Hotel overview: JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa

My spouse and I spent eight nights in Crete not too long ago, 5 at Domes Noruz Chania (see my overview right here), adopted by three nights on the JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa.

This is a comparatively new JW Marriott property because it opened in June 2025. Having by no means stayed at a JW Marriott earlier than, I used to be curious what the expertise can be like, particularly with it being so new.

I used to be additionally hopeful that we’d be capable to get an honest room improve as I utilized three Nightly Upgrade Awards after reserving (you’ll be able to decide these as a Choice profit after incomes 50 and/or 75 elite evening credit in a calendar 12 months). I do know many individuals wrestle to make use of these, however with us visiting within the shoulder season, I had my fingers crossed that they’d come by way of.

They did.

Here’s my full overview of the JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa.

Upgrade earlier than arrival

If you’re not accustomed to how Marriott’s Nightly Upgrade Awards work, you’ll be able to apply them to your reservation any time from the time of reserving as much as 2pm the day earlier than your check-in date, however they don’t begin checking for improve availability till 5 days earlier than arrival for many manufacturers (three days earlier than for the St Regis, Ritz-Carlton, and EDITION manufacturers).

When making use of your Nightly Upgrade Awards, you’ll be given a listing of rooms to which you’ll probably improve. You can choose as many or as few as you want. Selecting many might be a very good possibility because it will increase the chance that you simply’ll get some sort of improve. However, deciding on just a few greater upgraded room varieties would possibly offer you a greater end result by way of the standard of the room you get. It’ll differ from property to property, so there’s nobody right method.

We have been initially booked right into a ‘Deluxe Guest room, 1 King, Sea view, Balcony, Whirlpool’ room which itself regarded lovely. When deciding on potential upgraded room varieties, I solely chosen choices the place we’d have a one bed room suite, quite than going for any Deluxe and/or Junior Suite choices.

Five days earlier than our keep, I acquired an e mail stating “Your Award Upgrade Is Confirmed”. This confirmed that we’d been upgraded to an ‘Executive Suite, 1 King, Sofa bed, Sea view, Private pool, Terrace.’ From what I can keep in mind, that was the bottom room class I’d chosen as a attainable use for our Nightly Upgrade Awards. I used to be more than happy with the end result although because the photographs on-line made that room sort look superb.

Check-in

After trying out of Domes Noruz Chania, Shae and I drove downtown to discover the Old Venetian Port of Chania for a number of hours earlier than heading on to the JW Marriott, arriving at about 4:15pm.

We have been greeted at our rental automotive by a pleasant bellhop who took all our baggage whereas we went inside to check-in. They took our passports and a bank card for incidentals (we’d booked this as an award keep) on the entrance desk, then invited us to sit down at one of many quite a few comfy seats within the foyer.

While ready for them to complete processing our check-in, they introduced us a refreshing drink to get pleasure from. I’m undecided if it’s a JW Marriott model normal factor, however our drink and all of the resort’s signature cocktails contained herbs from the resort’s backyard.

We got a few issues after they’d checked us in. One was a map of the resort which was significantly useful in figuring out the place the completely different eating places have been.

Another sheet we got detailed the opening occasions for the eating places and bars on website, together with varied different facilities.

On the reverse aspect was a QR code which offered a hyperlink to obtain an app referred to as Exclusivi. After getting into the key code listed under (which I suppose is now now not secret), it displayed details about the eating places and their menus, in addition to particulars about different facilities, on-site and off-site actions you’ll be able to guide, and extra.

With regards to the restaurant aspect of issues, this was useful because it gives a capability to guide a desk for dinner on the resort’s completely different eating places quite than having to name the entrance desk to make a reservation. However, don’t get too connected to what’s listed on the menus within the app as these didn’t appear to match the menus within the eating places themselves, in order that was much less useful. Perhaps the app is displaying the earlier 12 months’s menus (the resort is open seasonally from April to October every year).

To take us to our room, the entrance desk agent drove us up in a golf cart, with our baggage following a couple of minutes later.

The JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa is constructed on a hill. That helps guarantee most rooms get an amazing view of the Mediterranean Sea (or possibly the Sea of Crete?) regardless of the place your room is positioned. That does imply although that the higher view that you’ve, the additional you need to stroll up and down. You can in all probability ask for them to drive you across the resort in a golf cart, however there’s additionally an elevator that may take you up one of many steepest components of the resort.

The design of the resort is gorgeous. While a number of the backyard areas want extra time to mattress in seeing because it’s nonetheless a comparatively new property, I liked the format. At nighttime, it was lit nicely sufficient to search out your means round with no points, however with mushy lighting in order to not spoil the atmosphere.

Executive Suite

As talked about earlier, by using Nightly Upgrade Awards we have been upgraded to an Executive Suite (room 4003). Before sharing a bunch of photographs, right here’s a walkthrough video that may assist give a greater sense of the format.

When getting into the suite, the lounge was straight forward. There have been a few steps down into the dwelling space, one thing I forgot one evening when grabbing one thing from my laptop computer bag there.

There was a sofa which was presumably additionally the couch mattress listed within the full room sort identify, together with one other chair and low desk.

Off to the aspect was a seating bench with a wall-mounted TV above it. We didn’t find yourself watching TV throughout our keep, so I’m undecided if it was mounted in an askew method, or if it may be pulled out at an angle and in order that’s why it regarded a bit of haphazard.

Behind the principle sofa was a mini bar that featured a mini fridge with some mushy drinks, in addition to a tea and low station.

When staying on the Domes Noruz Chania, they didn’t present any milk within the room for tea. I due to this fact preemptively grabbed some from the shop on our solution to the JW Marriott. I’m glad I did as they solely had a few little espresso creamer pods quite than precise milk.

The bed room featured a snug king mattress and good pillows. The fan above the mattress was helpful in concept, however much less so in actuality. It solely appeared to have one pace setting of ‘Very Fast’; we’d prefer to have used it at a slower pace, nevertheless it made it too chilly having it spinning at full blast.

Behind the mattress was a big double closet.

In one aspect was a baggage rack, protected, and a few seashore towels…

…whereas within the different there was an iron, ironing board, some slippers, and a bathrobe (a second bathrobe was hanging up within the toilet).

Opposite the closet—so exterior of the lavatory itself—was an extended double sink space.

The toilet itself was in its personal room and was, in impact, a moist room because the rainfall bathe flowed down into the center of the room, with a bath off to the aspect. The water stress from the rainfall bathe was good, as was the hand held bathe wand.

Our government suite had two separate restrooms. The one to the correct of the suite entrance (so by the lounge) had its personal sink.

Meanwhile, the restroom on the opposite aspect of the lounge (so behind the bed room) didn’t have its personal sink, nevertheless it was proper subsequent to the lavatory sinks.

One of the perfect components of the suite was what was exterior. There was a terrace with a good-sized plunge pool on one aspect. Shading overhead helped present some safety from the solar, nevertheless it was too early within the season to benefit from the pool because the water was a bit too chilly.

On the opposite aspect of the terrace have been a few loungers, in addition to a desk and chairs. While there was a privateness partition on the pool aspect, there wasn’t a lot privateness on the opposite aspect.

As you’ll be able to see within the picture under, the view from our terrace was stellar.

I’m not all the time a fan of the design and decor of rooms at some luxurious lodges, however general I liked our Executive Suite on the JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa. One considerably quibble is that despite the fact that it’s a one bed room suite, there’s not true privateness inside. There are doorways that may slide throughout between the bed room and lounge, however they’ve opaque panes. The again of the bed room additionally opens out to the lavatory sink space on each side, so if there’s mild on anyplace within the suite, somebody sleeping within the bed room will get disturbed. I’m often up at evening a lot later than my spouse, so that may make it trickier to get work accomplished within the room. The mild switches for the restrooms have been exterior of them, so you’ll be able to’t even shut the restroom door and switch the sunshine on at evening; you’re caught lighting up the suite for a number of seconds until you utilize the flashlight in your cellphone.

Shortly after having our baggage dropped at our room, one other employees member stopped by to drop off a welcome amenity (presumably as a result of my Lifetime Platinum standing with Marriott Bonvoy). There was a bottle of Drappier champagne, some sweets and truffles, in addition to another sort of candy deal with that appeared to be a chocolate shell with one thing like fruit compote inside.

Turndown service was offered within the evenings, though it didn’t appear very nicely organized. We acquired it the primary evening, however missed out on our remaining two nights as they got here by late afternoon or early night and we had our Do Not Disturb signal on on the time. I used to be a bit of shocked that they didn’t prepare for it to be accomplished whereas we have been at dinner seeing as we’d made dinner reservations. It’s not prefer it’s an enormous deal although; maybe I simply had unrealistic expectations as we don’t usually keep at lodges that supply turndown service.

Breakfast

Breakfast is obtainable in Fayi restaurant each morning from 7am-11am. There’s each indoor and out of doors seating; we ate outside for a few mornings, however the climate wasn’t nice on our remaining morning, so we selected to eat inside that day.

It’s a buffet breakfast that has a wide variety of meals. There are many scorching gadgets together with scrambled and fried eggs, bacon, sausage, fried mushrooms, and so on., in addition to an omelet station.

There are additionally chilly cuts, cereals, breads, pastries, desserts, salad, fruit, and much extra. I took fairly a number of photographs of the buffet setup, however apparently forgot to take photographs of the recent meals station and one or two different areas.

You order drinks from the servers, however that is the place we discovered the breakfast service to be extraordinarily missing for a few causes.

On the recent drinks entrance, it could be positive if you happen to simply desire a espresso. I requested for English breakfast tea and on two of the three mornings they took my order, however merely didn’t deliver any tea. Both these first two mornings we needed to comply with up with them after about quarter-hour, by which level we’d already largely completed breakfast.

Seeing because it was a JW Marriott, I figured they’d present a teapot with a teabag or tea leaves already steeping inside. Instead, they offered a tea cup crammed about 3/4 of the way in which with water that’s moderately scorching (however not boiling), with a few teabags on the aspect.

On the third morning my tea arrived with out me having to comply with up (albeit about 10 minutes after ordering it). On not one of the three mornings did they supply milk, regardless of asking for it. There is milk inside on the buffet and so I used to be in a position to seize it for myself, nevertheless it wasn’t what I used to be anticipating of a $500+ per evening resort.

It’s additionally not an amazing setup with water at breakfast. They present water initially if you happen to ask, however they solely fill your not-huge glass about 1/4 of the way in which. That can be positive in the event that they left a carafe of water in your desk to refill it your self or in the event that they usually come spherical to high you up, however they don’t—a minimum of not at our desk on any of the three mornings we have been there anyway. We due to this fact needed to get the eye of a server every morning to ask for extra water as there wasn’t even a self-serve possibility on the buffet the place we may care for it ourselves.

Other eating places & bars

The JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa has a number of eating and ingesting institutions.

When checking in, we acquired a sheet with the opening hours for the eating places and bars. Dining info was additionally accessible within the Exclusivi app (see the QR code earlier within the submit—you’ll be able to view the menus in there too, though these menus didn’t really match the menus within the eating places), in addition to on the again of the resort map that we got at check-in. In-room eating can also be accessible 24/7.

We had a chance to eat and drink in any respect of those, except for EN KAMÍNO.

Anóee

On our first evening on the resort we ate at Anóee, a restaurant with Cretan meals. It’s open for lunch from 1pm-5pm and dinner from 7pm-11pm, and is closed on Mondays.

As with all of the eating places on the JW Marriott Crete, the setting and views have been fairly beautiful.

Starters have been tapas-style servings. Shae and I shared the potato salad, marinated gavros (anchovies), and tzatziki; bread was supplied with the tzatziki (not pictured under).

For our entrées, I ordered the lamb chops that have been served with pita bread and greens, whereas Shae acquired the rooster wooden oven baked that was served with skioufihta pasta, shallots, and aged anthotyro cheese. I additionally ordered some fries on the aspect, however these in all probability weren’t vital with all of the pita I had on my plate.

All of the meals was scrumptious and I believe this was my favourite of the three dinners we had on the resort.

Cuccagna

On our second evening we ate at Cuccagna, their Italian restaurant. It’s open for dinner solely from 6pm-11pm, with it being closed on Tuesdays.

There’s a restricted quantity of outside seating, with extra seating accessible inside the place the Fayi breakfast restaurant is. It was a little bit of a cooler evening that evening, so we selected to eat inside.

We began off with some skinny breadstick-type issues, then acquired their focaccia. From the Secondi a part of the menu I ordered the branzino as my major which got here with tri-color bell pepper purée, whereas Shae ordered their risotto con funghi.

My branzino was wonderful and I’d have fortunately eaten a number of plates of it. Shae’s mushroom risotto however wasn’t nice. She thought it was pretty bland; I attempted it too and agreed, so possibly give that dish a miss if you happen to go to.

Onalos

On our remaining evening we ate at Onalos, the resort’s seafood restaurant. Onalos is open for dinner solely from 6pm-11pm, except for Wednesdays when it’s closed.

It was one other cooler evening, however we have been in a position to be seated subsequent to an outside heater and so acquired to benefit from the night views.

The meal began with some bread and olive oil for dipping (not pictured under). For an appetizer, Shae ordered the mussels that got here in contemporary tomato sauce, parsley, and garlic confit. I attempted a pair and it was very tasty.

For my appetizer I ordered the ocean bass tataki which got here with fricasee cream, lettuce, echalot, dill, and chilli. I don’t suppose I’d ever had tataki-prepared fish earlier than (it has a fast sear on excessive warmth on the surface, with the within being uncooked), however I loved it and would fortunately have it once more.

For my major, I ordered the grilled grouper which got here with “Kakavia” sauce, celeriac, potato, carrot, fennel, and celery oil. This was very good, though it felt just like the sauce-to-fish ratio was a bit of extreme.

Shae ordered some sort of sushi; I didn’t get a photograph of that web page of the menu and it’s not listed within the Onalos menu within the Exclusivi app, so I’m undecided of its full description. Rest assured although that she liked it and it was her favourite meal of our keep; I attempted a bit of and agreed that it was scrumptious.

Suncti

Suncti is the resort’s poolside bar. It’s open day by day of the week from 11am-6pm for drinks, with lunch additionally being accessible from 12pm-6pm.

After having fun with a swim within the heated adults-only swimming pool one afternoon, we stopped by the bar afterwards to have a fast cocktail.

Eexis

Eexis is a mostly-indoor bar, though it does have some exterior seating. It’s open from 11am-11:30pm. We stopped by there for a fast drink on our remaining afternoon and weren’t overly impressed with the service. The pina colada I ordered additionally wasn’t pretty much as good because the one I’d had the day past at Suncti.

Amenities

JW Marriott Crete “beach”

Due to the character of its location on a rocky a part of the coast, the resort doesn’t have a seashore which will probably be disappointing for some.

That stated, the resort has accomplished a very good job out of a nasty seashore scenario. They’ve put in an extended deck alongside the ocean with a great deal of shaded cabanas. This a minimum of means you’ll be able to loosen up such as you’re on a seashore with wonderful views.

Although it’s not a conventional seashore, you will get down into the water for a swim if you happen to like by advantage of some steps down into the ocean. It was too chilly for us to need to go swimming as a result of once we visited, however I think about this may be a stunning possibility in the summertime.

Be cautious in unhealthy climate although; the wind picked up the final couple of days there and waves have been crashing in opposition to the rocks, plus it regarded like there have been some semi-strong currents additional out on these days.

If you desire to a seashore expertise although, you don’t have far to go. Just a couple of minutes stroll away is a small seashore space; you’ll move it as you drive as much as the resort.

Outdoor swimming swimming pools

The JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa has three out of doors swimming swimming pools. If you’re looking on the sea, the household pool is on the correct and is heated to a pleasant temperature.

In the center was a shallower kids’s swimming pool. This one wasn’t heated and on the finish there was a shaded space to assist defend children from the solar.

Then on the left there was an adults-only swimming pool that was heated properly too.

Despite the climate not being nice one afternoon, we went for a swim within the adults-only pool and had a stunning time. When staying on the Domes Noruz Chania the earlier week, I’d not gone swimming as their pool wasn’t heated and it was chilly seeing as we have been visiting in late April.

There have been numerous loungers and cabanas across the swimming pools, together with some beanbags.

There’s a QR code you’ll be able to scan to order drinks from the bar and have them delivered to you. These may also be discovered on the cabanas alongside the “beach.”

Anoseas Spa

The resort’s spa is named Anoseas and is open every day from 9am-7pm, with the power to guide remedies from 10am-7pm.

We have been going to offer the spa a miss as we weren’t seeking to have any remedies. However, we acquired chatting to a different visitor who shared that the spa space has an indoor swimming pool, sauna, and steam room that company can entry without spending a dime.

We have been glad that we found that as a result of we weren’t knowledgeable of this when checking in, the sheet we got with resort particulars didn’t point out it, nor did the Exclusivi app point out it within the spa part. On our remaining morning on the resort, we chatted to some company who’d checked within the earlier evening. We allow them to know concerning the spa scenario they usually stated they’d not been knowledgeable about it both.

Having realized about these amenities, we determined to test it out after swimming within the out of doors pool. There are altering rooms accessible, together with lockers you’ll be able to make the most of if wanted.

When getting into the indoor pool space, there was a refreshments space with some small snacks.

The pool was an OK dimension for floating round in, however not for doing laps (the out of doors swimming pools are good for that although).

There are a few therapeutic massage jets you’ll be able to activate; one on your again and one on your neck.

There’s additionally a sauna and a steam room.

Fitness room

The resort’s health room is an honest dimension and is well-equipped with varied items of cardio tools and weights. There’s additionally a bigger empty room for doing issues like yoga.

As can be anticipated, there’s a water dispenser. If you want a bit of snack throughout your keep, there’s a fruit bowl too.

Kids membership

The JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa has various childcare choices. There’s a creche accessible at an additional cost for younger kids from 4 months to three years outdated.

For kids ages 4-12 there’s a children membership. The morning classes run 10am-1pm, the lunch membership is from 1pm-3pm, and the afternoon session is obtainable from 3pm-6pm.

A babysitting service can also be accessible upon request from Monday to Saturday from 6:30pm-11pm.

Parking

Valet parking is complimentary.

If you name right down to have your automotive dropped at the entrance, remember that the valet will depart the important thing within the ignition. We hadn’t realized that when selecting up our automotive and the valet had disappeared, so we have been ready round for some time to ensure that him to return so we may get our automotive key from him, solely to study that it had been left within the automotive all alongside. I do know it’s a JW Marriott and so nobody there was prone to steal our cheapie Kia Picanto rental, nevertheless it didn’t seem to be the perfect safety setup.

Pet coverage

The JW Marriott Crete is a pet-friendly resort. You’re allowed one canine per room, with a most weight of 8kg (~17.5lbs). There’s a €100 (~$118) pet charge per keep, quite than per evening.

Cash value

For our dates in late April/early May, our initially booked ‘Deluxe Guest room, 1 King, Sea view, Balcony, Whirlpool’ would’ve value ~$500 per evening. The Executive Suite that we have been upgraded to utilizing the Nightly Upgrade Awards was working at ~$1,000 for our dates.

As can be anticipated, costs are greater throughout the summer time.

Points value

We booked our keep utilizing Marriott Bonvoy factors. The first evening value 61,600 factors, whereas the second and third nights every value 62,400 factors. In the summer time, you’ll typically be a value of 85,000-115,000 factors per evening.

If you’re reserving an extended keep, do not forget that Marriott has a ‘Stay 5 nights, Pay for 4’ characteristic on award stays which reduces the price of stays booked with factors.

Points worth

For our dates, we acquired ~0.8 cents per level (cpp) of worth which is marginally greater than our Reasonable Redemption Value for Marriott factors.

Resort charge

There wasn’t a resort charge, however there was a €15 (~$17.50) per evening Climate Resilience Tax that was payable, even on an award keep.

Internet

This appeared to be superb. I had some work to do whereas we have been there and had no points with connectivity. Streaming movies, and so on. on our telephones wasn’t a problem both.

Club lounge

There isn’t one.

Elite advantages

We acquired an amazing improve to an Executive Suite, though that was by redeeming three of my Nightly Upgrade Awards. I’m undecided how beneficiant they’re with elite upgrades at check-in.

Having Lifetime Platinum standing meant that our welcome present alternative ought to’ve been free breakfast for me and Shae, or 1,000 factors. We weren’t requested about our choice at check-in, nevertheless it looks like they chose free breakfast as we weren’t charged for that. The keep hasn’t proven up in my Marriott Bonvoy account exercise but, so I don’t know if I’ll additionally get the 1,000 bonus factors.

In concept, the truth that they didn’t ask which welcome present alternative we needed meant we should always’ve gotten $100 compensation as a result of Marriott’s Elite Member Benefits Guarantee. Ultimately although, we did get free breakfast which is what we needed, so I didn’t care.

In addition to that official welcome amenity, we have been supplied with a bottle of champagne and a few candy treats.

Seeing as it is a resort property, 4pm late checkout isn’t assured for these with Platinum standing or greater. They did ask if we needed a late checkout although. It’s usually 11am and we prolonged it till 11:30am; we didn’t want it later than that as a result of our flight again to the UK that afternoon.

Checkout / Marriott present card points

Before our keep, I’d emailed the resort asking if we may pay for room expenses with Marriott present playing cards as I’d redeemed for some from my Capital One Shopping cashback stability, however they by no means bothered replying. We due to this fact checked as soon as we have been on the resort they usually confirmed we may.

However, this was a whooooooole palaver when trying out. The common entrance desk brokers don’t have authority to course of Marriott present card redemptions, in order that they must name a supervisor to authorize it (this was the identical at Domes Noruz Chania). The supervisor took ages to course of the primary present card, then had points with the second card. It feels like they entered the Euro quantity for the redemption quite than the US greenback quantity which meant the second present card was overcharged.

The factor is, we didn’t know what was happening on the time apart from that it was taking without end. They finally had us sit down within the foyer space whereas they labored on it. Time went on, and on, and on. I went again to the entrance desk to test on their progress they usually stated it ought to simply be a number of extra minutes. Ten minutes later they nonetheless weren’t accomplished and we needed to get to the airport, so I went again to the entrance desk once more to ask for my cellphone again (I’d left it with them as they wanted the present card quantity; I’m undecided why they didn’t simply notice it down and return my cellphone).

As it seems, they didn’t want us there anymore however they hadn’t bothered to tell us, so we’d simply been ready round needlessly. In the tip, the second present card was overcharged they usually couldn’t course of a refund on to it, however they suggested they’d refund my bank card with the overcharge as an alternative. That refund hasn’t been acquired but (we checked out per week in the past, so I’ve a reminder set as much as comply with up with them in a number of days).

That entire checkout scenario took 45 minutes which was ridiculous; we arrived on the entrance desk at 11:30am and didn’t get to go away till 12:15pm. Ultimately, they need to’ve taken the small print of the 2 present playing cards we needed to redeem and allow us to get on our means, quite than making us sit round for three-quarters of an hour and anticipate them to repair the error they made, particularly seeing as we didn’t have to be there for that.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Views – From what I may inform, just about each room/suite on the property has superb views of the ocean.
• Decor – Our one bed room government suite was adorned very properly and the resort grounds general have been lovely.
• Pools – We appreciated that each of the out of doors non-children’s swimming pools have been heated.
• Food – Other than Shae’s mushroom risotto, we loved all our meals.

Cons

• Service – While just about everybody was pleasant, the service wasn’t of a caliber that I’d count on from a JW Marriott. From them ignoring my e mail earlier than our keep, to not being requested which elite member welcome amenity we needed at check-in, to forgotten drinks orders at breakfast, to them seemingly not bothering to advise company concerning the complimentary amenities within the spa, to a really poor checkout expertise, I used to be disenchanted general with the service we acquired.
• Conflicting meals menus – The app for the resort lists meals menus for every restaurant, however none of them matched what was accessible within the eating places.
• Non-enclosed bed room – The setup of our one bed room suite meant the bed room space wasn’t enclosed, so any mild anyplace within the suite meant the bed room additionally acquired lit up at evening.
• Beach – If you’re after a seashore trip in Crete with precise sand on the resort, this isn’t the property for you.
• Landscaping – Due to the property solely being a 12 months outdated, there are many naked patches of rocky floor across the property, uncovered irrigation methods, and so on. that’ll presumably not be seen as soon as vegetation and shrubs have grown extra.