Villa Elena

We stayed at The Villa Elena for two weeks in June and July with our Family of 20 Kids, Grandkids, Cousins, Uncles and Grandparents...of which I am one of. ;o)

I first found the Villa through Oliver’s Travels, who were initially very helpful, however when Denis, the owner, became involved it was kicked into high gear! What a thoughtful, caring and attentive gentleman. I am a traveler who insists on planning, organization and working out all of the details before I arrive somewhere and Denis did not once express that any of my myriad of inquiries was too much. To the contrary he would go beyond my questions with multiple suggestions. A true Prince who absolutely made out trip. He cared about us and our experience the entire time we were there. No request was considered unreasonable.

The Villa itself was a huge hit with everyone, in particular our 10 Grandchildren ages 3-20. The Pool was a perfect size, the tennis court and basketball court were used by many and the physical plant of the Villa is gorgeous. My only tiny complaint is that although the Tennis Court, two of the guest bedrooms and the Master Suite have a view of the Bay of Corinth, I wish this were the view from the pool and outdoor Dining. Denis said he oriented this to make sure the Master Suite had total privacy. The views from the Master Bedroom are sweeping and quite amazing, morning and evening.

One of the reasons we rented the Villa was for the ten bedrooms and adequate space for all of the family to “flop.” There was never a shortage of chaises, sofas, chairs or beds. They are creating a magical little guest cottage with a retractable roof that would have added yet another room. We sneak previewed it and it looks like it will be great for a couple or Family of three to have their own bit of privacy. Should be done within a few weeks.

The other great feature was the outdoor Grill and Table to seat 24. We ate every meal outside, lunches included. We had a chef that we arranged through a separate agency. The big open range with burning wood, the view of the Villa and Pool, the olive trees and green grass were the perfect visuals for this venue. We had a cooking class outside one day that was spectacular. Everyone thought this was a highlight. One evening Denis arranged a fabulous music combo and we danced all through the night!

If I was to be at all picky...and I can be picky, I would say the towels, sheets, and pillows could be of a higher quality and the soap products and their overall presentation could be a little more upscale.That being said, the house was maintained extremely well with housekeeping services twice a week. Additional Housekeeping services were made available to us for an extra fee. Best to work that all out before you arrive so as to be clear on the extra costs.

The location is perfect for an active Family. There is a little beach cove that is a ten to twelve minute walk, or you can take one of the two bikes to this beach. It is private and lovely. Given so many other beach options we did not use it enough. Everyday we would drive back from the Lake or Loutraki and we would witness the stunning views of both the Villa, the lake and the Bay of Corinth.

There is water skiing, wake boarding, beaches to explore, restaurants with great views of the water and the panorama of the Bay of Corinth. Loutraki has a very genuine feel of a bustling Greek town with loads of locals having coffee in the morning and shopping at the open market Wednesdays and Saturdays.

I could go on and on, but the best endorsement was from my Family, with just 1 complaint, it was all over way too soon.

Thank you Denis for making our Family Vacation, unique and extra special while showing us kindness and hospitality. Whenever I travel (and I travel a good deal) I look for the soul within the house, restaurant or town, and The Villa Elena has all of that in spades!

I know you have even more plans for the Villa, so I hope you keep us informed.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Villa Elena. The photographs don’t do it justice because they can’t convey the peace, beauty and location properly. Although there are houses scattered around, it is very quiet there but not isolated. The property itself is on a bit of a promontory so the views of the Gulf of Corinth on all sides are fabulous. The whole plot is quite large and not overlooked and it is a little like having a boutique hotel to yourselves. My favorite time of day was the early morning and I am pining for that first cup of coffee watching the sun edge over the shrubbery onto my face.

We were met by Alex the housekeeper when we arrived. She was very friendly, gave us the keys and a little tour and generally provided a great service throughout our stay. Prior to our visit I exchanged many emails with the owner, Denis, and pre-booked transfers, a boat trip and chef visits. He was very helpful and checked everything was going well during our stay, providing helpful information about local beaches and other points of interest. Wifi is good - with several children streaming it could be slow but plenty good enough for anybody needing to remote into their office.

The villa and grounds are very beautiful with fruit trees, herbs and vines around. The pool was a great size with a truly deep ‘deep end’ well able to take lilo wars. It’s actually about 700m to the local beach but it’s a lovely walk and we visited first thing in the morning, late afternoon and evening and there was seldom anyone there (in August). The water was warm and clear but take rock shoes.

We had the recommended chef, Dimitry, in 3 times to cook for all of us and that was wonderful. How he managed to cook delicious dishes for 17 of us in the little outdoor kitchen I don’t know but the food was exceptional – both on the night and then as leftovers the next day for lunch. Alex is also well worth hiring to clear up as everything is done for you and you can just enjoy the evening.

There are two tavernas by the lake in walking distance although there are more further round. It is a bit steep coming back but all part of the fun, walking off dinner and wandering back in the dark in 2s and 3s (there are streetlights most of the way). It isn’t a walk for anybody with mobility problems but we had a 4 year old and (fit) 80 year old who did it fine otherwise it would be a quick 2 minute drive. Both of these tavernas are good, friendly and reasonable. The tomato sauce at Niki’s was yum. Got the recipe.

There’s a good supermarket in Perahora a 5 minute drive away and a hypermarket in Corinth but really the supermarket in Perahora has nearly all of what you need. Everyone locally was very friendly and although we didn’t really see many other Brits, most people seemed to speak enough English that we were fine with our extremely limited Greek.

Best day out – Nemea. This was recommended by our cab driver in Athens. Temple of Zeus, a fab lunch at Danaos & Anastasis and a wine tour at the Pavilou Estate. Much wine purchased….

In summary, if you like a peaceful, beautiful location you will love Villa Elena and its environs! We will return but if you go first, say hello to Igor the resident (and very handsome) villa cat for us.