Anissaras, Villa Marina

this is a fantastic place for peace and quiet and a good chance to meet people of our own age, most of the guests may have been just a tad over 50, with the odd exception. this must have been the best 6 nights sleep we have ever had in any part of crete that weve been to.the only bad thing if i can call it that is there are many stairs or a ramp can be used instead the accommodation is clean and fresh and typically greek well worth a place to unwind and relax.

We stayed at the villa Marina 30th july to 6th August 2010, on arrival the hotel looked ok even if it was close to a very busy road, we were shown to our room by Thassos the owner, who helped us with our cases, our room was not what we booked, but we couldnt have a room change till the next day as the owners wanted to check with the office, so couldnt unpack etc. We paid for our air con, what a total rip off 7 euro's a night, we later discovered the supermarket in Hersonossos sold large fans for 13 euro, buy one and sell it on when you leave. The next day we moved into our 1 bedroom appartment, this was large with a veranda overlooking a lovely garden, the appartment was basic but quite clean, they do not empty the bins on a daily basis, i think in general the accomodation was ok but could do with a little updating the same for the pool, the steps were rusting and you needed to be careful getting in. Now for little white lies, 10 mins to a supermarket, more like 30 mins, longer if you have shopping to carry up the hill on the way back. Yes it is in a rural area but right next to a motorway type road, bus stops near the hotel, only if you walk for 200 mtr up the side of the motorway and climb the crash barrier and run for your life. If you decide to stay here, Marina is a good cook and the specials are very good to try, the rest of the menu is ok and will suit british tastes,

We only used Hersonossos for the Supermarked, it is very busy and is set up for the tourists, we asked a local where we could eat traditional greek food and he said no where in Hersonossos. We took a taxi to Koutalafari and piskopiano these were great little villages where you could dine on traditional greek foods and be entertained with greek dancing and singing, plate smashing etc at no extra cost than your meal. A taxi to these villages cost approx 12 euro each way, we taxi shared with others from the hotel and it was well worth doing. I would also recommend if you walk to the beach in the morning, when its time for your return to the hotel, do some shopping in the supermarked and then call a taxi to take you back. We did have a good time here, we met some lovely people and enjoyed some evenings spent at the Villa Marina.

I was a little optimistic on first arrival as we seemed to be in the middle of no mans land and our Olympic holiday rep couldn't locate or room??

We where advised at our new arrivals meeting a few little white lies; the supermarket is 5 mins down the road. It is not it is more 30mins and the hill back again takes some doing...i would advise using the bus(in the day,they stop at 10pm) or a taxi. If you want to venture out around Crete i would advise you hire a car..shop around though as we halved the reps quote easily 120 euro's for the week. If you just want to hit the beach the beach in Anissaras was my favorite and to be fair a bit of a perk of the apartment location. This is a 10min walk down, 15mins back up the hill....well worth it!

You can use the bus to also venture to Hersonissos;star beach;Malia these are all really lively resorts through the day and insanely busy at night.

Now back to the apartment.It was very basic but clean, You get a bed; basic storage space; table and chairs; two ring hob;fridge(a bit ropey as it froze my food; kettle;a few plates and cups; slightly rusty cutlery. There was hot water which is rare in Greece ;O);a nice terrace backing off on to Dassoss's beautiful gardens with a sea view to boot.There is an a safe and air-con in your room which you can hire. The pool area is clean and relaxing, the owners don't like you to take your own food and drink around it though. This is not really an issue as the selection of food and drink is good and priced reasonably. Marina is the most excellent cook and i would recommend you try a few of her specials...they rock! This is a family run business and they all make you feel at home and welcome...and will often eat the same dishes they serve together as a family. This is not a hotel to party in but one to kick back and relax in have some genuine really good home cooked food and have a nice glass or two.If you want to party or go to a beach front restaurant a taxi into Hersonissos costs 8 euro, there is a mix of old and young which you can choose from. If you REALLY want to party hit Malia 20 euros in a taxi. Nightlife doesn't kick off in both resorts until midnight so everyone can reap the benefits.For the price i paid this was well worth the money.;o)

ged and karen just returned from Anissaras, villa marina 26/9/09 had a wonderfull time after many years staying there food hospitality is great rooms basic but spotless pool area well maintained. They will do anything to make your stay a good one we will be back next september what more can we say

Arrived home on Saturday morning after a fantastic week at the Villa Marina. Hosts along with their lovely family, made us feel so much at home. Their hospitality was fantastic, as was their cooking. A comfortable although basic apartment, kept clean. Close enough to Herronasis (about a 4 minute bus ride - 1 euro 40 cents) to get to the bars and restaurants, but far enough away to have peace and quiet if required. Comfortable bar area, and not at all expensive. Already looked at rebooking for next year ( and I have only been back 2 days).

we have just recently been on holiday to villa marina. we enjoyed our stay and enjoyed the food and hospitality with the owners, they were very helpful if you needed anything. i took my 2 children who also enjoyed it, they spent most of there time in the pool. which i didnt find any rust of anysort around the pool, which was stated in one of the comments. the food was loverely, snacks or main meals, all grown fresh from the gardens which was great. the rooms were ok but very basic, also the villa is right underneath the flight path which can be very noisey on a night. overall i would go back there.

The Villa Marina accommodation is a little dated but clean and functional, the maid comes round regularly and gives the rooms the once over, emptying bins, changing bed linen and towels etc.We had a very good time at Villa Marina and would go again!!! The hosts and their family are very welcoming and friendly, they aim to please. The small complex is child friendly and family orientated but also caters for couples. Marina cooks tasty food and Thassos provides his own delicious grown fruit for desserts.

We have had 2 glorious weeks in Villa Marina and although I have mentioned the basic bathroom it certainly wasn't a major problem along with the dated kitchen equipment as the food served in the restaurant was superb and reasonably priced.

The pool area was clean and well maintained. Local buses were frequent and cheap and after visiting the more lively areas, returning to Villa Marina at the end of the day was heaven.

I would recommend hiring a scooter and travelling to some of the beautiful villages tucked away in the mountains. I would return to Villa Marina as it is such a welcoming home from home resort.

Rooms basic but clean, pool area good and clean, but families with small children would have to watch them in the main pool as it shelved off quite quickly, although there is a separate children's area. Nice surroundings, with well kept gardens. Everybody that stayed, while I was there had the same impressions of the place.

This is a must! The food is excellent, ideally located as very quiet and then the hustle and bustle of the town is only a 5 minute drive away. Owners very friendly and all the hotel guests end up becoming close friends. Ideal for children as the pool is just the right size. This is a holiday Haven and once you have been you will be back, we have just booked for our 4th time.