Contessina Hotel

Contessina Hotel, Zakynthos: A Michelin Key Selected Oasis of Modern Luxury and Greek Hospitality

The Contessina Hotel in Tsilivi, Zakynthos, a property recognized by the Michelin Key, consistently receives high praise for its modern design, exceptional service, and inviting atmosphere. Guests frequently describe it as a stunning and impeccably clean establishment, offering a luxurious yet comfortable retreat on the Ionian island.

1. Overall Rating & Sentiment

The general consensus for Contessina Hotel is overwhelmingly positive, with many guests rating their experience as "exceptional" and highly recommending the establishment. The hotel is often lauded for its beautiful design, vibrant ambiance, and the genuine warmth of its staff.

2. Key Highlights

Guests consistently rave about several aspects of the Contessina Hotel:

• Exceptional Service: The staff receives widespread acclaim for being incredibly caring, kind, attentive, and helpful, often going above and beyond to ensure a pleasant stay.
• Stunning Design & Atmosphere: The hotel boasts a modern, minimalist, yet cozy aesthetic that is visually impressive and kept spotless.
• Excellent Pool Facilities: The hotel features multiple pools, including a large freshwater main pool, a separate children's pool, and various rooms with shared or private swim-up access and hot tubs. Comfortable, albeit sometimes "squishy," sunbeds are readily available around the pools.
• Delicious and Varied Dining: The breakfast buffet is particularly praised for being extensive, delicious, and offering a wide variety of fresh, locally-sourced, Greek, and international options, including vegetarian and vegan choices.
• Convenient Location: Its position in Tsilivi is considered ideal, being a short walk from the beach, shops, and restaurants, offering both tranquility and easy access to the town's vibrancy.
• Spa & Wellness: Guests can enjoy spa and wellness facilities, including an indoor pool, at the sister property, Contessina Suites & Spa, located nearby.

3. Room Quality

Contessina Hotel offers 160 renovated rooms, including 78 suites, designed for comfort and a sophisticated lifestyle. Rooms are described as spacious, clean, and well-equipped with modern amenities. Many rooms feature balconies, some overlooking lush gardens or offering a slight sea view. Specific room types include Superior, Executive Loft, Family Suites, Junior Suites with Indoor Hot Tubs, and various suites with shared or private pools. Guests appreciate the comfortable beds and efficient air-conditioning. Daily cleaning and towel changes, sometimes twice a day, are standard.

4. Dining Experience

The dining experience at Contessina Hotel is a notable highlight. The main restaurant, Vedema, offers Greek and international favorites, often utilizing produce grown on-site. Breakfast is a "sumptuous" and generous buffet, with guests commending its variety, freshness, and quality. While breakfast and the food overall are highly rated, some guests have suggested that dinner could be more refined. The hotel also features other dining venues such as Veggera Restaurant, Lentika Restaurant, Nobile Fine Dining Restaurant at the Roof Garden, and a Poolside Snack Bar, all emphasizing local cuisine and fresh ingredients. Poolside refreshments can be ordered conveniently via QR code.

5. Service & Staff

The staff at Contessina Hotel consistently receives glowing reviews. They are frequently described as "fantastic," "exceptional," "very pleasant," "caring," and "attentive." Many guests highlight the staff's ability to make them feel welcome and at home from the moment they check in. Specific mentions include friendly and helpful staff at dinner and around the pool, and efficient check-in processes. Some minor feedback indicates that the cheerfulness of breakfast buffet staff varied for a returning guest.

6. Location & Accessibility

The Contessina Hotel is ideally located in Tsilivi, a lively town in Zakynthos. It's situated on a quiet road, yet remains close to the center of Tsilivi and its amenities. The beautiful Tsilivi Beach, known for its clean waters (awarded the European Blue Flag), is just a 5-minute walk away (approximately 110 yards). The hotel is approximately a 20-minute drive from Zakynthos International Airport, and transfers can be arranged. Parking is available right next to the hotel. While the immediate surroundings are convenient, one review noted the area outside the hotel can appear messy and neglected, and the nearby beach was described as "awful" by one reviewer.

7. Value & Pricing

Guests generally consider Contessina Hotel to offer good value for money, especially given its luxurious offerings and high service standards. Room rates can start from around $149 for a double room. Suites with private or shared pools, and different board options (breakfast only or half board), will naturally command higher prices, ranging from approximately $345 to over $700 depending on the specific suite and cancellation policies. Prices tend to be lower in the off-peak season, such as October, and higher in peak months like September.

8. Common Complaints

While overwhelmingly positive, some recurring issues or criticisms have been noted:

• Room Views & Shade: Some rooms, being in the middle of town, may not offer a view, and some "shared pool" rooms might be on the shady side, particularly in October.
• Room Storage: A minor complaint includes a lack of sufficient hanging space or storage in some rooms, despite an ample supply of towels.
• Pool Area Comfort: Some guests found the sunbeds by the pool to be narrow, too low for older travelers, or noted that the mattresses on some sunbeds were old.
• Gym Facilities: The gym at the Contessina Hotel is described as small with limited equipment, and the equipment at the sister hotel's gym (Contessina Suites & Spa) was noted to be in poor condition or even dangerous by one guest.
• Noise & Music: Occasional noise in the mornings and evenings has been mentioned, and the music in the restaurant was described as "terrible" by one reviewer.
• Pricing Discrepancies: One guest reported an unpleasant experience with what appeared to be an incorrect price menu at one of the hotel restaurants.
• Security & Accountability: A serious complaint involved a guest reporting a stolen necklace and dissatisfaction with hotel management's follow-up or lack thereof.
• Late Check-out Fees: One guest found the late check-out fee to be excessively high.

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