Our dream when we started 25 years ago was to create simple and minimal interiors housed in a historic building that can offer a space to relax, rest and suspend time while being a convenient base to explore Crete. Today travelling allows for many more things, so our ambition is to get our guests acquainted with certain ideas that are important to our family and crucial for the environment and a better existence on this planet. We are not the classic luxury hotel but offer the kind of intelligent luxury discerning travellers seek: spaces with natural materials, organic local produce, personalised ideas Travellers are more and more adaptable and open to new ideas that can produce a positive change in their lives.

Metohi is great for you if:

  • You like places with history and imperfections
  • Quality , organic, seasonal locally sourced food is important to you
  • You value natural materials (natural fibre mattresses)
  • You need to be in line with your values when travelling and make sustainable choices
  • You like cats who wander in the yard and possibly visit at your garden

Metohi might not feel so right if:

  • You like polished spaces
  • You need 24h reception service
  • You are a very light sleeper (the nearby road may sometimes be heard in the quiet of the night)
  • You don’t want to drive during your holidays (but that would be a problem anywhere you stayed in Crete)
  • You don’t like cats even outside

Got any questions?
Explore our FAQ Section or contact us.

OUR SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENT

We want our farm to be a responsible and sustainable environment so we think green as much as possible from our bedding to our cleaning products, the bathroom amenities and the recycling we do. We compost our waste and use olive leaves from local farmers as manure, we heat the water with solar panels  and constantly seek ways to reduce our carbon footprint and the use of plastic in the farm. We support three local families via our employees and try to give back to the local community in every way we can.

Metohi Kindelis is a farming estate that has been in the Kindelis family for over a century.

The main part of the building was built during the Venetian Occupation in Crete as a summer residence with lush gardens. In the 17th century during the Ottoman Occupation of the island, a Turkish family took over the property to convert it into a Metohi- a farming estate- introducing a participative form of farming that successfully continued in the following centuries.

To this day, 4 generations later, Metohi Kindelis is a reference for its quality produce and unique hospitality.

The family

 

The Kindelis family has been living in the estate for over a century now, ever cultivating its fertile grounds, supplying the town of Chania with a variety of quality organic fruits. The Kindelis have always been an extrovert family with a love for the nature, culture and different cultures, food and music and a welcoming house. We feel honoured to continue this beautiful legacy.

Manolis Kindelis

Manolis is the man behind the vision. Raised in the very grounds of the Metohi, he studied agronomy in Italy in the 70s and took over the management of the cultivations upon his return to Crete. He was one of the pioneers in organic agriculture in Greece developing different cultivations and experimenting with plants from other parts of the world that he acclimatises to our farm’s microclimate. In the early 90s he decided to share our home and fruits with people from around the world, refurbishing the old olive oil press and parts of the farmhouse into a special inn. These days Manolis dedicates most of his time on his fruits and plants. His other passions are Butoh dance, travelling, black and white photography and his cats.

Danai Kindeli

Danai is Manolis’s niece and the daughter of his brother Kyriakos and Vanna. She grew up in the grounds of the Metohi and came to love its soil, plants and living creatures strongly. She left the nest for her studies and 13 years later, with two Master Degrees, work experience of all sorts-from EU Institutions to Congress Project Management and Fashion Magazines-whilst having lived in different European cities and traveled around the world, she returned to Crete drawn by the images and smells that had shaped who she was, and the love for her late father… She took over the management of Metohi Kindelis and developed different projects around gastronomy, well being, respect for the nature, based on the history and identity of the place, her family’s legacy, in tune with her personal style and path…She loves to personally meet and guide the guests throughout their stay. She loves cooking, travelling, design, the sea and her dogs.

Kynthia Kindeli

The youngest member of the family, Kynthia is Danai’s sister. Also raised at the Metohi, she left to study photography in Paris. Today she is based in Athens passionately working as a photographer. Kynthia inherited the passion for food, music and celebrating from her dad Kyriakos and she often joins her sister at the Metohi to connect creating projects mostly around food.

Vanna Niniou Kindeli

Vanna is the mother of Danai and Kynthia. She was born in the Peloponnese and raised in Athens. She came to Chania 40 years ago to work as an archaeologist and fell in love with the island, her work and Kyriakos, her late husband. Today she is mostly dedicated in the research around her excavations, doing occasionally some field work too. She lives in the Metohi grounds as well, she loves music, mostly classical and jazz, art and design, theatre, literature the animals and above all her daughters.

 

The rest of the team
Maria

Maria was born and raised in Chania. Her love for this island led her to seek the good side of tourism and this way our paths crossed about 20 years ago. Ever since she manages the reservations of Metohi Kindelis and is our valuable consultant and collaborator in every step. Maria has two sons and two dogs.

Linda

Linda was born in Albania and is working at the farmhouse since she first moved to Greece 20 years ago. She is the soul of the Metohi keeping it clean and taking care of every little thing that will make the guests feel at home. She has two sons, a daughter and two grandchildren.

The Indian family

The farm and its produce are looked after for the past 20 years from an Indian family from Punjab that lives in the estate too. You might occasionally see them around the fields smiling in distance. They have 3 children and a grandchild too.