Villa Orsalia – Family Villa with Billiard

Wir waren mit einer 9 köpfigen Familie in der Villa Orsalia. Der Aufenthalt hat uns gut gefallen. Wir hatten während des Aufenthaltes zwei Probleme, die sofort beseitigt wurden. Es wurde direkt auf Fragen geantwortet. Es ist ausreichend Platz, der Pool war für die Kids klasse. Was für uns super überraschend war, es wurde während des Aufenthaltes die Wohnung gereinigt. Neue Handtücher, Betten neu bezogen, alles gewischt. So etwas haben wir noch nie erlebt! Dies war großartig! Wie schon beschrieben, braucht man auf jeden Fall ein Auto, ein kurzer Spaziergang ans Meer ist nicht möglich. Aber dies war uns bewusst, also völlig ok. Wir hatten Glück mit dem Wetter, somit konnten wir zu allen Mahlzeiten draußen auf der Terrasse sitzen. Im Haus gibt es zwei große Kühlschränke, was den Einkauf deutlich leichter gemacht hat. Wir würden die Wohnung auf jeden Fall weiterempfehlen.

Im Großem und Ganzen war die Wohnung sauber, es müssten aber manche Stühle ausgetauscht werden, Lehnen locker oder ganz, aber dies war für uns völlig okay. Die Ausstattung in der Küche war gemischt, Besteckt, Teller, Gläser, Tassen und Co. ist genug und ausreichend da. Schälmesser und "scharfe" Messer dürften ausgetauscht werden bzw. dazu gekauft werden, dort war nicht genug da.

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The hosting company was extremely unprofessional. We ordered a baby cot via Booking.com and confirmed it again through chat, specifically asking what type would be provided. Despite this, there was no cot when we arrived. When I called, they lied, saying they couldn’t deliver it that day and we would have to wait until the next. They even denied we had ever requested it. As a result, our baby had no place to sleep the first night. The next day, someone finally arrived — but instead of bringing a cot from outside, they simply opened a locked storage room inside the building and took one out. Clearly, they could have done this immediately but chose not to, out of laziness. We had confirmed we would receive a proper baby cot with a soft mattress, not a travel cot. Instead, we got exactly what we didn’t want: a small, hard travel cot that was filthy and appeared uncleaned, even containing a dead bug — completely unsuitable for a baby. The water heating system was also a disaster. There was only a 200-liter tank for 11 people, running out quickly. On cloudy days, there was no hot water at all. After reporting the issue, someone came only to check if the system was switched on but made no effort to fix the problem. Incredibly, they even asked if anyone planned to shower that day or the next. The key pickup instructions were wrong and confusing. It was hard to find where the keys were hidden, and when I called the host for help, they never called back. I eventually found the keys myself behind a closed shutter, surrounded by spiders and insects — a very unpleasant welcome. Inside, the villa had a strong chemical smell on the ground floor and in the rooms, causing nausea. After airing out the place, a musty odor replaced it. The washing machine was barely functional, constantly showing a door error and requiring 10–15 attempts to start a cycle. Finally, the villa’s location is wrongly marked on Google Maps, shown about 500 meters closer to the sea than it actually is.

Absolutely loved our family stay at Villa Orsalia! The villa was immaculate, and the private pool and facilities were exceptional – truly family-friendly. The host was incredibly responsive and helpful. Its ideal location made exploring Heraklion's sites and nearby clean beaches effortless. Couldn't recommend more highly!

It's hard to find fault as our stay was wonderful! Just a note for future guests, particularly if visiting outside peak summer: the lovely pool isn't heated, so it can be quite brisk. This was the only minor downside for us, but everything else about the villa – the cleanliness, facilities, host, and location – was absolutely exceptional.