Veneri Boutique Suites

We booked a room listed with one double bed and two sofa beds, but there was only one sofa bed. There was a trundle bed that could have been made up. When we asked about fixing this, the owner reluctantly agreed, then started ranting that it was Booking.com’s problem and literally threw us into the street while shouting abuse. The rooms are small and airless, with nowhere to store clothes, and I’d question whether it really won the accolades it claims. Given that attitude and all the better accommodation in Chania, I’d steer clear.

The room looked modern, the staff were friendly, and the location made it easy to get to the beach and good restaurants. Breakfast was good, though it’s ordered from a menu rather than served as a buffet. For what you pay, I found the room quality low. During my five-night stay I slept worse than ever: the mattress was lumpy and clearly not standard, and noise from children running up and down the stairs and doors being shut hard late at night and early in the morning kept disturbing my sleep. The walls and windows don’t block sound. There’s nowhere in the shower to put shampoo or a loofah, and no place on the terrace to hang towels or swimsuits. There was a Nespresso machine, the same brand I’d had at home for years and liked, but I don’t know whether the machine or capsules were the issue. The coffee tasted burnt and bad.

A lovely period property, tastefully renovated, with a balcony where you can watch the world go by in the evening. It’s in a quieter part of old town Chania, just a three-minute walk from the harbour’s bars and restaurants, and about ten minutes on foot to the beach.

The host was nice and very helpful, and breakfast across the street was very good with plenty of food. We had five wonderful nights in a lovely room with a balcony. It was quiet despite being in the historical center, and the free public parking was 300m away. Getting upstairs would be difficult for someone with disabilities.