The hosts of Heron House are in many ways a reflection of the uniqueness of the house. Van Anh is a native Hanoian who had a fire lit under her over the course of her five years living in America, which she then put to work in her own event planning business when she returned to Vietnam. Loïc by contrast is a long story, having been born in Manhattan to a Belgian father and an American mother, who then studied just about everywhere he could while still returning to Greece as often as possible to get back to the island lifestyle of his childhood summers. Amazingly over the course of his studies, Loïc attended a wedding in the south of France where he just so happened to meet Van Anh while she was cooking just over a thousand spring rolls for the guests of her cousin’s wedding. Three months later, he left the Netherlands to join her in Vietnam. Long story short: a few years down the road they got engaged in Crete, quit their jobs in Hanoi, got married in Naxos (in true Cycladic style) and moved back to Europe to pursue a masters in hospitality. They both agreed it was most likely the strangest honeymoon they could ever have imagined.

Perhaps due to their diverse backgrounds and shared love of traveling, food, people, and international hospitality, they wished for Heron House & Villa Iliou to be a reflection of their personalities and ultimately a place where their guests can feel right at home.