Review: JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa

The JW Marriott Crete is a wonderful Mediterranean escape with beautiful design, breathtaking views, and above-average elite recognition. While there’s no traditional sandy beach, the rugged coastline offers extremely comfortable cabanas and adds a unique, adventurous flavor to a beach day. I loved my time at this resort so much, I’ve already got plans to return!

Booking

I was lucky to book this resort using a favorable industry rate and then applied Nightly Upgrade Awards (NUAs) to secure an Executive Suite with a plunge pool. It was truly one of the finest resort rooms we’ve had the pleasure of staying in. 

Sadly, using Marriott Bonvoy points to stay here is not a great value, averaging around 0.8 CAD cents per point. However, if you factor in a fifth night free when redeeming Marriott Bonvoy points, you’re averaging a respectable 1 CAD per point.

Perhaps if you have a couple of 85K certificates, this could be a nice place to use them if you plan to be in the Mediterranean.

Check-in

We opted to fly into Chania (CHQ) and then take a rental car to the resort, as it’s only a 15-minute drive. The resort’s entrance is stunning, and the driveway features an easy-to-navigate traffic circle where you can drop your car keys with the valet (not to mention the incredible sunset views).

Approaching the check-in desk, we were invited to take a seat to enjoy a welcome drink and complete all the necessary formalities, including a unique addition of an allergy form.

The check-in staff thanked us for our loyalty as Titanium Elite members, gave us 1,000 Bonvoy points as a welcome gift, and told us that daily breakfast for two was already included, along with an info sheet about the resort’s amenities. 

Our bags were taken for us and later dropped off in the room, as a golf cart whisked us away to the suite.

Location

The roads on Crete, and particularly in Chania, are not the usual highways many North Americans would be used to, so if you’re a nervous driver, it might be best to skip a rental car. That said, it paid to have a rental car, as there’s not much near the resort, and the town of Chania is a 30-minute drive away.

Having a rental car allowed us to visit some legendary Cretean attractions, such as Balos Beach, and make our own way to amazing wineries. If you don’t want to rent a car, but still want to try some of the local wine, we loved our experience with Chania Wine Tours.

Parking

Parking is complimentary at the JW Marriott Crete. I recommend calling about 10-15 minutes before you need your car to give the staff time to fulfill the request.

Room – Executive Suite, 1 King, Sofa Bed, Sea View, Private Pool, Terrace

To access the room, you’ll need to make a long walk up the access road or request a golf cart.

Stepping inside the suite, I was immediately impressed as I couldn’t even see the bed. You know you’re in for a wonderful stay when the room is that big! Waiting for me in the living area was a personalized note, and the minibar was elegantly integrated behind the conversation pit-style sofa.

The mini bar starts with a coffee and tea station compactly organized with Nespresso and some tea. Under that, you’ll find the minifridge, complete with soft and hard beverages. The mini bar is quite expensive; if you have a car, stopping by a local grocery store or bakery for some treats is likely a better value.

Also, around the minibar, you’ll find all the assorted glassware you need.

Down the hallway from the mini bar are some closets that we found very functional, and we stored our suitcases in some extra cabinetry under the mini bar.

Making a right after the sofa, you’re led to the bedroom with stunning floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors that have a view of the bay, amazing mountains, and your private plunge pool.

The bedroom is well designed, with the highlight being the amazing view. Smartly, the TV is tucked away and can be pulled out from the wall on a moving mount if needed.

The view upon waking up in the morning is AH-MAZ-ING, and we had many slow mornings watching the sun rise. With our south-facing view, you get the best of both sunrise and sunset.

Connectivity at the bedside is excellent, with regular outlets, USB-A & USB-C plugs. The side tables are a neat design, too. The suite bedroom felt a lot more like the St Regis Maldives or the St Regis Kanai than it did a JW Marriott.

For turn-down service, the blinds would always be drawn, and chewy sesame treats would be left along with a relaxing spray.

The floor-to-ceiling windows are actually sliding doors and open onto a plunge pool and patio access. At night, the pool has lighting to provide a very sleek ambiance. Access to the patio is also available through the sitting room.

The patio is absolutely gorgeous, but it lacks some privacy, as you can easily see across to your neighbors’ plunge pool. I believe the plan is to have some vegetation grow in the planters next to the pool to help with this, but as the resort was brand new when we visited, it wasn’t ideal.

The sitting area furniture is oversized, which is a good thing! But because of the lack of privacy, we didn’t spend much time at the dining table. The loungers were great for drying off after a dip in the pool, but even better, there is a dedicated rack for swimsuits that we used every day. The views from the patio were spectacular.

The final part of the suite is the bathroom; it’s a bit lacklustre, as I was expecting double vanities for a top-level suite. However, the design is nice, and there’s plenty of counter space. There’s no view from the tub, so we didn’t use it at all during the visit. The shower was huge and had the “Marriott Standard,” as I like to call it, with a rainfall showerhead and a handheld sprayer.

One major disappointment in the bathroom was the products. While I don’t mind the JW Marriott standard of “Aromatherapy” brand, there are so many Greek olive-based skincare brands that it would’ve been a great local flair to feature something local. But perhaps that’s more aligned with the Autograph Collection brand.

There were quite a few amenities, like dental kits and bath salts, tucked away around the bathroom.

Restaurants & Bars

Fayi

Fayi is the breakfast restaurant, and it appears to be included for almost all guests. Certainly, if you book directly through Marriott’s booking channels, it will be included in every rate. Perhaps there are some 3rd party booking tools where it isn’t, but if you’re booking direct, you don’t have to worry about having a high level of elite status to get free breakfast here.

We found it relatively easy to walk down from our room to breakfast in the morning, but the trek back up can be made easier with the elevator found near the stairs pictured below.

The seating at Fayi is lovely, with both indoor and outdoor options. We sat outdoors every day, and we visited in late October.

While the majority of the food is served buffet style, you can order eggs any way and espresso beverages from your server. They’ll also bring you juice and a choice of sparkling or still bottled water.

After eating outside the resort, one of our favorite morning stops was the Cretan Corner, which features local foods and a boatload of olive oil. The selection at the buffet was endless, and it’s truly one of the best breakfast spreads we’ve encountered. Considering it’s free for most, if not all, guests, it’s a huge plus. And while it’s certainly not the JW Masai Mara, you may encounter some local wildlife at the breakfast restaurant as well!

CUCCAGNA

Cuccagna is the on-site Italian restaurant; it’s closed on Tuesdays and Saturdays. This was the only dinner restaurant we tried, telling enough it was on our first night, and after finishing up, we decided to drive into town every night instead. 

While all the food was good, you’re paying a resort tax that you don’t really need to. Chania has many amazing restaurants that are quite literally half the price, and arguably serve better food. While the service, views, and vibes were lovely, we ultimately decided to take advantage of the free valet parking and zip out to explore Chania every evening.

ONALOS

ONALOS is closed on Monday, Thursday, and Sunday and features an elevated menu with seafood fare. Its location is no doubt beautiful, but we did not dine during our stay.

ANOEE

ANOEE is closed on Wednesday and Friday, and is a Cretan restaurant. Grilling local favorites as you dine between olive trees! This was the only restaurant on the property that tempted us after our experience at CUCCAGNA, and when we visit the resort again, we want to try it. 

That being said, there’s excellent Cretean food in Chania that we loved.

SUNCTI

SUNCTI is the pool bar; it’s open every day from 10-5. We ordered the Cretean Salad and dip platter to our beach chairs and had no regrets. The food was more reasonably priced here compared to the dinner restaurants.

EEXIS

EEXIS is right next to the main lobby and has a very sleek design. It only offered drink service, but we never stopped in, as we usually went into town in the evenings and enjoyed spending our days soaking up the Mediterranean. One of the interesting features of the bar is that it’s in partnership with Line Athens, the No. 6 on the World’s 50 Best Bars.

Facilities

Resort Grounds

The resort is beautifully designed, and even just walking around and exploring is a worthwhile activity.

However, exploring around you, you can also see that privacy issues aren’t limited to the suites; even these lower-level rooms with plunge pools don’t have many privacy dividers.

Boutique

Before you enter the spa, there’s a boutique that has some beachwear and other trinkets. We didn’t bother exploring it much.

Fitness Center

The fitness center is well-equipped with the latest TechnoGym equipment. There’s also a TRX studio available for use. Of course, you’ll find a bottle-fill station, and there’s also a schedule of some of the instructor-led classes.

Pools

Main Pool

The main pool is where you’ll find Suncti, the lunch bar, and the restaurant. We never used any of the pools, as the beach offered excellent marine life to see while snorkeling. But the pool had some excellent views!

Kids Pool

The kids’ pool is noticeably shallower than the other pools and has a bit less seating.

Adults-Only Pool

The adults-only pool is in a slightly different configuration, with a direct view of the White Mountains.

Beaches

The beaches were a huge highlight for us, even if there’s not much of a true sand beach at the resort. The entries to the water can be intimidating, but the water is beautifully blue and clear, and it hosts some amazing marine life for snorkeling. That being said, absolutely bring water shoes – there are some very rocky areas.

As mentioned, there’s very little sand beach at the resort. I only managed to grab these two photos, but I find beach chairs perched on the rugged cliffs to be really cool!

We didn’t get lucky enough to spot any sea turtles during our trip, but allegedly, the turtles use a piece of the JW property to lay eggs!

If having a sandy beach is on your bingo card for vacation, you’ve got a suite of options just a 5-minute walk from the front gate of the resort.

Spa

We briefly visited the spa for a few pictures and to look at the menu, but ultimately decided not to partake in any treatments.

Conclusion

The JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa is a fantastic addition to the Marriott portfolio in the Greek islands. Between breathtaking views, an inclusive breakfast policy, and great staff, it was such a pleasure to stay. While the restaurants are overpriced compared to going to town, the food is nice! If you’re looking for a sandy beach, the property might be a let-down, but I loved the creative seating. 

Overall, I enjoyed the stay so much that I think I’ll be back!