Domes Zeen Chania

We loved this place. As with many Greek hotels the immediate area is a little run down, but it’s there for the incredible beach, which has gently shelving golden sand into crystal clear warm water. It’s a public beach with a private section and the hotel sunbeds are very comfortable with full beach service. It’s all very stylish, and quite compact which we liked as not too far to go back to room etc. Perhaps worth upgrading to a sea view room, our wellness loft was lovely and contemporary but just a bit too small to manoeuvre around easily and we hardly used the upstairs bit at all. Beds super comfy. Excellent service from really friendly staff and the whole place was sparkling clean. The breakfast was perfect for those who don’t want to gorge on a full English every morning, with enough variety to keep us happy. We lunched every day there but ate out in Chania which is a 10min taxi ride away (unless there’s traffic which is most evenings). All in all a great adults only experience.

We recently stayed at this resort in Chania and overall had a very enjoyable experience, with just a few areas that could be improved. When we arrived, we were informed that our originally reserved Two-Bedroom Suite had an issue (apparently with the air conditioning) and would not be available until the following day. Since we had specifically booked the Two-Bedroom Suite because it offers separate bedrooms and bathrooms for our family, including our teenage daughter, the hotel did its best to accommodate us. For the first night, my husband and I stayed in the One-Bedroom Presidential Suite, while our daughter was given a separate room nearby. Once our originally reserved suite was ready the next day, we all moved into it. The One-Bedroom Presidential Suite was beautiful, with a gorgeous bathroom, a lovely bedroom layout, and a very nice bathtub. However, it wouldn’t have been suitable for all three of us since there wasn’t a separate bedroom and bathroom for our daughter. The Two-Bedroom Suite was beautiful and worked much better for our family. That said, I was surprised that each bathroom had only one sink and felt a bit small considering the size and category of the suite. Breakfast was one of the highlights of our stay, with a great selection and quality. The pools also looked beautiful and were very inviting. However, we actually didn’t spend any time at the pools or at the resort’s beach. We chose this property for its beautiful accommodations, spacious suites, and convenient location, using it as a comfortable base to explore western Crete. Instead of spending our days at the resort, we booked private boat tours and visited private beach clubs. The beach itself was quite rocky and not the type of beach we were looking for. We also noticed that the resort is very family-oriented, with lots of young children enjoying the pools and activities. For families with kids, this is likely a wonderful feature. Since we were traveling with our teenage daughter and planned to spend most of our time exploring the island, that wasn’t a deciding factor for us. A special thank you to Marina at the concierge desk. She was exceptional throughout our stay, helping us coordinate private boat tours, beach club reservations, dinner bookings, and even arranging our rental car. Having a car is highly recommended if you want to explore Chania and the beautiful beaches around western Crete, and Marina made the entire process effortless. She was knowledgeable, responsive, and always happy to help. Her recommendations and attention to detail made our trip much more enjoyable, and she was truly one of the highlights of our experience. One small suggestion for the fitness center: one of the treadmills wasn’t working during our stay. Since there is usually a trainer or staff member present, it would be helpful to place a simple “Out of Order” sign on the machine so guests don’t waste time trying to use it. Overall, we had a wonderful stay. We appreciated how the staff handled the room situation and enjoyed the excellent service, beautiful accommodations, and outstanding breakfast. With a few small improvements, the experience would be even better.

Overall, we had a fantastic time (family of 4 with two boys aged 9 and 13) with very few issues. The rooms are spacious and we had a small private pool which was great. Both boys had a separate bed which we need given their ages. The resort is on a steep hill meaning some climbing up and down stairs or ordering a buggy. We always used the stairs and didn't find it difficult, but if we had been a little older we would have needed a buggy to get around. The food was a real highlight - the evening meals were fantastic, so much so that we cancelled a meal in town one night to stay in the hotel. Given we booked the hotel with a view to eating out each night that is high praise. We loved the relaxed feel of the resort - we never had to search for a sun bed no matter what time we arrived at the pool and we enjoyed some lovely swims in the sea. The small negatives are that there isn't much to do in easy walking distance of the hotel (the area outside the front is rather run down) and the main swimming pool didn't feel very clean - it had a murky appearance later in our stay which was a bit off-putting.

Our stay at Domes Zeen was made unforgettable by the people who work here. Katerina, Anastasia and Chris went far beyond what you’d expect — always warm, always genuinely happy to help, and somehow always one step ahead of what we needed. Katerina made us feel welcome from the very first moment and never lost that energy. Anastasia was incredibly attentive and thoughtful with every detail. Chris was friendly, quick and made every interaction easy and enjoyable. The resort itself is beautiful, but it’s this team that turns a great hotel into a memorable holiday. Thank you Katerina, Anastasia and Chris — we hope to come back and see you again

Despite an enjoyable stay at Domes we thought that the hotel did fall short in a few areas. In a very remote location (although walkable to a lovely restaurant) it did feel a little strange arriving up a small lane. Check in was excellent, welcomed by Theodore and given a welcome drink. Our two bedroom room with private pool had the basis to be excellent BUT it felt very crowded, the sliding doors seemed odd and lacked privacy as a result and the bed frame is dangerous as we constantly knocked our legs on the corner of the frame. The bed itself was extremely comfortable. Our pool sadly did not see the sun after 10.30am so the water was very cold. The private terrace however was beautiful and a lovely place to relax. The food served in the Beach House for lunch and dinner and Zamora was excellent. This is a family hotel for young children, if you don't mind swimming in a pool full of buckets and toys then it is the hotel for you. We travelled with older teens so it probably wasn't the place for us. The sunloungers are comfortable but we didn't understand the gravel that they sat on. Loved the beach. One final niggle is that we paid extra for Haute Living. In reality this lovely lounge should be positioned by the lower pool so guests can get value for money. We only visited it once due to its location at the top by reception. It was unrealistic to think that we would get drinks from here during the day given the effort it would have taken to get there. Overall we have stayed in better places for the same money but we still enjoyed our stay and would consider other Domes hotels but this one just wasn't for us. Lovely staff in the restaurants and all the pool bar.