On the Greek Island of Zante (Zakynthos) Andy Mossack discovers the art of relaxation at the Olea All Suite Hotel.
As I strolled across flowing water on the walkway into the Olea All Suite Hotel I genuinely felt I was entering a portal to a parallel universe. A place of bird song, ancient olive groves and tranquil luxury. Up here in hills framed by the Ionian Sea stretching away as far as the eye can see, this was a world away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. Perhaps a place even the great Greek God Poseidon might have gifted.
That may sound a little over the top but take it from me, Olea’s entire estate has been designed from the bottom up to make you feel rightly royal. It’s an architectural masterpiece combining the healing power of water with exquisite design. From the gurgling water channels and lagoon pools to the bars, restaurants and lobby where space and light are an abundant indulgence.
The hotel team’s elegant outfits of flowing linen add to the notion of serenity, while a bounty of designer art throughout the estate courtesy of annually changed artists-in-residence rubberstamps its air of sophistication.
All of this naturally extends into the perfect setting for wellness in all its forms. The Royal Spa provides a sanctuary for wellbeing therapies for revitalising the body and mind, while the Ritual Fitness Club has state-of-the-art training facilities.
Olea’s spacious all suite guestrooms are all discreetly tucked away throughout the estate adorned with landscaped tropical flora and fauna and guarded by lines of ancient olive trees thankfully replanted after the development was finished.
It all completed a picture for me of contemporary design beautifully integrated and utterly respectful of the natural world it’s come to share.
All Suite Guestrooms
As the name suggests, each of the 89 guestrooms are suites etched in earthy tones and elegant natural wood furniture and range from Junior Suites and Swim-Up Suites right up to a Presidential Private Pool Suite. My lofty Executive Private Pool Junior Suite was exceptionally spacious with floor to ceiling glass offering a glorious unobstructed view of the Ionian sea. This stunning vista lay beyond an impressive terrace space that contained a table and chairs and a luxurious double size sunbed perched on a platform cut into my own private infinity pool. It was indulgence personified.
Behind my stylish hessian-faced wardrobes was a bathroom space offering twin sinks and a remarkable tropical shower that poured torrents over me. Perhaps another example of how water is so much a part of the Olea All Suite Hotel concept. Every shower you take will be a fabulously memorable event I can promise you that.
Wining and Dining in Style
Obviously when your guests are godlike, keeping them properly wined and dined is a very serious business. Fortunately, there are four restaurants to choose from, all of them offering exceptional Mediterranean menus.
Right at the top of the resort is perched Olea’s signature fine dining restaurant Flow Wine & Dine. The beautiful terrace was the stage for a perfect panoramic sunset dinner made all the more memorable by a cellist entertaining us as the sun dipped on the horizon. This is essentially a fish and seafood restaurant although there are one or two meat and vegetarian options.
The Skipjack tartare with taramasalata ice cream was something to behold. The restaurant also has a gallery where that year’s artist-in-residence can show off their favourite pieces. This year it was Theodore Visvardis, a talented artist, a corporate lawyer by day, who had some quite remarkable pieces on display.
Omikron is the resort’s main restaurant for a breakfast and dinner buffet. It is a spectacularly cavernous space with open sweeping views of the sea and the estate, and plenty of beautifully presented dishes, more than enough for all palates.
Set at the epicentre of the lagoon pool complex is Cocoon and Flame. During the day Cocoon is a tiki style poolside retreat (with real sand) that offers lunch and light bites but come nightfall it becomes Flame, offering some exceptional Greek taverna style grilled meats and traditional dishes.
If you happen to be on the property on a Monday night, there’s an extra dining option over at the herb garden where a wood-fired pizza oven is the centrepiece for an Italian themed evening for guests. A generous board of charcuterie, local cheeses and hot focaccia was followed by freshly baked pizzas. Sommelier Sofia was on hand to pair some excellent local wines for us while we were serenaded by a couple of local musicians.
Spa, Wellness, Yoga and Sound Meditation.
An impressive new addition to Olea All Suite Hotel is the Ritual Fitness Club where together with new workout machines and weights there’s a 25 metre outdoor lap pool, and an extensive Yoga Shala offering guests a number of holistic, sensory and wellbeing experiences run by trained instructors. I enjoyed some yoga based stretching and balance, designed for all levels of fitness and mobility (there is also sunset yoga outside overlooking the sea).
I participated in a memorable sound meditation session run by the lovely Nafsica together with celebrated musician Nick whose skills with musical saws and a bow were off the charts. Beautiful, haunting and incredibly relaxing.
The Olea Royal Spa is an intimate wellness retreat with an impressive bounty of restorative treatments and holistic therapies which were perfect for such a spiritual location. There’s also a small pool and a relaxing area where I enjoyed a herbal tea following my rejuvenation massage.
Out and About
Of course, there are times when we gods might want to come down from our heavenly palace and join mere mortals to see some local sights. Just a ten minute walk downhill is the lively resort town of Tsilivi with its bars and sandy beach but be warned it’s a tough uphill walk back. You might be better off getting the hotel to send down a buggy to pick you up.
Bustling Zakynthos Town is just a short taxi ride away. The Venetian castle is well worth a visit as is the marina promenade. Olea can also arrange some excursions around Zakynthos using trusted tour operators. I enjoyed a wonderful half day boat cruise around the craggy cliffs, caves and coves with time for swimming and snorkelling in the crystal clear sea. Zante’s most famous tourist destination is in the north of the island at Navagio to see the shipwrecked tanker still half submerged on the beach.
Olea All Suite Hotel thoroughly deserves its numerous awards and accolades. A founding member of the Design Hotels group its architectural beauty and its commitment to promoting local artists is commendable. However for me, it is always the little human touches and guest service that makes some luxury hotels stand out from the others, and this one has it in bucketloads.
As far as parallel universes go this one is a gift from the gods and I want to return to this portal as fast as humanly possible.
Images (C) Andy Mossack and OLEA.
Tell me more about Olea All Suite Hotel in Zakynthos.
Olea All Suite Hotel, Tsilivi, Zakynthos Greece, 291 00
Τ: +30 26950 22265 E: info@oleaallsuitehotel.com
Suites from €493 per night with breakfast.
The hotel can arrange private boat trips directly for guests through the resort concierge team. Half-day: €300–€600 for approximately 3–5 hours, depending on the type of boat. Full-day: €600–€1,000 for approximately 7–8 hours, depending on the type of boat.
Getting to London Gatwick
Gatwick Airport is served frequently by four train operators including Gatwick Express, Southern and Thameslink – with advance tickets starting at just £8.
The Gatwick Express runs non-stop from London to Gatwick Airport, departing every half hour from London Victoria taking just 31 minutes. Eligible standard-class tickets come with discounted fast-track security and premium airport lounge access.
