Alykanas Beach Apart-Hotel

31 readers found this review helpful

This is an excellent apartment hotel in a perfect location.
The beach is literally outside of the hotel. The sun loungers on the beach are 6 euros but they are free around the hotel pool. We stayed for 2 weeks and there was never a day when all the sun loungers either on the beach or around the pool were occupied (no need to put towles down early in the morning).
The snack bar is excellent value and there is a curfew that stops all music in the bar from 12.00pm.
The rooms are very clean and presentable and the maids come in a clean every day (including Sundays). The safe cost 30 euros for two weeks and the air conditioning is 7 euros per day, but we only needed the air conditioning for 1 week.
We spoke to other couples staying in other apartments and they were very critical of theirs (especially the Letsos). We couldn't fault our room and hotel. Yes, there are kids staying there but they were never too noisy and if you wanted you could escape it all by sitting on the beach.
The beach is fantastic and is shallow for around 30 yards out. The Ammos bar next to the hotel did cheap but nice food and drinks.
Alykanas has plenty of restaurants, a lot serving pretty much the same type of greek food. But, the food and drink is cheap in comparison to other European countries. A main course was around 6-7 Euros and drinks were 2.50 euros for a beer or 4 euros for a cocktail.
The best restaurant by a mile is The Olympic in nearby Alykes. The food was of a top restaurant quality and was only 1-2 euros more expensive than other places. If this restaurant was to move to UK it would be classed as a bit posh.
Other notable restaurants were The Lemon Tree, Vsargakis, Ambrosia (Alykes), Paradasiako.
Alykes is literally a 10 minute pleasant stroll from Alykanas, or you can get into one of the many horse and carriages who will take you in minutes for 10 euros.
Cosy Corner near to the hotel do a very good breakfast and are very friendly.
The bars are your typical holiday places, playing loud music of all genres, serving relatively cheap drinks. The Iris bar gets a special mention as they serve excellent cocktails, have a good quiz night and there are two 18 hole mini golf courses connected to the bar (6 euros to play)
The best trip organisers were Special Offer tours in Alykanas. If you go, try and get Sue as the guide as she gives an informal guide to the island and passes on loads of interesting information. There are plenty of tours to keep you occupied.
The sad aspect of the holiday is that the recession is hitting the island and many restaurants are having to close, apparently business was 50% down on previous years.
I would definately recommend Zante, Alykanas and especially the Alykanas Beach hotel.

11 readers found this review helpful

Beautiful room with view across the sea. We were lucky and had a nice quiet room. The staff were all lovely and the place was really nice and clean. only complaint was the beds are a bit hard. An ideal spot for familys as the beach is so close. Over all it was excellent and the food brilliant.
Will be back again.

3 readers found this review helpful

This was our second time at Alykanas Village the first time was pre-thomson. still an amazing setting right on the beach so choice of three pools or beach daily. Had to get up early and stay there if you wanted to reserve sunbeds before 9am but if you left towels reps would remove them!! (and this is a mainly british hotel) fantastic choice of traditional restaurnats all within walking distance not a bad meal in whole 2 weeks! Hotel staff all really helpful, if there was a problem Gloria(hotel owner) was always happy to help. tried without air con for 2 nights but decided as on top floor and over 100 degrees 2 pay, which we felt was well worth it!! All areas of hotel immaculate with lush green gardens and lawn.
I have two teenage kids , 15 and 18. In the day there was lots of activities aimed at under 12's and then over 16's so my 15 year old son couldnt join in even water polo! In the evening the entertainment was mainly for small children i.e Thomson the dog shows etc, the brochure said professional shows and entertainers which never happened in the fortnight we were there. Large team of thomson reps and entertainers who were all most helpful! encouraged kids to join in and make frends!!
Hotel snack bar had excellent choice of food and drink but this closed at 6pm and most guests after eating out in an evening didn't bother to come back for poor entertainment and like us stayed in local bars!
Overall excellent holiday although more geared for families with smaller kids we would definetly return!!!

3 readers found this review helpful

i went on holiday with my family of 4 people and there were activites for all ages from 1-16, every day they did quizes at side of swimming pool you could challennge to race a instructer nickname was crouchey cause tall. hotel rooms cleaned and beds changed every morning.the only bad point which is minor was u couldnt eat at hotel at night but overall brilliant because food places was short walk

3 readers found this review helpful

Just returned from Alykanas Viallage Apts, Zante, 04/08/08. Booked through Thomson.
Very nice family place, no stag or hen parties, or teenagers drunk. Lots of resturants, never had one bad meal. Views from beach pool were fantastic. Other pool with entertainment bit too noisy, but great if you like getting stuck into all the games, we like chilling. Entertainment on evening was not that great, they did try. Was ok for young children, thomson the dog and all that, after 9.30 entertainment was dire. Drinks in hotel at night very expensive and the entertainment was sometimes in a room downstairs which was very dark and you could have been anywhere, i.e you would not know you were actually on holiday. Kids club, reps were great both my children enjoyed and wanted to go in, they were in team and had the best time ever they said. Some of the rooms are basic studios but thats Greece for you. Sunbeds, be prepared to get up early and book a spot with your towels. When we arrived, we paid for air conditioning but as we were on the ground floor didn't actually need it. Asked for a refund and was met with a very cross manager, who took some persuading. Our friends were on the top floor and they did use it, so would consider sleeping in your room first. Also, was windy when we got there which made it cool in the evening, 2nd week very very hot. Overall, was a fantastic holiday would highly recomend it if you have young children, but be careful it is very very hot when no wind, which in my opinion for toddlers and babies could be too intense.

2 readers found this review helpful

Travelling abroad for the first time with our youngest daughter we decided to return to Alykanas Beach Village for the third time having had some fantastic holidays therewith our older daughter.
When booking I requested a cot for my daughter and was told it was free of charge doubting this information I rang a further 2 times to confirm there would be a cot and each time was told "yes"...low and behold on arrival at 10pm no cot in room and told by reception none had been booked!!!Gloria(the hotel owner) was fantastic in arranging one immediately.But ended up having to pay 42 euros for it!!!
I am disputing this at the moment with Portland as if given correct information at time of booking would of only cost £15 or I would have taken my own travel cot and paid the excess if needed.
Never the less we had a fantastic holiday(including an earthquake) and have booked again for 2009.

5 readers found this review helpful

Fab holiday, great resort. Just one complaint. If you have booked with Thomson/Portland and are travelling with a baby make sure you have booked a cot. When we arrived there was no cot in the room. We were told this was because we had booked a 'cot space' not an actual cot. We were charged approx £50 in resort for a cot and they wanted the same amount again for a high chair (so we managed without) But Thomson do not tell you this when you book. Just about everyone in the hotel with babies got ripped off for huge amounts of cash in resort. So be warned. The reps are very hard faced and unsympathetic and despite the fact I was in tears with a baby who arrived unwell, we were basically told pay up, or your baby will not have a bed. I am in dispute with Thomson over this matter at the moment as I belive they deliberatly don't tell customers they need to pre book a cot in order to make more money out of them in resort. It was a shame this happened as the rest of the holiday was brill. The entertainment in the hotel was really good, and we just loved the resort. We have just booked to go back next year - this time we will make sure we have booked a cot and high chair!!

4 readers found this review helpful

I booked this holiday as a late deal and as we were travelling as a couple was a bit put off as it was a Thomson Super Family complex. However, having just returned from my holiday this year (June 2008 to a different resort) I felt I must write a review on this accomodation.
The apartments were clean and had everything you could possibly need. The pools were great, it was right on the beach and very close to all the restaurants. We went out of season so the complex wasn't full and although there was entertainment round the pool we could still read our books and go and sit on the beach if it got too noisy. This year, having travelled with a baby I wish we had gone to this complex as they provided everything you could possibly need. There were plenty of sunbeds and sun umbrellas and all the children using the kids club seemed to be enjoying themselves.
The resort is quite small but you can walk along the beach or road to the other resort near by. The resort seemed to be all English people and most of the restaurants catered for Englisht tastes. However we did find a really nice restaurant that was typically greek and very reasonably priced. The restaurant is called Medusa and is off the main road - take the road by Busters Bar and it is a short distance on the left.
I'd definately recommend this complex if you are a travelling with a family and even as a couple if you are going out of the school holidays you should have a good time. When I book my holiday next year I will definately be booking a Thomson holiday and not a Thomas Cook one!

5 readers found this review helpful

I have just return from my holiday at this hotel and have already book for next year.
The hotel was spotless the staff faultless and the Thomson team was outstanding!
We travelled there with our toddler and young baby and it was just perfect for us!
The restaurants where all decent and we didn’t have a bad meal all fortnight, we didn’t even get to try them all and we need to return to try them out!
The "Greek night" was fab the food was to die for! The beach was rather narrow but very clean and the crystal clear sea was like walking in the lukewarm bath and was shallow far way out so it was safe for the children.
We had a fabulous time and everyone we spoke to in the hotel had the same opinion. I would definitely recommend to anyone!

1 reader found this review helpful

We have just come back for our holiday at the Alykanas Village Apartments in Zante.
The weather was just right and not to hot as we have a 11 month old daughter although it was abit chilly in the evening so you would need to wear a cardigan or jacket.
The apartments were o.k. apart from the floor which was always abit dirty and dusty. There was only one iron available for the whole of the complex which was a bit of a pain. When we arrived we was given a dirty old travel cot and was told that if we wanted a Mother Care one it would cost 10 Euros per night.
We was in room 101 which was great because it was on the ground floor and had great views of the sea but the only problem was that you couldn't get undressed with the back door open because everyone had to walk past there to get to the Pool/Beach.
The staff were friendly apart from the lady behind the snack bar at the pool who was quite rude. There isn't much to do on Zante although we did do the Turtle Cruise and see three turtles and it was out of season.
We hired a car for a few days and drove around the island, all of the areas are pretty much the same, and there was a few quite pretty beaches if you looked for them.
I don't think we will be returning to Zante but would like to try another island.