Hotel Doma by Christopher Deliso

Although it might make a fine setting for an Agatha Christie novel, there’s nothing very ominous about this friendly and comfortable boutique hotel set in a quiet neighborhood not far from Chania’s Venetian old town. The hotel is located in the northeastern suburb of Halepa, on the main thoroughfare Eleftherios Venizelos Street and on a bluff directly above Koum Kapi Beach, where swimming and sunbathing can be enjoyed. Chania International Airport is only 15 km to the east, bypassing the crowded city center, which itself is a 10-minute walk from the hotel in the other direction.

The Hotel Doma’s loveable eccentricity comes from its history; built originally as an Austrian consulate to the Ottoman Empire back in 1818, it passed through German and British hands before finally being returned to its Cretan owners after World War II. The gentle 79-year-old owner Irini Valiraki has gone to great lengths to preserve antiques and other testaments to this legacy in what has always been her family home. In its modern incarnation as a hotel, The Doma has become like a second home to the many repeat visitors who value it for its whimsical warmth and storied serenity.

Filled as it is with antiques and antiquities, old photos and texts the hotel offers many surprises and loving touches, such as the vibrant collection of African and Asiatic traditional headgear collected by Irini’s sister Joanna. The blossoming back garden with its fountain and shaded loveseat contains flowers that only let off their scent at night. And on returning to the room from a day’s sightseeing one might find that a dish of Greek fruit in syrup has somehow appeared out of nowhere.

Being a small hotel, the Doma has just a bar, dining room, lounge and back garden in addition to the rooms. The dining room located on the third floor offers wonderful views of the old Venetian walls extending into the sea and the beach of Koum Kapi just across the street below the hotel.

Although the hotel does have an elevator, it is impossible not to enjoy running one’s fingers down the polished wooden rail of the curving staircase connecting the floors, and treading on the plush carpet beneath. Even aside from the hundreds of prints, photos and antiques decorating the place, there is a strange ethos of ‘if these walls could talk’ that seems fitting for such an old residence. Well they can’t talk, but owner Irini can, and she enjoys discussing the history of the building and the tumultuous events that have shaped its existence. Thus the Doma is not just a hotel, but a fascinating little museum preserving the Cretan heritage.

The rooms
The rooms of the Doma are of two kinds: facing the sea to the north, or facing south onto the back garden. The former have double-glazed windows to keep out the sometimes unruly street noise. All share the same aesthetic sensibilities as the rest of the hotel and the careful placement of antique furnishings lends personality to these cozy and comfortable rooms.

Although all of the rooms are more or less of the same size, the Doma has made one exclusive suite from the entire top floor of the building. A breezy pastel blue and white motif predominates, and in addition to the master bedroom and bathroom a pretty second bathroom and fold-out bed are available in case of families. But what really sets this suite apart is its balcony - an enormous, four-way space with magnificent views of the sea, Chania’s Venetian walls, the new parts of the city and the far-off White Mountains.