Veneto Boutique Hotel

The staff were extremely friendly and attentive, and the welcome drink on check-in was a nice touch. You could choose an Aperol Spritz, wine, or beer. We were happy with the room's cleanliness, and liked the olive oil toiletries, fridge, and kettle. The authentic room was functional, though another one or two hooks on the bathroom wall would have helped. Breakfast had a good range, but the same food was served each day and after four nights we wanted more variety. The taste wasn't especially impressive. The bed was narrow for two, too soft, and uncomfortable, so we didn't sleep well. The hotel is in the heart of the Old City, which is an excellent location. Cars can't enter the Old City, so after parking you'll walk about 5-10 minutes to the hotel. Email ahead for parking details; the information on free and paid options was very helpful.

The reception staff, two women, were helpful and knew their stuff. The hotel is centrally placed, about 200 m from the harbour, with restaurants all around. The room was spacious, but the shower cubicle was tiny, and the interior finishes looked plainly old rather than charmingly old-fashioned. The curtain tracks stuck and kept the windows from opening properly, and the hair dryer fixed to the bathroom wall had a "Not Working" sign. The hair and body shampoo was imported from China, unlike the local-produce toiletries used by almost all hotels in Greece. Make of that what you will. One window faced the restaurant courtyard, so diners could be heard even with it shut, though it wasn't loud enough to disturb us. The restaurant closes at midnight, but guests sometimes stay later. Hotel guests are meant to get 10% off at the restaurant, but they didn't apply it for us even after we asked them to confirm.

We stayed at Veneto for one night in September 2024 on our honeymoon and had a great time. The location in Rethymno was ideal, handy for parking and the harbor restaurants. The building was beautiful, and the staff were pleasant and helpful. Our room was nice, although the shower was quite small and the beds could use an upgrade. We also did a relaxed wine tasting at Veneto with the knowledgeable sommelier Rafael and his protege, Daniel. The paired food was delicious, especially the Cretan tomato jam and cheesecake.

We were very disappointed. From the photos and outside, the hotel looks nice, and the grounds are attractive, but our room was old and poorly maintained. Staff were polite and helpful, yet housekeeping felt incomplete. There were no vanity items such as cotton pads, and although we stayed four nights, water was provided only on the first day. The window latch was broken, so the window couldn't close fully. The worst part was the way the 10% discount for hotel guests dining at Veneto Restaurant was handled. We reserved in advance and the service seemed pleasant, but no discount appeared. When we asked while paying, we were told it had already been applied. The receipt showed only a total, with no item breakdown. We asked again for an itemized copy, but the waitress said she'd thrown the receipt away and couldn't provide another. She asked why we needed it, and we explained again that we thought the discount hadn't been applied. She assured us a second time that it had. We paid the amount charged, then worked out the bill ourselves and found that we hadn't received the discount, despite asking twice and being told twice that we had. The next day we raised it with hotel staff, who said they'd check, but nothing happened. The 10% is a small amount, but being made to feel bad for asking, and feeling cheated, was awful. We won't stay here or recommend the hotel or restaurant. In response to the hotel's claim that the room had been fully renovated this year, I want to clarify that it really didn't look that way: the window facing the courtyard wouldn't close properly because the latch was broken, and the fixed hair dryer didn't work. I've attached a photo.