The Olive Mill House - Luxe Villa, Classic Charm

Ready for the vacation of a lifetime? This is your chance to take a close look at one of Crete’s most amazing places! Travel back in time in this original Cretan house. Traditional architecture and furniture, with modern amenities for a luxurious stay and an exclusive living experience. Sleeps 6 guests. Private pool, living-dining room with equipped kitchen, A/C, WiFi, fireplace, 3 bedms, 4 baths, outdoor dining, private garden and parking. 15 min to beach, 1hr to airport. The space Welcome to the Olive Mill House! Nestled in the heart of Prines, a picturesque village, South-West of beautiful Rethymno town, this, 17th century traditional house has been meticulously transformed into a luxurious villa. Retaining its authentic charm, the original stone walls and wooden beams now blend seamlessly with modern amenities and elegant décor. The recent renovation (completed in May 2 0 2 4) has introduced state-of-the-art facilities, including a gourmet kitchen, spa-like bathrooms, and a serene, crystalline swimming pool, that offers unique privacy. An oasis of peace where one can relax and unwind. Each room has been thoughtfully designed to provide comfort and luxury while honouring the home's historic character. This villa is a perfect fusion of old-world elegance and contemporary sophistication, offering an unparalleled living experience. ------------------- Find out more about the house’s extraordinary history and its unique, decorative items in the section “Other Details to note”, below. ------------------- The Olive Mill House is a two-story villa, where the ground floor welcomes you with a spacious living room, bathed in natural light, leading seamlessly into a state-of-the-art kitchen. This open-plan design encourages a social atmosphere, perfect for family gatherings or entertaining guests. On entering the house you’ll find - a sofa with an arm chair and a coffee table - the dining table with 6 chairs - a 36’ Smart TV - a modern, fully stocked and equipped kitchen with everything you need for cooking and more: > oven, stove, fridge, kettle, toaster, blender/mixer, microwave > dishwasher > plenty of pots/pans/platters > Serving utensils > wine glasses > your Nespresso machine and a Filter coffee maker Walk up the stairs to the upper floor, and you'll find three luxurious bedrooms (featuring queen beds with anatomic mattresses and closets), each boasting its own en-suite bathroom (with SPA showers), offering privacy and comfort. In one of the bedrooms, the queen bed can be converted into two singles. Past the kitchen area, downstairs, you will find yourselves in the house’s lounge- dinning area. A large room with: - an imposing fireplace with an indoor traditional oven in the background (both inactive for safety reasons) - two sofas, an armchair and an oval coffee table - 43’ Smart TV - a dining table with 6 chairs At the side of the dinning area there is the ground floor’s WC and the washing machine, fitted in a cupboard. A large patio door leads onto the private swimming pool and the garden. Outdoor areas are securely fenced and include: - a big, private swimming pool - 6 sunbeds with mattresses - a pergola with a sofa, a table and 3 chairs - pool shower - BBQ (charcoal) - private garden with small plants and trees The villa offers, free parking in a nearby plot of land. Guest access Imagine stepping into a world where tradition meets luxury, where every corner tells a story of heritage beautifully interwoven with modern comfort. "The Olive Mill House" is not just a house; it's a seamless blend of history and opulence. From the meticulously restored stone walls that whisper tales of the past to the state-of-the-art amenities that cater to your every need, this home is a sanctuary. It has been renovated with lots of love, respect to its history and special care, to offer you, our valued guest an unparalleled living experience. Feel free to explore it and use its facilities as you would in your own place. The entire space and building amenities are included in this rental. Our refreshing pool and beautiful garden are there for your own private use. Please, make yourself at home. Other things to note ------------------------------ PROPERTY LAYOUT ------------------------------ The ''Olive Mill House'', together with the ''Olive Mill Loft'', next door, are two, seperate, private houses, which operate under the brand name ''The Olive Mill Villas''. In the past, their owners used the ''Olive Mill House'' as their primary residence, whereas the ''Olive Mill Loft'' used to be the Olive oil refinery of the village, operated by the family itself. -------------- HISTORY ------------- This extraordinary house, was built in the 17th century. The Olive Mill House was the primary residence of the family which used to run the village’s Olive oil refinery next door (The Olive Mill Loft). The whole property was built in Cretan traditional Architecture but contains elements and features, influenced by the Venetian and the Ottoman occupation, as seen in the pillars of the buildings, the fireplace and the oven. The whole building in ‘’L’’ shape, has a large courtyard, which is enclosed by a high stone wall and interconnects the two buildings. The courtyard itself was also a place to keep the horses and the domestic animals of the house. Various points on the courtyard walls, where the house lords tied up their animals have been preserved and can be seen today. Soil from Santorini island was used to build the walls, practically rendering the building ‘’Biothermal’’, demonstrating a unique insulation to date. The materials and technique used to build it, combined with its ideal orientation allows the house to ventilate naturally. As a result it remains surprisingly cool during the summer months. In the heart of the house is the big fireplace, which people used to warm themselves in the winter and to cook their food. This was also the sitting room, where the family ate and put candles for the children to sleep around. The oven is not affected by external weather conditions and still works today. Even the furniture in this space has some history, such as the coffee table of the Greek poet Nikos Kavvadias (1910 – 1975), that was a gift from a relative and some armchairs. In addition to the oven and the fireplace, this room also has a “Stamnostatis”, it's the recess below the clock in the living room. This is where the family placed pitchers with fresh water. Below there is a stone sink too. The house was water autonomous because of the well in the courtyard. All recesses on the walls served a purpose. From the courtyard one could reach the Olive oil refinery, next door. This business was owned and operated by the owner’s grandfather, who in his turn inherited it from his own father. There was an olive oil mill with two, wheel shaped stones, which turned with the use of animals and crushed the olives. After the industrial revolution they installed petrol engines outside. When electricity was available, the mill’s equipment was replaced again with smaller, electrical machinery. After the owner’s father passed away the refinery was abandoned. Next to the millstones was the press. Cloth envelopes, made of goat's hair, were put in there with the olive pulp inside and with pressure and hot water from the well the liquid was separated from the solid parts. With some pipes the liquid was lead to another piece of machinery for the final separation. All, major equipment of the mill is restored and exhibited in the refinery building, which now has been renovated into a luxurious villa, ‘’The Olive Mill Loft’’. During the period of the Cretan Revolution (1866-1869), chieftains stayed here, meeting for the fight against the Turks. Their leader was the owner’s great-grandfather, called ‘’Katzouris’’, and his portrait, his wicker chair and an icon of Saint George never leave this house. During the Ottoman occupation, the icon of Saint George has protected those who were inside the house from the Turks, when they entered one night and shot at them. The owner’s great-grandmother put the icon in front of her to protect herself and her daughters and thus the bullets were ostracised and did not hurt them. The holes from those bullets can be seen on the icon today. -------------- IMPORTANT -------------- > Ask - about our special rates for Mid-term or Long-term stays - for our tips for restaurants, places of interest and sightseeing to make the best out of your time - about our extra services to facilitate and to enhance your travel experience (car rental, taxi service, airport transfer, Spa and massage etc) > Our swimming pool is secluded, not overlooked and totally private. It is perfectly safe for our guests to use. However, the guest's own personal caution and full attention is necessary to avoid accidents. By booking our property for a holiday, the guest and his travelling party acknowledge that they bear the complete responsibility to use the swimming pool with safety and to protect themselves, during their stay. > Kindly remove the cushions from the sunbeds over night. Our garden lawn sprinklers will get them wet in the morning, while the automated watering system turns on. > All the bed linen and towels you'll need for your entire stay, are available at the house and are included in the price. > Read our informative and useful description of the neighbourhood. > Early and Late check in / check out is possible dependent upon availability. > Luggage drop off allowed upon availability > Remember that you’re staying in a vacation rental, not a hotel. Please treat the space with respect. If any problems arise, we will do our best to take action as quickly as possible. Registration details 1353461