Zante Yliessa

We arrived close to midnight after a 14-hour drive, tired, and there was no 24/7 front desk. Alexandros first introduced himself as the owner, but turned out to be an employee. He wouldn’t let us into our rooms until we paid an extra 5EUR per day for AC. We had already paid in full through Booking, where AC was listed as included. He said the rooms had AC but we had to pay more to use it. We refused the charge and called Booking. Alexandros was rude, saying, "I need to go, I won't wait for you to tell me how to run my hotel." After we contacted Booking and the authorities, the hotel finally waived the whole reservation. We found another amazing place with AC included and breakfast, for a fraction of the price. They rejected a two-room, 10-day stay worth thousands over a supposedly unjustified extra charge of 50 bucks. I hope this business gets what it deserves.

The friendly welcome from the staff makes Zante Yliessa feel like coming home, and it’s good value on the beautiful Greek island of Zante. Porta Roma’s long beach is about a 10-minute walk away, and the nearest supermarket is just 80 meters from the reception. Rooms sit around a large pool in landscaped gardens. Each has a double or twin beds for 2-3 people, a kitchenette with cooking facilities and a fridge, a shower and toilet, and a furnished balcony facing the pool. All rooms have air-conditioning. There’s a pool with a sun terrace, gardens, free sunbeds and parasols, toilets by the pool, and a pool table. The air-conditioned pool area serves breakfast and refreshments. There’s a wide-screen TV all day, BBQ evenings, and fast WIFI throughout. Children have their own pool area. Reception, housekeeping, lockers and parking are also available. Highly recommended!

It’s 5am and I’m still awake because of all the noise from the bar. I wish the hotel cared enough to ask people to keep it down at night, but then I read other reviews saying it’s the staff making the noise. At least I’m only staying one night. I don’t think I’d make it through a week. On top of that, the aircon units in other rooms rumble on and off. The mozzies are the icing on the cake, though I can’t really blame the hotel for them.

It’s pretty cheap, which is a nice plus, and there’s a supermarket just outside the hotel. Since you can cook in your room, that’s handy. Porto Roma beach is less than a 10-minute walk away. A really nice spot for couples or families.