Sinium Luxury Villa

Very Good
Traveller Type: Family with Young Children
  : CalmnessNice and helpful owners
  : No Air Conditioning which makes our stay a bit not comfortable during the heat wave. The partial sea view Unprotected property. As a results we had to chase the neighbours goats for several days. Goats where jumping to the property and swimming pool. I had to tell off the guy who own them in order to stop them coming again and again. I feel this has to be prevented in such a high rent villa.

Very Good
Traveller Type: Family with Young Children
  : The villa is situated in a quiet, rural location with stunning views over the island, the sea and Albania, about 300m above sea level. Very helpful owners, who show you around and give you ideas on the first day and live only 5 minutes away in case of any issues. We found a starter kit of groceries and fruit upon arrival, very nice. No disturbance from roads or neighbours. The design of the villa is very pleasant throughout and there are multiple options to sit and relax by the pool and next to the house, with the choice of sun and shadow. Having dinner under the skies and with those views was just sublime. There was definitely space enough for the 6 of us, and two more would have been no problem. The kitchen was well equipped, we prepared nearly all meals ourselves. Water pressure was great and so was the availability of hot water. No problems with toilets or plumbing at all. Wifi was good enough although a few minor dropouts. We were split over the mattresses, some of us slept superbly, some didn't quite. Obviously in a rental villa one cannot expect the perfect mattress for everyone's particular needs. A supermarket is only 2 km away, but bear in mind the road is quite steep, so you don't want to walk it. You definitely need a car anyway, so no problem. The driveway down to the villa is probably the steepest bit I have ever driven. The little and pretty town of Kassiopi is 10 minutes drive, with lots of shops and restaurants to choose from. We realised that the sandy beaches are on the other side of the island, the nearest being about 30 minutes drive away. But there are some stunning pebble beaches within 10 minutes drive, some of which you can have to your own, with crystal clear and warm enough water, others offer facilities as well and are more frequented. You are in reach of the Albanian mobile network, so make sure not to connect with your phone and having to pay extra high charges.
  : The a/c system did not cope with the heat. Although running around the clock and us keeping windows and doors as shut as possible, 26C was the lowest temperature we could reach in the kitchen and living room during the day. 22C in the bedrooms. There was a planned power cut for half a day but we were not informed beforehand. The lighting in some areas of the villa is quite low, especially in the bathrooms. It may be a matter of taste, but it would be great to at least have the option to see something. Also how the mirror and shelves in bathrooms are arranged is design over function. You see your hair and your neck, but not your face, unless you duck. Walking in and around the house barefoot is not very pleasant, as quite rough slabs have been used as floor covering. Looking nice but unpractical. I caught a deep cut in my foot on one sharp slab edge in my bedroom which was later filed away (the edge, not the foot or the bedroom). The pool is great to be in, and has an ideal temperature, good quality water, and with 10m it is just long enough to swim lengths, but due to lack of shade you can only use it for short periods during the day, unless you add clothing or suncream. There is not much space to walk around the pool and the sun-beds. The pool is not tiled, but kind of sanded, sides and bottom, which works like sanding paper and can shave away some of your skin if you are not careful. It has a small area 10cm shallow, but most of it is about 150cm. I would not recommend it for children under the age of 12. There is a table tennis table, but right next to an abyss, and a hammock with no shadow. All outside lighting is automatic, so you don't get to choose where and when the light comes on or goes off. The garden was a bit overgrown making the paths very narrow. As there are snakes, we cut away some of the growth. Overall, we adapted to the conditions and honestly really enjoyed our time. Would we come back to the same place? Probably not, but we never do.