About us
Our History
HOTEL WITH CHARACTER
The Scala De Faro Hotel has a long and rich history dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries, when built by Venetians. The materials used in its construction, its distinct architectural features, as well as references from various historical sources, show that it was originally a two-storey building with carved, porous arches embellishing the ground floor, and an upper floor –probably the “Piano Nobile” or main floor– where a Venetian noble resided. The monumental proportions of the northern façade are the building’s most iconic element and prove its initial Venetian origin. The arched stone-built staircase is a monument of fortification, adorned with floral patterns and a built-in fountain at the base of its arc.
After the Turks occupied the city of Chania in 1645, the building went through various renovation phases. Tournefort, a traveller, wrote in 1717: “the building seems to follow the typical trend of the times,” a feature apparent in the construction of the separating south-end wall on the upper floor which was revealed during the restoration of the building. The two-storey house featured a cellar and stables on the ground floor, carved stone façade walls on the upper floor and an open-air terrace garden of flowers and climbing plants. Old property contracts inform us that, in 1890, it belonged to a Softazade family descendant, a prominent Turkish-Cretan family.
Over the past 118 years, the building’s appearance and spaces have repeatedly undergone change, always adapting to the trends. In 1932 Antonakakis, a great entrepreneur of the era bought the premises at an auction. It was rebuilt and opened in 1934 as a hotel –one of the very first in the city– under the name “MINERVA.” After 36 years of operation as a hotel it was closed in 1970 and became the private residence of Mrs. Anthoula Antonakaki, a very dear lady in the city of Chania.
There is a historic photo, from M. Manousaka’s archive, that shows the building at the time the ‘Great Powers’ arrived in Chania, back in 1898.
The building as a hotel
At this prestigious and majestic building –the largest in the Old Port–, nowadays the Scala de Faro, guests can enjoy a magnificent view to the sea, the old Venetian harbour and the city, replete with all modern conveniences a traveller may need.
The Scala de Faro consists of 9 unique rooms and suites, across three floors, on the north and south face, overlooking either the sea or the scenic back alleys of the Old Town and the mountains. These spaces were designed to make use of the building’s original structural and decorative elements, such as wooden ceilings and floors, vintage doors and stone patterns. Each floor retains its own features, as a direct reference to the construction materials and era they were used in (Venetian, Ottoman and Modern Greek periods respectively), in a repetitive pattern along with decorative motifs. The building has also been modified to accommodate persons with mobility impairments. Our hotel features a stair chair lift and an elevator, as well as a mobility friendly room.
Scala de Faro, thanks to its privileged position, exactly opposite the Lighthouse of the Old Port of Chania, is the ideal starting point for the journey of your dreams. Enjoy moments of relaxation, rejuvenation and tranquillity, while indulging in impressive, elegant aesthetics and subtle luxury. Each morning, from 8:00 to 11:00, there’s a delicious, healthy and rich breakfast on offer to ease your way as smoothly as possible into the rest of your day. Your journey starts here, we are waiting on you!
