Domes Aulus Zante Autograph Collection

The Domes Aulus Zante is definitely not a 5* hotel, more like a 3*. We had a Sapphire Nest room facing the sea. The rooms are very small with absolutely no storage for clothes apart from a small half size wardrobe, so small in length that long hanging clothes had to be hung on pictures by the bed. The bathroom is so small the door hits the toilet and again with absolutely no room for toiletries. Our patio door was broken and made getting on the balcony and closing the door after very difficult so much so my daughter put her shoulder out. The door was not aligned properly (see picture) and all that maintenance did to 'fix' the door was use WD40- which safe to say didn't fix the door at all. The lock to the main door to get in and out of the room was broken and each time we left we couldn't just close the door, we had to use the room card key to close it (see pics). The maid and mini bar guy didn't realise and so the door to our room on a couple of occasions was left open all day while we were at the pool. The grounds around the hotel are not very pretty, they are just bare earth and mud with a few shrubs thrown in. (see pics) They have a Grab & Go fridge around the pool but trying to get just a bottle of water was impossible, as they don't put water there, you have to walk to reception for water. The Italian a la carte was nice, menu filthy as was the Yellow Sea asian. The Canteen van just so so. Book all a la carte's the day you arrive or you won't get in. The food in the buffet restaurant was very samey each day and they were very slow in clearing the plates. There are no shops, bars and restaurants nearby, its a 25 min walk to Laganas along the road which most of it doesn't have any form of pavement, you have to walk on the main busy road which is extremely dangerous and the cars speed down there- we found it very unsafe and it put us off going down there- unless we paid for a taxi which gets expensive.

Usually all inclusive hotels can feel average, but this one was really different. Great cocktails, quality food and a very stylish environment everywhere around the resort. The evening atmosphere near the pool and bars was especially enjoyable. Everything felt organized and premium.

Had the most amazing time at this beautiful hotel. We had a lovely sea view room, the staff were amazing, particularly Dimitri in Guest Relations who walked around the hotel and checked in on you to make sure everything was okay. This was our 2nd time to this hotel in 7 years and on checkout I recieved a lovely postcard with a ‘thank you for visiting again’ along with some Limoncello and Greek delicacies which gave that personal touch. We loved the decked around on the beach so you could sit on the beach but on your own private decked area, we particularly loved the breakfast buffet and the Greek Restaurant. Most morning we got up and did 8am yoga with Dimitri (Fitness Instructor) and it was bliss, on a decked area in a peaceful location and all you could hear were the waves crashing in the sea and birds slinging - perfect for meditation! It really did set you up for the day. We also loved that everything was geared towards the caretta caretta and how the island contributes to the wellbeing of these beautiful creatures. The shuttle bus that the hotel lays on to Zante Town was was excellent and we saw some luxurious yachts around the harbour, went in lots of little shops with homemade crafts and sipped on a cappuccino Freddo in an outdoor cafe. During our stay we went on a boat trip and saw about 6 caretta caretta - so amazing! To further enhance this hotel it would have been nice if the Greek Night ran later into the evening as it felt a bit half hearted and they packed up early, and the DJ played trance music which we don’t feel suited the vibe of the hotel at all. So we felt the entertainment was a bit of a let down. There were some inconsistencies in service for. 5 star hotel, eg one minute you were shown to your table and other days not and if you both went up to the buffet together you would come back to find all your drinks etc whipped away and cleared up so there was a lack of attentiveness. There was one day where our room hadn’t been made up - so we had to speak to Guest Relations who did put things right but it was a bit disappointing. On the last day we had a late check out room till 13:30 and were being picked up 17:25. We could use the spa and did for showering but the spa lady was a bit put out that reception allowed guests checking out to use the facilities so there needs to be better communication in this regard. Overall though an amazing holiday and we would go back! Thank you to all the staff Dimitri (Guest Relations), Dimitri (yoga instructor), Georgio (in the restaurant), the two friendly waiters at the Surfer Maya Canteen and Wayne at Concierge.