Domes Zeen Chania

This is a nice and relatively new hotel. We arrived at Chania quite late as our ferry actually docked at the other side of the Crete island, which takes a good 3 hours to commute. The little path leading to the hotel is also a bit "doubtful" and even the taxi driver wasn't sure if it's the right way. Anyway, we finally made our way through the darkness and saw our anticipated Domes Zeen Chania. We were greeted by a very hospitable staff at check in which also provided a lot of information on the hotel and the city area's attraction. Very helpful indeed. As it was quite late, we quickly settled down in our room and went to their signature restaurant, Gallina. Its a very nice restaurant and the food quality was up to standard. Only comment is the portion of their lobster pasta, with a price tag of Euro120, I would expect the lobster would be of a more generous serving. Otherwise, overall, it was a very nice meal with a very intimate and romantic (dimly lit) setting. Breakfast was also served at the adjacent restaurant Enino (almost feel like the same place as Gallina restaurant as they are so close) with a la carte breakfast menu. Again, high quality cooking with well presentation. An alternative place for breakfast would be the poolside cafe with buffet style. It has a busier atmosphere and I think families with kids may prefer this setting. The hotel spans across a large area and it is common to be transported by their golf cart. They are usually very efficient in picking up as well. There is also a lounge area at reception where they provide light snacks and drinks for all guests, not just Bonvoy members. I think the key success of this hotel is the hospitable staff. On the last day when we checked out, I was also greeted by a lady manager who addressed me by name (very personal touch in deed) and ensured our stay was pleasant. There are numerous Domes hotel collection in Crete and we are glad we choose this one.

I have little to add to all the positives other reviewers mentioned: I actually like the very modern design and decor of the resort, the food is great, and the service mostly good. Like others have pointed out, this is a resort which attracts a lot of families with small children, so you really shouldn't mind that. There're some activities, but because we visited right at the end of the season, we couldn't really test those. I can also imagine that I don't want to visit when it's fully booked, because I can't imagine it be very comfortable. (The breakfast area was buzzing as it was, and I could hear the telly and child of the neighbouring villa extremely well, wich surprised me.) The mid: some communication with the staff was a bit weird, but that's maybe a cultural, 'lost in translation' kinda thing? On our last evening, a staffer came to our dinner table and quizzed us about our stay. When we gave the stay an 8 out of 10, she looked shocked and told us that's supposed to be very bad for a Marriot? So we shrugged (wanting to get on with dinner) and gave it a 10... The bad: these are the reasons why I won't return to Domes Zeen. In the whole resort, all the greenery is tropical plants, which require a lot of water, different to native plants. On an island that regularly (heck, our taxi driver from the airport to the hotel mentioned it during the first five minutes) suffers from devestating droughts, I find that weird, to put it mildly. On top of that, pools are filled with fresh water instead of sea water. I've stayed in resorts in Greece having their own desalination plants and would've liked to see that here. A luxury collection resort should also emplay top notch technology. (Related to that: the millions of 300ml water bottles handed out to guests. Do we have to do that?!) The last point are the numerous cats on the property. I love cats, and there's no doubt some of the staff care for them. Still, here the resort as the chance to do something for the whole community and implement a proper spay and neuter programme. Cats can multiply very, very quickly (getting pregnant twice a year and having those kittens having kittens themselves 9months later - colonies can grow exponentially). Not only are they a threat for the local wildlife like birds, diseases can spread quickly. Also, spaying and neutering makes the cats much more pleasant to be around - no unwanted spraying, aggressive behaviour etc. A TNR programme could truly benefit the community and also alleviate suffering. The cats were a big hit with a lot of the children when we were there, but also used to beg a lot during mealtimes. Managing the colony would have a lot of benefits.

Наверное, лучший отель в этом районе Крита. Нас проапгрейдили до виллы. Прекрасная русская девушка из Петербурга в департаменте резервации. Абсолютно современный, чистый и прекрасный отель. Четкий персонал. Всем рекомендую. Вернемся снова это 100%

Wir waren mit unserer Familie Mitte Oktober 2024 für eine Woche im Domes Zeen Chania. Das Hotel ist in Etagen in einen Hügel gebaut - jedes Zimmer hat eine eigene, großzügige Terasse - die meisten mit eigenem Pool. Es ist herrlich ruhig auf den Terassen und die Nachtruhe ist ebenso perfekt. Die Zimmer und das ganze Hotel sind super stylisch - viel Holz, Stein und tropische Pflanzen. Obwohl man glaubt, nach dem ganzen heißen Sommer sollte das Wasser in den Pools eine wenigstens akzeptable Temperatur haben, kann man die Pools ohne Neopren nicht nutzen, da sie - auch nach dem ganzen Sommer - eiskalt sind. Nach 5min kommen die Kinder mit blauen Lippen heraus… Ich verstehe nicht, warum das Hotel nicht Solarenergie zur Beheizung nutzt - mittlerweile sind Solar-Panels günstig und Sonne ist ja vorhanden… Das Meer hatte Badetemperatur mit über 25 Grad, aber leider war es so windig, dass meist die rote Fahne wehte. Nur ein Surfer war täglich am Strand. Das Hotel ist also leider in den Herbstferien nicht für einen Badeurlaub geeignet. Aber - wenn man das verschmerzen kann - dann ist das Hotel wirklich wunderbar luxuriös. Angefangen beim Frühstück, das keine Wünsche offen lässt: alles ist selbst gemacht und von hoher Qualität. Drei verschiedene Kaffee-Röstungen stehen für den Espresso / Cappuccino etc. zur Verfügung, der in einer Siebträgermaschine auf Bestellung zubereitet wird. Frisch gepresster Orangensaft wird ausgeschenkt, Sekt mit Mastiha steht im Kühler, Ziegenmilch-Kefir, Schafsmilch-Joghurt. Auf das Granola habe ich mich jeden Tag gefreut. Wir haben gegen 8:00 gefrühstückt und auch der zweite Espresso war schnell am Tisch. Die Angestellten im Hotel waren äußerst freundlich und hatten alle ein Lächeln auf den Lippen. Das Open Air Gym hatte einige Cardio Geräte und auch Freihanteln. Gegenüber davon ist der Kinderclub, der auch stylisch-dezent ist. Mit Kinderpool (eiskalt!), Baby-Krabbelraum Spielwiese und Spielplatz. Meist wurde hier gebastelt und gemalt. Abends gab es täglich „Kino“. Der Hotelstrand (mit Liegen) ist ein Kieselstrand. Direkt daneben befindet sich aber auch ein feiner Sandstrand. Folgende kleine aber feine Unterschiede sind uns noch aufgefallen: für die Poolhandtücher muss man nicht mit nervigen Kautionen/Karten hantieren. Man darf sie einfach an der Poolbar abholen. Jeden Abend werden Wasserflaschen im Zimmer zur Verfügung gestellt - manchmal erhält man auch kostenlos Wasser samt Eiskübel wenn man auf einer Liege am Pool oder Strand ist. Ist das Kind nach dem 8Uhr-Frühstück um 10:30 wieder hungrig, wird man freundlich eingeladen sich nochmal zu bedienen oder eine to-go-Box zu füllen. Insgesamt ein exzellentes Hotel, aber wir haben Bademöglichkeiten sehr vermisst und sind uns daher unsicher, ob wir wiederkommen würden.

Lovely buildings and friendly staff but end of season so probably more issues than usual. Breakfast service was smooth as self service but dinner service this week has been slow despite fabulous friendly waiters and waitresses. Last night - some white wine by the glass unavailable - again probably due to being end of season. Shame for such a nice relaxing hotel location. You only get one holiday opportunity even if it is towards the end of season