Rethymnon is among Crete's loveliest towns, and the Casa Moazzo Suites and Apartments is housed in one of the town's loveliest structures: a neoclassical building in the heart of the old town. The entrance to the hotel sets a luxurious and historic tone -- a cobblestone street leads to the white stone building and its lantern-lit archway. Once the home of nobles, the building is complete with exposed stone walls and a picturesque garden courtyard where breakfast is served. Guests also relax at the lobby bar for coffee and cocktails -- the attractive space includes a wooden bar, eclectic wall art, and a glass chandelier.

Located in Rethymnon's old town on a quiet, pedestrian-only street, the Casa Moazzo Suites and Apartments is close to many historic monuments -- like the Great Gate, Rimondi Fountain, and Venetian Harbor. Rethymnon's marina is 150 meters away. At night, this pedestrian walkway comes to life with people shopping for pottery and leather, or dining in one of the several excellent restaurants. The main commercial street, where travelers can find necessities, is just a few minutes' walk away. For beach-goers, the sand is less than a 10-minute walk away.

From the Standard Room to the duplex suites, each accommodation at Casa Moazzo manages to have a home-away-from-home feel. All have unique design elements (styles range from rustic-luxe to renaissance) and cozy touches like a private balcony or red-and-white-striped wall as decor. Most have wood floors, stone walls, and cypress ceiling beams. Each suite is equipped with a king-size mattress with choice of pillow type, mini-fridge, coffeemaker, kettle, flat-screen TV, safe, and air-conditioning. A couple of rooms have kitchenettes, and most have balconies. The Maisonettes have duplex layouts. Bathrooms are beautiful, and the ones we saw had modern claw-foot tubs and white marble; all have hairdryers and bath products by Korres.

Guests of Casa Moazzo are served delicious breakfast (including local pastries, bread, and cheese, plus eggs to order) in the hotel's sunlit garden courtyard daily. Other than that, there are few stand-out features: the hotel does not have a pool, for example. One nice touch is the lobby bar, with plenty of small tables and a bar cart with liquor to choose from. Because of the location on a pedestrian-only street, there's also no parking at the hotel.