Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete

Last August my family and I spent a wonderful 7 nights at this resort and wanted to share our experience. As a Marriott Platinum member for many years, I have stayed in all brands of this chain and of course they are not all the same. Based on this experience, I have to say that Domes Zeen stands out not only in Europe but maybe even one of the nicest resorts we’ve stayed in worldwide (and we’ve spent a lot of time in SE Asia where standards are high). This overall assessment comes not only from the excellent standard of accommodation, but more for the extra-mile that all of the staff (from the guest relations manager to the pool attendants) were willing to go to make our stay so unforgettable. Actually, even before reaching the hotel the central reservations team (Sofia Pappa) had already surpassed our expectations trying to match dates/rooms/budget. Just a small mention of the fact that as you do reach the hotel by taxi, the surrounding area may be a little off-putting at first, but once you settle into the resort you’ll hardly notice it. So, as a family of 4 the 1 bedroom villa seemed the best option. It offers an impressive quality of accommodation from a deep sumptuous floor-standing bath, to the quality Nespresso machines, a speaker for listening to music, high speed internet, top quality furnishings everywhere and the Marriot bed that you look so much forward to (huge, deep, sumptuous), and of course the private infinity pool and terrace with amazing views out onto the Cretan coastline. I would only comment that the single beds for the children would have been better with thicker mattresses as they have only have a solid stone base beneath them – but the kids didn’t complain (the rest made up for it) so that was fine. The Haut Living (aka executive) lounge was in the main building and was always well stocked with delicious snacks and complimentary beverages. Highlight of the lounge for us was Ghara (I hope I spelled it right, the lounge manageress, lovely American accent). She fascinated our daughters with tales of history and interesting facts about the island. Fortunately our villa was just 100m away from the main building but if you were in the lower villas closer to the beach that could be a bit of a hike (or wait for the free buggy service). I’d definitely recommend the higher villas and take the walk down to the beach. The haut living package also offers half board, so it’s up to you to enjoy the breakfast either in the poolside restaurant or in your room (both are great ways to start the day), and then to choose from lunch or dinner. Menu choices were amazing, and live music in the evening made this our favourite choice. Only point to bear in mind here is that all beverages (even water) are chargeable at hotel bar prices, so just be aware of this. Other than that the service was excellent (especially George). The kids club was very well organized and gave us a bit of a rest during the day but was just along from the beach if our daughter needed us (which she never did). The private beach is quite stoney, which put us off at first, but once you walk past the first 10m of stones into the sea it’s perfect. Then. by the time you get back to your sunlounger the beach attendant has already refreshed your drink and brought fresh towels. Dimitris was absolutely brilliant. We became quite good friends during our stay. As with the restaurant, this is not an all-inclusive resort, so be prepared to pay for all of your refreshments (apart from in the Haut Living lounge), though water was complimentary on the beach. I was going to start my review by mentioning Sophia (Damavoliti), guest relations and hotel manager. Sophia really did everything to make sure our stay perfect but I wanted to save the best for last. This was the first time that I have every known a hotel manager to keep a regular WhatsApp chat open with its guests just to check in that everything was perfect. For example, at the beginning we were thinking maybe the 2 bedroom villa would have been nicer. We tried it, preferred our original villa and switched back with everything just happening by magic (with Sofia organizing it of course) whist we waited in the lounge. It was clear from the beginning of our stay that the staff looked up to Sophia and followed her example meticulously. Every detail you could image was taken care of. Nothing was too much trouble. Outside of the hotel a free shuttle service takes guests down to Chania Old town where you can experience the bustle of street markets, seaview restaurants, boat rides, live music, and at the end of the evening take a licensed cab (they are easy to find and reasonably priced) back to the hotel. To wrap up, the Domes Zeen resort is simply unique. You’ll feel special from the moment you check in, to the day you sadly have to say goodbye to the staff that have made your stay so memorable. The standard of accommodation far surpasses 5*, so whatever you spend you’ll feel it was worth it. True that it’s on the higher end of the price range, but the girls are still telling people about this resort 6 months later and we’ll probably go back next year (they would go this year if they could), so it's fair to say it was a big hit with the whole family !

This is one of the nicest and best hotels I’ve ever stayed at. The staff were super friendly and helpful and knowledgeable about the guests. When I checked in late, the night bellman (whose name I forget- he is an electrical engineering student by day and the night bellman to pay for school) was thorough in describing the property and showing my room. They offered a platter of local delights upon my arrival. Kristina, the supervisor, was fantastic- she knew my room number just from my name and arranged for a private tour of Chania old city. Breakfast is Included and and is a bountiful buffet of hot and cold dishes including breads, fruits, salads, egg dishes, and tasty fresh squeezed orange juice eaten poolside (or inside). There is a small outdoor gym with some light weights and a couple cardio machines. The beach is certainly rocky- you should wear sandals until you enter the water. But the water- so clear- no cloud no matter how far out you swim. Among the clearest water I’ve seen in my life being able to see the bottom. And, at least in October, the water was in the mid-70s and easy to swim in. The resort was so quiet. No noise from the road. My room was a 2BR, and the second BR only had one thin window, so with the shade, you could keep the room completely dark. And you can walk along the sea to town- about a mile and a half.