Ippoliti Village

"Me and my partner stayed at Ippoliti in September 25. Lena and her family were very welcoming and we felt right at home. We were worried about some of the previous reviews complaining about paying for air con, but soon noticed this is common across the majority of self-catering apartments in Koutouloufari. And yes, it was also basic, but it felt authentically Greek, if you want luxury, pay extra for a hotel. Only comments for recommendations I would add is that it would have been nice for clean towels every other day, there wasn’t a real rota for this, 3 days had passed at one point. It would also be nice to have a “do not disturb” sign for the door, I’d often get woken up by the cleaner against my will, even if it was to shout not to come in. And comments on loo roll - if you ask Lena, she will give you some toilet roll. It would be a nice touch for some soap but it’s no big deal, there is a shop that sells stuff like that pretty cheap just down the road. The pool and sun bed area was pristine, and there was never any battle for getting a space. Overall, for what you pay, and the style of the apartments, I think it’s great value for money and I would return!"

"This Hotel is a bit dated but clean, no toilet paper provided no hand soap you have to buy your own, no wfi in rooms only in the bar, very steep hill to get to the apartments, very quiet hotel 98% Dutch the man who owns the apartments is rude and arrogant don't think he paticularly likes the English, the views from the apartments are lovely,"

"Ippoliti village is a brilliant place to stay for families, couples of even groups of friends wanting to explore the charming village of Koutouloufari and surrounding areas. I’ll break this down into sections to give an overview of why this place was great for me & my girlfriend. 1. Location The apartments are located approx 5 minute walk from the heart of Koutouloufari. It’s a 30 minute walk downhill to the beach, which looks more of a classic Benidorm-esque vibe. Koutouloufari village is full of excellent bars and restaurants, and some good shops too. There are so many good places to try that we barely scratched the surface in a week’s stay, and there is also the village of Piskopiano just next to it. Loads of cute cats about but they don’t bother you unless you’re offering food (in case you’re weird & don’t like cats). The area is not far from Heraklion airport by car so transfers take only about 40 minutes and that’s with picking other travellers up too. Personally, I wouldn’t fancy driving around there as the roads are so narrow, some steep, and people drive a bit erratically over there. There’s parking right by apartments though if you need to. 2. Accommodation - Great. Classic Mediterranean style, not the modern soulless design that most modern hotels opt for now. Lots of steps, if you have mobility issues it may be worth requesting specific rooms with less stairs, some have only a few and others have a lot. We booked a ‘triple superior maisonette (sea view)’, which has the most steps in the complex but the trade off is an incredible panoramic view of the bay. We loved the balcony - it has a table and two chairs and a drying rack. It’s worth noting that the air-con costs extra, 9 euro per day. If you are planning on doing a lot of cooking, this place may not be for you as the rooms are quite basically equipped. We had a fridge, a plug-in two burner hob, a sink and a drip coffee maker (no microwave, oven, kettle). You will need to get your own sponge, washing up liquid, hand wash. The beds are very comfy, the aircon works effectively, the shower is excellent and the room was very clean. The cleaner comes every day and she’s flexible as to when she will come to clean. She’s very hard working and a credit to Ippoliti. 3. Pool area - This is the heart of the place and deserves special mention. Ippoliti village is a family run business and you can find them at the pool bar every day, working hard to make sure you have a nice time. Lena is the face of the business, she has a great personality - very warm and welcoming and happy to help with anything, she’s is fluent in Dutch & English so she does most of the talking. Her dad does a lot of the manual stuff. Her mother, Eva, cooks delicious food which you can order throughout the day. Giannis, Lena’s son, helps on the bar and with manual labour too. They’re a very friendly family and they make you feel at home. As for the pool, it is saltwater which always beats chlorine, it’s less harsh on your eyes, skin and hair and doesn’t have the strong chemical smell. The pool was not heated whilst we visited which may affect people visiting at less-hot times of the year. The pool area is always very clean. Lena’s dad cleans the pool every night using a special robot. The pool is not very deep, which makes it child-friendly. There are nice plants and trees surrounding the pool which add to the Mediterranean vibe. The sun beds are the best I’ve ever used, they’re very plush and comfy, highly adjustable with a head rest and straps to secure your towel. There are plenty of sun beds and we never struggled to get one in a week’s stay. There’s lots of places to sit, many in the shade, if you want to sit and order food by the pool. The food and drinks are fairly priced, though it will get expensive if you have drinks by the pool all day. There are signs asking guests not to bring food or drinks from the room to the pool, I think this is fair as with it being a budget-oriented accommodation, they have to make their money at the pool bar too. Lena & family, hope to see you again one day. Love from Oliver & Becs"