It’s hard to go really wrong with the islands of Greece, but it’s equally hard to do much better than this. Domes Zeen Chania, on the northwest coast of Crete, is not only blessed with a spectacular natural setting — it’s also outfitted with top-flight luxury comforts, and thanks to its designers, the Berlin-based Lambs and Lions, it’s one of the most aesthetically distinguished hotels in the region, its modernist geometries warmed by natural textures and warm, earthy neutral tones.

Perhaps inspired by similarly situated dwellings on the island of Santorini, Acro Suites brings cliffside romance and carved-rock drama to the north coast of Crete. This adults-only resort-style luxury boutique hotel is the smaller and more reserved sister to the Sea Side Resort, right next door — an arrangement that allows Acro Suites’ guests to use Sea Side’s substantial facilities, but not the other way around.

Tucked away on an atmospheric side street in the Cretan village of Archanes, Manili Boutique Suites & Villas is perhaps a more modern and stylish luxury boutique hotel than you’d expect to find in this corner of the island, a little less than half an hour inland from the city of Heraklion.

The spectacular Mirabello Bay on the northeastern coast of the island of Crete is the setting for Minos Palace Hotel & Suites, an unapologetically high-end boutique-style resort whose peninsula location gives it sea views in just about every direction. The private-island illusion is only heightened by the fact that it’s an adults-only hotel. Its visual language, on the other hand, keeps things lively, with a healthy mix of natural materials, traditional craftsmanship, and contemporary design.

The historic village of Kapsaliana, built around an old olive mill and surrounded by Crete’s largest olive grove, was all but abandoned in the 1950s. Years later, a local architect discovered the place and transformed it into what it is today: an uncommonly restful and unusually memorable luxury resort by the name of Kapsaliana Village Hotel. Period charm is everywhere; the village’s 18th-century buildings feature original stone archways and wood-beamed ceilings.

Pnoé means “breath” in Greek, and that’s exactly the idea when checking into Pnoé Breathing Life, Heraklion, a sleek beach resort on a private beach outside Crete’s largest city — inhale, exhale, and repeat, whether floating in your personal pool, relaxing in the state-of-the-art spa, or sipping cocktails at the rooftop bar. An adults-only luxury retreat with a focus on wellness and sustainability.