We’d always wanted to return, so when my in-laws wanted to plan a family trip, we thought it’d be a great opportunity to return with the kids.
This time around, we chose Chania as our base, and stayed at our first Domes property, the Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort. As it turned out, it made for a very pleasant stay for us and our extended family.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Booking
Domes Resorts is a luxury brand comprised of both family-friendly and adults-only resorts, mainly situated in Greece. Over the last few years, many of these properties have come under the umbrella of the Marriott Bonvoy Luxury Collection and Autograph Collection hotel portfolios.
Domes Zeen Chania is one of those properties. The resort officially opened in 2019, but with the pandemic, it didn’t really take flight until 2022.
As with most hotels located on the Greek islands, Domes Zeen Chania is only open during the summer season. Therefore, bookings can only be made from the beginning of May to the end of October each year.
When it comes to booking, your best bet is to book early. I noticed that when tracking the cost for our dates, it tended to increase as we got closer to check-in.
For bookings in the early season, expect to pay around €250–300 ($270–325 USD, $370–440 CAD). During the peak summer months, room rates start at €400 ($434 USD, $590 CAD), and go up from there.
If you’d like to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points, expect the cost to range between 50,000–91,000 points per night.
It’s worth noting that the baseline redemption rate applies to several room types that vary in cash prices, including:
Tropical Open Plan Suite
Sapphire Bungalow
Tropical Bungalow
Tropical Family Bungalow
Of these, the Tropical Open Plan Suite tends to cost the most.
Unfortunately, if you’re travelling as a family, these base-level rooms can only accommodate up to a maximum of two adults and one child.
In most situations, it makes more sense to pay the cash rate and save your points, when using our target valuation of Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.5 cents per point (USD) / 0.7 cents per point (CAD) as a guide.
Rooms aren’t priced by the number of people, so if you’re travelling as a group, it actually makes economical sense to maximize the room’s occupancy limits. All room rates include a complementary breakfast for all guests, in addition to some other amenities.
The half-board package includes a daily three-course à la carte dinner (some items have an additional surcharge) served in Beach House, excluding drinks. The dinner benefit can be exchanged for lunch instead on any given day.
Strongly consider it if you don’t plan on venturing off the resort too much.
The variety of accommodation options can be a bit confusing, but in general they can be grouped into three types:
Bungalows, which have a balcony or terrace, one king bed, and can accomodate up to three guests
Pavilions, which have a private or shared pool, can accommodate up to three adults plus one child up to age 12
Villas, which are larger than Pavilions, can accommodate up to four adults and one child up to age 12 in a two-bedroom villa
Pavilions and Villas come with a complimentary upgrade to the half-board package, along with the following additional benefits:
Access to Haute Living Room from 10am to 11pm, which acts as an executive lounge with elevated services
Use of a WhatsApp number for direct communication with a member of the concierge team
Domes exclusive check-in experience, and pillow menu selection
Colouring books, info on kids activities, no tear bath amenities, and mini sleepers for children
Tropical accommodation options don’t offer a sea view, and tend to be on the ground level, whereas Sapphire options are at a higher elevation and offer a sea view.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Sapphire Pavilion
Travelling as a family of nine, we had to book two rooms. We booked the Sapphire Family Pavilion for €817 ($883 USD, $1,200 CAD) per night (a maximum of three adults and one child), as well as a Two Bedroom Family Villa for €1,455 ($1,573 USD, $2,135 CAD) per night (a maximum of four adults and two children), approximately six months in advance of our stay.
If you’re paying cash for your stay, be sure to book through Marriott STARS to get additional perks.
By booking your stay through an authorized travel advisor, you’ll pay the same as the best-available flexible rate, but you’ll enjoy a suite of perks, including a $100 (USD) property credit, priority for room upgrades, and more.
Book with Prince of Travel and Marriott STARS
Book a hotel stay with Prince of Travel through Marriott STARS and enjoy exclusive additional benefits at no cost to you, including:
Daily breakfast for two guests
Room upgrade, subject to availability at check-in
$100 (USD) property credit
In-person welcome and personalized welcome amenity and note
Third, Fourth, or Fifth Night Free at select properties
Book Domes Zeen Chania
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Location
Crete has two international airports, one on each end of the island. Domes Zeen Chania is located a 27-minute ride away from Chania International Airport, and a two-hour drive from Heraklion Airport.
The resort is tucked away in a quiet residential area just outside the main town of Chania. There isn’t much around the area if you’re looking for nightlife, but there are a couple of restaurants, cafés, sports shops, and a supermarket are located within a 10-minute walk from the resort.
If you rent a car, there’s a gas station just down the road from the hotel.
It’s worth noting that most people who come to this resort aren’t here for the nightlife. Rather, they come for a relaxing family getaway during which they can unwind and be pampered, so if that’s what you’re looking for, you won’t be disappointed.
Downtown Chania is located a 10-minute drive from the resort, and it costs €10 ($11 USD, $15 CAD) one-way by taxi. There’s a coastal path that you can take from the hotel all the way into town, but it’ll take about 30 minutes to walk it. In the heat of summer, it’s not the most pleasant walk, unless taken in the early morning or early evening.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Check-in
We decided to rent a car. Driving to the resort wasn’t difficult, but we questioned whether we were heading in the right direction right at the end, as Google maps took us down a couple of narrow dirt roads. The last dirt road finally opened up to a parking lot and the main reception area of the resort.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Exterior
As we pulled into a parking spot, a bellhop dressed in black came out to assist us immediately. Hotel parking is complimentary, and is located right outside the hotel.
The bellhop assisted us with our luggage, and directed us inside. One thing I wasn’t too comfortable with was that our luggage was left outside the entrance, which seemed to be a potential theft risk to me.
From the outside, seeing the standalone reception building, you wouldn’t think much of the resort; however, once you enter the lobby and beyond, you’re whisked away into your own secluded luxurious retreat.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Entrance
The entrance opens up into a spacious reception area, with the reception desk on one side and comfy lobby lounge seating with coffee tables all around on the other.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Check-in desks
We went up to the check-in desk, and the staff located our reservation and welcomed my husband as a Marriott Titanium member. They offered him 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy points as his welcome amenity, since breakfast was already included with our stay.
Across from the check-in desk is where you’ll find the concierge desk and the Haute Living Room, which I’ll discuss in detail below.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Concierge desk
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Haute Living Room
At the other end of the lobby is a bar area, where the welcome drinks are prepared.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Lobby lounge bar
The building, much like the rest of the resort, is comprised of stone and cement walls and flooring and floor-to-ceiling windows, with wooden teak accents throughout.
The décor and furniture was of different shades of beige, brown, and grey. It gave a laid back yet modern vibe, and fit in well with the surrounding landscape of Crete.
The reception building is located at the top of the resort. It overlooks the grounds and the ocean through its floor-to-ceiling windows that open up to the balcony outside.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Reception area exterior
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – View from reception area
On the balcony are several seating arrangements, which are great for socializing or just sitting back and enjoying the view with some bubbly.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Reception area balcony
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Reception area balcony
Once seated, a staff member came around asking for our passports, and explained the paperwork we needed to complete for check-in, as well as the resort activity and event schedule for the week.
She also handed out a small Tumbling Tower game to each of our kids. Another staff member promptly came by and presented us with kid-friendly welcome drinks, which was a glass of local iced tea with local herbs and lemon.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Check-in kids activity
When we arrived at around 11am, one of our two rooms was ready. The check-in staff introduced us to our personal Haute concierge contact, who promptly arranged for a buggy to take us to our room.
Buggies are available throughout the day to transport guests around the resort as needed, but there are only a few, so sometimes there can be a wait for the service.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Buggy
If your room isn’t ready yet, you can relax by the poolside, and the staff will send you a WhatsApp message when it’s all set. There’s a washroom behind the reception desk, or you can head to the one by the pool to change into your swimwear.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Resort Layout
The layout of the resort is such that most of the public facilities are located at the bottom of the resort, close to the beach.
The Bungalows are located closer to these facilities, which include the restaurants, pool, kids club, boutique shop, and gym. Pavilions and Villas are closer to reception, the Haute Living Room, and spa.
In my mind, the resort layout resembled that of a labyrinth, comprised of concrete block buildings with large windows and stone walls, a main road that zigzags down to the bottom, and concrete pathways and stairs interspersed to connect the different levels.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Resort grounds
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Resort grounds
As as majority of the units have their own terraces or pools, the stone walls provide added privacy to the individual units, so you can enjoy your own secluded oasis from the comfort of your own room.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Resort grounds
Desert gardens consist of a variety of local flora, and line the pathways and roads to match the surrounding arid landscape. The greenery and palm leaves soften the concrete look of the resort, and give the place a tropical vibe.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Resort grounds
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Sapphire Family Pavilion
After checking in, a buggy took us right to our pavilion. The entrance was on the side of the building. Our Haute concierge went with us to explain all the features of the room.
She also gave us her personal phone number so that we could contact her by WhatsApp for any assistance we may need, including in-house dining reservations or any other service requests we may have.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Sapphire Family Pavilion exterior
Entering the room, the boxy concrete exterior gives way to a luxurious open interior. Like the lobby, the room was decorated in shades of grey, with brown wooden furniture and beige-coloured fabrics to contrast it.
The teak and rattan accents gave it a bit of a tropical vibe.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Sapphire Family Pavilion bedroom
The natural light coming in from the floor-to-ceiling windows around the room added warmth to the modern minimalist design, making it a welcoming, comfortable space.
At the back of the room is a long desk with a rattan-backed wooden chair. Keeping with the minimalist theme, the desk only had a lamp and a folder with general information about the room and resort on it. Under the desk is a wooden garbage bin.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Sapphire Family Pavilion desk
The centrepiece of the room is the king-sized bed that lies in front of the desk. On either of the bed is a light hanging from the ceiling.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Sapphire Family Pavilion bed
Each side of the headboard has an outlet with USB ports. Below this is a black knob that controls the room lighting, and on one side is an alarm clock.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Sapphire Family Pavilion power outlet, USB port, & alarm clock
The staff already had all the bedding set up for our family. Since my son was staying in my in-laws’ two-bedroom villa, the room was set up for four. The sofa was already converted into an extra twin-sized bed.
Unfortunately, they’d mistaken my youngest daughter’s age, and placed a crib in our room rather than a cot. This was rectified quickly, as our concierge promptly had housekeeping replace it with a cot.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Sapphire Family Pavilion cot & sofa bed
We didn’t have much indoor seating, since what would normally have been a sofa by the window was converted into a bed. The sofa would have been a long cushion with a couple of arm cushions on a cement platform.
There’s also a rattan accent chair, with a small wooden side table.
In the middle of the seating area is a coffee table with a a few welcome amenities laid out on it, including a personal welcome note from the manager, a bowl of fruit, a bottle of Champagne in a bucket of ice, a bottle of water, and a box of olive oil biscuits. Cutlery and glassware were laid out for us to enjoy the amenities as well.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Sapphire Family Pavilion welcome gifts
Attached to the side of the sofa bed is a cement side table with a couple of rattan baskets for décor, and also a tray with all the phone and remotes for the various devices in the room.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Sapphire Family Pavilion side table
On the other side of the sofabed is a floor lamp, which provides adequate light for the individual sleeping there.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Sapphire Family Pavilion lamp
Although some rooftops stood in the way, the view from the window was still beautiful.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Sapphire Family Pavilion view
Mounted on the side wall is a small TV. It seemed slightly awkwardly placed, but looking around the room, there really was no better place for it. It can be viewed from the seating area, but not from the main bed.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Sapphire Family Pavilion TV
The bar area is located right at the entrance to the Sapphire Family Pavilion. There were some sweet and savoury snacks for purchase on the shelf, as well as a good selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in the fridge.
Having access to the Haute Living Room, we had no need to partake in the bar offerings. There was a complimentary bottle of water as well, which is replenished daily.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Sapphire Family Pavilion bar area
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Sapphire Family Pavilion minibar contents
On the stone countertop is a Marshall bluetooth speaker, which can connect with your device to play your own playlists.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Sapphire Family Pavilion Marshall Bluetooth speaker
There’s also a kettle and Nespresso coffee maker, with a selection of pods and teabags to be used with them.
Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete – Sapphire Family Pavilion kettle & Nespresso coffee maker
On the side opposite from the bar are two closets made of teak wood with rattan doors. Inside are were plenty of hangers, a few shelves, and drawers, a safe, a bathrobe, a pair of slippers, the hairdryer, an iron, and an ironing board.
Although not in the closet, there were also slippers provided for the kids.
