TESTIMONIALS
What Our Clients Say About Us
Crete Escapes have long collected testimonials from customers who have holidayed in the region. Shared below are a selection of our favourite reviews, all courtesy of visitors who have stayed in our accommodation since 2004 (and for 2020/1 we are sharing compliments paid to us about our handling of bookings affected by covid 19). Please get in touch to share your own feedback, we'd be delighted to hear from you.
Just wanted to say that I had another wonderful holiday in Crete and to thank you for all your help. An added bonus was that the housekeepers (Villa Andromahi) left me a welcome back bunch of flowers! So lovely. May have to take a break next year due to commitments but will be back as soon as I can. Thank you again - September 2023.
Just wanted to drop everyone at Crete Escapes a line to say thank you. We got back at the weekend after two idyllic weeks in Crete, the last 10 days of which we spent at Villa Stella Donna. What a wonderful secluded spot, yet still with proximity to Douliana with its two tavernas. Absolutely wonderful. The villa is amazing! Unfortunately some bad weather meant we weren’t able to take advantage of all it had to offer, but we still had the most relaxing and restful time. Many thanks again to you and the owners and management team at Villa Stella Donna. All very best - September 2023.
Big thank you to Crete Escapes for our fantastic holiday. The pool and gardens at Villa Dorsey are exceptional. The pool was always clean and the size /depth was perfect. Most of our days were spent lounging around poolside and evenings on the upper balcony eating, drinking and playing cards. We walked into Almyrida a few times and got some truly great meals (my daughter will be talking about the salad from Elia & Thyme forever!) and enjoyed cocktails overlooking the sea. The walk doesn’t feel far – even in the heat of the day. The villa stayed nice and cool thanks to the black-out shutters and the air conditioning. Would recommend to anyone looking for a peaceful and relaxing holiday - Missing it already! - August 2023
Hi Julie and team at Crete Escapes - Thank you so much for a wonderful two weeks in the Lemon Villa on Crete, we had a fantastic time and were so well looked after by yourselves all the way up to arrival and by Phil and Jeanette locally until our departure. See you next year !! - August 2023.
I just wanted to say thank you for the recommendation of Stella Donna for our recent Crete holiday. The whole holiday was absolutely lovely and definitely enhanced by the peace and quiet of Douliana and Stella Donna which was just ideal for us. A truly lovely villa with excellent outside space and shaded areas for a hot, sunny fortnight! And the pool is probably one of the best we’ve ever had (and we’ve had a lot!). So, thank you again! I have already recommended your company to a number of friends. Thanks again Julie; I’m delighted to have rediscovered Crete and to have found your company – highly recommended - July 2023.
Now that we are home and all back to normal (post holiday blues!!) ..... just wanted to drop you a little note to say what a fabulous holiday we had and how lovely Villa Thio Koritsia was. It was exactly as you described it – and the views are indeed stunning! We have been extremely impressed with the whole process of booking and arrangements. I have recommended you to a number of people and told them to give your site a look for some really excellent villa options. Thanks to you personally for all of your support and assistant throughout – all of your help, honest opinion and advice has been very much appreciated. We will definitely use you again. Many thanks - June 2023.
We just got back this weekend after our third stay at the gorgeous Villa Antheia in Kefalas. It was wonderful to be back after two years of the pandemic - our last visit was Sept 2019 and our first was Sept 2018 (our belated honeymoon). We would have booked for 2020 and 2021, but of course Covid got in the way. We did, however, note that in the interim the villa had been given a bit of a facelift, and included some welcome improvements, such as a large fridge freezer. Everything was clean and beautifully presented, just perfect! We love the place so much, we decided to book again for next year immediately on our return, but for two weeks instead of one, as one week just isn’t long enough! I went to do this today, but was so disappointed to see Villa Antheia was already booked for this time next year! Because of my husband’s work, the first two weeks of September is the only time he can easily get away, so options to go earlier or later are not possible for us. In any case, I just wanted to thank Crete Escapes for a wonderful stay at Villa Antheia this year - September 2022.
Having booked different villas through Crete Escapes for many years and always being delighted with the service, this year we choose Villa Antheia in Kefalas for July 2022. Wow this villa is so beautiful situated in beautiful gardens with so many areas to sit and enjoy the wonderful views and morning sunrises . It’s clear to see this villa has been tastefully decorated with care and attention to detail. We instantly felt at home and fell in love with this villa. We had the pleasure of meeting the owner who looked after us so well. The welcome pack was exceptional with not only the basics but extra special touches of olive oil, olives, honey and wine. The pool was kept immaculate by a friendly pool man. Lovely location, perfect for a relaxing peaceful holiday and loved it so much we are in process of booking for next year. Thank you so much for helping us make happy memories whilst staying in Villa Antheia - July 2022.
I just wanted to let you know that we had a fantastic holiday in Crete - the villa was ideal for our situation. Pan Cars were also very helpful with all our enquiries regarding car hire and taxis so many thanks for all your input and advice. We’ll certainly return at some point as we fell in love with the island again, not having been there for twenty years. Villa Xanthe was perfect for our party and the views and sunsets were spectacular. The location was also ideal. We’ll certainly recommend your company to our friends and will always recommend Crete for a holiday. The best we’ve had in years! - July 2022.
Just wanted to drop you a quick line to thank you for another lovely holiday on Crete – we finally got there! Thanks for all your help with the (several) rearrangements too. The villa (Magdalena) was lovely and I fear the secluded location may have spoiled us for all other villas now! - June 2022.
We would like to thank you and the villa owner for helping us have a very pleasant holiday. The villa (Andromahi) is well situated and surprisingly private considering its location. We really liked the layout with access to the pool deck from all the bedrooms. Perfect if we brought other family members. The villa was very clean and well equipped and we are hard pushed to find fault. We will definitely consider another property on your site in the future if this is an example of the villas you feature. Thankyou - October 2021.
We would like to thank you Julie for your excellent service and all the helpful information which you gave us. We used your recommended car hire company Pan Car. This was the most laid back and friendly car hire experience we have ever had in years of hiring cars abroad. Once again many thanks - September 2021.
My sister and I had a great time in Crete and would have no hesitation in recommending either your company or the house (Villa Dorsey) to others. The house was really well furnished and incredibly clean. The garden was in exceptional condition and a joy to use - September 2021.
We have been very impressed with Crete Escapes. They have always answered our calls and queries and I don’t think we would have come to Crete without their reassurances re COVID. A trip that we will remember forever! Many thanks - August 2021.
Now that my holiday is over I just wanted to thank you both for your help in enabling my stay at Villa Ioanna, it's my favourite villa and it was perfect. Please do let the new owner know that if he ever wants to sell it I would be very interested in buying it! Thanks again - September 2021.
We had a lovely relaxing time at Villa Skye peaceful location not overlooked. Sunrises and sunsets were beautiful as always in this part of the world. We arrived to find the villa immaculately clean with everything we needed, great to have a powerful hairdryer and the bed was very comfortable too. Welcome pack was much appreciated. Niki and her team visited once throughout our stay for linen change etc and were most helpful. Yannis the poolman came twice to clean the pool which was a lovely size and perfect for cooling down. Plenty of good tavernas to choose from. It was lovely also to meet the owners Chris and Linda who popped up to make sure everything was ok for us, many thanks for allowing us to use your lovely villa. Thank you also to Crete Escapes who always offer a first class service - August 2021.
We have had a fabulous holiday. Crete Escapes helped with every query we had during this difficult time which took away a lot of the worry. The villa (Ocean Breeze) is a perfect retreat for 2 weeks, we came back fully relaxed!! - August 2021
Thanks for the third booking we've had with you...all great! Please pass on to Villa Florianna's owners (and Maria - for her wonderful and delicious food gifts) that we had a brilliant stay at the villa, it was all perfect (very comfortable double bed) and we may very well book again in the future. Thanks - August 2021.
We came back a week ago from 3 wonderful weeks at Villa Amaltheia. Everything was perfect from booking until checking-out. A break that was very much welcome and needed by the family in a truly fantastic house and location - July 2021.
This must have been a very tricky year for you; we really appreciate all the very useful information etc! - July 2021
Just a quick note to say thank you for all your help and advice with our booking, everything went really well and we had a lovely holiday. We found your update letters on current status of travel, quarantining and testing were very useful and supportive. We used Qured for all our tests and their service was efficient and easy to use despite our fears. Surprisingly we transited through Heathrow T5 in the quickest time ever, only 20 mins outwards and on the return journey, from front door to sitting in a cafe! All our PLF and test paperwork was loaded onto the BA website or onto our phones and there was no hold up at check-in or on security on our return. Easy journey and very relaxed. Crete was an absolute delight as usual and obviously much quieter - June 2021.
We would just like to thank Crete Escapes for our recent lovely relaxing 10 days holiday at Villa Thio Koritsia. Inspite of the extra form filling and testing it was more than worth it. The villa was probably the best we have ever stayed in - certainly the stunning views and pool couldn't have been better. The villa cleanliness and covid precautions were reassuring and with covid numbers so low in Crete we felt very safe - more so than on any holiday in the UK at the moment. And going to an amber country meant empty airports and half empty planes and no queues. Getting a lateral flow test to come back was also easy. But most of all we would like to thank you for your help, patience and advice. We are very aware that as a travel company you must be going through a terrible time. When we booked the holiday last year none of us thought we would still be in such uncertain times. We had three flight cancellations, had to keep slipping our dates to accommodate new flights and different airports, were unsure what to do waiting on the government's changing traffic light system. In all of that you were always understanding and helpful and we are very grateful and hope we will be booking another holiday to Crete with you in the not too distant future - June 2021.
Many thanks again for all of our help – I am very glad that we booked with you as you have been so supportive - June 2021.
Hi , We really really appreciate that, so thanks for understanding and extending the deadline, excellent customer service yet again! - May 2021
It was really great to be able to get away after the year everyone has had. Villa Skye was lovely. Nice villa with breathtaking views across Souda Bay. It was really peaceful and a lovely place to relax. It was a surreal time to travel but everything went smoothly and everyone we saw and met in Crete were welcoming and sensible with the restrictions Covid has placed on us all. The only downside was when we learned that we would have to quarantine upon our return, the first time the UK had changed the travel restrictions on a Wednesday ! We are due to return in June and fingers crossed, the world will be a safer place by then and there are fewer restrictions. Many thanks to you guys at Crete Escapes - September 2020.
Just wanted to thank you for arranging our second stay at Villa de Tara. We had a really quiet relaxing time. Everything was lovely. Please thank the owners - September 2020.
That's amazing. What fantastic customer service - September 2020.
Thanks for all your assistance, Crete Escapes is the best villa rental company we've ever used - September 2020.
Hello, I hope you are well. I am sorry for not sending this sooner but here is my feedback for you.
We booked with Crete Escapes in 2019 and due to the fact that we had such a positive experience with them, we decided that if we were going to book a holiday with all the uncertainly around Covid19, then it would only be with them. We took a punt and booked flights when Crete wasn't even open to visitors from the UK in the hope that this would change. We booked the same villa that we had stayed in the year before which is not what we usually do. However, as we loved the villa and the area and we were already taking a risk with booking an overseas holiday, we wanted to have the resassurance that if the trip did go ahead, we knew that we weren't going to be disappointed. The communination from Crete Escapes was brilliant and they managed to reduce the levels of anxiety by responding to matters as they arose and understanding how clients were feeling. We didn't have to pay the final balance until a month before the arrival date with the promise that if travel restrictions were imposed, then we would receive all our money back apart from the deposit which was more than fair.
The villa (Stephania) was beautifully clean and the people who were maintaining the property and grounds were wonderful and respected all the Covid guidelines.
We had another fantastic holiday on this beautiful island and were able to discover other areas that we hadn't visited during our 2019 stay. Thank you for being a ray of sunshine in what was otherwise a rather stressful year - August 2020
From the start of the enquiry, our questions and being kept in the loop about COVID was second to none - August 2020.
Jan. Just a very quick note of thanks for sorting out our stay at Villa Maia over the past 2 weeks. It is a truly amazing villa, it was clean and spacious and had everything we needed for a truly great getaway. The fact that we were able to book it within a 48 hour period was great and a testament to you guys. I hope that now you will be able to get a well-earned break. I was unable to log into the guest login to write a full review. But feel free to use this email if you wish. Thanks again. Martin - August 2020
Thank you for your help in organising our stay at the Bay Tree Villa (1st - 8th August). We had a really good time. The villa was clean and had everything we needed. Loved the location and the pool/views. The booking process, directions, car hire etc were all very easy - August 2020.
Hi Julie and Jan - Just a quick email to thank you for how you handled all the chaos of travel during the recent months. We were delighted to be able to go to Crete in the end and had a wonderful holiday. It all felt very normal, much more than here in the U.K. I will certainly use you again for a return to Crete. I was wondering whether you had any sister company for Rhodes as if so I would use them for next year! Best wishes - Sara - August 2020
Just to let you know that we have paid the final balance, and also booked new flights 😊. We are very happy, thank you for your understanding with this whole crazy situation. Fingers crossed we have no more dramas July 2020 (Covid-19 )
Thank you so much for being so flexible and contactable. Crete Escapes must be about the only company where you can still get through to people with no difficulties in the current climate! - July 2020 (Covid-19 )
May I take this opportunity to thank you for your excellent service and understanding in what must be exceptionally difficult times for you. We will certainly consider booking with you again when things are clearer. Best wishes - June 2020 (Covid-19 )
Good morning. We should have been off to fabulous Crete today so am feeling a bit sad (especially after looking at the weather forecast!) but I also wanted to thank you for making the process of changing the booking so easy and I hope you and your families, the business, are doing ok in these challenging times. Best Wishes - June 2020 (Covid-19 )
With reference to our telephone conversation last week, I have had discussions with my family over the weekend, we have decided to cancel our booking with you. I feel very sorry and upset at this time and once things get back to some sort of normality we will be looking at booking for next year, God willing. Thank you for your chats and reassurance I would definitely recommend you, you are very knowledgable, understanding and a very nice lady. Kind regards - June 2020 (Covid-19 )
Thanks for your email and the very pragmatic approach you’ve taken. Fingers crossed! - May 2020 (Covid-19 )
Thank you for this, we are keeping our fingers crossed - May 2020 (Covid-19 )
Many thanks for the update - May 2020 (Covid-19 )
That’s a relief I was beginning to wonder what to do. It's still a worry even then but at least it gives us more time to decide - May 2020 (Covid-19 )
Thank-you so much for keeping us informed about everything and also for being so flexible with the different options, it is much appreciated - May 2020 (Covid-19 )
I appreciate, very much, your offer and flexibility at what is a difficult time for us all - May 2020 (Covid-19 )
Thank you for getting back to me . It must be very difficult for you at present - April 2020 (Covid-19 )
Many thanks for the phone call last week and for your flexibility during these uncertain times. Keep well - April 2020 (Covid-19 )
Thank you for sorting that out so quickly - April 2020 (Covid-19 )
Many thanks for the update - it's much appreciated - April 2020 (Covid-19 )
Many thanks for your call of earlier, much appreciate the proactive manner in which you are dealing with this difficult situation. Please stay safe and strong - April 2020 (Covid-19 )
We are obviously very sorry that we are unable to travel and hope that we will be able to book an alternative holiday with you in due course - April 2020 (Covid-19 ).
Thank you for your email, that has put my mind at rest. Hopefully all will be ok and I wish you all the best at this difficult time. Speak soon - you'll need your own holiday after all this! - March 2020 (Covid-19 )
Thank you both for rearranging our holiday, we are very grateful - March 2020 (Covid-19 )
Thank you very much for this. Appreciate your flexibility – really hoping things improve to a point where we can go! - March 2020 (Covid-19 )
Thanks for your efforts - March 2020 (Covid-19 )
Sadly going home to a cold rainy England after a glorious week in Crete. Highlights in terms of trips have to be Samaria Gorge, Balos Bay and Chania Old town. Food good everywhere really but Elpis in Plaka is where we went most often. Villa (Haroupia) has been so lovely, gardens beautiful and although cold, the pool was great too! Didn't use the BBQ but it's fantastic and so well laid out & equipped. Second holiday this year with Crete Escapes. Thank you so much for everything Julie and team - October 2019.
We had a fabulous time in Villa Almyros. I'm so glad that I discussed the options with you before booking as the location and the villa were perfect for us. We really wished we had used one of your recommended car hire companies as we had problems with Europcar at the airport - a 1 hour and 45 minute wait for a car, pushy staff, very old, poor quality car when one did finally turn up. I would definitely recommend your villas/service/website. You were very helpful, the website is easy to use and well designed with lots of local info and all the booking arrangements were timely, clear and helpful. We are certain to return to Crete at some point as we enjoyed it very much and there is plenty left for us to see on another visit so we will be in touch again - September 2019.
Hello, I just wanted to say that everything was fabulous. The entire booking process was straightforward and stress free and the villa itself (Stephania) was absolutely wonderful. The gardens were beautifully kept and the location was peaceful but close to many towns and villages offering delicious food. Great holiday, just too short ! - September 2019
We all had a really lovely holiday at Villa Haroupia, definitely on our list of favourites. The views from the choice of terraces are stunning, loved the depth and size of the pool, plus a great location too, especially if you appreciate a beautiful sunset. All correspondence, the travel itinerary and the villa info book were all very informative, loved the alternative rules about Greek driving ! None of us would hesitate to book with Crete Escapes again and would thoroughly recommend to others. Many thanls once again for all your help in arranging our holiday - September 2019.
Thanks for the email, I was going to write to you and tell you that we had a fantastic time. The house (Villa Skye) was in absolutely the most incredible location and the roof terrace was spectacular. The booking process and the interaction with you guys was faultless and I only wish all companies were as easy to deal with so thanks so much for that, it was much appreciated. I also thought the price for 16 days was really good for the accommodation we got. I would definitely book with you again if we went back to Crete and thanks for giving us a great holiday - September 2019.
Just a quick note to say how much we enjoyed staying at Villa Stephania. It was a really comfortable, well equipped property and the gardens and pool area were beautiful and private. We’ve stayed at a number of villas in various resorts and Stephania is right up there with the best. Unfortunately, we’d already booked for 2020 otherwise we would certainly have gone back! Hopefully it will still be available in 2021, because we’d love to return. Also, many thanks to Yvonne the House Manager who was really helpful and friendly. Finally, thanks to you guys for handling the booking in a professional and straightforward manner. That’s not always the case!!! - September 2019.
I just want to say how much we enjoyed staying at Villa Almryos. The house was spotlessly clean and beautifully situated. It has a delightful outside area and garden and is probably the best villa we have stayed at in Crete. Thank you for arranging everything - September 2019.
I just wanted to let you know we had a wonderful week at the villa (De Tara). It was spotlessly clean and the best welcome pack we have ever had. Thank you. The villa was in a perfect location with a jaw dropping view. We liked being at the edge of the village but within walking distance of the centre. I hope they don’t spoil the area by building it up too much as we all really enjoyed the peace and quiet. Thank you for all the help. A very professional company! - September 2019.
We have just returned from 10 nights at Villa Polyanna which we loved. Sea views, away from the maddening crowd and very well equipped. Thank you Crete Escapes - August 2019.
Once again we had a fabulous holiday in Crete, enjoying both the villa and the superb weather. We are seriously thinking of going back again next year but I will need to check out the finances so will be in touch. This is one of the best villas we have ever stayed in. I have recommended your website to several of my friends and I think one of them will be booking one of your villas next year. Thank you for an excellent service and I hope we will be in touch shortly to book again next year - August 2019.
Just a note to thank you again (3rd year with Crete Escapes now) for all your help and successfully achieving another fabulous villa and holiday experience, this time at Villa Eremia. We loved the location and now our daughters are a little older, we were able to walk into Gavalachori a few mornings for a quiet coffee before they awoke, which was heaven! - August 2019.
We had a such a great time in the Villa Polyanna, it was an amazing place. It was our first time in Crete and we loved it. Thanks for your help in finding the villa. Many thanks - August 2019.
A fantastic two weeks of relaxation at this well appointed spacious villa (Poppy) that enjoyed stunning views over the bay of Souda and some of the best sunsets I have seen. Conveniently located just a 15 minute walk down into the village of Plaka with its bustling tavernas. Crete Escapes dealt with the whole booking very efficiently with great communication and the car hire was so simple and worth getting the transfer to the villa - August 2019.
We booked Villa Ioanna at Stalos, near Chania in Crete for the week of 11th August 19. Although this is a very busy season for Crete, we enjoyed our stay as we found shelter at the villa. The place is very well kept, it looks and feels like a proper home rather than ‘rooms to let’. The booking was handled by Crete Escapes very professionally and all done with a note of friendliness. The instructions were explicit and there was nothing left to luck or doubt - August 2019.
We are just back from a lovely holiday at Villa Andromahi. The villa was absolutely lovely, probably one of the best we have stayed in. We particularly loved the pool area and stunning views. It felt so private and peaceful yet not isolated at all from Plaka village. Booking through Crete Escapes was brilliant as was all the information provided in advance. We booked transfers through Pancar and they were also great. Thanks for helping us to arrange a great holiday! - August 2019.
The booking was easy and seamless as were the car transfers and car hire, so all in all, wonderful, thank you - July 2019.
We had a wonderful 2 week stay at Villa Dorsey beginning of July. The villa was well equipped and homely and large enough for our family of 5. The pool was absolutely fantastic with plenty of sun loungers and parasols. Reading for hours with a drink under the shade of the garden's large walnut tree will be one of my many take home memories! We absolutely loved Almyrida and having visited some of the larger towns nearby we are so glad we opted for this smaller seaside village. We were a 10 minute walk to the beach with all the tavernas and shops and dining out with the beach lapping up to the tavernas was wonderful! The food and drink was really good value and delicious, the people friendly and welcoming! All in all a great holiday with great memories! Thank you Jan and Julie, we were really impressed with the service you offer, shall recommend Crete Escapes to our friends - July 2019.
We had a fantastic holiday in Crete and found Crete Escapes to be an incredibly efficient company to use. The whole process was seamless and the villa (Poppy) was excellent, exactly as described. The welcome pack was great and we have never received that at any other villa we have stayed at. We will definitely be recommending your company to friends / family and would certainly book via yourselves again. Many thanks - July 2019.
This is the 2nd villa we have booked with Crete Escapes and once again, very, very enjoyable. We have stayed in many villas over the years and I have to say visits to Bay Tree Villa and this one to Villa Icarus have been the best overall without a doubt. Villa Icarus is superbly equipped. To have a villa stocked with all the "little" bits you forget demonstrates that the owners have a real feel for this. Also thanks to the property managers, Walter & Isobel who sourced some gluten free products for my wife in the welcome pack. Little touches that make the difference. I expect we will be booking Villa Icarus again next year ! - July 2019.
We just wanted to say that we thought the villa