We stayed at the Kastro for one night after arriving in Crete during May 2008. Though the hotel's regular rates were quite expensive, we booked through the hotel's website, which qualified us for a huge (45%) discount. Without the discount, I would have said that the Kastro was not a good value; with the discount, I'd say that it was quite reasonable. Our room was clean and comfortable. The bathroom, though small, was also clean and functional. The AC worked well on the scorching afternoon when we checked in. Breakfast was varied and decent, though not exceptional, and the breakfast room became extremely crowded shortly after we arrived. We did have a bit of trouble finding the hotel by car, located as it was deep in the warren of the old town's narrow streets. Our maps, though supposedly new and up-to-date, failed to document the ongoing pedestrianization of parts of the old town, leading to a bit of driving adventure akin to wandering the Labyrinth. The Greeks may have invented many things, but street signs are not amongst them. We did eventually find the hotel, but then realized that parking on any nearby street was utterly hopeless. We wound up in a reasonably close pay parking lot which hadn't yet filled up for the day. Fortunately, road noise was a non-issue. There was a bout of screaming from an adjacent room in the middle of the night, though given the generally respectable appearance of the hotel's clientele at breakfast, I suspect that this is not a routine occurrence at the Kastro. Overall, the Kastro is a reasonable and safe choice in downtown Heraklion, with a great location for exploring the city on foot. Just be sure to bring a good map.

I booked this hotel directly from the hotel website (receiving a nice discount). The manager confirmed my reservation promptly by e-mail. The hotel is located in a relatively closed-in area of narrow streets in the city (despite the photo, don't expect a sea view). It is convenient to the airport, Knossos and the ferry port. The lobby area was bright and nicely furnished, exceeding our expectations. The woman at the front desk was professional and helpful and we were checked in with maps and restaurant recommendations within a few minutes. Our room was clean , quiet and comfortable, with individual room AC controls. The breakfast buffet was better than average for our Greek vacation. I highly recommend this well-managed, comfortable, conveniently located hotel.

A bit more expensive than we normally pay (3 rather than 2 stars), but you do get a nicer place for the money. Very nice room, good location. Could have a better breakfast though. Incidentally, a friend of ours was staying at Lato "boutique" Hotel and we were not impressed with his room (more expensive than ours, tiny, and with pain flaking on the walls from what looked like damp or a rain leak).

Kastro hotel is situated in the heart of Heraclion. Within a two minute walk you can reach the numerous cafes night clubs-bars and Shopping areas. Check in was extremely fast taking into account that we hadn't booked our rooms in advance. It took us (party of four couples) less than five minutes to get into our rooms! The guy in the reception desk was so so kind and friendly. The room was medium sized, very clean and nice decorated. The bed was comfortable, the furniture new, bed linnen-towels clean. The toilet (tiles, shower etc.) were new and clean. breakfast area and waiting area was cute, again nicely decorated. The hotel must have been recently renovated as everything looks new. If you want a quiet hotel, inexpensive and in the heart of Heraclion this is the hotel you are looking for. On my next visit to Heraclion I will definately stay there again as I really enjoyed beeing able to walk to all the shops and cafes. I am very pleased we picked this hotel.