My fiance and I just came back from a 2 week trek throughout the Greek Islands. Halepa hotel was one of the more memorable hotels on our trip. Not only did we look into booking this hotel b/c we saw it on the TravelChannel's show "Great Hotels"--but the reviews on this site seemed to support the excellent ratings as well.

Hotel staff is available (and extremely pleasant and helpful) at all times of the day which we found out the hard way as our hydrofoil came in 7 hours late into Heraklion--so we didn't arrive to Chania until 6am (supposed to be there at 11pm!). Staff was also very knowledgeable about various tours and sights around Chania in addition to helpful transportation info about getting around Crete.

Beautiful grounds and interior well kept--hotel used to be the British Embassy in the 1800's so the decor and ambiance are well above par. Rooms are spotless and decorated beautifully--beds very comfortable! Breakfast is basic, but good enough to start us out for the day.

Location is fine...located right across the water, grounds directly outside the hotel provide a beautiful view of the Sea of Crete. Expect a 15-20 minute walk down to the Venetian port--which is fine b/c the breeze can cool on a 98 degree day not to mention the breathtaking blue water in the background.

Overall, a great hotel for the price...would recommend for a pleasant stay in a great town by the sea.

We stayed at the Halepa for a week end of June 2007 during the heatwave!

The Halepa is a pleasant hotel situated only 20 minutes walk from the main harbours, it cost 20 Euro taxi fare to get here from the airport.

Throughout our stay the staff were both incredibly helpful and polite, seeming eager to greet us and provide much local information. The rooms in the new part of the building were standard and clean. The bathroom was however a little small. The air conditioning worked beautifully. No decent view was visible from our window but this didn't matter to us as we were out most of the time!

The hotel also has a free (small) electric gate secured car park at its rear for your hire car.

Breakfast was available from 0730 till 1000, continental style. Although there is a bar they do not provide any other meals. The hotel staff were happy however to provide an earlier breakfast for those heading off early to the Samaria gorge!

All in all a good hotel, with plenty of character in its foyer and small lounge areas, the staff were certainly friendly and spoke good english.

We saw the Halepa hotel on the TripAdvisor . We stayed at this hotel for only 3 nights but they were a wonderful part of our trip to Crete. The hotel is indeed, only about 20 min. walk from the Venetian Harbour with all its restaurants (great food at reasonable prices )and shops. We enjoyed going for a jog in the morning down to the harbour and saying hello to all the surprised restauranteurs who were just opening for morning coffee!! As well, there is a small beach just 500 m. away where you can swim, sunbathe and watch the locals surf-fish off the rocks. We had a traditional room in the old part of the hotel which used to be the British Embassy and it is well appointed in the old tradition of the times. The 15 foot ceilings and doors are interesting as are the skeleton keys to open your room!! However, all is safe and sound; the crime rate there is very low and you can use the safety deposit boxes at the desk if you wish.
The owners Mary and Anthony are very hospitable and are very forthcoming with information about the area. As well, their other desk staff couldn't be more helpful. (the night staff made us coffee and baked goods at 4:30am when we were off to an early flight !)The breakfasts were great; had the best coffee there that I had in all of Crete. We hope to return some day to explore the area more and enjoy their hospitality.!!

We stayed at the Halepa for four nights in July 2006. Check the hotel's website, it is a very accurate description of the reality. We liked the hotel very much. It is situated at a walking distance of about 20 minutes to the old port. We rented a car, which was quite comfortable since the city of Chania is very streched out. The staff is very friendly and shows a personal interest in your stay. Breakfast is superbe and the interior decoration of the lobby and the bar is very well done and classy. We also liked to finish our breakfast with a cup of coffee at the terrace in front of the house. We stayed in a modern room, which was OK and very clean. An upgrade of the bathroom would have meant "Excellent" in my overall rating.