Ontas Traditional Hotel

Traditional Hotel Ontas puts you in a historic building in Chania Town's old quarter, close to the Venetian harbour. This is a small city hotel rather than a resort with a timetable of activities: you come back from the sea, shower, cool down in your room and step straight into the older, livelier side of the town.

A garden and terrace give you somewhere outdoors to pause with a drink or a book, while the building's historic character does more of the atmospheric work than a lobby full of decorative slogans. Couples can keep things simple in a compact double room; families and larger groups have roomier options, including the Venetian Residence.

You are in Chania Town, Greece, in the old quarter near the Venetian harbour. Koum Kapi Beach is a 6-minute walk away, or roughly 600 m on foot, so a quick dip in the sea is realistic without turning the afternoon into an expedition. Nea Chora Beach is about 1.1 miles away on foot, while Chryssi Akti is about 2 miles away.

The immediate area is made for wandering rather than hunting for a taxi. The Venetian walls, eastern moat and Venetian shipyards are all within a few minutes on foot, with the Folklore Museum of Chania and Mitropoleos Square about half a mile away. Firkas Fortress is roughly 0.6 miles away, and the Archaeological Museum of Chania about 0.7 miles away.

For coffee or a nightcap, Deux Lux is about 300 ft away and Chania Irish Pub Conor Pass about 0.2 miles away. Kross Coffee Roasters is roughly 0.3 miles from the hotel. The airport is about 8 miles away by road, with the drive taking around 15 minutes.

The room choice matters here because the scale ranges from a neat base for two to a substantial residence for a group. The Petite Double Room suits a couple who plan to spend their waking hours in Chania, while the larger attic option gives a family or group more breathing room. The Quadruple Room has a super-king-size bed alongside two singles, which is a practical arrangement when everyone needs a proper place to sleep rather than a negotiation over the sofa.

For a larger party, the Venetian Residence is the clear outlier: a 180 m² home with five bathrooms and space for up to 13 guests. That is the one to look at when several divers or family members want to stay together without turning every morning into a queue for the shower. The smaller rooms have either a private bathroom or a walk-in shower arrangement, depending on the accommodation.

Air conditioning is useful when you return warm, salty and ready for a horizontal hour. Rooms also bring city views, parquet floors, wardrobes, linen, towels, a hairdryer and a refrigerator for keeping water cold. Balconies and sofa beds vary by room, so check the individual option if either detail matters to your plan. A flat-screen TV and free WiFi cover the less ambitious parts of the evening.

Breakfast is included and follows the traditional Cretan pattern, using fresh ingredients from quality local producers. That gives you a more useful start to the day than a generic plate assembled from whatever was easiest to store: expect the emphasis to be on the island's breakfast tradition before you head out.

Vegetarian and gluten-free choices are available. There is no hotel dining routine to tie you to the property for the rest of the day, so Chania's cafés, bars and restaurants become part of the plan once breakfast is over.

Deux Lux is only about 300 ft away for coffee, and Kross Coffee Roasters is roughly 0.3 miles away. When the day is done, Conor Pass Irish Pub is about 0.2 miles from your door. The useful advantage is simple: you can eat and drink around the old town rather than having to invent entertainment inside the hotel.

The garden and terrace are the hotel's natural pause button. They give you somewhere to sit between a shower and dinner, or to spend an unhurried morning when the sea has already had its share of your energy. There is no need to turn every free hour into an organised performance; Chania's old streets begin just outside.

The tour desk and concierge can help arrange guided excursions, local-culture tours, walking tours and bike tours. Car hire is available too, which is handy when your plans extend beyond the town. A cooking class, hiking, windsurfing and snorkelling are available as activities away from the property, while restaurant reservations and travel or ticket assistance can also be arranged.

For couples, the practical appeal is the freedom to divide the day properly: a little history, a café, a beach walk and then back to the terrace. Beauty appointments and a doctor can be arranged on request, useful services when the holiday does not proceed entirely according to the dive plan.

Check-in starts from 14:30 and you need to let the hotel know your expected arrival time. Check-out is until 11:00. The minimum age for check-in is 18, while children of any age are welcome; cots can be requested, subject to availability, and extra beds are not available.

An airport shuttle is available from Chania International Airport, either privately or as a shared service, to be arranged with the hotel. The airport is about 8 miles away by road. Car hire is also available, and luggage storage is useful if your arrival or departure does not line up neatly with the room.

Free WiFi runs throughout the property. The hotel is non-smoking, with a designated smoking area, and pets are not allowed in the rooms. Payment methods include cash, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal and bank transfer. Cancellation and prepayment conditions vary with the accommodation selected, so check the terms attached to your room before confirming.