Domes Noruz Chania stands at Strati Pantelaki 5 in Agioi Apostoloi, Chania, Crete, with the sandy beach metres from the suites. The ground there slopes down to the water, and the architects worked with the slope rather than levelling it. The two guestroom wings stand linear and perpendicular, and the main pool was inserted between them in organic shapes and fluid lines, raised to the level of the rooms around it so that it looks out over the beach. The all-day restaurant sits directly below, opening gradually to the outdoors through a semi-enclosed eating area.
The house carries two names: Domes Resorts; Marriott Autograph Collection, which lists it as an adults-only lifestyle resort. It arrived in January 2017 as a sister to Domes of Elounda, with 83 rooms and suites at opening. There are three pools, a sandy beach and two bars.
The hands that drew it
schema 4 architects, Thessaloniki, drew the house for Domes Resorts in 2016. The lobby sits in a double-height building under arched ceilings, and a perforated screen facade carries the patterns of the Noruz brand across it, filtering the sunlight and giving shade while keeping the view straight out to the grounds. Its light fittings take their shape from the metal baskets Cretan fishermen use. In the seating areas the fabrics are bright patchwork patterns that reference the local weaving tradition. The hotel reads those arches as a borrowing from the many Byzantine churches on the island.
The rooms
Lofts, retreats and suites run from 55 to 102 sq m, plunge or private pools by category. The smallest is the Upbeat Retreat, 55 sq m for two, with a walk-in shower and a plunge pool, facing either the pool or the sea. The Wellness Loft and the Sublime Loft are both 75 sq m and sleep four: the first has an outdoor jacuzzi and a pool view, the second a plunge pool and a sea view. Then come the Havens, all sea front and all with a private pool. Pure Haven is 55 to 75 sq m for two, Absolute Haven 85 sq m for four and Ultimate Haven 102 sq m, with a private pool, a jacuzzi and two bathrooms. Haute Living Selection is a VIP level taken across the room types, and it brings its own services and a private pool.
The spa and the gym
Treatments run at Soma Spa, below ground, open to non-residents by reservation. Daylight reaches the indoor pool on one side, opposite the main entrance, and the rest of the floor is deliberately sub-lit, with diffused indirect light to hold the quiet. Facials and massages use products from ELEMIS and Codage Paris, and a session starts with a restoration profile assessment. There is a designated quiet zone pool as well, and gardens planted with native island flora. The gym is open 24 hours a day, training extends outdoors with the sea in view, and trainers take body conditioning, functional circuit training and sunrise yoga.
The kitchen and the bars
At Topos, executive chef Dionysios Pliatsikas cooks neo-Greek seafood and Greek island dishes, with a wine list of Greek labels. Two bars cover the rest of the day. Raw Bar is a cocktail and champagne bar at the pool, open all day, with barstools standing in the water, eclectic bar snacks and sushi. N Bar is in the lobby building, under the arches, and pours sundowners after the beach.
Who is this for
Couples and friends who want an adults-only house on the sand and mean to use the town as much as the water. Days run to daytime lounge sessions by the pool, live saxophone and DJ sets and luxury chaise longues under the palms; evenings move to a boho nook on the sand, with scented candles and torches set for dinner or an outdoor film. Chania’s old town has the Venetian harbour, cobbled alleys and restaurants that run late into the night.
