
Why Domes Zeen Chania might just be Crete's coolest secret
Overlooking the Aegean sea, just minutes from Chania's vibrant old town, Domes Zeen Chania has something for all ages and offers a rare balance of boho-chic luxury and cultural immersion, making it one of Crete's most versatile five-star stays.
With its recent Michelin Key recognition, Montessori-inspired kids' club, and the new Zamana Beach Club, this design-led escape is an ideal option for agents keen to increase bookings in the luxury and family sectors and for repeat visitors to Greece.
A new beach scene
Fusing Cretan culture with cosmopolitan flair, Zamana Beach Club is new for 2025, bringing a laid-back yet elite coastal hotspot to Chania. Blending in with Domes Zeen Chania's earthy tones and boho-chic design, the space flows from beach bar and daybeds to a restaurant and laid-back lounge open to both resort guests and discerning locals.
Here, mindful Mediterranean playlists set the tone for immersive culinary experiences – diners can enjoy Cretan menus infused with subtle Japanese and Mexican influences. This new venue is a great talking point for agents who can highlight it to clients before word gets out.
Sell it: Zamana Beach Club is opening soon for the 2025 summer season, so use it to upsell the resort to honeymooners, couples or clients who love a curated beach scene.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Nepo baby with Hollywood A-list parents makes surprise appearance in And Just Like That – do you know who she is?
Miranda makes a startling discovery in the new episode CLASS ACT Nepo baby with Hollywood A-list parents makes surprise appearance in And Just Like That – do you know who she is? Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A NEPO baby with Hollywood A-list parents has made a surprise appearance in And Just Like That. And Just Like That premiered in December 2021 and focuses on Carrie and friends Miranda Hobbes and Charlotte York as they navigate life in their 50s in New York City. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 A nepo baby with Hollywood A-list parents has made a surprise appearance in And Just Like That Credit: HBO 5 Miranda makes a startling discovery in the new episode Credit: HBO 5 Mia gets pregnant with Miranda's son Brady after they hook up Credit: HBO The third season has seen Carrie struggle to work out her relationship with ex-fiance Aidan Shaw, who is dealing with family drama in Virginia. And in a new episode, fans will see the daughter of two very famous actors make a surprise guest appearance. Ella Stiller is the daughter of Hollywood royalty Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor. She pops up in the episode titled 'Better Than Sex,' and plays the role of Mia. Read More on SATC DRESS STRESS My pal's SATC-inspired dress for her brother's wedding is so inappropriate Mia gets pregnant with Miranda's son Brady after they hook up, and a fiery confrontation ensues as Miranda confirms with Mia that Brady is the father. Brady sits down to tell his parents, and Steve is far from happy about the news. 'You were just getting your life together, and now you have f****d it up so bad' he says. Brady admits he'd only found out about the pregnancy because he'd bumped into Mia and she was clearly pregnant. Brady doesn't know whether Mia will keep the baby or give it up for adoption. And Just Like That's new teaser sparks conspiracy theory that Samantha Jones is BACK after Kim Cattrall season 2 cameo Later in the episode, Miranda is seen visiting Mia in the hair salon where she works and quizzes her on the pregnancy, while pretending not to be Brady's mum. Miranda tries to subtly question her about the father of the baby, to which Mia replies: 'He's cool, I guess. It's not like we're gonna raise the kid together. F**k buddy status, you know?' Not too long after, Miranda admits: 'I'm the 'f**k buddy's mother,' which quickly leads her to getting her face sprayed with water and a frosty exchange of words ensues. Funnily enough, Ben and Christine's daughter already has a connection to Sex and The City, given that her grandma Anne Meara - who passed away in 2015 - played Steve's mother, Mary, in four episodes of the original series. Earlier this year, it was revealed that Ella had landed herself a role alongside a House of the Dragon star. The blonde actress will be appearing alongside Emily Carey, who played Lady Alicent Hightower in the HBO series, in a new off-Broadway play. As well as Ella's famous dad, she also has a famous mum too. Christine Taylor starred as Bonnie in Friends and in The Brady Bunch Movie and Zoolander. The young actress has joined the cast of Before This New Year, a play written by Liana Sonenclar that will run Off-Broadway in New York City. Ella will take on the role of Jen in the play, which is about a former high school track star called Alison Bennett. At present, the play has been indefinitely postponed, with a statement from the production provided to Playbill reading: 'The production team is immensely proud of the work that has gone into developing this piece and grateful to all those who have contributed to its journey so far.' 5 Ella Stiller is the daughter of Hollywood royalty Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor Credit: Getty


Time Out
6 hours ago
- Time Out
What it's like to dine at Angélica Cocina Maestra: the Mendoza restaurant with a Red Michelin Star
There are places you don't just visit—you live them. Angélica Cocina Maestra is one of those. From the moment you arrive at the Catena Zapata Wines restaurant, you feel transported to a universe where history, architecture, wine, and gastronomy merge with impeccable mastery. The experience begins long before sitting at the table. Upon entering, the host invites you to take a guided tour of the impressive building that recreates a Tuscan villa in honor of Nicola Catena, the Italian winemaker who arrived in Mendoza in 1902 to lay the foundation for the family legacy. His son Domingo continued that legacy, and together with Angélica Zapata, they gave this world-renowned winery its name. As they narrate the clan's story and the philosophy of the place, you walk through hallways displaying pages from the book Gold in the Vineyards, written by Laura Catena, illustrating stories of some of the world's most important vineyards. The path leads to the dome, where the largest obsidian stone in Latin America is housed. Continuing onward, you come across an intimate room that opens only on very special occasions, and its wine cellar, which showcases all the winery's wine lines and a display table featuring 'clippings' of important moments in the family business—old photographs, accounting documents from 1924, the first Catena Zapata wine logo, and even a painting of the family tree. Angélica Cocina Maestra: A 'Wine First' Experience The tour ends in a Mediterranean-style courtyard, whose pathway leads to the restaurant entrance. A maître d' awaits warmly at the door, offering a sequence of gestures that promise excellence. Everything here is designed to pay tribute to the Mendoza land and its wines. Thus, amid ambient music and the design of windows offering a 360-degree view of the landscape, winery, and garden, one of the most fascinating culinary experiences begins—one that has been awarded both a red and a green star by the prestigious Michelin Guide. At Angélica Cocina Maestra, the guiding principle is clear: 'Wine First.' The wine does not merely complete the menu; it inspires it. Each dish is crafted to dialogue with Catena Zapata's labels, creating a sensory synergy that surprises with every one of the 13 steps in the culinary journey. The sommelier and waiter explain in detail the exclusive pairing at each stage, with sparkling wines, whites, reds, and Pera Grau Sherry. They guide diners to perceive the combination of flavors that reveal Mendoza's very DNA. 'Wine sets the pace of the kitchen—not the other way around. We start from the glass to arrive at the combination of products with different textures and cooking methods on the plate,' says Josefina Diana, the chef leading the restaurant alongside chef Juan Manuel Feijoo. "Wine sets the pace of the kitchen—not the other way around" The experience begins with snacks that awaken the senses. From a hydrolate made with water sprayed into a glass so that the scent of rain can be smelled, to a sort of stone-shaped box that opens in two to reveal a reimagined stuffed Mendocino sopaipilla and a gel accompaniment made from delicate baby herbs and flowers gathered from the garden. The cured trout aged for five days; the dish called 'expression of the garden' with all green leaves, fennel flowers, chamomile pollen, and a vinaigrette sorbet; the goat and saffron arancini evoking grandmother's cooking; and the crispy pork roll with a slice of black apple—all moments that evoke amazement and countless expressions of happiness on diners' faces. Each dish is part of a story written with local ingredients, global techniques, and a stunning aesthetic palette. The jewel of the menu—and the favorite of both chefs—is the combination of beetroot and sweetbread, a sophisticated dish that shows how well these two ingredients come together: a crispy sweetbread wrapped in foam and covered with a veil made from three proprietary vinegars, beautifully accompanied by flower petals and beetroot root both pickled and puréed—more like velvet. Pairing it with an Adrianna Vineyard White Bones Chardonnay 2022 was a pleasurable and aromatic journey. This Catena Zapata wine is currently ranked as Argentina's second-best wine and the country's best white wine. Terroir, Technique, and Fun at the Table The chefs who came to Angélica Cocina Maestra from the iconic Chila share: 'We always design the seasonal menu with products from Mendoza. Our great goal and challenge is to communicate about the territory, which we approach with responsibility and great respect.' They add: 'We always start designing the proposal from the product we want to cook or show, then develop the rest of the dish.' "Our great goal and challenge is to communicate about the territory, which we approach with responsibility and great respect" Josefina and Juan Manuel bring a contemporary, playful, and sensitive perspective to Mendoza fine dining; they make their dishes 'stand on their own' because among the many preparation ideas they suggest, those that make sense come together, shaping what they present at the table. 'Menu design becomes a conversation, and that feels very natural to us,' they emphasize. 'We like to play, to have the diner interact with the dishes. Each bite can awaken different emotions and surprises,' adds Juan Manuel. Indeed, the cheese course experience is on another level; on a wheeled table, they bring different varieties and origins to invite tasting and pairing with sweets, honey, and nuts. "We like to play, to have the diner interact with the dishes" The truth is that at Angélica Cocina Maestra, diners choose the menu, which varies in the number of courses depending on the wine pairing selected: the Angélica Zapata tasting with 5 labels; the D.V. Catena with 4; the Roller Coaster honoring Domingo V. Catena; the Wine First in tribute to Angélica; the Memorias with 7 lines; or La Famiglia Unita, Parcelas, and Escalera al Cielo with Catena Zapata Wines' premium lines. Notably, there is also a non-alcoholic pairing option. Angélica Cocina Maestra is part of the Catena Zapata Wines ecosystem, one of Argentina's most emblematic wineries Its imposing pyramid-shaped structure, inspired by Mayan culture, faces the Andes like a modern temple to wine. Here, Nicolás Catena Zapata is crowned the 'father of Argentine Malbec' and turned the winery into an icon of the country's viticultural innovation. Laura Catena, the family's fourth generation, is one of the driving forces behind this new gastronomic concept that pays tribute to her grandmother Angélica, a woman who fervently believed in education as a universal right. Architect Ricardo Zumel designed the project, built in the basement of a 1920s winery, with hand-cut stones, handcrafted bricks, recycled wooden beams, flooring made from barrels, and railroad sleepers. The aesthetic highlights the family's Italian heritage. Thus, the Wine First concept restaurant stands as a sensory experience that combines the best of Argentine wine with a gastronomic proposal of the highest standard—worthy of a Michelin-starred restaurant.


Scottish Sun
8 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
New budget airline route from the UK to connect Brits to the ‘Maldives of Europe' for £19.99
Plus, a Sun reporter head to the destination to see if it the ultimate budget beach break TAKE OFF New budget airline route from the UK to connect Brits to the 'Maldives of Europe' for £19.99 Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WHITE sandy beaches and crystal clear waters are just a couple of hours away in the 'Maldives of Europe' - and there are more direct flights from the UK. Wizz Air is launching direct flights from London Gatwick to Tirana, the capital of Albania for just £19.99. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Tirana is the capital of Albania and is home to many bunkers Credit: Alamy 5 Wizz Air has now added a second route from the UK to the European city Credit: AP The flights will operate five times a week, with the first taking off on October 26. The route marks Wizz Air's second route to the Albanian city, with the airline also flying to Tirana from London Luton Airport. While Tirana is an city break destination of its own, most will use it as a base to travel to the Albanian Riviera. Away from the city, you can explore other parts of the country which have led to the European destination being dubbed the 'Maldives of Europe'. Along the country's coastline there are crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches and natural beauty. There are many beach clubs to explore too, often serving up typical Mediterranean cuisine. For example, in the town of Sarandë, which is sandwiched between the Ionian Sea and rolling hills, there is the Lost Seaside beach club. Here, guests can enjoy a pool, beach, restaurant and lounge - including sunbeds that hang over the sea and pool. Prices in Albania are typically really cheap. Five stunning, little-known holiday destinations 5 Elsewhere in Albania, many people have remarked the crystal clear waters and sandy beaches Credit: Getty 5 This has led to it being dubbed the 'Maldives of Europe' Credit: Alamy You can grab a pint for just 250 LEK (£2.22) or a glass of wine for between 200 and 400 LEK (£1.78 to £3.55). Food is also cheap, with a mid-range, three course meal for two costing around 4,500 LEK (£39.94). The average price of a double room in Albania is £83 per night, according to Kayak. Yvonne Moynihan, managing director at Wizz Air UK, said: "With Albania increasingly recognised as the 'Maldives of Europe', this route allows more of our customers to discover untapped destinations across southeastern Europe." Wizz Air also recently announced five new routes to Spain, as well as a direct route to Medina from London Gatwick - which is a first for the airline. Is Albania the ultimate budget beach break? A SUN reporter headed to Albania, here's what they thought. When I first told my friends I was going to Albania, they reacted with a raised eyebrow and a simple question: 'Why?' The country isn't a typical beach destination, but it has become a word-of-mouth hit for those seeking sunny, affordable getaways. Flying from Gatwick, I hoped for a cheap and cheerful holiday, and that's exactly what we got. The low prices were a pleasant surprise. In the town of Vlore, cocktails were just £3.70. A bowl of seafood linguine cost only £5.20, and a full lunch on Ksamil beach was just £11.30. I stayed mainly in Airbnbs, which ranged from £14 to £21 per person per night. The water along the Albanian coastline was consistently a stunning turquoise blue, much like the seas found in Corfu or Sardinia. The beaches were also blissfully quiet, thanks to the area still being somewhat of an undiscovered gem. Peaceful, picturesque, and perfect for those on a budget, Albania is an ideal holiday spot. It's a hidden gem that offers incredible value without compromising on beauty. In the same country, you can also spend the day in Maldives-style overwater huts. Plus, the incredible plans for unique 120-bed 'floating' hotel in idyllic UK beauty spot have been revealed.