Ismini Apartments

Ultra clean. Gorgeous sea view from every window. Ismini is a delightful host who personally saw to every detail. We now think of her as our friend! The apartment is quite new but carefully built in the old Greek style with solid wood, thick walls etc. Every modern comfort inside. We'll always remember our visit.

Ismini was a very welcoming host (we even received a freshly baked cake on arrival!) and the property was just perfect! It felt like a home rather than a holiday apartment, it was super clean and had beautiful antique furniture and wooden features. The garden was beautiful and led directly onto the beach where we could use private loungers. We have a one year old and he loved playing in the garden on the toys provided and also felt very at home here. Can’t recommend highly enough.

We have been going to Kalives for 20 years now and 15 of those years have been spent at the Ismini Apartments which says it all. The Apartments and House are well situated with a big lawn and gorgeous colorful flowers. Open a gate at the end of the garden and and you are on the beach where there are high quality umbrellas provided for the sole use of clients. Ismini is very welcoming and kind with a cake on arrival, fresh oranges and grapes when in season. The accommodation has everything you need, is kept very clean and if you have any problems Ismini is always there to help. Tavernas and shops are two minutes walk away. Perfect!! Beryl and Mark

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…

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 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.

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…

The Ismini Apartments were very nice. Ismini is an older woman who is very friendly and keeps beautiful gardens. The pictures on the web site are absolutely accurate -- the beach is just across the lawn. The beach right in front of the apartments is next to an outlet of cold spring water, and a very short walk around the breakwater takes you to the main beach where the water is warmer. The benefit is that the beach right in front has few people on it. The only negative to the Ismini Apartments is that they are on the Kalives town road and get some road noise -- mostly from motorcycles. It's not terrible -- I used earplugs at night and got used to it during the day. I happily recommend the Ismini Apartments.

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.

I have stayed several times at Ismini's many times over the years and cannot recommend it highly enough. The main "apartment" is really a house, not an apartment, but Ismini is reluctant to reflect that in her prices up and charge the market value because she is a generous soul and feels loyal to her repeat customers (of whom there are many). The house is spotless, the situation is absolutely idyllic and Ismini is charm and kindness personified. This is just a gem of a place and we hope to go back again and again...