J5151MHbrandonl
Google
My wife and I just spent two weeks in Greece, splitting our time between Crete and Naxos. Our trip started off strong in Crete, and we did not think our stay near Agios Nikolaos could be topped. But from the minute we checked into the Villa Marandi in Naxos, we knew we were in for something special. The hotel is just as beautiful as shown on the website, the staff is as welcoming and caring as any we’ve ever encountered - they truly felt like longtime friends/family, and the Honeymoon Superior Suite was thoughtfully decorated and perfect for a relaxing stay on the island. More details below, but long story short: this place was perfect, and we are already planning a return trip for next summer and hope to bring a few family members along with us.|||Location: Super convenient for us as we rented a car to get around the island. Roughly a 10 minute drive into town, 5-7 minutes from Agios Prokopios beach, and a few minutes from the airport. You can even walk 20-25 minutes to Agios Prokopios if you don’t have a car. There is also a small, mostly private beach steps away from the hotel with beds and umbrellas. The beach is a bit rocky, but strap on a pair of sandals or water shoes and you’re good to go. We chose to spend most of our downtime here rather than driving to the more popular beaches. Calm water during our stay was perfect for floating around and enjoying the sun. The staff can arrange a rental car for you. We booked our own, but wish we would’ve used the hotel’s preferred partner as the other guests’ vehicles seemed much nicer than ours.|||Staff: Simply the best in the business. Everyone here felt like family on vacation with you. I generally keep to myself when traveling, but the staff was so friendly and fun that you couldn’t help but let your guard down. My wife and I spent multiple hours sitting at the bar talking to Bruno (incredible bartender and very friendly) while sipping our drinks and relaxing with sleeping kittens in our laps. Everyone here is great, but special shout outs to Kristina, Eleni, Kostas, Christian, Giuliano, Anthia, and Bruno (I am terrible with names so hope I got these right), who each went above and beyond in every way. I believe Kostas and Anthia are the owners, and they are fully present to take care of anything you need and chat about how your day is going. They set the tone for a great environment that rubs off on the guests. We’ve never felt so welcome at any other hotel.|||Food: Incredible. We had breakfast at the hotel every morning and it was the perfect way to start the day. Kristina remembered my wife’s favorite type of pie and made it fresh from the oven for her a few days later. Lunch and dinner were also spectacular and better than many of the highly recommended restaurants in town. I’m especially going to miss my daily Naxian omelette and Cycladic salads.|||Cats: Personal highlight for me. If you like cats, this is the place for you. They are friendly, playful, and will cuddle up next to you at night. If you don’t like cats, you’ll still love it here. If you really don’t like cats, maybe choose a more boring place like Italy for your Mediterranean vacation.