The Tanneries Hotel and Spa

The old dyeing pits in this industrial-chic boutique hotel are now an outdoor pool, which tells you everything about how the conversion went. Four connected 19th-century tanneries on Chania's rocky shoreline became a place where exposed stone walls, vaulted wood beams, and travertine bathrooms coexist without awkwardness. Every room faces the Aegean. The spa does too, and so does the terrace restaurant serving modern Cretan food. Selected by the Michelin Guide.

One honor, in evidence: