We also stayed during the heatwave, and I agree entirely that the air conditioning really was the saviour of our holiday - despite the intense heat outside, even at night, we still found that we were waking up shivering at 5am - which was a good thing! We arrived late at night after a long bus journey from Heraklion, and despite having to carry my suitcase up two flights of stairs, the welcome we received was wonderful; the owner is a kindly, helpful man who speaks good english and, when not keeping the hotel spotless and emptying traditional greek bins of toilet paper from the rooms, spends his days watching the world go by from his chair in front of the hotel. Though it may be 'traditional' in name and style, the hotel has been refurbished recently to a high standard. The rooms have lots of storage space, shutters on the windows to keep the rooms cool, a good-sized yet amazingly silent fridge with icebox and firm yet comfortable beds with a variety of bedding.

If you want to stay right by the venetian harbour but don't want to pay high prices for inevitably noisy rooms at the western, touristy end of the harbour, you really can't get much better than this. If you're looking for things to do in the evenings, mere metres from the hotel entrance are a row of lively tavernas that stay open until very late - too lively for some, perhaps, but a few more steps and you find yourself surrounded by quieter fish restarants - the restaurant immediately to your left at the end of the street coming onto the harbour is especially good (ask to be taken inside and choose your own fish from the freezer). Despite its proximity to Chania's vibrant heart, the hotel's windows let in little sound - I'm a very light sleeper, yet I still slept perfectly every night.

Overall, Traditional Hotel Ontas provided the perfect central base from which to explore the harbour, city and much of mid-and-western Crete.