From the third floor balcony of my room at the Lato Boutique Hotel, the view over the crenellated walls of Heraklion’s Venetian harbour is stunning. It’s early spring, but so warm I’ve already stripped to a t-shirt and the harbour beneath me bustles with life, as fishermen bring in their catch and tavernas set out tables on the pavement. The capital of Crete, Heraklion is a lively town but after a day spent visiting the museums, tavernas and shops, I’m glad to get back to the Lato. Along a cobbled side street close to the town’s main sights – and just a ten minute stroll from the city’s sandy beaches – you enter via a pocket-sized lobby with low sofas and racks containing plenty of indispensable tourist information.

In striking contrast to that tiny lobby, the hotel’s 48 rooms and luxury suites are spacious. Refurbished just last year, rooms have chocolate pinstripe curtains, sleek microfibre flooring, comfy sofas and chunky wooden coffee tables; and there are some lovely extra touches. A sliding screen to partition the lounge area and bedroom, and an elongated shower stall in the bathroom, which offers loads of extra space for lathering up alone - or with a friend.

Standard rooms on the ground floor are ideal if you have mobility problems and family rooms are even more roomy. Needing a bit of cocooning, I chose a Superior sea view room and loved sitting out on the balcony at sunset with a Metaxa brandy cocktail, watching lights come on around the harbour and the little fishing boats heading out to sea.

A small Jacuzzi and sauna in the basement can be booked for private use but Lato’s real strong point is the food. The Brilliant Gourmet restaurant - quirky name notwithstanding - morphs to the rooftop Herb Garden in summer, and has been hailed as one of Crete’s finest eateries. The décor is chilled but not icy, with silver walls, cranberry-coloured crushed velvet curtains, floor to ceiling windows, serene lighting , huge flickering candles housed in upended stove pipes and plenty of other quirky touches.

Specialising in ‘Cretan food with a twist’, fans of the healthy Mediterranean diet can choose from a range of dishes cooked in award-winning extra virgin olive oil from Sitia. My starter - a zingy fresh rocket salad full of chunks of dry figs, walnuts and local cheese drizzled with a pine honey sauce – was followed by Cretan Apaki, a succulent dish of smoked pork marinated in herbs and vinegar served with roast pita bread and a sweet pepper sauce.

Portions were so huge, I felt guilty about ordering dessert, but thoughts of extra calories went out of the window when I took my first mouthful of sinfully rich and gooey chocolate parfait ice cream studded with hunks of caramelised almond. With all the food on offer, you might not leave slender but you will be very, very happy indeed. If you’re looking for somewhere cool to stay on Crete, Lato is a real find and - unlike most other resort hotels – it’s open all year round.

Prices for a night at Lato, including breakfast, start at approximately £70 per person per night. See lato.gr for more information and to book.

IN THE AREA…

Based on Greece’s largest island, the Lato is the perfect base for getting to grips with the varied delights of Crete. Its fascinatingly diverse historical remnants encompass everything from Minoan palaces to Byzantine monasteries and a cave, which as legend has it, was the birthplace of the Greek god, Zeus.

Heraklion itself is the fifth largest city in Greece and is a dynamic place, crammed with chic boutiques and buzzing cafes that bely the somnolent surrounding countryside. Don’t forget to head to the beach. Matala, to the south of Heraklion, is one of the nicest on Crete and offers sweeping golden sand at the bottom of a set of skyscraping rocky cliffs.

For more information on Crete, see explorecrete.com.