Athens-based architecture firm Block722 shapes JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa around light, stone, proportion, and sky, translating the island’s culture of slow living into a restrained architectural language on the hillside of Akra Pelegri.
Upon arriving at JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa, designed by Athens-based architecture firm Block722, guests are welcomed by a square reception area, surrounded by native planting and soft, earthy materials that continue throughout the resort. Ahead are low geometric forms, plastered walls, wood, water, and an architectural language that feels particularly Greek. There are no elaborate gestures competing for attention, nor do there need to be. The firm has made something grand out of careful proportion, light, stone, and an extraordinary amount of sky.
Set on the rocky hillside of Akra Pelegri, the 59,700-square-meter resort in Marathi shows how the architects shape the experience around what visitors see, how they feel, and how comfortably they move through the spaces.
Courtesy of Block722; photography by Ana Santl
Block722 has translated Crete’s culture of slow living into architecture.
Inside the lobby, planting appears again beneath a skylight. Beyond it, reception leads toward the bar, restaurant, and JW Market, forming the communal heart of the resort. From there, the architecture opens outward beneath pergolas, where natural materials filter the Mediterranean sun into shifting patterns of light and shadow, creating shaded places for guests to lounge about and look toward the sea.
Courtesy of Block722; photography by George Pappas
Courtesy of Block722; photography by Ana Santl
That elegant simplicity continues in the interior design. The palette is composed of muted colors. Raw linen, clay, ceramics, woven fibers, wood, and stone give the eye a pleasing amount to enjoy without any one object demanding attention. The team has understood that minimalism is not the absence of things. It is the difficult business of choosing precisely the right pieces, using less so that what remains is appreciated more deeply.
Courtesy of Block722; photography by Ana Santl
The same care follows guests uphill, where 160 rooms and suites are arranged in one- and two-story volumes along the natural slope. In each room, furniture and small nooks make the rooms feel considered and serene, but the greatest piece of furniture, inevitably, is the view through the window itself. Outside, the horizon runs almost uninterrupted into the sea. Private pools and terraces sit between room and coastline, softening the boundary between indoors and out.
Courtesy of Block722; photography by Ana Santl
Courtesy of Block722; photography by Ana Santl
Within the spa, the pace slows even further. Light reflected from the water moves gently across the ceiling, turning an otherwise quiet surface into something almost hypnotic. It is a small moment, but one that captures much of the design thinking behind the resort.
Courtesy of Block722; photography by Ana Santl
This may be Block722’s greatest achievement at JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa. Here, the idea of slowness becomes almost literal. The water, the sun, and the sky are mesmerizing in their own quiet and natural way, enough to make you pause, ponder, and simply enjoy the moment. The architects have created a kind of luxury that asks little of guests except to switch off, feel the gentle sea breeze, and look toward the horizon and the vastness of the ocean.
The Essentials
JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa is a 160-room resort on the island of Crete, Greece, designed by Athens-based architecture firm Block722. Completed in June 2025, it renders Crete’s culture of slow living into a restrained architectural language of stone, plaster, wood, and light.
Where is JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa located?
The resort sits in Marathi, on the rocky hillside of Akra Pelegri, on the island of Crete in Greece. Most spaces are oriented toward the sea and the horizon beyond.
Who designed JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa?
The resort was designed by Block722, an architecture and interior design firm based in Athens. The practice led creative direction, architecture, and interior design. Project leaders included Sotiris Tsergas, Katja Margaritoglou, Christina Kontou, and Elena Milidaki. Art direction and production of the project was led by Block722 with Efi Spyrou.
When did JW Marriott Crete open?
JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa opened in June 2025. The completed resort occupies a plot of 59,700 square meters, with 13,600 square meters of built space.
How does JW Marriott Crete reflect Cretan culture?
Block722 translated Crete’s tradition of slow living into the architecture itself. Low geometric forms, plastered walls, natural materials, and shaded outdoor rooms slow the pace of movement through the resort. The design favors careful proportion and material restraint over elaborate gesture.
What facilities does JW Marriott Crete offer?
The resort has 160 rooms and suites arranged along the natural slope in one- and two-story volumes. Dining includes four restaurants, Fayi, Anoee, Onalos, and Cuccagna, alongside a bar and pool bar. The spa holds pool and thermal facilities, treatment rooms, and a gym. Other amenities include a kids club, an outdoor yoga area, the JW Market, and retail.
