Alex helped us even before we left for Crete. He recommended an excellent (low cost) car rental company to meet us at the airport. We got a bit lost (my fault for not bringing the map with me) and Alex met us on the road and showed us where to go (thanks!)

The manager (Kola) was super-welcoming and helpful - we warned to her straight away. The apartment was fantastic - really clean and comfortable. We had a lovely balcony, where we ate our breakfast and really comfortable beds. Our teenage girls had day-beds in the living area, with lots of room to scatter their belongings (!). The beds would not be suited to adults and our taller daughter had to use cushions to lengthen her bed but was fine with this.

The A/C in the living area kept it really cool, though the bedroom wasn't quite so cool (we went in late July). The owners took our feedback and may well put an a/c unit there, too. The bedroom was fine with the french windows open to the balcony, but this meant the a/c would not work in the living room. Kola gave us an extra magnet to keep the a/c going when we went out and this helped our second evening (though not the environment!)

The pool was great - larger than we expected and super-clean and quiet. This is a great place for families with teens or younger children but also there were groups of young people who wanted to escape the hedonism of Malia coast and older couples, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere. This is a peaceful haven in which to relax, with lovely gardens and a truly crazy golf course, which we loved. There was also a pool table and a range of board games, as well as a book swap, where our elder daughter found a book which had eluded her in London book stores!

Unfortunately, we were not there for the weekly Meze or Barbeque nights (their menus looked delicious and we had hoped for this easy option) and we were not excited by the range of bar snacks (pittas, burgers, omelettes, chips...great for a quick lunch, but we wanted something a bit more authentic for dinner). However, Old Malia is just 10-15 minutes walk, where there is a choice of lovely tavernas, with very reasonably-priced Cretan food. The pool bar also served delicious-looking juices, smoothies and cocktails but we didn't try any of these as we were only there a couple of nights.

Kola was really helpful, with suggestions of the perfect way to reach Spinalonga and a quirky coffee stop recommendation, high above the lake at Ayios Nicolaos. She also helped us choose an interesting route across the island to our next destination

This was our girls' favourite place that we stayed in, during our holiday in Crete - high praise, indeed.