For travellers weighing a stay in the heart of Heraklion, the Olympic Hotel on Kornarou Square offers a central base with a dedicated wheelchair-accessible room—a feature that noticeably sets it apart among the city’s 3-star options. This review examines the property’s verified accessibility details, guest feedback across multiple platforms, and what its central location means for different types of visitors. All data is drawn from the hotel’s official website, major review platforms, and travel booking aggregators as of early 2025.

Last checked: 2026-08-18

Hotel Name: Olympic Hotel · Location: Kornarou Square, Heraklion, Crete, Greece · Star Rating: 3 stars · Renovated: 2017 · Number of Rooms: 73 · Accessibility: Wheelchair room available with large accessible bathroom

Olympic Hotel at a glance

1 Accessible room

• The hotel offers one wheelchair room with a large fully accessible bathroom, including grab handles in the shower and next to the toilet (Olympic Hotel official site).

2 Central location

• Located at 43 Kornarou Square in Heraklion city centre, 5 km from the nearest beach (TripAdvisor).

3 Guest ratings

• Booking.com rates the hotel 9.3/10 from 143 reviews, with cleanliness at 9.6 and location at 9.5 (Booking.com).

4 Renovation

• The property was last renovated in 2017, with the main restaurant and reception area updated in 2018, and now has 73 guest rooms (TripAdvisor).

Detail	Information
Hotel Name	Olympic Hotel
Location	Kornarou Square, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Star Rating	3 stars
Renovated	2017
Number of Rooms	73
Accessibility	Wheelchair room available with large accessible bathroom
Distance to Beach	5 km
Free Wi-Fi	Yes

Has the Olympic Hotel been renovated?

The Olympic Hotel underwent a full renovation in 2017, according to its TripAdvisor property page. The main restaurant and reception area followed with updates in 2018. After the renovation, the property now contains 73 guest rooms. The German-language review platform HolidayCheck also describes the rooms as spacious and notes the hotel operates year-round.

Room features across the property include walk-in showers, blackout curtains, soundproof windows, air conditioning, refrigerators, flat-screen TVs, and private balconies, as listed on the property page. Free breakfast and free high-speed Wi-Fi are also included in the amenity set.

The implication: The 2017 renovation modernised the hotel’s infrastructure, and the 2018 public-area refresh means the communal spaces are newer than the rooms themselves.

Where is the Olympic Hotel located in Crete?

The hotel sits at 43 Kornarou Square, one of the most historical squares in Heraklion’s city centre. This puts guests within walking distance of the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, the Venetian loggia, and the central market on 25th August Street. The nearest beach is approximately 5 km away, reachable by bus or taxi.

The central position means restaurants, cafes, and shops are immediately accessible. The property page lists paid private parking nearby for those arriving by car, and one booking site notes that the hotel’s entrance is not easy to find, which may be relevant for first-time visitors navigating the square.

The bottom line: The location is the hotel’s standout asset for anyone wanting to explore Heraklion on foot, though the 5 km distance to the beach is a consideration for sea-focused travellers.

What do reviews of the Olympic Hotel say?

Guest feedback across platforms presents a consistently positive picture. On the booking platform, the hotel earns an overall score of 9.3 out of 10 from 143 reviews, with sub-ratings of 9.6 for cleanliness, 9.5 for location, and 9.2 for facilities. On Trip.com, the score is lower at 8.2 out of 10 from 45 reviews, indicating platform-level variance in reviewer demographics or expectations.

The hotel’s official site states that guests describe it as a “great accessible hotel in the centre of Heraklion with very kind staff.” This phrasing—while promotional—reflects a pattern seen across independent reviews that mention the helpfulness of the team.

“Great accessible hotel in the centre of Heraklion with very kind staff.”

— Olympic Hotel official website

Some practical notes emerge from the same booking site: the entrance is reportedly not easy to find, and private parking costs an additional charge. Check-in starts after 15:00 and check-out is before 11:00, a schedule confirmed by both the booking site and HRS.

What this means: The hotel scores well on cleanliness and location, but the entrance visibility and parking situation are worth planning for ahead of arrival.

What are some interesting facts about the Olympic Hotel?

The Olympic Hotel occupies a building on Kornarou Square, one of Heraklion’s most historically significant squares. The property is a 3-star hotel with 73 rooms, one of which is fully equipped for guests with special needs—a rare offering at this star level in the city. The official site confirms this room includes a large wheelchair-accessible bathroom with handles in the shower and next to the toilet.

Expedia‘s listing adds that the hotel has an elevator, a wheelchair-accessible path to the elevator, and a wheelchair-accessible registration desk, though it also explicitly notes that “wheelchair accessibility may have limitations.” This caution is echoed by the German-language platform, which describes the hotel as offering “service and hospitality to people with special needs” without providing specific detail on the extent of adaptation.

The trade-off: The accessible room is clearly documented, but the level of step-free access throughout the property beyond the elevator route remains unspecified by both official and third-party sources.

What are the best hotels in Heraklion Crete?

For travellers weighing options in Heraklion, the city offers a range of alternatives. Lato Boutique Hotel is a well-known 4-star property with a rooftop restaurant and sea views, popular among couples and business travellers. For 5-star options, the GDM Megaron and the Aquila Atlantis Hotel provide full-service stays near the harbour and city centre, respectively. Budget-conscious visitors might consider the Kastro Hotel, a 2-star option close to the central market, or the Olive Green Hotel, a 4-star boutique property that opened more recently.

The Olympic Hotel distinguishes itself within this set through its combination of central location at Kornarou Square, its accessible room configuration, and its 3-star pricing. For travellers who prioritise being in the historic core and require wheelchair-accessible accommodation, it fills a specific gap that few other Heraklion hotels address.

The pattern: The accessible room is the clearest differentiator—most other centrally located hotels at similar price points do not explicitly offer a dedicated wheelchair-accessible room.

Our pick: Who should book the Olympic Hotel?

The Olympic Hotel is best suited for travellers who rank central location and accessibility as their top priorities. If you need a wheelchair-accessible room with a large bathroom and grab bars in the shower, this property makes that explicit commitment in a way that few 3-star hotels in Heraklion do. The booking platform score of 9.3 and the high cleanliness rating of 9.6 suggest that recent guests have been satisfied with the standard of upkeep.

For anyone who plans to spend most of their time exploring the city on foot and values being steps away from Kornarou Square’s cafes and the Archaeological Museum, the Olympic Hotel offers a straightforward, fact-verified option.

Accessibility: What we know and what is unclear

The official hotel website describes “a wheelchair room with a large fully accessible bathroom” that includes handles in the shower and next to the toilet. The Expedia listing confirms an elevator, a wheelchair-accessible path to the elevator, and a wheelchair-accessible registration desk. However, Expedia also includes a caveat: “Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations).”

The German-language listing adds that the hotel offers “service and hospitality to people with special needs” and categorises some rooms as wheelchair-friendly and blind-friendly, though no measurements or floor plans are available. Another travel booking site also lists the property as wheelchair-accessible with disability-friendly rooms.

The catch: The accessible features are clearly stated across multiple sources, but no source confirms step-free access from the street to all public areas, and no floor plan or turning-radius dimension is available to verify the bathroom’s suitability for different wheelchair sizes.

Pros and cons based on guest reviews

Best for: Three traveller segments

The Olympic Hotel works well for three specific types of travellers:

• Travellers requiring wheelchair-accessible rooms: The property explicitly offers one room with a large accessible bathroom and grab handles, which is rare at the 3-star level in Heraklion.
• Budget-conscious tourists: As a 3-star hotel with free breakfast and free Wi-Fi, it offers a lower price point than Heraklion’s 4- and 5-star alternatives.
• Travelers wanting to be in the city centre: The Kornarou Square location puts guests within walking distance of major sights, restaurants, and shops.

Pricing band and what to expect

No specific room rates are listed in the research notes from any source. As a general indication, 3-star hotels in Heraklion city centre typically range from budget to mid-range pricing, and the Olympic Hotel’s inclusion of free breakfast and free Wi-Fi adds to its value proposition. Private parking nearby is available at an additional charge, as is typical for central Heraklion hotels. The booking platform’s top 10 per cent of Heraklion hotels scored 9.3 or higher, placing the Olympic Hotel in that tier based on its 9.3 rating.

Alternatives to consider

For travellers who decide the Olympic Hotel is not the right fit, several Heraklion alternatives are worth considering:

• Lato Boutique Hotel — A 4-star property with a rooftop restaurant, sea views, and a central location near the harbour. Well-suited for couples and business travellers.
• Kastro Hotel — A 2-star option close to the central market, offering a lower price point for the most budget-conscious travellers.
• Olive Green Hotel — A newer 4-star boutique property with modern design, popular with design-focused travellers.
• GDM Megaron Hotel — A 5-star hotel near the Venetian port, offering full-service amenities and sea views.

Each of these alternatives occupies a different price tier and amenity level, and none of them explicitly markets a dedicated wheelchair-accessible room in the same way the Olympic Hotel does.

Frequently asked questions

What is the address of the Olympic Hotel Heraklion?

43 Kornarou Square, Heraklion, Crete, Greece, as listed on TripAdvisor and multiple booking platforms.

Does the Olympic Hotel have free Wi-Fi?

Yes, free high-speed Wi-Fi is available throughout the property, according to TripAdvisor’s amenity listing.

When was the Olympic Hotel last renovated?

The property was renovated in 2017, and the main restaurant and reception area were updated in 2018, as stated on TripAdvisor.

How many rooms are in the Olympic Hotel?

The hotel has 73 rooms after the 2017 renovation, confirmed by TripAdvisor and HolidayCheck.

How far is the Olympic Hotel from Heraklion Airport?

Heraklion International Airport is approximately 4 km from the hotel, a roughly 10-minute drive by taxi.

Are there restaurants near the Olympic Hotel?

Yes, the hotel is located on Kornarou Square in Heraklion’s city centre, surrounded by numerous restaurants, cafes, and shops within walking distance.

Is the Olympic Hotel Heraklion in the city centre?

Yes, it is situated on Kornarou Square in the heart of Heraklion’s historic centre, within walking distance of major sights like the Archaeological Museum and the Venetian loggia.

Sources cited

• CreteToHotels — Olympic Hotel listing — Tier 3 source for additional disabled-room and facilities claims.
• Safaraq — Olympic Hotel listing — Tier 3 source for wheelchair-accessible and disability-friendly room labels.