Domus Renier

Domus Renier is on the waterfront of Chania’s Venetian harbour, in a mansion built in 1608 for the Renier family, one of the great Venetian noble houses of Crete. After a three-year restoration led by architects Aristomenis and Giorgos Varoudakis it opened as a hotel in 2016, joined Historic Hotels Worldwide and was named that group’s Best Historic Hotel in Europe in 2018. There are ten rooms and suites, most looking over the harbour to the lighthouse. Small, historic and right on the water: few addresses in Chania can match that.

The experience

The history is the experience. Period frescoes hang in the entrance lounge, some rooms keep decorated ceilings from the Cretan Renaissance, and the rooms are named after historical figures who shaped the island. Outside the door is the harbour promenade, with the lighthouse a short walk away, and there is a library for slow afternoons. Wellness and beauty treatments can be booked in your suite. The hotel can arrange boat trips to hidden beaches, bicycle hire and cycling tours, and in the cooler months the chef leads cooking lessons and market tours. Worth knowing: one critic called it comfortable rather than luxurious for the price, and there is no private parking.

The rooms

The ten rooms and suites each have their own character. Categories run from the Classic Double to the Deluxe, Junior and Honeymoon Suites, the Domus Secreto Privée Suite and the Grand Harbor Master Suite, which has a sea view and balcony. Most rooms face the harbour and the lighthouse, a few have jacuzzis, and some have private balconies or terraces. Expect air conditioning, soundproofing, smart TVs, coffee makers and luxury toiletries. For a special occasion, the Master Suite with its harbour balcony is the one to book.

Food and drink

Breakfast comes with a view of the harbour, with fresh croissants, local fruit and seasonal treats, and it can be brought to your room on request. For dinner, the harbour front and the Old Town lanes are right outside, and the concierge can recommend and book tables. Between October and March the chef runs cooking lessons and market tours, which is a lovely way to get under the skin of Cretan food.

The neighbourhood

Domus Renier faces the water on Akti Kountourioti, the harbour promenade of Chania’s Old Town, with the lighthouse and the lanes of the Old Town on foot. Nea Chora and Koum Kapi beaches are about 15 minutes’ walk away. Chania airport is roughly 12 kilometres, around 20 minutes by car, and transfers can be arranged. There is no private parking, so you are better off without a car here.