Domes Aulus Zante Autograph Collection

We stayed at Domes Zante for a week in September and, if I'm honest, I was initially quite apprehensive after reading so many negative reviews in the weeks before our departure. However, we were pleasantly surprised from the moment we arrived and ended up having a fantastic stay.

A few days before arrival, we received an email from the Front Office asking what time we would be arriving and whether there was anything they could arrange for us beforehand, which was a lovely touch. I had also emailed ahead to book each of the restaurants at least once.

The hotel is only around a 10-minute drive from the airport and has a lovely long driveway leading up to the hotel. Check-in was very smooth. We handed over our passports and went for lunch while the team completed the check-in process.

Once checked in, you're given a unique QR code which allows you to book additional reservations at the à la carte restaurants. Having read the reviews, we weren't expecting to find much availability, but we were actually really surprised. We managed to book additional restaurants for every evening of our stay, which was fantastic.

After lunch, we were taken to our room by buggy and given a little tour of the hotel along the way.

Our room exceeded our expectations. We stayed in a Sapphire Serenity Retreat with a beautiful sea view, a table and chairs, two sunbeds and an umbrella on the terrace. We made great use of the terrace in the afternoons, often spending the last few hours of the day there relaxing. You can also access the beach directly from these terraces, which is a lovely feature.

The main buffet restaurant was nice and the food was enjoyable, although we only ate there for lunch a few times. The main issue we noticed was that it felt quite understaffed. Tables could be slow to be cleared and drinks weren't always offered, but this was absolutely no reflection on the staff themselves, who were lovely and clearly doing their best. There simply didn't seem to be enough of them.

The à la carte restaurants were a completely different experience. The service in every restaurant we visited was excellent and we genuinely couldn't fault any of our meals. The portions are extremely generous for an all-inclusive, and we quickly learned to order less than we normally would! The food was excellent and we loved the different settings of the restaurants. Our favourite was the Greek restaurant, which has a beautiful setting right on the beach.

The pool bar was our go-to during the day. We did find the staff here slightly less friendly than those in the other bars and restaurants, but the quality of the drinks throughout the hotel was very good for an all-inclusive. The wine in the main bars was a little questionable at times, but the wine in the à la carte restaurants was much better, as they had a proper wine list.

We spent most evenings after dinner in the lobby bar, which we really enjoyed. The staff were attentive and often brought us another drink without us having to keep getting up to order, which was a lovely touch.

The entertainment wasn't really anything to write home about, but this didn't bother us as we had come to relax rather than be entertained.

The pool area was always busy, but we never had any trouble finding sunbeds. Even when we arrived around 11am, there were always some available. We did feel that the pool area could have benefited from some music during the day to create a little more atmosphere. It also could have done with being hosed down each evening, as the area could be quite sandy or dirty by the following morning.

The beach is lovely and is home to lots of nesting turtles, which was a real highlight. There were also plenty of sunbeds available for those who preferred to spend their time by the sea.

A special mention also has to go to the housekeeping team. Our room was always absolutely spotless whenever we returned, and it was lovely to come back to everything refreshed and tidy. They even turned down our room while we were out for dinner, which was such a lovely touch and really added to the feeling that every little detail had been thought of. We really appreciated all of their hard work throughout our stay.

Overall, we had the best stay at Domes Zante. We came for a relaxing week away and that's exactly what we got.

The staff throughout the hotel were genuinely lovely and really couldn't do enough for us, which isn't always the case in an all-inclusive resort. We both travel a lot for work and stay in many different hotels, so we have quite a lot to compare it to, and neither of us came away with any complaints.

Having arrived feeling quite apprehensive because of the reviews we'd read, we were genuinely pleasantly surprised by our experience. We had a fantastic week and would definitely return.

Thank you to the whole team at Domes Zante for a wonderful stay!

First of all when you get to Domes, you are met with friendly faces. We had heard that it was hard to book the a la carte restaurants but Christina booked our first 3 restaurants by email. They are very efficient at answering any queries you have. We quickly settled into our room which was an upgrade from what we had originally booked. The room was a little dated and the bathroom was small. But this did not spoil the holiday. We tried all the a la carte restaurants which were first class. The Yellow Sea was our favourite. The main buffet restaurant was also excellent with plenty of choice but the main asset was our waiter, Astrit. He was very attentive and an asset to Domes. You get the feeling you are in a retreat, it's so relaxing. We don't usually go to places twice as there's many more hotels in the world to see, but Domes Aulus Zante should definitely be on your bucket list.

Theoni was a lovely lovely waitress who learnt what we liked and always had our drinks ready for us. Thanos (manager) was wonderful at helping us navigate dietary requirement and even had specially prepared puddings made. The hotel is right on the ocean and we were able to see turtle hatchlings twice on our morning beach walks. Super easy and quick to get to cameo island and a lovely walk along the beach to the harbour and kalamaki. A lovely relaxed and laid back vibe to the whole week!