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Like Athens, Heraklion is also often a first landfall in Greece and specifically in Crete. Depending on ferry and plane schedules, you may want to stay at least a night in Heraklion on most trips to Crete. The Capsis Astoria is very centrally located and offers some nice amenities for the tired traveler.

Capsis Astoria Hotel, Heraklion

The Capsis Astoria Hotel presides over the central square of Heraklion, just steps from the Archaeological Museum - both the old building under repairs and the small new exhibit hall.


This puts it within easy walking distance of dozens of cafes, restaurants, a multiscreen movie house, the Venetian Loggia, shops, and the Four Lions Square. The hotel was built in 1966 and renovated in 2007.

Rooms at the Capsis Astoria are generally moderately-sized, reflecting its original construction back in 1967, but offer comfortable beds and pretty, modern bathrooms. The decor in the rooms is stylish and soothing, with beiges and browns dominating. A band of historic photo images showing Heraklion during the last century adorns the wall above the bed. Rooms without ocean or plaze views look out onto an uninteresting light well, so it may be worth it to ask for a room with a view or upgrade to one.

There are 131 rooms, including 9 junior suites, 6 "superior" rooms and 1 presidential suite. I was in a standard room for my two-night stay. Prices start at about 140 Euros.

Surprisingly, the Capsis Astoria does not offer any direct spa services though they do provide massage chairs in the elevator area of several of the floors.

While I'm a fan of the 2-Euro-for-five-minutes chairs when I find them at airports, I would have liked to have the option of engaging a real therapist through the hotel even if they did not offer the service directly.

Dining Options at the Capsis Astoria Hotel

The hotel offers several dining options, including the rooftop bar which surrounds the pool, the Zefyros. I was there at an off hour in the mid-afternoon and received excellent service. Emanuela recommended the chicken salad with "pie" which actually refers to pieces of pita bread served under a big-enough-for-two mound of greens with grilled chicken. It's not the mushy all-meat chicken salad an American diner might expect. This was delicious and served with a generous bread basket filled with sourdough rolls, sesame sticks, local Cretan rusks, and a bun or two. The price for this feast was under 8 Euro, startingly low for a hotel bar. Similar low prices were found on the room service menu.

Many room rates include the Capsis Astoria breakfast buffet in the Erofili Restaurant. The items vary day to day, but included at different times eggs, bacon, local sausages, little filled pies, cereals, fruits, and cookies and pastries, including walnut or chocolate cake. While it's a buffet, there are abundant servers standing by to provide coffee and other beverages. I was happy.

There is also the casual Cafe Capsis which offers both indoor and outdoor seating. It serves coffee, liquor, and light snacks. It's located off of the lobby, and provides a nice spot for grabbing a frappe and doing some people-watching.

Astoria Capsis Hotel

Address:11 Eleftherias Square
Heraklion, Crete 712 01

Telephone: (011) +30 2810 300330
(011) +30 2810 220088
(011) +30 2810 382730
Fax: +30 2810 220785
(011) +30 2810 333224

Website: Capsis Astoria Heraklion
Note: The Capsis chain has another hotel in Thessaloniki, and some of the website language is a little confusing. Make sure you are on the Capsis Astoria website to book on Crete. You can also compare prices on Kayak to potentially find a better deal.

More About the Hotel

Wi-Fi Access

Getting Wifi in my room was a breeze - a phone call to the front desk got me the access code and I was online immediately. They also provided a single computer in the lobby which was handy for looking up something quickly.

Bathroom Amenities

While not particularly upscale, the provided toiletries included a shoeshine cloth, personal grooming kit (Q-tips and a nail file) and a sewing kit in addition to shampoo, conditioner, soap and lotion.

Service

Every service team member with whom I had contact was competent, respectful, and ready to help. Staffing was more than sufficient, with plenty of personnel at the check-in desk and throughout the hotel.
I received a corporate rate when staying at this hotel, which was about half off the published rates.