Inside the New Hilton Chania Old Town Resort & Spa in Crete, Greece [Review]

The author stayed as an invited guest of the Hilton Chania Old Town Resort & Spa. All opinions are the author’s own, and neither Hilton Chania Old Town Resort & Spa nor its parent company had any input in this article.

The Hilton Chania Old Town Resort & Spa is a new hotel on the island of Crete in Greece. Just steps from the waterfront, this new build offers modern luxury and resort amenities in the heart of Old Town Chania.

I visited in September 2026, just 3 months after the hotel opened, to see what it was like. As soon as I walked in, I found myself muttering, “This is a Hilton?!” under my breath. While I knew that, yes, in fact, I was in a Hilton Hotels & Resorts location, I could quickly tell this was not just another chain hotel.

From the custom marble floor to the incredible ceiling lighting, this hotel was designed with intent. It’s a reflection of Cretan culture, Greek history, and local hospitality, backed by the Hilton name that travelers (and locals) recognize and love.

In this Hilton Chania Old Town review, I’ll explain why the Hilton brand was important to this property and how to book a stay with Hilton Honors points. Plus, I’ll show you around my room, which includes one of the most unique features I’ve ever seen in a hotel room, and I’ll share some of the dining and amenity highlights.

Why Hilton?

The Hilton Chania Old Town opened in June 2026. With 85 rooms, it’s small for a Hilton-branded property, but that wasn’t a mistake.

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The hotel is a modern oasis tucked in next to the city's old town.

I asked the hotel’s chief operating officer, Carlos Malliaroudakis, why Hilton Hotels & Resorts was chosen as the brand for this property, and he told me the choice was very intentional.

“It’s very important to build a connection between us and the local community. We need to have a brand that the locals know already, and what is that brand? It’s Hilton. And why is it Hilton? Because Hilton opened in the 1960s in Athens, and there’s a very strong emotional connection with the Greeks and that specific brand.”

The original Hilton hotel he was referring to was the Hilton Athens, which opened in 1963 and was the only Hilton in Greece for decades. That property just reopened as the Conrad Athens The Ilisian in April 2026 after years of renovations.

The local community’s familiarity with Hilton, combined with the ability to offer year-round conference facilities, made Hilton Hotels & Resorts the obvious choice for this property.

How To Book the Hilton Chania Old Town

The standard award price for the Hilton Chania Old Town is 95,000 points per night, with great availability year-round. For that price, you can get a room with a balcony, partial sea views, and a private pool. If you’re traveling in January or February, prices dip to 86,000 points per night.

Cash rates start around $400 per night during off-peak times and around $590 during peak summer months. The price in points is still 95,000 in the summer, when you can get around 0.6 cents per point — higher than our valuation of Hilton Honors points.

If you’re short on Hilton Honors points, you can transfer points from American Express Membership Rewards at a 1:2 ratio or put some spend on a Hilton American Express card.

This hotel qualifies for the $200 semiannual resort credit on the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. That means you could book a stay with points and then use the Hilton Aspire card to treat yourself to a spa treatment or a nice meal. Or you can use it to save some money when booking with cash.

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Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Automatic Hilton Diamond status, an annual free night, and a travel and resort credit make this the perfect card for those who stay in Hilton hotels.

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Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Automatic Hilton Diamond status, an annual free night, and a travel and resort credit make this the perfect card for those who stay in Hilton hotels.

Welcome Offer

Best Points Offer Yet! Earn 200,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 01/13/2027.

200,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $1,000

Annual Fee

$550

APR

19.74%-28.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

Paying hundreds of dollars for an annual fee on a co-branded hotel card might seem ridiculous, but you should know that the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is much more than your run-of-the-mill hotel credit card.

The Hilton Aspire card is not only a phenomenal card for Hilton Honors loyalists, but even those who visit Hilton hotels just a few times a year can still get excellent value out of all the benefits that are packed into this card.

So let’s have a look at what makes the card so valuable to travelers.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 14x points per $1 on Hilton purchases
• 7x points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or through AmexTravel.com, car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies, and at U.S. restaurants
• 3x points per $1 on all other eligible purchases

Cons

• High annual fee of $550 (rates & fees)

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Card Highlights

• Best Points Offer Yet! Earn 200,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 01/13/2027.
• Enjoy complimentary Diamond status with your Card. Diamond status gives you a 100% Bonus on Base Points you earn on every stay, Premium Wi-Fi and space-available room upgrades at select properties, executive lounge access at select properties, and more.
• Earn 14X Hilton Honors Bonus Points when you make eligible purchases on your Card directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
• Card Members can earn 7X Points on purchases of Flights booked directly with airlines or flights booked through American Express Travel, Car rentals purchased directly from select car rental companies, and purchases at U.S. Restaurants.
• Card Members can earn 3X Points on all other eligible purchases.
• $400 Hilton Resort Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits semi-annually for eligible purchases made directly with participating Hilton Resorts on your Hilton Honors Aspire Card. That's up to $400 back annually.
• $200 Flight Credit: Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter, for a total of up to $200 back each year, on flight purchases made directly with an airline, through AmexTravel.com, or through the Amex Travel App™ using your Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
• CLEAR+ helps get you to your gate faster at 60+ airports nationwide. Receive up to $219 per calendar year in statement credits when you pay for your membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Hilton Honors Aspire Card.
• Earn up to 3 Free Night Rewards with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Receive one complimentary Free Night Reward each membership year. Earn a second Free Night Reward from Hilton after you spend $30,000 or more on purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Earn a third Free Night Reward from Hilton after you spend an additional $30,000 in purchases on your Card in the same calendar year.
• $100 Property Credit: Receive up to a $100 credit for qualifying charges at Waldorf Astoria^® Hotels & Resorts and Conrad^® Hotels & Resorts properties when you book a 2 night minimum stay with your Card at HiltonHonorsAspireCard.com and select the Aspire Card Benefit rate option on the booking page, or call Hilton Honors at 855-292-5757 with the proper booking reference.
• Hilton Honors Aspire Card Members can enjoy complimentary National Car Rental^® Emerald Club Executive^® status, including perks like Executive Area Access (for full-size reservations and above) in the USA and Canada. Card Members must enroll in the National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status through their American Express online account using their Card. Terms apply.
• $550 annual fee.
• Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.74%-28.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

If you have the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card or The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, you can use your quarterly Hilton credit of up to $50. Enrollment is required.

Highlights of the Hilton Chania Old Town

Spoiler alert: I loved this hotel and the island of Crete. I only stayed 2 nights, and I was already dreaming of returning with my family before I checked out. From my room (which included a private plunge pool, balcony with sea view, and an in-room sauna) to the incredible food and convenient location, this hotel checked all the boxes for me. Plus, it’s reasonably priced, whether you’re paying in cash or using Hilton Honors points.

Walking into the Hilton Chania Old Town, I noticed the Cretan-inspired custom marble floor as I was greeted with a refreshing welcome drink.

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Head to the second floor to get a great view of the custom-designed marble floor.

After checking in, I dropped my luggage in my room and indulged in a spa treatment at Spa L’Occitane. A massage was just what I needed after my long flight. If you’re feeling jetlagged, enjoy a relaxing snooze by the heated spa pool or take in the views on the rooftop, where you’ll find a garden, an infinity edge pool with cushioned sun loungers, and Céleste, an all-day bar and restaurant.

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During the day, you can lounge by the pool; at night, the area transforms into a cocktail lounge.

Try out some of the incredible local restaurants, but save at least 1 meal for the hotel’s main restaurant, Poème de la Canée. My dinner here was one of my favorites during my entire stay in Greece.

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Bread and olive oil (olive butter in this case) just hit differently in Crete. The red pepper was actually tyrokafteri, a spicy feta dip.

Breakfast

Breakfast is included for all guests at Hilton Chania Old Town, and you won’t want to miss it. For years, I have been vocal about my dislike for buffets, but I’ve never seen such a perfect explanation of why I don’t like them until I had breakfast at this hotel. There was a card on the table explaining the hotel’s approach to the first meal of the day:

“At Hilton Chania Old Town Resort & Spa, we believe the first moments of the day deserve calm, beauty, and genuine attention. True hospitality begins with presence. It is the pleasure of being cared for, the elegance of not having to leave your table, and the quiet generosity of a morning created around you.”

Instead of a chaotic buffet, choices were brought to my table on carts so I could select exactly what I wanted. There was also an à la carte menu. Based on my server’s recommendations, I chose yogurt with granola and an open-faced sfougato omelet, along with some Cretan pastries and a freddo cappuccino (a popular Greek iced espresso drink).

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One of the breakfast carts that was brought to my table.

Hilton Chania Old Town Guest Room

I stayed 2 nights in a King Grand Deluxe Room with Direct Sea View and Private Pool, and I loved it the moment I stepped inside.

The first thing I noticed was something I had never seen in a hotel room before: a private in-room sauna. It made my room feel like a spa retreat, and it was the perfect spot to relax after a day exploring Chania’s Old Town. Next to the sauna was what I call a “shower room,” a spacious glassed-in shower-and-tub combo.

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My room had a sauna!

The bed was placed in the middle of the room, overlooking the balcony and a fantastic sea view. There were plenty of bedside outlets and controls for the lights and curtains. A small table and chairs were at the foot of the bed, so I could dine or work without missing the view.

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The bed was in the middle of the room to maximize the view.

Other than the sauna, the balcony was the highlight of the room. It included a private plunge pool and 2 comfortable chairs. The glass barrier offered unobstructed views while the full side walls gave me plenty of privacy.

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The glass barrier was ideal to take in the view from the very cushy chairs.

Final Thoughts

I spent 2 nights at the Hilton Chania Old Town in Crete, Greece, and it wasn’t enough. The service was warm and friendly, the room was comfortable and relaxing, the food was excellent, and the location was perfect for exploring Old Town Chania.

Between work and personal stays, I have had the luxury of staying at lots of different hotels over the years. While there are many that I have really enjoyed, there are only a handful that I would go out of my way to stay at again, and the Hilton Chania Old Town is one of them. It had just the right level of relaxed luxury plus the excellent location that I look for when I am traveling. I can’t wait to return.