Phaedra Luxury Studio Chania Venetian Harbour

The service from both the hotel and apartment staff was fantastic, and the rooms are spacious and fully furnished. There are bars and restaurants just downstairs, so it’s easy to find a lively atmosphere without going far. The apartments are nicely situated right beside the harbour, which is always bustling. Book well ahead if you can. We only got a place because of a last-minute cancellation. One small drawback is that late checkout is hard to arrange since it’s usually fully booked. Apart from that, just perfect.

The cleaning lady was wonderful, so friendly and always willing to do a little extra with a smile. There’s no reception, so you need to call the AVRA hotel, and we found the staff helpful, though not everyone was. I’d recommend the place, but only the two top-floor rooms with balconies. We thought we’d booked the room shown with a balcony in the confirmation, but the Ariadne appartment didn’t have one. Without it, it felt kind of claustrophobic. We were able to switch to the upper Pasiphea appartment for two nights, which was the one we thought we’d booked. Pasiphea is huge and very comfortable, and the extra cost was worth it. Ariadne is beautiful too, but expensive, and we wouldn’t have booked it since you can’t enjoy the vibe of the lovely harbour area.

We were surprised to find an apartment building rather than a front desk, with our key waiting in an envelope in the lobby. The room was ready earlier than expected, which was a nice bonus. It was very clean and really nice, and both the bed and couch were more comfortable than average. The waterfall showerhead was a treat. Being so close to the restaurants and waterfront was perfect. Highly recommended.

Right in the center of the old harbor, with an amazing view, this is the place to see what luxury means. I can’t wait to come back!