Kastro Hotel - Heraklion, Greece 

We stayed at the Kastro for one night after arriving in Crete during May 2008. Though the hotel's regular rates were quite expensive, we booked through the hotel's website, which qualified us for a huge (45%) discount. Without the discount, I would have said that the Kastro was not a good value; with the discount, I'd say that it was quite reasonable. Our room was clean and comfortable. The bathroom, though small, was also clean and functional. The AC worked well on the scorching afternoon when we checked in. Breakfast was varied and decent, though not exceptional, and the breakfast room became extremely crowded shortly after we arrived. We did have a bit of trouble finding the hotel by car, located as it was deep in the warren of the old town's narrow streets. Our maps, though supposedly new and up-to-date, failed to document the ongoing pedestrianization of parts of the old town, leading to a bit of driving adventure akin to wandering the Labyrinth. The Greeks may have invented many things, but street signs are not amongst them. We did eventually find the hotel, but then realized that parking on any nearby street was utterly hopeless. We wound up in a reasonably close pay parking lot which hadn't yet filled up for the day. Fortunately, road noise was a non-issue. There was a bout of screaming from an adjacent room in the middle of the night, though given the generally respectable appearance of the hotel's clientele at breakfast, I suspect that this is not a routine occurrence at the Kastro. Overall, the Kastro is a reasonable and safe choice in downtown Heraklion, with a great location for exploring the city on foot. Just be sure to bring a good map.

I booked this hotel directly from the hotel website (receiving a nice discount). The manager confirmed my reservation promptly by e-mail. The hotel is located in a relatively closed-in area of narrow streets in the city (despite the photo, don't expect a sea view). It is convenient to the airport, Knossos and the ferry port. The lobby area was bright and nicely furnished, exceeding our expectations. The woman at the front desk was professional and helpful and we were checked in with maps and restaurant recommendations within a few minutes. Our room was clean , quiet and comfortable, with individual room AC controls. The breakfast buffet was better than average for our Greek vacation. I highly recommend this well-managed, comfortable, conveniently located hotel.