-wise, it was extremely comfortable, chic, and relaxing. We are already talking about when we can return, but perhaps the most wonderful thing of all is that we feel that we have new friends in Greece. If you can make it happen, book your stay here - you won't regret it.
Thank you again, Ioannis and Alexandra!