Ismini Apartments

We have stayed at Ismini's appartments two times, and the place is very nice indeed. The house where we have lived in, the Guest House, has always been very clean and well equipped. The location by the sea is fantastic, and Ismini's garden is absolutely the best. On windy days, the garden gives shelter, and in warm days, the nice terrace area gives shadow. There was also two small soccer goals in the big flat garden, perfect for family soccer games. Ismini, who is the hostess, is very friendly and tells stories of Kalives in the old days, if she is asked for it. But she is also very careful not to disturb her guests.

All in all a perfect stay. We stayed here with our one year old for a small week at the end of April. The apartment had everything we needed. We had lunch and breakfast at the apartment, dinner we had outside most of the time. What the other reviews forget to mention is that the beds are brand new and very comfortable. Ismini was, as you can also read in other reviews, very friendly and helpful. The garden and direct beach entrance are all you need. We definitely recommend this place and would come again.

We planned to stayed in Ismini's apartments for a week, and stayed 1 week more because it was so perfect. We came with our baby girl and it was amazing for her too. The house and the apartments have everything you need, They are clean, and beautifully decorated. It looks even better than the pictures. the house is big and elegant, the apartments are more beach house style. but the best thing for sure is the great yard, in front of the sea, all nourished with love by Isminis. Ismini is great, and helped us with all the information, the restaurants around are good and not very expensive, besides the playground in the yard, there are 2 more playgrounds very close so its a perfect place for the kids. the beach is also great, one the few beaches in crete the relatively do not suffer…

This year we´ve been already the third time to Ismini Botonakis Villa (guesthouse) and we can recomment the accommodation very much. It is a fantastic place for a great vacation! The beautiful old house with the large garden is in front of the fine-sandy-beach. Ismini furnished the mansion very tasteful and rich in details with antiques and old hereditary pieces. In the ground floor there is a WC in the input area. Furthermore there is a big dwelling with a well equipped kitchen. In the upper floor there are two cosy sleeping rooms with space for 2 adults and max. 2 children. The bath on upper floor is also equipped very well for Greek conditions. The view from the small balcony at the parents sleep area is sensational. From the large, wine-over-climbed terrace you get a…

Ismini's place was so relaxing! The complex consists of two small houses with "balcony" bedrooms for 3 people each, a bigger 2-storey house for 4 people, and the house where Ismini herself stays. The buildings share between them a huge lawn that is surrounded by flowers and trees. The apartment complex is located between a restaurant and a hotel, but due to the tall trees and bushes along the perimeter you don't notice these neighbours. All of the buildings have terraces facing the lawn and - beyond that - the beach. We loved that we could cross the lawn and go directly out on to the beach, where Ismini has set out umbrellas and sunbeds - exclusively for her guests and at no extra charge. We (my husband and our 5-year-old) stayed in one of the small houses. The house has good and sturdy furniture - loved the beds! - and beautiful old lamps. The terrace was wonderful: we ate all our meals there. The staircase to the bedroom and the bedroom floor are not creaky, so you don't have to worry about waking up your child when you go to bed later at night. The house has a window (and an extra door) facing the main road - but you don't hear any noise due to excellent sound isolation; and there is a blind and a pretty curtain that together shut out the road also visually. There is cleaning twice a week, when you also get clean linen and towels - we appreciated this very much. The air-condition works well, and so does the cooking stove. We absolutely recommend this place. Thank you for being such a nice host, Ismini, and of course - for your delicious cake :)

The garden and the proximity to the sea. Very quiet.

The location was brilliant, so close to the beach and yet in the centre of Kalives. and set in a beautiful garden. Ismini is such a lovely lady! She made us two cakes while we were staying! She was so friendly and helpful. We hope to return with our family at some point.

We spent two weeks at Ismini's apartment in April 2015 with our 19 month old son and had a great time. The big garden and the many toys and swings kept out son busy. Ismini was very generous with her time and advice on where to eat and shop. The local tavernas delivered to our apartment. The apartments have been recently renovated and look very nice. There are nearby mini markets with very good local products. We would recommend this place for families with young children.

Originally we (my wife and me) went to Crete to travel around. We looked for a convenient place to stay which will be close to tourist attractions. When we entered this wonderful house and garden we decided to spend most of our time there, and actually gave up most of our travelling plans. As Israelis, who live just 10 minutes from the beach, it is relatively difficult to impress us with beaches, but this was outstanding. The direct access from the appartment to the garden and from there straight to the beach is just fantastic. But above all we found great people who made every possible effort to give us an unforgetable holiday. We shall be back.

Wonderful location. Clean, modest rooms. Amazing amount of private space on the beach with a beautiful garden. Amazing view. Property owner is wonderful and couldn’t have been more friendly or helpful. Wonderful restaurant next door and many others in walking distance.