In short… A peaceful seafront escape with quiet-luxury vibes—ideal for those who want a resort-style stay outside the fray of Chania, western Crete’s capital.
The surroundings… Located in Marathi, 10 miles from Chania’s Old Town, the JW Marriott Crete—which opened in June—is embedded within a 100-hectare terraced hillside crescent overlooking the Aegean. The low-lying honeycomb of minimalist stone, concrete and wood buildings belies its 160 rooms and suites—it feels much more intimate. To the southwest, the city of Chania sprawls along a commercialized and busy road, but Marathi sits at a welcome remove: a 30-minute taxi over the spiny backbone of the Akrotiri Peninsula, along Souda Bay (home to Greece’s NATO base—now and then an F-16 buzzes overhead) and into the time-capsule calm of Marathi Beach. At one end, Greek families congregate under a jumble of bright umbrellas along a narrow strip of sand, backed by two tavernas. At the other, the JW has nabbed a prime location on an outcropping of rugged rocks lapped by deep-blue water—a favorite locals’ swim spot.
The vibe… Crete is a mountainous island full of caves, and there’s something deliberately inconspicuous about the property’s stone walls and concrete lodgings, designed by Athens-based studio Block722 using materials scooped directly from the site. The interiors extend the natural camouflage with Greek-made linens, rattan, terracotta, and wood that echo the surrounding rooftops, limestone, and olive trees. Water threads through the property too: a series of shallow pools runs from lobby to restaurant, punctuated by two sunken living rooms. Down by the sea, three swimming pools and several waterfront cabanas are rarely crowded, since most rooms have their own private or shared plunge pools and guests tend to hang out “at home.” A steady warm breeze muffles the usual resort noise, so the atmosphere stays surprisingly private and peaceful—even at 90 percent capacity a month after opening. It feels ideal for couples who want to disappear, but also spread out enough that families don’t impose on other guests.
The rooms… Every one of the rooms, suites, and villas face the bay, which is crisscrossed all day by boats large and small. Our junior suite had a king bed and convertible daybed—ample room for my husband, teenage daughter and me. We pretty much lived on our outdoor terrace with plunge pool, which was shady enough to double as an outdoor office. The bathroom was spacious, with a bathtub and skylit shower. For larger families or groups, there are also two-room suites and two-bedroom villas.
The food & drink… There are five restaurants on property—more than enough given that you’ll surely want to eat out at least once. Our standout meal was at Onalos, the seafood restaurant and more fine-dining option at the water’s edge. The house-made taramosalata and tangy sourdough bread were so good, and sea bass crudo with wild sea asparagus and grouper with “spankorizo” (spinach-rice) were super fresh and flavorful. Anóee, the Cretan open-fire restaurant, was also very good—I find that hotel restaurants’ attempts at “authentic” menus can be anything but, but this felt truly traditional. Overseen by Chania-born chef Manolis Papoutsakis (well-known in Greece for his two Cretan restaurants in Thessaloniki), it serves traditional dishes “yiayia (grandma) style,” and the giant beans in tomato-orange sauce, stuffed dolmades and zucchini flowers, and Cretan pilaf with slow-cooked lamb rivaled anything we had in town (other local specialties include grilled rabbit and rooster). On our first night, having arrived late, we also had a very decent tartufo pizza at the Italian restaurant Cuccagna, which was packed with families every night.
Lunches were by the pool at Suncti—light dishes like shrimp tacos and tuna poke bowls. But breakfasts at Fayi were epic: a huge assortment of housemade breads—including lagana (flatbread), sourdough, zeas (from ancient Greek emmer wheat), kritsini breadsticks, brioche, tsoureki (a sweet braided bread), and koulouri (a sesame-crusted bread ring)—daily hand pies (mince, spinach, leek, mushroom), three kinds of yogurt in little jars with homemade jams, two homemade granolas, a giant honeycomb of thyme honey that you could break off pieces from, plus a hot buffet of Cretan and international dishes. Other really nice touches: the tea bar with loose-leaf blends—“Olympos detox” (fennel, lemon balm, chamomile) to Cretan chia (carob, star anise cinnamon)—and bottles of freshly made ginger shots.
The Eéxis bar terrace next to the lobby was never crowded—I suspect many guests, like us, were enjoying a bottle of Assyrtiko on their own terrace while watching the sunset—but the cocktails were very good, developed with Line Athens (no. 6 on the “World’s 50 Best Bars” list), like a lavender mojito and oregano margarita featuring Cretan herbs plucked from the JW’s garden.
I’d also highly recommend walking 10 minutes to Marathi Beach for a meal at Patrelantonis Fish Taverna, a humble-looking spot that’s something of a pilgrimage for locals (supposedly even the president has eaten here). Unfortunately, strong winds had kept the fishermen ashore on the day we went, but the grilled shrimp, wild greens and zucchini pie still made for a great dinner, surrounded by Greek families and young friends lingering over shots of raki, the local spirit.
The wellness… The Anoseas Spa is a peaceful underground sanctuary with a sauna, steam room, ice room, and vitality pool, which are open to all guests. Five treatment rooms offer therapies inspired by traditional Cretan healing rituals, with products from five different skincare brands, including Aromatherapy Associates and Bio Aroma (from Crete). My daughter and I had treatments side by side in the couples’ room (which had its own smaller sauna and steam room): my Detox Massage Ritual—incorporating an oil infused with the local herb dictamos (dittany, for digestion), juniper, grapefruit, and rosemary—involved vigorous and audible, shall we say, frottage of the legs and torso to get my lymphatics moving, while my daughter’s Glow Facial was a less voluble affair.
Next door, the two-room gym is equipped with every kind of Technogym machine, TRX, free weights, kettlebells, and daily classes with personal trainers on hand. Coming soon: an outdoor yoga deck by the sea, tennis and padel courts, and—most intriguingly—an ancient cave that was discovered on property, with naturally flowing healing waters, which is awaiting archeological approval before becoming mediation, yoga and breathwork grotto.
The kid-friendly factor… It’s a great choice for families. An adults-only pool ensures peace for those who want it. Restaurants have family-friendly options, especially the Italian one. The “Phestos Den” kids’ club, currently housed in shaded tents while it awaits a dedicated building, offers indoor/outdoor activities for ages up to 3 and 4 -12, including nature explorations and a vegetable garden, and babysitting is available.
Be sure to… Explore old-town Chania—a maze of Venetian, Ottoman, and Greek architecture wrapped around a beautifully preserved Venetian harbor: you can call a taxi and text the concierge with your pickup time and location. The hotel also runs excursions: the 10-mile (mostly downhill) Samarian Gorge hike, which ends with a plunge into the Libyan Sea (I’ve done it—it’s magnificent), and the pink sands of Elafonisi Beach on the west coast. We hired a boat and skipper at Marathi to take us to a few nearby coves, including the sandy beach of Seitan Limani and Glass Beach, which is carpeted in multicolored sea glass that flash like marbles in the sun.
Parting words… Crete can be a haul—there are no direct US flights, with most routes connecting through London, Athens or Frankfurt—so give yourself a few days here. It’s also Greece’s largest island and very mountainous, so it really takes time to explore and understand how it differs from some of the other islands—not least because, as the one-time kingdom of the Minoans, there are unparalleled archeological sites to explore, including the stunning Knossos Palace in Heraklion. But JW is close to the airport and well-positioned for hopping to the Cyclades (Santorini is the nearest), or catching a ferry there or elsewhere in the islands.
Date of stay… July 28 – August 1, 2025
Produced in partnership with JW Marriott
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