Hotels
Chania hotels: the best in the old town, by the harbour and just outside
Chania is the loveliest town on Crete. Pick the right hotel and you wake to the harbour below the window or a beach close by. These are the hotels we pick, and what to know before you book.
This page contains affiliate links. If you book through them, Picolo earns a commission at no extra cost to you. Our picks are made independently by our editors.
In short: hotels in Chania
If you want to walk to the restaurants in the evening, stay in the old town around the Venetian harbour. If you want a pool and a beach, stay at a resort just west of town and take a taxi in. The airport is about half an hour away.
Our first choice in the old town: Check availability and prices at Domus Renier Boutique Hotel
The old town or the beach?
Much of the old town is car free, with narrow lanes, restaurants along the harbour and the lighthouse at the end of the breakwater. Here you stay in old houses, often without a pool. Just west of town are larger hotels by the sea, with a pool and a beach, but then you take a taxi in for the evening.
Good to know: Parking in the old town is difficult. If you have a hire car, ask the hotel about the nearest car park before you arrive.
Hotels in the old town
Domus Renier Boutique Hotel
Domus Renier sits in the old town of Chania and is a member of the Domus Elegance Collection. The ZEPOS restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and there is a bar and a terrace. From the hotel you can walk to the harbour and to Nea Chora beach.
Best for: couples who want to stay right in old Chania.
Good to know: The hotel can arrange airport transfers.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Domus Renier Boutique Hotel
Porto Veneziano Hotel
Porto Veneziano is an Art Deco hotel on the waterfront in the harbour, with a café, a bar, a gym and a garden. Breakfast and parking are included, and guests especially praise the breakfast. There is also car hire on site. From the door you step straight onto the harbour promenade.
Best for: travellers who want the harbour on the doorstep and still need somewhere to park.
Good to know: It is a three-star hotel, so the rooms are simple and practical.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Porto Veneziano Hotel
La Maison Ottomane
La Maison Ottomane is a small luxury bed and breakfast in the old town. Breakfast is served every morning, and the terrace and garden give you peace from the street life. Parking is included, and the staff are happy to advise on the town. It suits you if you want a personal, quiet stay in the middle of town.
Best for: couples who want a personal place to stay.
Good to know: Breakfast is served from nine to eleven, so it suits a slow morning better than an early departure.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at La Maison Ottomane
By the sea just outside town
Domes Zeen Chania
Domes Zeen is a Luxury Collection resort by the beach just outside Chania. There are two outdoor pools, a pool bar and the Beach House Restaurant serving Greek food all day. You can have a massage on the beach, and the old town is about ten minutes away by car.
Best for: families and couples who want a beach and a pool, with the town a short taxi ride away.
Good to know: The old town is about ten minutes away by taxi.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Domes Zeen Chania
Domes Noruz Chania, adults only
Domes Noruz only accepts adults and sits on the beach west of Chania. There are two outdoor pools with an in-pool bar, an indoor pool and a spa. The Topos restaurant serves Greek food from breakfast to dinner. Guests praise the staff, and the old town is a short taxi ride away.
Best for: couples who want peace by day and the town in the evening.
Good to know: This is an adults-only hotel, so children cannot stay here.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Domes Noruz Chania
Our first choice in the old town
Domus Renier Boutique Hotel
Domus Renier is in an old house by the harbour in Chania, and from some rooms you can see the lighthouse at the end of the breakwater. In the evening you step straight out into the lanes and down to the restaurants by the water. Breakfast is included, and the hotel restaurant Zepos is open all day.
Frequently asked questions about hotels in Chania
Where is the best place to stay in Chania?
Stay in the old town around the Venetian harbour if you want to walk to restaurants and sights. If you want a beach and a pool, choose a hotel by the sea just west of town. Platanias and Agia Marina suit you if you want a long sandy beach and a classic package holiday.
Do the hotels in Chania old town have pools?
Most do not, because they are in old houses on narrow lanes. In return you stay right in the middle of town. If you want a pool and the beach close by, stay by the sea west of town instead and take a taxi in for the evening.
Can you park in Chania old town?
It is difficult, because much of the old town is car free and the lanes are narrow. Ask the hotel about the nearest car park before you arrive. Porto Veneziano and La Maison Ottomane include parking, which helps if you have a hire car.
How far is Chania from the airport?
Chania airport is on the Akrotiri peninsula, about half an hour by car or taxi from the old town. There is also a bus to the bus station in town. Several hotels can arrange a transfer if you ask when you book.