Our time at Stylianna Villa was one of my favorite stays on Crete.
It is a beautiful home — peaceful, extremely clean, and beautifully restored to honor the old foundation. We were excited to find the house is right in the heart of the quaint village of Gavalahori, with one of the best restaurants practically right out the front gate.
The whole place is extremely peaceful, and we enjoyed having three outdoor areas to explore — the ground level pool and entrance (the pool is small but perfectly sized for cooling off in the morning and afternoon). The second floor terrace was lovely with ancient fig trees with ripe fruit flowing onto the terrace…great for sharing main meals, and off the little twin bedroom on the third floor is a door to a rooftop cafe table and two chairs — a perfect morning spot for journaling and a having a coffee with a great view of the mountains.
The host was friendly, responsive and provided a gorgeous welcome watermelon and tasty basics (coffee, sugar, creamers). The sheets, towels and pillows were top shelf, and plenty of soft pool towels were provided as well. Very comfortable.
The place exceeded my expectations and we very much hope to return next year.