We stayed here for one night enroute from Makrigialos to Athens. This is a lovely business class hotel. It is situated on a pretty square close to the harbor in the center of the city. It is one block from the Archeological Museum (which is being renovated and is only partilally open - still worth the trip.) It is also close to the pedestrian area for shopping. It is a 4-star property and extremely comfortable. Good bedding, etc. Close to the action but not at all noisy.

We had some business to attend to in Heraklion, and from reading the various reviews of hotels in the city, this seemed to offer the best value for money - as it was a 4* hotel, and we got a deal of 115EUR per night for 6 nights with a travel agency. However to compare rates, the hotel website required registering first - which is way too much trouble.

Anyway. We arrived at 8pm. No bellboy. The receptionist hardly looked at us and eventually checked us in.

Breakfast runs till 10.30 in the morning. It being a Sunday, we slept a little late, and arrived in the restaurant at 10.25 to find almost everything already removed. And the restaurant manager told me (and 2 others who also complained) that our watches were wrong and that we was right. Lovely!

The room itself was OK. Newly renovated, but not to the best quality. The tap of the sink was loose, and the handle of a drawer was only half screwed on. The window also didn't open or close properly. And the shower! They installed a fantastic rain-drop shower head. But was only 170cm high. These should normally be installed at a height of over 2 meters. So for me (at 196cm), taking a shower standing up was impossible.

The roof-top pool was something I was looking forward to. But on seeing it, I decided I didn't want to spend time there. The pool was tiny (photos of it are slightly deceptive due to the angle from which they are taken), and the feeling was a little tacky, with loud music coming from the stereo - tuned into a local radio station. The roof-top is huge, and I think they really could have done a better job to make it more attractive to spend some time there.

However, the hotel is in a very good location, and a 10 minute walk to almost everywhere in the town.

But hotel needs to offer a little more in service and friendlyness in order to justify the price of rooms and the 4 star rating.

On my next trip, I won't be staying here.

Astoria kapsis is located at the most convenienced place of Heraklion. Just a step from the most turist attractions, bars and restaurants. Considering that you need a car to go to the sea this is the best location for staying in the city. The rooms are refurbished in perfect condition and with perfect view of the city. The staff very friendly and the only problem I can think is that this is a rather noisy neighbourhood and sometimes I feel a little annoyed. But on the other hand this is a little problem someone has to pay to enjoy the advantages of the hotels location.

We stayed four nights at the Astoria Capsis and found the accomodations to be modern, clean, reasonably comfortable, and, conveniently located. After walking through a vast majority of the city, it also appeared to be one of the better places (if not the best) hotel available. Front desk staff spoke English and were generally courteous, although some staff members seemed to us a little less courteous and patient than others. (When our room was not ready upon our arrival, the front desk clerk invited us to enjoy a free drink in the hotel lounge while we waited. In contrast, another front desk worker refused to provide two sheets of paper we needed for the computer printer and simply walked away in a huff. Another staff member finally stepped in to provide the paper...) Our room had a double-sized bed and another small cushioned-couch that doubled as a twin-sized bed. While the room was comfortable, the double bed definately was not! It was, by far, the hardest (most firm) bed we'd ever encountered. The shower was nice, though, with ample pressure and hot water supply. The rooftop pool was refreshing and offered splendid views of the city and sea. The bar service at the hotel was friendly and prompt. It was a disappointment, however, that the pool closed at 7:00 p.m. each night - well before sundown. The breakfast buffet (included in the price of our room) was expansive and good. The hotel offers internet service from a single computer in the lobby at a very reasonable rate of 1 hour for 2 Euros. The system is fussy, though, so we had to watch our time and make sure we didn't lose minutes due to system problems. The hotel staff helped us book a couple of tour excursions during our stay and we liked the fact that most tours seemed to use the Astoria Capsis as a drop-off and pick-up site.

The area surrounding the hotel is bustling with locals and tourists alike. We were within easy walking distance of several nice tavernas and shops. (We especially liked the Four Lions restaurant right beside the Four Lions fountain...).

The Astoria Capsis isn't a Marriott, but it's also a far cry from Motel 6. It's a pretty good bet if your're going to be staying in Heraklion.