Caravel Hotel Zante

I stayed at this hotel in October, i was all inclusive although half of the package was missing as it was the end of season. There was no pedaloes, canoes etc as stated in brochure. There was no snack bar in the day , the only snack we could get was toasties! The room was clean and nice although the view was of a brick wall of a shop. The hotel was very quiet with no entertainment , we could hear a pin drop.This was because it was end of season so there was nothing to do in the hotel, when we asked to play pool they said there was no pool tokens so we couldnt even play pool on dull days. It felt more like being in a library , everywhere quiet in the hotel. I would go again to this hotel but would expect to get what i was told would be there not half an all inclusive package!

I stayed at this hotel recently, the location was great right on the beach and only 10 minute walk from the main hub of activity, also a few retuarants and bars literally on the doorstep. The food in the hotel was okay, alot of different choices but we mainly dined out as I generally find hotel food a bit boring. All in all the hotel was okay although I would not rate it a 4 star, definetly more a 3 star rating. The pool was a good size, same problems as other reviews with very few sunbeds but the hotel is right on the beach so we actually never went to the pool, only in the early evening on the way back from the beach for a quick swim. The hotel is laid out a different buildings, if staying here pay the extra for a sea-view room as the room we got was descibed as mountain-view but was a road view and very noisy in the early morning with buses and mopeds driving by. I found the staff to be very polite and helpful, just it should definetly not be advertised as a four star hotel. Tsilivi is a lovely resort that will appeal to all, we had an absoultely wonderful holiday.

We had so many troubles with this hotel, I would never ever return! In principal it would be ok for a 3 star rating. for a 3 star hotel, the rooms were a desaster and they overbooked and put all the people who booked a single room together in one "suite" - which was basically only a room with a living and a sleeping room, both not too nice. they thought a bunch of fruits and a bottle of wine would make it.. but not for me! they saved 3 nights until I got my own room - this what not what I thought to do in my holidays, to move... then they tried to blackmail all the people offering them something (late check-out) and asking them to SIGN something that they will NOT claim anything. and this after the agency double checked if a single room is free or not!!! the management is a desaster as well. first this blackmailing and then they had a honeymoon at the hotel. nice for the couple, but not for us. we had to eat very early and then go, for them to prepare everything. nice to see the couple, but this is not what I pay for either. the food was always the same, we got the leftovers of the honeymoon, or the day before.

we have just returned from two week holiday at the hotel caravel we were very dissapointed at the rating of this hotel. The food was not appetising we paid half board but ate out most evenings you had to rush for a table evening meals should be an enjoyable experience not at this hotel .The staff were very rude in the hotel but outside the hotel the greek people were very friendly. if you like a firm bed you will be okay if not expect sleepless nights. You wiil not be guaranteed a sunbed as they are taken .the night before.The rooms are very basic and need updating.Will I return to the hotel Caravel definitely not.

Just got back from 2 weeks at the Caravel - We have been to Greece a lot and know what to expect, but the Caravel is not the 4 star hotel we had expected. The Tour operator has, we understand, downgraded its own rating of the hotel for next year to a 3 star On the positive, the food was varied and plentiful but was let down by disinterested staff. Apart from 2 of the staff we seemed to be an inconvience to the rest. The rooms do leave something to be desired, they are in need of a makeover, and need new furnishings, the bathrooms are dark brown tile with less than adequate lighting. The location is good except for the local kareoke bars and keep out of the resort centre unless you like a stream of pubs / bars and tacky shops. Do get a car and see the island there are some excellent places in the south (not Laganas) We had a good holiday because we made the best of it but we won't be returning to this hotel.

My wife and I have just returned having spent the last week of May 2006 at the hotel. The weather was absolutely fantastic and the locals informed us it was a mini heatwave and was more like August weather. Because the weather was so good we didn't spend a great deal of time actually in the hotel other than to eat (half board) and sleep. The hotels outwardly appearance is one of cleanliness and, in our experience, we had no complaints from this angle. We had room 204 which overlooked the pool and the sea with views (on a clear day) of mainland Greece and Kefalonia. The room was ample for our needs and was cleaned everyday. However, we were invaded by small amounts of ants everyday and noticed that any ants we had killed (and a wasp on another occasion) were not cleaned up by the cleaners as part of their daily duty. The room had a large balcony and it was very relaxing to just sit and watch everything from time to time (even though it was just too hot to sit out for long periods). Because the weather was so hot we decided that we needed the air conditioning on in the room and paid 5 euros per day for this (I'm told it is free in July / August) ... it was a god send. If there is an area where the hotel dips in standards then it is the food. During our stay there were a lot of Germans staying (I was later informed that the hotel is a favourite with the Germans) and the catering seemed to be aimed in favour of the Germans. All food is pre cooked and set out under heat lamps so that everyone helps themselves to what they would like. However, as stated, the food seemed to favour our German friends tastes and was really quite repetative ... and you were lucky if the food was, from time to time, actually HOT. The restaurant could also be fauted in two other areas ... getting a table is a 'free for all'. Nobody guided you, you enter on your own and head for a table hoping that no one will get there first. Secondly, for those of us who are non-smokers, smoking is allowed in the restaurant ... but even worse ... the smoking area is right next to the food (it would make far more sense to have switched the smoking and no smoking areas around). We had no grumbles against the staff and found them to be efficient and polite during our stay (even though it seemed that they pampered the Germans first and foremost). The hotel has a rule that towells placed on sunbeds before 8am will be removed ... not so, people were putting towells on sunbeds the night before ... I advise that you try and reserve your sunbed as early as possible (it might be that the rule only applies in high season). Tsilivi itself (or Planos as the area is called) is very relaxing and, if looking for a friendly pub / bar with a good, wide range of food then look no further than the Kaliva Pub which is just across the road from the hotel entrance. The staff here are very friendly and make you feel like you are most welcome. One final word of advice ... if you like a cup of tea then you will need to take your own tea making facilities as there are NO drink making facilities in the hotel rooms (however there is a fridge in your room). Another thing that seemed to be a 'topic for conversation' amongst holiday makers was the 'local milk' ... not to everyones taste it seems, but I found it to be quite pleasant myself. Would I return to the Caravel ... probably not but don't let that put you off, my main concern was the standard of the food but 'each to their own' as the saying goes. Would I return to Zante ... probably not, just wait for your airport experience on your return, you'll know how cattle feel in a cattle market (some of the people with a sense of humour were 'mooing' like cattle as we were pushed around). Would I return to Tsilivi ... YES ... but they need to address the airport problem on the Island first.

We have just come back from a weeks stay in the Caravel hotel Tsilivi and could find little of fault with it. The rooms were clean and a good size and all staff seemed professional and hard working. Food was excellent and there was a good choice. Being slightly off season it was not too busy and we met some really nice people there. George at the pool bar was very friendly and helpful however there was one younger gentleman who sometimes served at the pool bar who was rather abrupt and slightly arrogant. The restaurant staff were all hard working especially the restaurant manager who seemed to be always on the go, either at the restaurant itself, or busying himself around the pool bar food area. Although Tsilivi is a nice place, I`m not sure if we would go back as we think we have seen everything there is to see on the island. We found that some of the trips we went on, although having good guides, were tiring for older people and on one in particular we came off a boat trip to no bus to take us back to our resort area - we had to wait three quarters of an hour in a boat yard before they eventually ( after being reminded) came for us. I would certainly recommend the hotel though.

hi me and my husband stayed here for our honeymoon from the 25th september 2005 for 2 weeks. We went half board,got there at 9pm and was shown to our room the staff where very friendly. I thought the room was great they are big enough for the amount of time you spend in them and the balcony was big we could see the sea but did not ask for sea view. The room was cleaned every day and the maids were really nice and did a really good job(i know its hard work i do it). The food was really nice i dont know what other people want but there was always a good selection of food for breakfast and evening dinner and me and my husband really enjoyed it,we only ate out once and that was to have some fried cheese as it was,nt done at HOTEL.We had a shower and a bath the toilet broke once but when i reported it it was fixed within a few hours.The towels was changed every-day if you put them in the bath ( just a little tip)We sat on the beach as you could not get round pool not many sun-beds but you have to pay for sunbeds round the pool as well as on beach which i think stinks any-way so you might as well sit on beach The walk was nice to the main part of town it took us about 20 minutes to walk right down to paradise bar at far end and that was with looking in shops,then took a stroll back popping in serval pubs the TWO BROTHERS was the 1 we spent a lot of time in really nice people In all we had a great honeymoon shame about the weather it was hit and miss but we did get some good days.Thank-you all at the caravel hotel for a lovely stay.:-)Would go again sharon and lee nicholls

My husband & I stayed at the Caravel for 2 weeks in September 2005, we had the best room in the Hotel (room 130) on the rooftop no neighbours it was great.We had the best view 360 degrees our balcony was the whole rooftop, my husband even sunbathed in the nude it was so private.That was the best thing about the Hotel. The food was aload of rubbish. The staff were so rude (except George who was our waiter in the restaurant very friendly spoke little English though). The Head waiter never said a word the whole two weeks we were there. The Head barman never smiled or spoke just poured your drink about 10 minutes after you ordered it even though he was not serving anyone else. ( I complained about him while we were there and put a note in the book at the reception about how rude he was ). The Hotel would be O.K. if they got rid of all the staff. We love Tsilivi but would never go back to the Caravel.

We have just recently returned from staying at the Caravel hotel. To put things into perpective this was the last week of the season (23rd - 30th Oct)and knew that most of the facilities would be shut down for the season not only in the hotel but also in the resort itself. It was a bit disappointing to find only the main pool and pool bar open and everything else shut.Our friends stayed here a few weeks earlier and everything was still in full swing including entertainment every night, we had nothing. Having said that, the Admiral Hotel just up the road had lively entertainment every night with a british entertainment team. Also there were many lively bars and restuarants still open in town, we "adopted" the Utopia bar which had nice friendly staff. What is annoying is that the tour operators still charge full half-term prices.We could only come this week as my wife is governed by the school holidays. Reading previous reviews. I think we got lucky with our room. We were given room 206 on the top floor which had a really great outlook with views out to the sea and other islands to our right and views of the mountains to our left.Our room was also clean and tidy.I like a firm bed but ours were very hard. We were on holiday the same week as the previous reviewer and I can understand his grumbles. He was with his wife and teenage daughter and were put in the room below us which made it very cramped. This was daft as only half of the hotel was full. His daughter could have been given a seperate room of her own.I can also understand the grumbles of previous reviewers.If you get one of the rooms in the annexes you can end up with a lousy view.I guess we were just fortunate. As for the hotel staff, the reception staff were friendly and helpful.However,for some reason as previously mentioned by others the bar staff were rude and arrogant even when you tried to say please and thankyou in Greek. The food was O.K. Breakfast was quite good with a good selection. The evening meals were passable but a bit repetitive especially the desserts. The Caravel is rated as a four star by Greek standards but to my mind it is barely a three star. The one thing going for this hotel is it's location. It is right on the beach but I must point out that this hotel is not exactly in Tsivili but is in Planos not that you would really notice. However, it is a fair walk to the far end of the town.The town itself has many bars,restuarants and a couple of night clubs so the place must rock during the high season. One bizarre thing I didn't know about until I got there and had not read in any review was the sanitory situation - you are not allowed to put toilet paper down the loo!! You have to put it in a bin, it takes some getting used to. One grumble I had with the town itself is that the only three cash machines are all at the far end of town and two of them were out of order.A cash machine in the hotel reception area would have been handy. The added bonus to our holiday was the weather, it was fantastic for October.The previous weeks were rather wet,our friends only had two days of sunshine at the end of September. So to sum up.My wife and I came here for a chill-out relaxing week and that is exactly what we did.Would we come here again? Maybe, providing we got the same or similar room.Even though this was half-term week I would not recommend it here for young families as there were hardly any facilities for the kids unless they would be happy with just the pool. Footnote - Until they finish building the new terminal at Zante airport,especially the departure lounge, it is still a nightmare.