Every season has a few weeks when the hosts of a house are not at home. At Maison Meltem there will be four of them in 2027. We would rather set them down here, well in advance, than let anyone discover them on arrival.
From 7 to 13 June, 19 to 25 July, 30 August to 5 September and 11 to 17 October 2027, Giannis and Olivier will not be in Agia Pelagia. Four full weeks, Monday to Sunday. The house itself stays open: Romain and Kallia welcome guests in their place.
Romain
Romain is French. He ran restaurants in France before settling in Crete, where he now manages holiday rentals. It is a trade close to the one practised here: receiving people who do not know the island, opening a door for them, sorting out what needs sorting before they notice it. From the 2027 season onwards, he also helps run Maison Meltem.
Kallia
Kallia is Cretan. She is a photographer and film-maker, and works as an artist in theatre and cinema. Crete is her home, and it is where Romain settled; the two of them live in Heraklion, a few kilometres from the bay.
That double origin is what decided us: between them they speak French, English and Greek — precisely the three languages we answer the telephone in ourselves. Nobody will have to switch languages to be understood during those four weeks.
What changes: the table
Dinner here is not a hotel service, it is one man’s cooking. Giannis prepares the Cretan set menu himself on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings, and there is no stand-in in the kitchen. The table is therefore not held during those four weeks. It is the one thing that stops, and the one thing to know before choosing your dates: each of those weeks would have counted three dinners.
The village of Agia Pelagia is a few minutes away by car, with its tavernas and its bay lined with restaurants. Romain and Kallia know where the food is good, and what time it is best to arrive.
What does not change
Breakfast is served every morning under the olive trees, as it is the rest of the year, and it remains included in the room rate. All eight rooms and suites can be booked as usual. The infinity pool, the jacuzzi, the fitness room, the yoga space and the Starlink Wi-Fi are all there, unchanged. You can still arrive at any hour, and someone will be there to greet you.
Why we are writing this here
Because a guest house is also chosen for the people who keep it, and it would be dishonest to let anyone believe we are there every night of the year. For four weeks we will not be — and we know whose hands we are leaving the house in.
If your dates fall in one of those weeks and it gives you pause, write or call before you book. We will tell you exactly what is planned, and Romain and Kallia will answer you directly if need be.
