The name
A hotel named after what the building used to make
This was a printing shop.
Set, inked and pressed · Rethymno, Crete
A press stood in this building. It printed a newspaper — ΑΓΩΝ — published by Fotakis, a lawyer who later became a congressman and a public prosecutor in Athens. The type was set by hand, one letter at a time, and pulled on paper in this room.
The central house has been called the House of Europe ever since it was the guest house of the University of Crete. Professors and researchers stayed here between lectures. Art exhibitions are still part of the place.
Ink is not a colour here. It is what this building did for a living.
Back in times
A press, a newspaper, a guest house
The building that became Ink was a printing shop. From it was published the newspaper ΑΓΩΝ — Struggle — by Fotakis, who later became a congressman and a prosecutor in Athens.
The central building, known as the House of Europe, was the guest house of the University of Crete. Its guests were professors and researchers who came to give lectures of consequence to the scientific and local community. Art exhibitions have long been part of the life of the house.
Three separate historic buildings of the 1700s, in the centre of the medieval old town. They are a historic spot of Rethymno's life.
What Ink is made of
Three separate historic buildings
- The first building · reception
House of Europe
- The building that gave the hotel its heart: once the University of Crete's guest house, where visiting professors and researchers stayed. Reception is here, breakfast is served here, and all seven suites are here. Renovated May 2020. See the rooms →
- ΦωςLight · the second building
Phos
- Seven rooms, numbered one to seven, in the quieter of the two buildings — a short walk from House of Europe, where reception and breakfast are. Renovated June 2019. See the rooms →
- A house of your own
The Residence of the Old Port
- One two-bedroom residence with its own kitchen and private parking, one hundred metres from the Venetian harbour. See the rooms →
Set by hand, one letter at a time, and pulled on paper in this room. The press is gone; the name stayed.
Set
Type laid by hand in this building, and the newspaper ΑΓΩΝ pulled from it by Fotakis — later a congressman and a prosecutor in Athens.
Inked
The House of Europe became the guest house of the University of Crete. Professors and researchers came to lecture, and the walls have carried exhibitions ever since.
Pressed
Three buildings of the 1700s, still standing, now a hotel. The press is gone; the impression it left is the name over the door.
The quarter
Under the shadow of the Fortezza
Ink sits under the imposing Fortezza — the fortress the pirate Barbarossa once invaded — and a few steps from the sea and the medieval Venetian port, where merchants once traded goods from all over the world.
Walk the streets around Ink and you find the alleys knights once rode through, small local luncheonettes with good food, fresh salads and juices. And this very alive quarter has bars that will serve you the best frozen cocktails of the summer.
The mark
A fingerprint, pressed into paper
The hotel's mark is a thumbprint — rings pressed into a surface, spreading from a single point of contact. It is the same act the building performed for a living: type, pressure, an impression left behind.
It is also the oldest way of saying this was mine, I was here. Which is, in the end, what a stay is for.
The second building
Φως
The second building is called Phos. It is the Greek word for light, and it is the quieter of the two — seven rooms, numbered one to seven, a short walk from reception and breakfast at House of Europe.
Ink and light are the same act. A mark is pressed into a surface; light thrown across it at a low angle is what makes the mark readable. One building is named for the mark, the other for what reveals it.
Seven rooms · Renovated June 2019
Crete Holiday Home
A family, not a chain
Ink is run by Crete Holiday Home — a family-owned boutique hotel & villas company that has been letting rooms, houses and villas along this coast for years. Their promise is authentic Greek hospitality and the ultimate in simple, effortless charm, and it is the reason the desk here can answer questions a front desk usually cannot.
Which beach is empty on a Sunday in August. Which taverna is still worth it in February. Which lane floods after rain. That knowledge is not in any guidebook, and it is the actual difference between a room and a stay.
- Villas & hotels
- Thalasses Villas, Villa Thetis, Villa Ikaros, Casa Vitae and a dozen more along this coast — the same family, the same standards.
- Three offices
- Rethymno, Heraklion and Athens.
- Local, not chain
- Nobody here is following a brand manual. The advice you get at the desk is the advice they would give a friend.
What guests said
This was one of the best hotels I've ever stayed at. The location is perfectly located at the edge of the old town, walking distance from the beach… My girlfriend and I stayed in the deluxe suite with the private plunge pool, and this was both very romantic and very needed in the warm Cretan summer.
A beautiful space that stands out for its absolute cleanliness, unique decoration with wood as the star… A separate brushstroke of luxury, the rich breakfast served directly to the room.
Translated from Greek.
Booked the suite with hot tub — just fantastic. So relaxing. Lovely location, near the sea, in a quiet courtyard. Friendly staff who made me feel so welcome!
Fantastic hotel in the old city… Clean and comfortable beds. Hotel staff was there for you. Beautiful renovation… Delicious cake and coffee in the front desk.
A hidden gem in Rethymno's Old Town. The suite's cozy design, comfortable bed, and warm plunge pool exceeded expectations. The staff's friendly service made our stay memorable.
Many careful details (sea towels, welcome raki, espresso machine, slippers etc). Nice private terrace and in very good location… Kids at the reception very helpful.
Translated from Greek.
We received a warm welcome from Manu!! The suites are located at the quiet side of Rethymno, in the center but not close to the clubs. Rooms are great, jacuzzi is top!
Exceptional place, with a lot of attention to customer service… The private bathtub was greatly appreciated. The staff was very helpful and kind, even assisting us with parking.
The style of Gateway Suites, the location and the staff made the stay perfect! Second time I have stayed here… Beds are super comfy and the rooms are spotless!