Castello City Hotel

This is a city hotel for divers who want Crete beyond the hotel grounds. You are close enough to explore Heraklion on foot, with a rooftop restaurant and bar waiting upstairs when the day's walking, driving or swimming has used up the remaining energy.

The atmosphere is practical rather than resort-like: 68 rooms, five floors, Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and the useful basics for a short city stay. English, French, German and Italian are spoken by the hotel team, so sorting out a late arrival, a meal or a day's excursion should not require theatrical mime.

Castello City Hotel stands on 1, 62 Martyron Avenue in Heraklion, Crete, around half a mile from the city centre. That puts the old town within walking range, while the surrounding area also opens towards Xeropotamos Beach, Ammoudara Beach and Heraklion Port.

This is a useful base if you want the city as part of the holiday rather than treating it as something glimpsed through a taxi window. The hotel is in Heraklion itself, not in a separate beach resort, so evenings can include a walk through the city as easily as a drink upstairs.

The room choice is broad enough to match different kinds of dive trip. Solo travellers can keep things simple with a single room, couples can choose a double room with either a double bed or twin beds, and family and triple categories give groups more room to organise themselves without turning the sleeping arrangements into a small logistics exercise.

Private bathrooms are available throughout the room range. Depending on the category, you can also have air conditioning, a fridge, coffee facilities, Wi-Fi, television, a safe, a hairdryer and a city or sea view. The soundproofed rooms are a useful detail when the next morning starts early, while air conditioning matters just as much when you return warm, salty and ready to sleep.

Room service runs around the clock, which is handy when your appetite has missed the restaurant window or the day has not followed the timetable. The room facilities vary by category, so check the selected room carefully if a fridge, coffee facilities or a particular view matters to you.

The main dining address is The Fifth Floor Bar & Restaurant, set on the penthouse level. Its traditional cooking gives the evening a distinctly Cretan direction, while the panoramic outlook takes in the Mediterranean, Heraklion's old city and the Venetian city walls. That is a more useful backdrop than another anonymous dining room.

Breakfast is a buffet served from 07:00, with a traditional Cretan breakfast, juices and other drinks. Dinner runs from 18:00 to 22:00 during the summer season, and the same venue works as a café from 07:00 to 12:00 before switching to drinks and cocktails from 18:00 to 23:00.

There is one bar, attached to the restaurant, plus a snack bar and bottled water. Room service is available 24 hours a day, giving you a quieter way to eat when wet kit, tired legs or a very early start has put you off another outing.

The rooftop terrace is the natural place to slow the pace. You can take in the sea, the old city and the Venetian walls without having to organise an excursion or commit to another serious walk. After a long day outside, a chair, a drink and a changing view of Heraklion may be quite enough entertainment.

For days away from the water, the hotel offers excursion assistance and ticket support, so the reception can help turn an idea into a plan. The city setting also makes independent exploring straightforward: head out towards the centre, the port or the nearby beaches and return to a familiar base.

Families are welcome, with babysitting and childcare available. The hotel also has a sun terrace, while the lift makes the five-floor building easier to manage when your legs have already done their share of the work.

Check-in runs from 15:00 to midnight and check-out is by 11:00. The reception is open 24 hours, with express check-in and check-out available for arrivals that do not respect the usual rhythm. Early check-in and late check-out can be arranged on request, subject to the hotel's arrangements.

Airport transfers and shuttle services are available through the hotel, and car hire can be arranged. Parking and a garage are available for guests arriving by car. The building has a lift, accessible facilities, luggage storage, a concierge service, an ATM, currency exchange and a wake-up service.

The hotel also offers laundry, dry-cleaning and ironing services, along with a safe and free Wi-Fi. A conference room and business facilities cover practical work needs, while the minimum check-in age is 18. Visa, Mastercard, American Express and cash are accepted, among other payment methods.

The hotel holds Green Key certification. It is a named environmental standard rather than a vague promise, giving the property a clear place within recognised sustainable hospitality schemes.