Itβs been a few years since I was planning to visit Zakynthos. My last trip to the island was with my parents when I was only 14 years old. I still remember the excitement I felt when I saw a wild sea turtle, I still feel the taste of the delicious Greek salad we had, and the surprise we had to see how blue is the water. Plus I still hear the sound of broken plates in a typical Greek taverna. Needless to say, I had a blast. So, this year I decided, itβs the highest time to travel to Greece and to revisit Zante.
To be honest, I had no doubt where to stay in Zakynthos. I had my eye on Meandros Boutique Hotel & Spa for a while now, particularly because itβs an adults-only boutique hotel (hello peace and quiet my friend ;)) and it offers rooms with private pools and floating breakfast! I canβt imagine a better place for a romantic couple’s getaway on the island!
If you are still wondering where to stay in Zakynthos, I hope this hotel review will help you decide π
Concept
As mentioned before, Meandros Boutique Hotel & Spa is an adults-only hotel. Now, whether you have kids or not, I highly recommend you to stay in an adults-only hotel at least once in your life. Itβs just a whole new level of relaxing and resting from all the noises and sounds of busy family life. And yes, I know, your kids are little angels, I just mean kids of other guests, all right ;)?
As a creative soul, I like when there is an interesting concept or idea, behind the brand. The idea behind Meandros is to get you closer to Ancient Greece philosophy. Thatβs why the architecture and hotel design is inspired by mythology and in each room, you can find mural representations of Greek gods, combined with touches of Greek elements and minimalistic decor and symbols of Ancient Greek Gods but also books that will explain the stories behind those symbols, which is ultimately cool as in Greece every single location has a story!
But itβs not only about the design that refers to Ancient Greece. What really reflects Ancient Greece philosophy is the hospitality and generosity that Meandrosβ staff shows to its guests. The Greek god Zeus in his role as a protector of guests embodied the religious obligation to be hospitable to travelers. This obligation is a lifelong value that the family of Meandros Boutique Hotel & Spa carries as their mission.
In the beginning, I didnβt know what Meandros means, I had a slight clue that it must be connected to Ancient Greece. Once I learned that its a symbol of the eternal flow of things, that looks like this:
β¦I started to see it everywhere – wall lath, napkins, in the elevator, etc. I love that they picked a symbol that reflects the brand concept and owned it.
Hotel Location
Letβs start with location as thatβs one of the most important factors to take into account when deciding where to stay in Zakynthos.
Looking at the map above you will see that the south of Zakynthos island is a marine nature reserve with turtle nesting beaches. Which gives you the highest chance of spotting a turtle while you casually swim in the sea. No jokes, it actually happened to me! I was snorkeling when a giant turtle swam by and chilled in the water with me for about 10 minutes.
Picture to prove 👇
Meandros Boutique Hotel & Spa is located a few minutes’ walk from Kalamaki beach. This beach is wide, very long, and has a very easy entrance to the sea (you can walk very far into the sea and the water is still knee-deep). If you wonder where to stay in Zakynthos to see turtles, Kalamaki beach is also a turtle-nesting beach, and from what I heard sea turtles are commonly found there too π
Contrary to some other towns in the south of the island, Kalamaki is quite a calm town with little to no trashy loud touristy places next to the hotel. Itβs also only 10 minutes from the airport.
Hotel Amenities
The hotel has a total of 46 rooms, 11 with a private pool. There is one big outdoor pool with fresh water, sunbeds, and umbrellas, an outdoor jacuzzi, one indoor pool, a jacuzzi and sauna, a spa,Β a la carte restaurant Uranus, a buffet restaurant, an a la carte snack bar. You can see the list of all hotel facilities here.Β
What I want to highlight about the facilities is the pool with Fresh Water in it! It was so refreshing to jump into the pool on a hot summer day!
Of course, food is another big highlight, thatβs why I made a separate paragraph about it π
Now, something that you might not expect from a hotel review but this place is earthquakes safe! I am speaking from experience here π I was really in disbelief to hear that earthquakes are quite common on the island until IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED while we were in the room (it was a 4.3). Just remember that in GreeceΒ smallΒ magnitudeΒ earthquakeΒ is felt every 2-3 days on average!
Picture to prove 👇
Hotel Rooms
We stayed at 3 different room types during our stay: Master Suite with Private Pool, Superior Suite with Private Jacuzzi, and Premium Suite.
My personal favorite was obviously the master suite with a private pool. For me, itβs just an incomparable level of privacy and comfort to have my own pool and terrace area.
The master suite was very spacious, had two separate rooms (bedroom and living room) both with direct access to the swimming pool and comfy sitting area, a big beautiful black marble bathroom with two sinks (well thought!) and a shower.
Also, once you have a private pool, you can order a floating breakfast! More on that below π
Now, to my surprise, Mateuszβs favorite room of all 3 rooms that we βtestedβ at Meandros was Superior Suite with Private Jacuzzi. Apparently, my husband prefers open concept rooms and Jacuzzis over pools. I must admit, an evening in a Jacuzzi with a glass of wine sounds like the ultimate treat for a couple or self-care gateway π
The last room we stayed in was a Premium Suite. This room was also very spacious – it had a living room and bedroom, plus had two balconies overlooking the main swimming pool area.
Hotel Food
Where to stay in Zakynthos for the most romantic surprise? Stay in Meandros Master Suite with Private Pool and order a floating breakfast! All the delicious goodies will come to your room in the morning on a huge white heart-shaped floating tray.
The only thing you need to do is to fill in the paper a night before specifying what you fancy for breakfast and what time you are ready to jump into the pool and swim your breakfast. I mean eat your breakfast π (dad joke ;P).
We were staying on a half-board basis with breakfast and dinner served as a buffet. There are plenty of options to choose from, so everyone will find something for themselves. If you prefer a la carte menu, try URANUS restaurant.
I enjoyed the food, especially the Greek corner during breakfast where they served my favorite lukumas donuts with honey and local snacks from Zakynthos. As a 5 star hotel, there was also a live cooking station where you could grab hot crispy mouth-watering waffles.
The Pool bar was also serving food and Mythology-inspired cocktails. My favorite was the bartender signature cocktail ZEUS NECTAR which was so delicious I am still dreaming of it. Plus it looks gorgeous as well!
Spa
There is no romantic getaway without a coupleβs massage and a visit to the spa π Plus after a jeep off-road island trip, nothing feels better than a good back massage.
A nice touch to treatments at Meandros Boutique Hotel and Spa is that with any treatment booking you can use an indoor pool, saunas, and jacuzzi. Due to the current health regulations, it was a very private experience as only guests sharing the same room are allowed to the spa at the same time.
I have also booked a manicure at the hotel Spa and was very happy to match my nails with a Greek vibe π
Concierge Service
I have saved the best for the last π Our time at Meandros definitely wouldnβt be the same if not for Mariola, our concierge.Β
As a 5 star hotel, Meandros offers free-of-charge concierge services. Mariola has been on the island for 4 seasons now and nows best local spots. She will give you recommendations for secluded beaches, trendy bars, authentic restaurants, and more!
I have saved the best for the last π Our time at Meandros definitely wouldnβt be the same if not for Mariola, our concierge.Β
As a 5 star hotel, Meandros offers free-of-charge concierge services. Mariola has been on the island for 4 seasons now and nows best local spots. She will give you recommendations for secluded beaches, trendy bars, authentic restaurants, and more!Β
Plus Meandros works only with trusted tour operators and it comes AT NO EXTRA COST for you to book through a hotel versus through a random unknown vendor. For me, itβs a no-brainer!Β
Thanks to Mariola we have done:
- A boat trip to Mizithres beach
- Shipwreck beach viewpoint & beach trip
- Seethrough kayaking trip
Plus she gave us tips on the best beaches in Zakynthos and the best things to do in Zante.
Final Thoughts
Going back to Zakynthos after 16 years from my last visit, was a great idea. The water is even bluer than I remembered, the people are even more hospitable and the food is even tastier.
But this trip wouldnβt be the same if we havenβt stayed at Meandros Boutique Hotel and Spa. Itβs the friendly and carrying staff of Meandros that really have gone over and above to make us feel at home. If you are still thinking about where to stay in Zakynthos, look no further!
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