There’s a new hotel opening just outside Chania the Casa Cook. We were staying last week at an old family run hotel on the hill above, overlooking the new site where 102 (or 106 depending on which part of their website you look at!) rooms are scheduled to open by the end of May. They’d certainly got a lot to do by then!
We have mixed feelings about the “our modernist village is the perfect hideaway to rest and reinvigorate.” Is it a “series of soulful spaces merge minimalist mid-century modernism with thoughtful design” or is it reminiscent of a prison?
Its camouflage colours and single story separate 2 room buildings spread over the gently sloping hillside certainly make for a low and unassuming profile along the coast. Its hardly visible from further afield but will the impact of the 200 odd holiday makers on Chryssi Akti/Golden Beach make it impossibly crowded?
As far as we can judge it will NOT be all inclusive, the standard offer is bed and breakfast or half board, so the local community – there is a great restaurant, Theodosi, at the top of the hill just above the hotel – should benefit.
The beach bar Aptera, is just next door, a very relaxed friendly place to chill out right on the beach, owned and run by Sifis – they sell Lafkas White Mountain Beer, a true microbrewery (forget Charma) based in Chania and run by a young Belgian/Greek couple.
One thing is for sure, the pictures supposedly of Casa Cook Chania, are not! The website says “Coming Soon” but the pictures must be from another CC site, or artists impressions. Check out our comparisons – our photos were taken 17 May 2019, and the website captured pictures from the same date.
Inside the rooms it is superficially swish, but completely unconnected with Crete – more African or Philippines by the style and materials of the furniture. There seemed to be nothing to link with Crete.
Stylish perhaps, but where are we…?
There’s a lovely view of the sea, but with an equal proportion of the roofs of the other rooms. And where is the environmental focus – as far as we could see, despite the acres of flat roofs, no solar panels either for heating water or for electricity.
Then there’s the pricing – we still find it difficult to imagine the sort of family who can shell out 300-600 euro per night for their “place to spend day after day in the sun, like one drawn-out Sunday, reveling [sic] in life’s simplicities.” …perhaps “whilst worrying about how to pay next month’s mortgage” should be added!
Update 24 May, just two days before the opening. Its certainly a massive exercise and the folk managing it seem surprisingly calm, if completely exhausted!
So what do you think? Let us know on panokosmos@gmail.com. And if you want an alternative day after day in the sun, like one drawn out Sunday, you could take a look at Panokosmos!