Mariana Hotel

The sink and shower only put out salt water, so we never felt clean. There were dead ants in the lights, and the room was unbearably hot. A friend had to sleep on the balcony to escape the heat. We were on the second floor and had no ventilation at all. There was no hair dryer, and the ceiling lamp had its fan blades removed, which felt like a way to push us into paying for air conditioning. We paid €10 a day for air conditioning that didn’t even work. We ended up here after being scammed on Airbnb, and it was the only option “close” to the strip. It took about 30 minutes to walk to the main area. They also required a €50 deposit per person upfront. Never stay here.

We got none of our deposit back, after staff said a cleaner had found missing tiles at the edge of our balcony. We were two days into the stay. From our side of the balcony, it would have been impossible to reach or break them. If we had broken them, the floor below should have been covered with smashed tiles, but it wasn’t, and the tiles had come off too cleanly. Room 55. Take pictures of everything on arrival, including balcony tiles, or they’ll scam you. The room itself was average, but the staff were generally rude and hard to approach. At check-in they rudely told us only one person could stand inside. They also demanded a €50 deposit per person, which they may return at the end of the holiday. The bad reviews speak for themselves. Spend another €100-150 to stay somewhere better, because they’ll take that much from your deposit anyway.

We’d read the reviews and expected a rough time, but were pleasantly surprised by this independent hotel. The pool was nice, and the rooms were clean, tidy and good. We paid a €50 deposit per room and got it back at checkout. Air conditioning was free and worked okay. It cooled the room to 16 after being on for half an hour. Staff were mostly kind and polite, though the receptionist was a bit blunt and rude. We also had to find our own room instead of being shown to it. The bar and restaurant were reasonably priced, with a full English breakfast and a drink for €6.50. The pool chlorine was strong and it needed a clean, but it wasn’t terrible. We went self-catering. The area has mostly young teens on holiday, but they go out when you’re in and vice versa, so it worked perfectly 👌. A few small changes could make this basic but accommodating place even better.

The hotel suits young groups looking to have fun, though it’s loud and not a good fit for families, children or a romantic holiday. The strip is a 20-minute walk, the beach is 30 minutes away, and there’s a Spar about five minutes away for snacks and drinks. We had a great stay, so don’t let the reviews worry you automatically. Respect the staff and the rooms, and you’ll be treated well and get your deposit back. Thanks very much, Mariana Hotel and staff. We stayed for seven days and six nights. We’d been worried by the reviews, but felt people hadn’t researched the place, its website or the reviews properly. You need €50 per person as a cash deposit, which makes it easier to get back at checkout, plus tourist tax, which you should expect on a holiday abroad. Loveholidays didn’t tell us check-in was at 2 pm, so we arrived in Zante at 5 am and reached the hotel at 6. The owner let us leave our luggage at reception, chatted with us about places to explore until the pool opened at 8, and checked us in early. He was lovely, helpful and hardworking, and at the hotel most of the day and night. Rooms are good for what they are. Cleaners empty the bins daily and change sheets every three days. We’d read reports of belongings and cash being stolen, but my friends and I had no such problem, even though we left cash out in the room. You can pay by card for food and drinks at the bar. The food is adequate, and the cook is a lovely, hardworking woman. Food and drinks are good value, and alcoholic beverages are available whenever. The only real complaint was that staff could be slow and weren’t always helpful. Our electricity was off for a whole day. When we asked at reception, they said, “we’re going on a break so we can’t help right now.” As soon as we spoke to them when they were available, it was fixed straight away.