Koutrakis Villas

1 reader found this review helpful

We were a little apprehensive for our second week stay as we had spent our first week in Stalis with no problem. Right from the start you are made to feel extremely welcome as though you are old friends. Our first trip to the bar the drinks were on the house. Thanks Demitri.
The apartment was very clean and spacious with the cleaners in every day, towels changed 3 times and bedding twice. The bar area and pool is exactly as it is in the brochure and by mid-day you are thankful for that breeze from the sea. Steve and I went,most mornings, rock hopping on the rocks which were a one minute walk across the road, from the apartments. We managed to find a few fish and crabs in the rock pools and several different breeds of flip flops! The girls behind the bar...Jen & Rach.. what little gems and hard workers. Nothing too much to make your stay a good one. You must try Jen's breakfast. The first time I'd had a runny egg any where in Crete mmm. Rach I hope your brothers wedding went well. We would love to have seen you in that red dress. Dan sends you both a kiss xx and a bit of lip! I will send copies of the photos as soon as I can. I'll miss our bar time gossips!
Demitri, Lista and Mina all worked very long hours and very hard and the bar stays open until the last person leaves. (Normally us!!) There are quiz nights, BBQ nights with Greek dancing and karaoke nights. If Bruce Willis (you know who I mean Colin) is reading this I hope you let the other girls and boys play nicely with your Karaoke machine!
The harbour area is beautiful and with some good restaurants and plenty of sunset tables- but beware, Sissi is a quite little place and whilst it is next door to Malia there is not a lot there for the young. Anyway signing off TTFN Steve, Julie & Daniel xxx

My friends and I (Maureen, Luke and Jackie) have just returned from a very enjoyable time at the Kourtakis Apartments.
The apartment was clean and spacious and we had a lovely view. It also provided an iron and ironing board plus a hair dryer. Dimitris and his wife Litsa plus the staff could not have been more friendly and helpful.
The pool area is quite small but is was sufficient for those of us who used it every day. This was also very clean. The apartments are not far from the harbour where there are lovely restaurants and bars. The Koutrakis apartments organise BBQ's with quiz nights and Karaoke which has a good atmosphere and where you are able to meet other people. They also serve a wonderful English breakfast to set you up for the morning! We really recommend these apartments and hope you have as good as time as we did.

We've just returned from an enjoyable week at the Koutrakis apartments in Sissi.
We were pleased with the apartment which was very spacious and clean. It was well stocked with an iron and ironing board, hairdryer, toaster and dining table. You couldn't cook a three course meal on the hot plate but it's adequate for a plate of pasta.
It's a relaxed and friendly place and perfect if you want a chilled out holiday. They have organised karaoke and barbeque nights but there's no pressure to attend. We had a great time at the barbeque night, and the atmosphere encourages you to chat to other people.
It's only a short walk to the harbour which has a few restaurants and bars. The pool area is a bit small, but you can go next door which has a bigger pool if that bothers you.
We would definitely go back to the Koutrakis apartments, and are considering returning next year.

I have just returned from our holiday on the island of Crete, staying at the Koutrakis apartments.
I would like to firstly say that we are well travelled and thought we had seen it all. We were wrong. The happy friendly atmosphere was immediate.
After a long delay before our outbound flight we were ready to kill. This feeling was soon left far behind because as we stepped off of the coach outside of the apartments we were greeted as if we had been there many times or they mistook us for family.
This was not a PR trick for new arrivals; this was extended throughout our whole stay.
The room was very spacious described by many as akin to the Tardis.
Bins cleaned every day. Towels changed 3 times in our one week stay. The bedding changed mid week.
There has to be something said for Dimitri and his family, who put on an outstanding show of hospitality, BBQ night with dancing and Karaoke, What a night.
And when he has a good crowd he gets the bar staff to concoct cocktails.
Well done to those too. It’s that good we are on the internet now booking our return.

We stayed in Koutrakis Apartments in September, and unfortunately, we were not impressed.
Koutrakis is situated in a nice part of Sissi, right on the sea front. To be honest, this is where the 'positives' stop.
The rooms in themselves, were OK and our room was spacious. However, I think the term 'Self-Catering' should be used very lightly here as there is only a fridge and one of those white metal mobile 'hob's' with 2 rings and that's it on the worktop! I'm not sure I would have got a lot of cooking done in there! However, the worst part was the noise. So noisy. There is a dustcart that comes every morning between 06.30 and 09.30 to empty the bins outside the apartments. The dustcart would sit outside our room (typical) for 5 minutes before leaving again. So, there will no need for an alarm clock if you stay here because I can assure you the dustcart will wake you up every morning!
The walls are also very thin and you can hear your neighbours phone's beeping with text messages, and conversations. We happened to be on the 2nd floor, which meant we had the noise of 2 rooms either side of us as well as the noise from the rooms below and above us. Should you have a room by the pool you will be kept awake until gone midnight with the Karaoke nights and BBQ nights and god know what else!
However, not all rooms are spacious. We know someone that stayed in a room that was the size of a broom cupboard with hardly any natural light at all. They were only moved half way through their holiday.
They have quite a small pool, and the pool area is not secluded from people walking past the hotel along the sea front at all and there was no effort to make the pool area 'comfy' at all. This put us off using the hotel pool and we went elsewhere. The pool bar was OK. The drinks were reasonably priced, but the food was not good at all. 5 euros for a Greek Salad with cheap, fake Feta cheese! We also did not use the pool bar after that one occasion.
And finally, the staff and owners: The Albanians who clean your room do not clean them properly. Our room was disgusting after the end of the 1st week. We figured out that if you have one item in the bathroom, they will not clean the bathroom. If you leave one item on the bed, they will not make the bed. So in the end I had to take everything out of the bathroom just so they would clean it, and leave my nightwear off the bed so they would change the sheets. And the owners are not particularly helpful or friendly. They did as little as possible to help us throughout our stay.
However, having said all this, our 2 weeks at Koutrakis was a cheap holiday so you obviously do not expect luxury. But cleanliness is one thing that you should get however much you pay, and being helpful and friendly costs nothing. I hope Koutrakis take note of this. We will not stay there again.

We have just returned from the Koutrakis and had a wonderful stay. We booked after reading the reviews and agree with most of what is written. There were 2 adults and 2 children in the party and we found the apartments spacious clean and accommodating. The only down side was staying in August as one would expect it was hot.
The only air conditioned area is the main bedroom so the additional bedding area got very hot at night! A little misleading as we took it the apartment would be air conditioned. There are however additional facilities which you would not find in self catering units i.e. hairdryer and iron and ironing board. The kitchenette is basic with only 2 electric rings so near on impossible to prepare a dinner if you so require! The pool area is nice although as there is 26 apartments catering to 2-5 people each and we estimated 50 sun beds is what could fit around the pool area - well you do the math!
The family are accommodating and also have additional staff who speak English. Rachael is there at the moment who is wonderful. Very helpful and full of advice for the area and where to eat. She sorted out an alarm clock when we had an early morning for an excursion! Thanks you Rachael! We found lots of good places to eat and have to highly recommend Aura in the town. We had snacks and dinners there. The place is immaculate is family run and service is superb.
We can highly recommend a fresh fruit salad which is of the highest quality. The atmosphere is lovely here as you sit right on the area overlooking the harbour and it is very relaxing. We can say the same for Mamma Mia (next door) for excellent Italian and massive Pizza and Puloros all based around the harbour. The beach is basic however worth a walk to boufos to catch some waves. The excursions were ok but not spectacular. Spinalonga worth a visit and the Cretan night entertainment was good but food in both cases a let down and basic be warned if you take children they are allocated on 2 drinks for the whole night!. Sissi is a nice resort however we could not work out if the amount of disused or half finished buildings were a sign of an up and coming area or a past it one.
The only supermarket near the Koutrakis is expensive as it has a captive market. Marshmallow is a little gift shop near the supermarket and the lady who owns it is English and as well as having nice gift selection is also helpful and has good ideas. All in all a lovely holiday and Dimitris the owner makes a point of saying goodbye personally to his guests. The BBQ night run by the Koutrakis is a great way to get to know others and food is good and plentiful.

Our apartment was very clean, well equipped and pleasant, with a good sized balcony to sit and admire the view and relax. The Koutrakis Apartments. seem to be well kept, and you get the bonus of a view of the beautiful sunsets over the bay of Malia.
We had been allocated apt. 123, next to the bar but were immediately found another one when we requested somewhere a little quieter. All of the family and staff were very helpful and the bar food was good, especially at the barbeque night.
The harbour and town, though small, are nice to wander round with plenty of places to eat, and Sissi is a good base for exploring the surrounding area. The Olympic excursions as usual are well worth trying, (buy 2 get 1 free!).
We had our best meals at the Miramare, overlooking the harbour, and the Koulokos Taverna (White walls with the occasional blue painted rock), on the back road.
We had one meal at the Palm Bay Hotel, and after reading the previous review I shall assume that we went on the chef's night off. The surroundings are indeed beautiful though, and it was the only meal of the week that disappointed.
All in all, it was a good, relaxing holiday. Sissi is in a beautiful part of Crete, and while it's not a beach lover's ideal spot, the surrounding countryside and scenery make it well worth a stay.

The Koutrakis Apartments are very well equipped, electric kettle, toaster, iron, fridge, two ring electric hob & plenty of kitchen equipment, clean & tidy. Not suitable for two couples sharing as there is only one double bed & two fixed singles. Note that you only get 1 loo roll provided - after that you have to buy your own! Our shower attachment was broken, and although we did request it was fixed - it was not done (anyone who stays in room 123 please advise if fixed!)
Safe deposit box (14 Euros per week) & air conditioning (7 euros per night) extra charge and as our apartment was on the ground floor, directly opposite the bar - these were a must. A little noisy being situated here, but there are other apartments are situated away from this area.
The breakfast served here is one of the best in Sissi. The owners are very welcoming and their English is excellent.
The area surrounding the pool is a little small, to get a good position for your sun bed - get up early! But the pool and surrounding area is very clean & tidy. Sissi is a beautiful, picturesque village, approx 10 - 15ins walk from the apartments, the choice of souvenir shops is very limited, but there are plenty of places to eat. Mamma Mia's Italian - lovely Stone baked pizzas.
In Crete we were a little disappointed in the choice of food, it would appear that there are approx 25 dishes catered for the British palate throughout Crete, each of these have been photographed and appear on EVERY menu! Would recommend the Palm Bay Hotel for an evening meal - beautiful surroundings and delicious food.
A short walk will take you to the harbour beach which is small, but ideal for snorkeling. Be aware that the sand shelves quite quickly and the harbour is very deep in the middle. Would not recommend that you leave children unattended. There are lovely rock pools for the younger kids. If using the beach bar - check your change very carefully!
There are other beaches in the area - but none that could be described as within reasonable walking distance. To visit the resorts of Ag Nick or Malia the bus stop on the new National Road is quite a hike (not recommended ladies unless you have very sensible shoes on!) and they only run approx every hour. Taxi to Malia approx 12 euros and the staff at the Koutrakis will ring for one for you. Malia worth a visit - but anyone over the age of 25, or suffering from a heart condition - forget it - you will feel like an OAP! Have never seen so much bare flesh!
On the whole highly recommended - apartments match Olympic brochure description. Resort Rep, very knowledgeable. Suitable for couples / young families, but not suitable for anyone looking for nightlife.

We stayed at the Koutrakis Villas in Sissi at the beginning of June 2006.
The accommodation was clean, bright and very spacious. The kitchen included everything you would need if you wanted to cook, but why would you - you're on holiday!
The swimming pool whilst not very big is a good size with stunning views overlooking the sea and sun beds, umbrellas, tables and chairs available free of charge. The atmosphere at the pool bar in the evenings was excellent and great fun, with the owners Dimitris and Litsa making you feel very welcome and very much at home.
The entertainment was covered with a Greek Night and BBQ and a Quiz Night. The main meal was absolutely delicious and followed by two traditional Greek deserts or fresh fruit. The Greek dancing was good fun and certainly gave you enough exercise to accommodate all the food eaten! This was followed later in the evening by karaoke.
The multiple choice questions at the Quiz Night made the evening very enjoyable and not too taxing - just what was needed at the end of the day. All in all our holiday was a completely success.
Sissi is a beautiful place and Koutrakis Villas is a wonderful place to stay. The owners are very welcoming and hospitable, and the bar staff are very helpful and friendly. Nothing is too much trouble.
I would highly recommend both the resort and the accommodation and will definitely be booking to go back again later this year!

Had a an excellent time. Would recommend to any one.
The apartments were kept very clean. Cleaners came once a day to empty bins, every few with clean sheets and towels.
The family that run it were very welcoming and friendly. Mena speaks exceptional English so communication was very easy. Melissa started on our second week and she really is lovely. Litza and Dimitri were also very nice. I was sad to leave them behind but I have lots of pics of us to remember them by.
On a Wednesday night is bbq night, great Greek food and sweets at an excellent price and it was eat as much as you can. Yum! afterwards there is Greek dancing and a karaoke. I’m not much of a singer but joined in the dancing, it was good fun.
Sunday night was quiz night, again excellent fun. Karaoke after for some extra points I did take part in the singing this time.... so badly wanted to win! i came second!!!
These nights are an excellent way of getting to know everyone else in the apartments.
The beach was about a 5 second walk but was quite rocky a sandy beach was about a five minute walk.
Restaurants are all around the furthest walk is about 10 minutes but there are some very good ones at the end of the road. The taverna before the super market was our favourite by far.
plenty of tourist shops for gifts etc in the town which is about a 10 minute walk.
We rented a car and a quad which was an excellent way of seeing some more of the island.
Would definitely go back, excellent holiday.