Absolutely fantastic stay at Villa Arietta.
The villa itself is lovely, immaculately clean. The outside space is very generous with a great area for BBQ and dining. It is positioned on the hillside with amazing views across the valley to the sea. The villa is detached with no nearby properties, the only noise you will hear is the odd distant dog barking and cockerel crowing.
There were lots of lovely touches including luxurious toiletries and complimentary slippers. On arrival we were greeted by the incredibly friendly Arietta and a welcome pack of some local produce including wine, some baked goodies, olives and snacks awaited us - perfect after travelling.
We stayed for a week, halfway through which the villa was cleaned and some freshly baked treats were also left for us - it was like the afternoon cake you get when you stay in a ski chalet! The BBQ was already set up with kindling and ready to light. If you have kids there are also some floats, noodle etc for the pool.
During our stay my husband realised he had left his phone charger at home and none of the other cables fitted (huawei). I messaged Arietta to ask if she knew of a phone shop nearby so we could buy a charger. She replied saying her husband was nearby and would pop in with a selection of chargers to see if one would fit. This was completely over and above service as it was, but when none of her husbands cables worked he even offered to go and buy one for us! We really didn't want them to go out of their way so declined, however we were really touched by the 'nothing is a problem' aspect of service.
It was lovely to find out later, that the villa was actually Arietta's grandmother's home that they had kept in the family and refurbished.
It is around an hour's drive from the airport - an easy drive at that. About 1.5hours to the Samaria gorge if you want to visit.
You will require a car to stay here, however we hired one (booked in advance) and collected/dropped off to the airport for only around £130 for the week.
The town on Kissamos is only a 5 min drive away and there are some lovely Tavernas to eat at within 20mins. Particular recommendations are Kalipso and Antama- both traditional Cretan food.
Stay here, you won't be disappointed.