We recently took a trip to Heraklion to discover Crete’s vibrant seaside capital. Crete has long been on our wish list. We heard of its unparalleled hospitality, tailored service and mouth-watering dishes which have been perfected throughout generations of Cretan foodies. We wanted to experience a place where traditions are still very much alive and celebrated through authentic experiences.
Our time in Crete was defined by our stay at the Legacy Gastro Suites, a new five-star luxury boutique hotel with a new concept: bringing love and food together, in a stunning room with elegant decor and sea views.
Join us on an unexpected adventure around Crete and let us tell you the story of how a childhood memory ended up becoming an indulgent experience for travellers wanting to discover the authenticity of Greece.
Getting to Legacy Gastro Suites
We arrived in Crete on an idle Wednesday, after several hours of travel. We flew over the Aegean Sea, where hues of blues stretched for as long as our eyes could see. From above, we saw a multitude of enchanting Greek islands. That set the tone for the holiday. We couldn’t wait to step off the plane and start our temporary island life: with good food, wonderful weather and exciting activities.
From the airport, we took a taxi to our hotel, Legacy Gastro Suites. The journey was no longer than 15 minutes even with some mid-afternoon traffic. We recommend you do the same. There is a taxi station in front of the airport, or, alternatively, you can pre-organise your transfer with the help of the hotel. Legacy Gastro Suites has an agreement with a local, reliable taxi company in Heraklion if you need help prior or during your stay.
Alas, our hours of travel paid off as we found ourselves in front of the new luxury boutique hotel in the heart of Heraklion. The building is located just minutes from the main shopping streets. The Legacy Gastro Hotel opened less than a year ago, and the team, told us, locals are sometimes puzzled by it, as the building used to be abandoned for many years. It’s now a magnet for local and foreign travellers alike who are interested in having a one of a kind experience which combines comfort and culinary delights from all over Greece.
The welcome at Legacy Gastro Suites
Step into the hotel’s lobby and you’ll forget about your worries. The front desk will welcome you with a smile and invite you to sit down to discuss the practicalities of your stay. But worry not, the process is incredibly speedy. During the few minutes of discussion, the staff will prepare a welcome drink for you, to set the tone of your stay: iconic hospitality as per the hotel’s motto.
Your luggage will be taken upstairs to your room and placed in its place in your suite. It’s the little things which make your stay special. We stayed in several luxury hotels, and we always appreciated tailored service.
We didn’t expect to have a welcome drink and a small sample of local jams. This was a delight and made the check-in process smooth and pleasant. We were very tired after our hours of travel, and that’s why we appreciated the speedy yet personalised welcome we received.
It does take a master to balance practical with delightful service in a timely manner, but without feeling rushed.
The Rooms at Legacy Gastro Suites
Legacy Gastro Suites is a new boutique hotel with 12 unique suites. We asked the staff if we can see a few rooms out of curiosity, although we already knew the suite we loved the most. All suites are a little different with different thematics, although, at the core, they are all linked with Greek culinary heritage.
Each suite was inspired by a Cretan cultural figure like El Greco, Nikos Kazantzakis or poet Vincenzo Kornaro. Our suite, for example, had bookshelves around the bed. We found that these books were sourced from many places in Europe, manually cleaned and dried. Now, I can’t imagine a person’s dedication to manually clean each and every single page of a few dozen books. That’s pretty incredible.
Our suite reminded me of my gran’s living room, with a traditional carpet, wooden elements and elegant 50s style furnishing. The bed was very comfortable, with two different pillows for neck and back support.
The suite also came with a balcony, perfect for enjoying the morning breakfast outdoors. The toilet and the shower room were separated for comfort.
The best part of the room? The food station! Every suite comes with a sturdy wooden shelf full of Greek food from all around the country. These have been sourced from independent producers who still uphold traditional values when it comes to making food.
There is a special fridge full of wines from various Greece regions. Unlike other mini bars, these are full-size bottles of wine for your enjoyment.
And the actual mini bar? No miniatures there, but an array of incredible products such as cold meats, various cheeses and Greek soft drinks.
In conclusion, your room is not an ordinary hotel room, but a place to relax with a book and eat your way around Greece.
The concept of Legacy Gastro Suites
Legacy Gastro Suites clearly has a unique concept here. We travelled to so many countries and never found a concept such as this where the hotel brings together an array of gastronomic traditions.
Imagine a place where you can taste the many delicacies of Greek islands in one single place: at the food station in your suite. Genius! And that’s because, as travellers, we love exploring, but we also love eating just as much. So what better way to be welcomed to Greece, than by having the opportunity to taste the many unique foods from all its corners.
We believe the Legacy Gastro Suites is perfect for honeymooners and couples looking to spend quality time together, during which, they can cuddle in the comfortable bed, or swing by the food station to try a new authentic snack.
And if you are not sure what to try at the food station, simply call the reception and arrange for a free of charge tasting.
The Breakfast at Legacy Gastro Suites
I know what you are thinking… you already have cheeses, cold meats and all sort of goods from all over Greece. Surely you can sort out your own breakfast. Well, no need, because at Legacy Gastro Suites breakfast is included in the price. But this is no ordinary breakfast because it’s all a la carte.
In the evening, before going to bed, simply select the items you want for breakfast. You can pick just one item or pick all of them from the menu. It’s at no extra charge. Select the exact hour you want your breakfast to be served and a member of staff will bring it to your room.
You can have a multitude of delicious Greek foods in the comfort of your own hotel room or balcony. You can even enjoy your breakfast in your dressing gown.
Food and Drink at Legacy Gastro Suites
What can we possibly still tell you about food? Well, we covered the amazing food station in your room, and the incredible breakfast, but we haven’t talked about dinner yet. Because Legacy Gastro Suites has amazing chefs waiting to cook the best authentic dishes ever.
The staff will recommend you tailored meals for your liking and will help you pair the food with wine. We tried a little bit of everything: we wanted to sample the Cretan and Greek cuisine. The result? We fell in love.
We tried all sort of cakes, sauces, risottos, creams. Oh my goodness, the incredible food made our stay even more enchanting.
We recommend trying everything in the food station, enjoying your awesome breakfast, then booking your dinner downstairs so you can eat even more incredible dishes. This is Cretan hospitality at its finest.
Activities with Legacy Gastro Suites
We are sure you can tell that eating is a national activity in Crete. But beyond sampling food which you’ll love, the team at Legacy Gastro Suites will also take you on some adventures inspired by local traditions.
They can tailor activities for you and pre-book your trips even before your arrival. This will enable you to have a worry-free holiday in the heart of Heraklion.
We recommend taking a trip to the Myrtia village to see the Kazantzakis museum. Also, don’t miss the Archanes village, which is also incredibly picturesque. Our favourite activity at the Legacy Gastro Suites was a special wine tasting with the team from WineWalkers. We learned about the many wine regions in Crete and a little bit about their history. We also learned how to taste and sample wine.
The team at WineWalkers asked us to guess the flavour and aromas of the wines we tried, making the experience even more fun. We really recommend booking this activity when staying at the Legacy Gastro Suite.
Overall
Legacy Gastro Suites is an amazing luxury boutique hotel with the best culinary concept we’ve ever heard of. It’s unique and fun, aimed at couples who want to blend a luxurious hotel stay with an authentic experience.
We love that in purchasing some of the products at the food station, we give back to the local producers who still believe in honest, good food. Every item in the hotel is of Greek origin, carefully curated by a team of experts who believe Crete and Greece has a lot to offer in terms of tradition and authenticity.
We loved the concept and adored the food. The hospitality was truly iconic and we can’t recommend the Legacy Gastro Suites enough.
More information
Legacy Gastro Suites
43 Eleftherias Square
71201 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Thank you Legacy Gastro Suites for sponsoring this post and making our stay in Crete possible. We loved your gastro suite and we are impressed by your truly iconic hospitality. All opinions in this piece are our own.
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