Manificus Villa IV is beautiful and clean. It is located high up on a hill and offers amazing views of the sea, the landscape and from afar, Heraklion. The downside is that it is very suburban, and so a car is a must. There really isn't much within walking distance and once you walk down the hill from where the Villa is situated, you hit a very busy main road (with no sidewalk/ pavement). There is no local supermarket/ shop within walking distance and so it is advisable to pick up groceries on the way. Taxi's do become expensive after multiple trips. [- It is worth noting, my partner nor I drive (as of the time of this review) -].
Maria, the host, was terrific. Great communication and assistance throughout our stay.
Checking in and out was also very simple and easy.
The Villa has two floors, with an en-suite bathroom upstairs and a separate WC/toilet downstairs. The shower in the en-suite is not fixed to the ceiling nor to the wall and so you have to hold it when showering, which is a bit of a pain, and could be changed to offer more luxury.
The Samsung Smart TV (with Netflix/ Prime etc.) is downstairs in the kitchen area, which we felt would be better placed in the lounge area upstairs, as the seats downstairs in the kitchen were not as comfortable as the sofas upstairs. This could be swapped to offer more comfort.
The Wi-Fi in the Villa is good.
The Villa also comes with a great-sized outdoor pool, sun loungers and outdoor seating areas, which are all fantastic. The Villa is private, but we did experience a number of unexpected guests... Cats! - There were quite a few wild (I think)/ homeless cats that bothered us throughout our stay, especially at night. I understand this isn't anyone's fault necessarily but my partner has a phobia, and so I feel this should have been advised on the listing, that one may encounter cats roaming around the Villa. Especially as people may be allergic etc. Because of the cats, we were not able to enjoy the outdoor spaces as much as we would have liked to.
Overall, my partner and I had a great time at Manificus Villa IV and we would recommend it especially for those who can drive. We also learnt cats are very common in Crete so if you don't mind cats, book now. The views are second to none and the pool is bliss. Crete offers gorgeous weather, yummy food, and is rich in history, so there is plenty to do (to drive to) and see!