Hotel Belmondo

Crete is known for its beaches and massive destination hotels, but after doing tons of research, I threw a curve ball and decided to skip the beaches and instead stay in the heart of the old town. This incredibly cute hotel fit the bill (literally) on all accounts, and here’s why.

Location: A

Tucked away in a small alley just off the main street and behind the harbor, the location is absolutely perfect. The town is buzzing until late at night, but even still the hotel manages to feel separated enough to allow a quiet sleep even while the city parties (which was surprising in its own right that there were partiers until 4 in the morning!)

Rooms: A-

I have a bias on this one and that’s because we “splurged” (by splurge I mean all of $150 a night) and got the Belmondo Suite on the top floor. The room itself is fine-average beds, small-ish bathroom (good water pressure though), sufficient storage, cute trinkets and touch-up (think chest boxes, antiques, etc.)-but it is the patio that makes this room absolutely killer. The patio itself is larger than the room, complete with 2 lounge chairs, a dining table and retractable shading system (which was great for my white girlfriend). Overlooking the harbor on a space like that was simply spectacular, and I could not get over how cheap it was, therefore the rooms get an A- (as long as you make CERTAIN that you get the Belmondo Suite with the patio).

Service: A-

Its a small boutique hotel, but the ladies who run it are awesome. Ria and Stella do a great job managing everything, providing recommendations, arranging car rentals (which I highly recommend) and even bringing breakfast to your room in the morning. We established a very personal relationship with them and that is something I always find to be more memorable than robotic employees who treat everyone like royalty out of fear that they will be fired. Hotel Belmondo provided a welcome change to the narrative, so I definitely appreciated it very much. The only somewhat annoying thing was that we had told the staff we would be arriving early in the morning, but upon our arrival no one was there. We were forced to have breakfast on the harbor while we were waiting (travesty).

Food: B

We only had breakfast here, as there are countless options within a .5 mile radius. The breakfast was standard and did the job. Nothing to write home about (which I say as I am writing about), but definitely filling. And the fact that the food is delivered, especially to our room with our view and space, made it just that much more enjoyable.

Amenities: C

Look, its a boutique, old town hotel. There’s no gym or bar or anything. There’s a small restaurant attached to the property, small common spaces with shelves of books and board games, and then your rooms. That’s it and frankly that’s more than enough. Although, I will say, an elevator would have been nice for my lazy ass.

Scene: We saw only a few people while staying here, but they were all very sweet and unpretentious. I always feel like the crowd of a hotel represents the vibe of the city, and Hotel Belmondo was no exception. Unpretentious, small, cute and friendly. Just like Chania.