Civitas Boutique Hotel

Our reservation for two rooms had been in place for a long time, but the hotel cancelled it just five hours before check-in, saying they had overbooked. They did not arrange alternative accommodation of the same or better standard, despite Greek law. We couldn’t find anything reasonably priced that day, so we had to stay out of town. That meant changing our itinerary and losing valuable vacation time while sorting things out. If you need a booking you can rely on, I wouldn’t book here. That’s the point of reserving ahead.

The architecture was as expected and everything seemed fine until my wife got burns on her neck, head, and back from the shower. Even when set to full cold, the water could flip to very hot in less than a second. In Greece, in 30-40 degree heat, when you may already be sunburnt, you should be able to shower in the place you paid to stay. We won’t come back. I told the front desk, but they acted as if nothing had happened and didn’t even say sorry. This doesn’t feel like a four-star hotel, maybe three at most, and it isn’t worth the price. You also have to fill in a paper every day to have breakfast. Never again. Good luck.

The staff made us feel welcome with lots of thoughtful little touches. We hadn’t asked for a toothbrush cup, but they brought one so we wouldn’t have to leave our brushes on the counter. Everyone was keen to help with whatever we needed. We arrived very late and used the hotel shuttle, which was fantastic, though it cost extra. Check-in late at night was easy and tailored to us. The location is really good too. Highly recommended for the price.

The restaurant had a great range of food, and the service there and at the hotel was lovely. Beautiful people, a lovely hotel, and a new, well-equipped suite, all in the best part of Rethymno. The atmosphere and taste were wonderful. Ten stars.