Panorama Apartments

Skino's is family run, and you can tell they've put a lot of love into it. It's close to some of the island's most beautiful beaches and great places to eat. We've stayed at three hotels on the island, and the beds here were by far the most comfortable.

The pool and restaurant next door were lovely, and we appreciated being able to use the pool and sunbeds for free, along with the 10% discount at the restaurant and bar. The pool area looked nice, but sunbeds had to be reserved in advance because otherwise it got too crowded. Staff also gave us conflicting answers about whether we could take towels to the beach, which felt like poor communication. Though everyone was friendly on our first evening, over the following days the staff at the pool, bar, and restaurant seemed uninterested and not very polite. The hotel's location is charming, with beaches and restaurants nearby, and our first welcome was warm. We struggled to find reception at first because it's in the restaurant next door, not in the hotel complex. Once we found it, a very polite and accommodating man showed us to our room and said we could use the pool and take towels to the beach. My partner and I were looking forward to the stay. The room's air conditioning had a simple on-off button, with no way for us to set the temperature. We had to message the staff every time we wanted it warmer or cooler. It was usually too cold to leave on overnight, and we didn't want to keep contacting them during the night. Being able to adjust it ourselves would have been much easier. Housekeeping was another disappointment. We put used towels on the floor to show they needed changing, but the cleaners hung them back up, even though they'd been on the dirty floor. Staff told us towels are changed once or twice a week. After three or four days, ours still hadn't been replaced until we asked directly. A towel left on the floor should be changed if it's clearly dirty. The room never felt properly cleaned. The bathroom was already dirty and covered in limescale when we arrived, and it seemed the cleaner only made the bed. Towels weren't changed and other cleaning seemed to be missing. There was no breakfast, or even an option to book it. I wouldn't stay at this hotel again, though I might visit the restaurant and pool for a day, since those parts were quite nice. It felt like the owners put more attention into the restaurant and pool bar than the hotel, which seemed like a side business.

I loved the garden by the apartment, where we spent our evenings after coming back from the sea. The apartment had everything we needed except a hair dryer, which wasn't an issue for me since my hair dried in five minutes. The location was great, about ten minutes from the beaches, with a private pool across the road. The town is very quiet and suited to families with small children. The owners met me at the airport for an extra fee, so I didn't have to find a taxi or worry. We stopped at a large supermarket on the way, with plenty of time to get what we needed. The owner also gave us homemade eggs and recommended a good trip to the caves and bays. This is the best place to stay on the island, and I'll definitely return to Zakynthos and come back here.

The balcony overlooking the sea was a lovely extra, especially at sunrise. The accommodation is basic, but that didn't take away from the stay. It has what you need for a comfortable, practical visit if luxury isn't your priority. The owners were wonderfully hospitable and made us feel at home as soon as we arrived. Their care was one of the best parts of our stay.