Luxurious Villa Imperial over the Souda Bay for Ocean Loving Guests, near Chania in Crete

From the moment you arrive, you know there is something very special about this crispy white Cretian oasis, that has since become one of my favorite magical places on Earth. The villa is modern, comfortable, luxuriously decorated and for my chef-extraordinare husband, it had everything he needed to create gorgeous al fresco feasts that we all enjoyed. With a spacious poolside area, everyone found their comfortable relaxing spots - from covered terraces to the infinity pool to shaded cabanas to scenic balconies. We arrived as a 3-generation family of 14 traveling together for the first time. This villa's beautiful design and thoughtful arrangement had plenty of space for private times, as well as together times over meals and game nights. As someone who yearns for the sea, the 3 minute comfortable descent to a private spot on the rocks and an easy, ladder-assisted dip into a crystal cove waters was simply unforgettable. I enjoyed twice daily swim to the opposite side sandy beach and back, floating and snorkeling in the most serene waters and watching the kids practice their cliff dives. This was my happy place and I could access it whenever I wanted. Our unforgettable stay was most notably magnified by the genuine warmth and unmatched hospitality of our host - Mary. From trouble shooting and having "yes we can" attitude (with all the commotion we managed to leave one of our suitcase in the middle of the airport and only realized 4 hours later and 2.5 hours away) to setting up storybook-worthy experiences (magical rooftop sunset in Chania restaurant) to relaxing, spiritual in-villa massages to birthday lamb roast feast...we are most grateful for Mary's attentiveness and dedication to showing us the best Cretian experiences. We loved everything about our stay and will be back!

My husband and I recently returned from an amazing visit to Villa Imperial on the island of Crete. We had planned a family reunion with our two daughters and families and reserved the Villa for three weeks. We could not have been more pleased – the Villa is incredibly private – sits on its own peninsula with a large infinity pool and amazing views all around. The outdoor space was filled with an incredible dining room table, where we had the majority of our meals. The Villa itself was very luxurious – 6 large bedrooms, each with its own bathroom and large rain shower. ‘Love’ who took care of us kept Villa Imperial to a high standard – she came every day to clean and provide fresh linens and it was a pleasure to see her smiling face every morning! A special treat for the family was to make the short walk down to the sea to swim in the crystal clear water and we even managed to swim across the bay to the local beach and bar – great fun! What made Villa Imperial such an amazing and unforgettable experience with the constant attention we received from the Villa owners Mary and Dimitius. They were at the airport when we arrived and made sure we got safely to the Villa, took us to the grocery store to ensure we know where everything was and also to recommend the favorite cheeses we should try. Mary was in touch every day to make reservations at the best restaurants with the best tables and reserved the best beach chairs when we were visiting the local beaches. A very special memory was the ‘Creatian Breakfast’ that Mary and Love prepared for us on one of our last mornings. We highly recommend a visit to Villa Imperial - the Villa itself is an incredible experience which is only made better by the personal attention and the amazing experiences we had as a result of Mary’s recommendations. Joe and Christine

We booked this villa as our wedding venue. It was the perfect setting, with Mary being the most helpful and considerate wedding planner and host. The villa itself is stunning and a quick and easy walk into the village of Marathi which hosted local restaurants and a lovely beach. There were 13 of us comfortably staying in the villa for the week and we had the most amazing time. We bbq’d every night by the pool. Each bedroom in the villa comes with a unique design and it’s own bathroom! We cannot thank Mary enough for all that she had done to organise such a perfect wedding day and holiday.