The Nest Resort

Cubist concrete and wood buildings step down a clifftop on Crete's northern coast, each room and villa fitted with a private pool and the kind of pale-stone minimalism that makes you feel vaguely enlightened. There's no private beach, no grand restaurant, just nine rooms and nine villas with open-plan kitchens and water views, plus an indoor spa pool lit like a fever dream. The Michelin Guide has it among its selected hotels.

One honor, in evidence: