My husband and I went to this hotel in May 2011 for 1 week. After booking my holiday for this year at another hotel, I realised how important reviews can be, so thought I would finally get round to writing one for this hotel, when people might be thinking about booking their holiday. Had an absolutely fantastic time at this hotel, we were the first lot of passengers to arrive for the first week of the season, so found that it was very quiet as things were just starting up. Check in was chaotic due to 3 coaches arriving at the same time, however the reception staff advised this doesn't normally happen and dealt with it in a prompt manner, even suggesting that people could get their lunch and come back to check-in later.
Room - the room we were allocated was probably one of the best rooms with a sea view I have ever seen. We walked in and were amazed by how close we were to the sea (my husband reckoned he could probably throw an apple from the balcony to the sea it was that close). We were in one of the annexes nearest the beach. The room was clean, had everything we needed, even a fridge which I thought was nice. It did have air conditioning which was free of charge but it was still fairly cool that time of year so didn't use it very much.
Food - There is a main restaurant which deals with breakfast, lunch and dinner where you could sit inside or outside whichever you prefer. The food was amazing, I am a picky eater but there was always something I wanted to eat. Breakfast buffet; typical greek (english) breakfast (eggs, sausages etc), plus cereals, yoghurts, cakes etc, plus fruit juices, tea and coffee on tap. There was also an omelette and pancake station where they cook them in front of you while you wait. Lunch was our favourite and dinner was similar but with a different variety of food. Included a dish of chicken, fish and pork plus chips, pasta dishes and a separate selection for children i.e chicken nuggets etc... too many things to name but there is a menu each day by the door leading from reception. There were theme nights ie. greek night which was also very nice. There was a second Asian restaurant within the hotel but had to be pre-booked however it wasn't open throughout the week we were there, which was a shame. There was however, on our last night, an extra station where they were cooking chinese food (unfortunately we were too full to try that but it smelt delicious). There was beer and wine on tap throughout meal times, where you could help yourself, plus soft drinks. There were water coolers in the restaurant so is worth getting a bottle from the airport and refilling throughout your holiday, as they do charge for a bottle of water.
Bars - there were 3 bars - the beach bar which shuts at 6pm, but open throughout the day, serves all inclusive drinks, plus snacks (i.e pizza, chicken nuggets, spaghetti), and ice cream (not just for the kids). The barman in the beach bar was very friendly and even remembered what drinks we wanted, however we kept changing what we wanted :) There was also a pool bar, which served drinks all day, plus tea/coffee, cakes and sandwiches during the afternoon. The main bar in the hotel itself, was lovely but it would have been nice to have had some music on the evenings.
Entertainment - the entertainment was a bit of a let down but I think this was due to it being early in the season and very few people to entertain to, so it was hard for them to get people involved in games etc. They do games throughout the day i.e. table tennis, darts, french boules, and beach volleyball (not actually on the beach lol), and then in the evening, there was a kids disco (every evening with the same songs every night), followed by either a quiz or bingo. I think it would have been nicer to have some music playing instead but that's just our opinion. After reading other reviews for later in the season, it seems the entertainment did improve so I feel we were maybe there just too early.
Beach - the beach was completely empty when we first arrived, so we pretty much had the beach to ourselves, however after a few days the hotel staff put sunbeds on the beach which there was a charge to use. The sea was lovely; you can go right out and its still only waist/shoulder deep. If you walk up the beach to the left, this eventually takes you to Kalamaki, however it was a very long walk - we walked 20 minutes and still didn't reach it so decided to come back. It you walk the other way from the hotel, this takes you to Laganas where there are various bars - there were some fairly near the hotel but it seemed to be very quiet.
Pool - the pool area was lovely, the pool itself was very cold but it the temperature was cool because it was first week in May; plus it was very windy on a few days, and the umbrellas had to be taken down in case they blew over. The pool staff were excellent at doing that for you for safety reasons. There was a small pool for the children and a wooden ship play area which seemed to be popular.
Shops/bars - out of the hotel gates and turning left, takes you to the shops/bars nearby, and a bit further along is Laganas (but we didn't venture that far). If you need to bring back cigarettes, note that some shops will ask you to pre-order with 24 hours notice. It is also a good idea to take any snacks you might want for your journey home as the airport had very little available.
In general, we had a great time at this hotel, and would love to try out some of the other Louis hotels which we hope to do in the future. I would definitely recommend this hotel to others.
- Louis Zante Beach Laganas
- Louis Zante Beach
- Hotel Louis Zante Beach
