Villa Thomais and its hostess were the highlight of our three week stay in Greece, and we stayed at some exceptional homes and hotels. Thomais met my husband, myself, and our three teenagers at the port at 6am. She had arranged a taxi to help convey our giant piles of luggage and also negotiated an excellent rate. On the way to the villa, she provided great information about what to see and do during our stay. The house is exquisite. Thomais is an architect and interior designer and this house reflects her amazing eye everywhere you turn. You won't find a lovelier home on the entire island. Beautiful, comfortable, with all the conveniences and luxuries but still homey. We arrived to find she had thoughtfully stocked both refrigerators with water, fruit, cheeses, Greek coffee, milk, juices, freshly-laid eggs, her own homemade breads and cake, her own olive oil and tomatoes. Paradise! She laid out breakfast and showed us around. After we ate--and upon hearing what we were paying for the car we'd rented online--she drove us to the village and within minutes had arranged a car for us at a fraction of the price. She also took the time to show us where to find the best beaches, the bank, the grocers, butchers, etc. and also gave us a list of restaurants we might like. Over the four days that we were there, she was constantly, graciously available for advice and suggestions about what to do and where to go. When the internet briefly went out due to weather, she responded instantly with a crew of technicians and also took the occasion to bring our teenagers a homemade cake and my husband and me bottles of her homemade wine and brandy. The beauty of the Villa Thomais is rivaled only by beauty and generosity of its hostess. Though it's possible to rent only 1 of the villas, we chose to take both and this was a great idea. The teenagers had their own villa (with TV/living room/kitchen and 2 large bedrooms) and my husband and I got privacy in the other one. The infinity pool that connects the villa is huge and gorgeously designed and the views from the pool terrace and all the balconies are absolutely amazing. Could there be a finer place to stay on Crete? I doubt it. Location was a dream. We were a short distance from Knossos, and also a fairly easy drive to Elounda. Our local village boasted great restaurants and lovely beaches. I confess we are hotel/house snobs. We like a certain level of luxury, but at the same time, we like to go to a place and live more like locals than tourists. In order to do this, you need the right home and the right guide to achieve it. Thomais effortlessly did everything to make this work for us. We are already planning to come back and rent her home for a solid month. Exceptional experience.