As you all know, we love to travel as a family and over the years we have been fortunate enough to stay in some beautiful hotels and luxury resorts, all of which have been amazing. This year, with the children getting older and our family time together becoming even more precious, we were keen to enjoy a private villa break where we could make ourselves at home and just enjoy a more relaxed holiday at our own pace. So when we discovered Luxury Villa Freedom in Crete, it felt like the perfect choice.

Villa Freedom is situated to the east of Kokkino Chorio, just five minutes from Koutalas Beach and a ten minute drive from Almyrida Beach. It provides 4000m2 of living space across two Villas with five bedrooms and the most stunning outdoor space you could ever imagine. Recently renovated in 2019 it is luxurious, stylish, practical and quite honestly the most beautiful villa we have ever seen, let alone stayed in.

The Main Villa

The main villa is built from the most beautiful white stone and stands at the end of a long winding driveway behind electronic security gates for maximum safety. Perfectly positioned against the backdrop of the Cretan mountains, the villa takes your breath away from the very moment those gates swing open and I don’t think we stopped pinching ourselves for the entire duration of our stay.

As you enter the villa there is a sweeping staircase to the left, two of the bedrooms to the right, and a stunning open plan living room and kitchen in front. I think my first reaction was that despite the obvious grandeur of the villa and the beautiful, stylish decor, it still very much felt like home and when you’re travelling with kids that’s exactly what you want from your accommodation.

The kitchen was fully equipped with a full size American fridge freezer with cold water dispenser, an oven, hob and grill, dishwasher microwave, kettle, toaster, coffee machine and even a panini maker. The cupboards are literally bursting with crockery and cutlery, pots, pans, baking equipment, cleaning products, dishwasher tablets, tea towels and everything else you could ever need during your stay. The host had also left a very generous welcome pack with basic supplies, fresh fruit and even wine and beer chilling in the fridge. Those special touches mean so much!

The first downstairs bedroom has a large king sized bed, a wardrobe, bedside tables, dressing table, television and it’s own aircon unit. The aircon in the villa was fantastic and I loved that every single one of the bedrooms had their own unit which meant we could adapt the temperature to suit our individual needs. The rooms were spotlessly clean, beautifully accessorised and had so many thoughtful extras to really feel at home.

Every bedroom has it’s own private en-suite which are each slightly different but all absolutely stunning! I love that the villa is wheelchair accessible on the lower floor with mobility aids in the front bedroom. They have also made sure the outdoor area is fully paved for wheelchair access around the pool and the hot tub and put a great deal of thought into the design of the garden to make sure that it is fully accessible throughout.

The second downstairs bedroom was equally lovely with built in wardrobe space, a dressing table, bedside tables and a television. Although we spent very little time in bed other than to sleep, it’s was nice to have the option to watch a little television on those early nights when I slept in with one of the children or those lazy mornings we enjoyed a brief lie-in.

The second bathroom had a huge walk in shower which was perfect for showering the children and the most gorgeous marble basin which made me want to redesign our entire bathroom to incorporate one at home. It was such a luxury for us to each have our own bathrooms and with a constant stream of hot water I cherished those quiet moments of peace which I don’t quite manage at home!

Upstairs you will find a second living room spanning the entire length of the top floor. With double doors to the front and rear the light literally bounces from one end to the next and it was just the most beautiful space to sit and enjoy the views in the evenings or for the children to play one of the games found in the storage unit together. Here you will also find a large fire place, as well as central heating, but obviously with us visiting in June this wasn’t necessary.

I absolutely love how much thought has gone into the interior of the villa to create a luxurious space, every bit as top class as you would expect on first appearances, but with so many cosy home comforts such as soft furnishings, decorative art work and a distinct nod to Cretan design. Although we were so grateful of the luxury of the villa, the last thing you want with children is to feel as though they can’t sit on the couch for fear of dirty handprints of touch something incase they break it. We felt so at ease from the very second we stepped indoors and I think that speaks volumes about the villa as a whole.

Bedroom number three can be found upstairs and again boasts a king sized bed, wardrobe, dressing table, bedside tables and television. One thing I really noticed was the quality of not only the mattresses in each of the beds, but the quality of the bed linen too. Nothing beats that feeling of getting into crisp white sheets and laying your head on a soft, comfortable pillow and with all of my difficulties falling asleep, I slept like a baby every single night of our stay.

As well as the bed linen, the towels were of the highest quality and all embroidered with the Villa Freedom personal insignia. All towels are fully included throughout your stay with fresh towels provided during the mid stay clean when the whole villa and pool area are cleaned as well as bed sheets and towels changed. Also included are towels for the pool so you literally need to bring your clothes and personal belongings and everything else you need is right there waiting for you.

I also noted that the luxury feel even extends to the bathroom with Jo Malone toiletries provided in every en-suite. I’ve said it countless times before, you can always judge the standard of accommodation by the toiletries provided and I think it’s safe to say this it the first time we’ve discovered anywhere with Jo Malone products and it was very welcomed. They smell divine!

I also love that although the outside area is so spacious, there are also lovely private areas to enjoy on the balconies too. With the villa sleeping up to 18 guests, it’s lovely to have some personal space to enjoy if travelling with extended family or friends and the views from every angle are just beautiful.

To the rear is a large balcony with a dining area and sun beds overlooking the pool, and to the front is a smaller balcony with sunbeds to enjoy a quiet moment. I love that even on the balconies you will find cold water taps, they really have thought of absolutely everything!

The Intimate Villa

The second villa, known as the Intimate Villa, sits to the side of the main villa with it’s own private entrance making it perfect for those travelling with friends, family or even older children wanting a little privacy. The great thing is that when you hire Villa Freedom it’s entirely for your use so you can rest assured that should you hire the main villa there will be no unexpected guests turning up in the Intimate villa during your stay.

Inside the smaller villa you will find a gorgeous loft style apartment with a bedroom, kitchen and dining area and bathroom on the ground floor and a second bedroom upstairs. Although the kitchen is smaller than that of the main villa, you will still find a fridge with an ice box, a small combi oven with grill and hob, a microwave, kettle, coffee machine, panini press and ample cutlery and crockery to use during your stay.

The bedroom area provides everything you would expect to find in the main villa including the television and storage space and again the bathroom is a large size with a modern design and all the luxuries you will find in the main villa.

Upstairs is a second bedroom area which means a family of four could easily fit in the smaller villa or if holidaying with elderly relatives they could use the downstairs area without needing to manage the stairs at all. I love the  wooden interior of the Intimate villa, it has a really rustic homely feel to it and I imagine in the Winter months it’s a real haven to cosy up in.

I also love that the outdoor villa has a small patio area to enjoy, again perfect if travelling as a group for that little bit of private time. There are so many seating areas spotted around the villa, you could quite easily stay here with family and friends and each have your own personal space.

Outdoor dining

As amazing as the interior of the villa is, it’s the outdoors which really appealed to us the most. When visiting in the Summer months it’s lovely to really make the most of the outdoor areas and eating our meals at the huge dining table was one of my favourite things about our stay. With fourteen seats perfectly shaded from the sun and views out across the pool, it’s a gorgeous spot to spend some time together.

Here you will also find a large built in BBQ and even a plug in ice machine beside it to make sure your drinks stay nice and cool when you’re dining al fresco. There’s even a plug in infra-red light to repel mosquitos which is so needed in the evenings especially.

Swimming Pool

The pool was one of the main attractions for us when choosing our villa especially given the fact it’s heated which is a must when you have kids who want to play in the pool all day long. You literally could not hope for a more perfect backdrop than this with the mountains behind and the most perfectly landscaped gardens either side. The second we saw it I knew we would be doing very little else but lounging on those sun beds each day!

Having a swimming pool to ourselves was such a luxury and we made the most of every moment. It was so refreshing that the children weren’t restricted by pool opening times or even just other people in the pool, they could shout, splash and jump in a thousand times over each day without us having to worry about disturbing other guests. It made our life a lot easier!

We literally spent the whole week in the pool playing swimming, playing pool games, perfecting our dive bombs and cooling down in the gorgeous sunshine. It goes without saying that the children’s favourite thing about the villa was the pool and I just know they’ll be talking about it for years to come.

Of all the perks of hiring a private villa I think a pool is definitely at the top of the list. We also found that with no other children to interact with during our stay, the children’s bonds grew even stronger and they played together so much better than we ever imagined they could. It was just so lovely to see them enjoying each others company, being silly and loud and crazy, and just embracing their childhood in all the best ways. So many times I would sit watching them play and get a lump in my throat at how lucky we are.

That said, I think Megs would tell you that her absolute favourite thing about the pool was swimming with her mermaid tale, something she has been desperate to do for years. So far her mermaid efforts have been confined to the bath so it was literally a dream come true for her to be swimming around the pool with her tail and beaming with happiness.

Pool side

The sun terrace surrounding the pool was so spacious and here you can find four poster beds to lounge on, luxury padded sun beds, bean bags and even a hammock. I love that the villa offers so much more than your average plastic sun bed and they haven’t skimped on a single part of furnishing it both inside and out.

Harry soon claimed the hammock for himself and I would often find him swinging on it with his arms behind his head, living his very best life in the sun. Every now and then I’d manage to sneak a turn when he was busy in the pool but for the most part we all let him take his spot because it was obvious from the big smile on his face just how happy it made him.

Hot tub

As well as the heated pool you will find a hot tub on the terrace which is easy to control, has lights so you can use it in the evening and optional jacuzzi jets. It’s a lovely addition to the villa and perfect for when the evenings got a little cooler or when visiting in the colder months.

Gardens

The gardens here at Villa Freedom are absolutely impeccable and throughout our stay we had the gardeners pop in to mow the grass and prune the many trees, bushes and shrubs throughout. So much time and effort has been out into creating such a beautiful outdoor space and Villa Freedom takes real pride in supporting nature too. Indoors you will find a book with details of the wildlife and insects to be found in the gardens which the children really enjoyed looking through too.

Despite Crete being such a warm island for the majority of the year, there is so much greenery here at the villa. With a timed sprinkler system on the lawn, the grass was lush and green and perfect for the children to enjoy during our stay. They also discovered several trees which they could climb and seek some shade in a secluded little haven.

With the villa spanning 4000m2 there is plenty of garden space to enjoy and even towards the end of the week we were still discovering new things we hadn’t originally noticed. Whether it was the subtle seating area built around the trunk of a tree or the flowers which seemed to bloom before our eyes from one day to the next, it was so lovely to have that space to really just relax and know that the children could run wild in a secure and safe environment.

We also discovered that the gardens for a great backdrop for photo shoots and we took lots of photos of the children to look back on and remember out time here at the villa together in year to come. I can’t even tell you how sad we were to say goodbye to all of that space!

Football pitch

With all three of the children enjoying football this year, the football pitch here at Villa Freedom was a huge bonus to our family. With the goal posts set up and a variety of footballs and rugby balls to use during our stay, we made full use of the facilities on a daily basis and even after dark the kids would be running around with the football shrieking with excitement and no chance of disturbing any neighbours.

Playground

At the very end of the garden is a large adventure playground with a slide, climbing area, swing, see saw and cushioned flooring for extra safety. The children loved having this to theirselves each day and it was a lovely shaded area for them to enjoy when the sun became a little too much.

Pool table

In another large covered area you will find the pool table with seating for those watching, a cabinet for the pool cues and lighting so it can be used in the evening too. The kids were in their element with the pool table and we fast discovered that Eva was hiding a hidden talent as a pool shark!

Table tennis

To the side of the house you will find the table tennis table which can be folded up when not in use. Again the children loved playing this together, and with Gaz and I too, and with this being in another shaded area it meant we could stay cool at various points in the day. So much thought has been given into the positioning of every part of the villa and it made such a difference to the enjoyment of our stay.

Laundry facilities

One of my absolute favourite things about the villa has got to be the laundry facilities – I felt like we had hit the jackpot when I opened the door to an additional unit to discover  washing machine and dryer. There is nothing worse than going home to a mountain of dirty washing so this made my life a lot easier! It also meant that we could pack far less knowing we could keep up with the washing as we go. Plus the detergent and fabric softener was even included too!

I think it goes without saying that we absolutely loved our stay here at Villa Freedom and I can’t wait to share more about what we got up to during our time in Crete. That said, as beautiful as the local area is, our time here at the villa was undoubtedly our favourite thing of all and we left, somewhat reluctantly, with the most wonderful memories of our days in the pool, our meals together al fresco, snuggling up in those gorgeous comfy beds each night and running wild in the garden. I could tell you a million positives about the villa and only one negative – I’m not sure there is a single villa out there which will ever meet the bar set so highly by this one.

Book your stay today!

The lovely owners of the villa have offered me a discount code for 15% off all bookings made for a minimum of four nights, booked directly through their website here, between available dates 1.9.22 and 30.6.23. Use code DOVE15 and book your luxury villa holiday today!