Azade Chania

Ask the kitchen for “what’s not on the menu” and you might be offered a family-recipe raki infusion or warm kalitsounia made with the chef’s grandmother’s cheese blend.

Arriving at Azade Chania feels like stepping through a portal—off Zampeliou Street’s sunlit bustle and into the hushed elegance of a 17th-century Venetian-Ottoman mansion. Check-in is intimate, with a chilled herbal tea and a warm smile. The scent of citrus from the courtyard drifts through arched stone hallways, where flickering candlelight dances on polished floors.

Our suite was a dream: soaring ceilings, handcrafted furniture, and linen-draped windows that opened to postcard views of Old Town’s rooftops. Mornings began with breakfast under orange trees—fresh fruit, local cheese, honey-drenched pastries—and ended with twilight cocktails just a two-minute walk away at the harbor.

We borrowed retro bikes and meandered through alleyways scented with jasmine, stopping for art galleries and spontaneous gelato. Back at the hotel, we booked an in-room massage—heavenly after a sun-drenched day exploring Balos and Elafonisi.

There are no TVs, just curated books, soft music, and the lull of distant waves. Azade is more than a stay—it’s a feeling. One of soulful elegance, warmth, and slow, intentional living. When we left, the staff waved us off like old friends. And just like that, we knew we’d return.