Filoxenia Hotel Zakynthos

Myself and my wife have never complained about any hotels until now

We stayed at filoxenia hotel zakynthos on arrival to the hotel looks good and a very clean reception are hotel room was good as we upgraded . Now I will let know being are 25th wedding anniversary looking out of the balcony, I was looking into a brick wall and requested pool or garden view . The food I can’t say was disgraceful no traditional food if you think spaghetti is Greek chilli Greek tin vegetables I would say not plus queueing for food I gave up in the end with my wife. We went back to our room and now we are eating at local restaurants because we want traditional food not sub standard food .Then we got accused for smoking in our room in which we’ve never smoked and people ringing us either from reception or from another phone within no the hotel at the earthly hours the smell from the drains come in to room every morning . To watch entertainment it’s all outside and know indoor sitting or bar also there know option to purchase branded drinks or sparkling wine

We asked for Fanta and coca-Cola and got some unbranded drink even though the show it as available and it’s not

This the worst hotel I have been for food and spent further £670 on food out .

4 star the reason for 2 star the food is a big let down

This is not suitable for families with young children. Thankfully our youngest is 9 so it was ok. In our 7days there was 2 nights of entertainment (karaoke type thing and a jazz thing) and 2days of day entertainment (pool competition and bingo) the kids pool is always shaded so very cold and there is absolutely nothing for younger kids to do. There is a pool table €2 a go and where they should have put a wall they have glass panels. I played my son one day the ball accidentally came of the table and the barman had a right strop telling us to be careful I explained it was an accident it's not like we're throwing it at eachother and he just kept telling us to be careful. They also hate you changing €1 coins for €2 to play and refuse to after a couple. The barstaff can be your best friends some days other days you wonder what you've done wrong its very odd. Restaurant staff all but 1 are rude I've read other reviews about them looking like they're standing talking about guests pointing etc this is definitely true there is a tall slim blond waitress in the evenings that definitely does this and taps her team mates and points to where she wants them to look, shes awful. Food ok very much the same we went in at the start of every service food was never hot it was warmish. We had a room in the older side, was worried going round to it looked a bit rough but room itself was clean and we were fine in there but on showering the bubbles etc would come up through the vent in floor was very odd, my older kids shared a superior room in the newer building which was lovely but the overflow pipe on their ground floor repeatedly flooded their terrace and it was flooded outside their front door too, thankfully never in the actual room.
Reception staff are lovely as are the cleaners (one was very good as our son was poorly 1night and she was very good sorting bedding etc) and the stray cats and 1 dog are very friendly. If the hotel is full there is no way enough seating at the main bar in the evening you could maybe seat a third of a full hotel. Everyone takes cards/uno travel games to play in the evening because there genuinely is nothing to do. The area itself is not in a bad location and a 15 min walk to the centre which has some lovely restaurants (yumyums is very good and not expensive 👌)
It was ok. There are better hotels that are cheaper, we travel every year to different places this is definitely a 2-3 star at most.
One of the pools is next to the main bar which is not ideal as again the barstaff moan at you for jumping in and splashing 🤦‍♀️

We enjoyed our stay very much. Our room in the main hotel served us well. Food was very acceptable except alas the soup in the evening, if only it had been hot and not tepid. Beer and wine our only two tipples while away most acceptable.

We found walking in the area superb. A most enjoyable time was spent in this quiet comfortable hotel. The Diana group in our opinion do look after the customers’ needs, we have enjoyed three of their hotels having had six memorable holidays.

We loved our stay here. Very relaxing with plenty of sun beds no queuing for drinks and a chilled restaurant. We enjoyed all meals especially breakfast. The hotel was spotlessly clean and our room was lovely, we were in the newer part of the hotel. Beer, spirits and red wine all good, no cocktails on the all inclusive, probably why there were no queues which was great. Maria who worked in the beautiful outdoor beer garden was lovely, one of our favourite places. Special thanks to Dennis, Alexandra and Stamatis on reception who looked after us when our flight home was cancelled due to weather, we were so stressed but they were amazing cannot thank them enough.

This was my third visit to this hotel and the staff here are exceptional. They are welcoming, friendly and cannot do enough for you.
The reception team headed by Gina are all wonderful.

The bar team are fantastic, the beautiful Alexandra..I always bring her a packet of biscuits from the UK and she appreciates the gesture.
The evening bar staff, the 2 lovely guys are so friendly, funny and always make me smile.

Now the rooms.. especially the Deluxe rooms are just WOW, free wine and a fresh fruit bowl in your room!
Slippers and robes with his and hers sinks..what a lovely touch!!
Such a homely feel.

The food is high quality and authentic, with local honey at breakfast and locally sourced tomatoes which I love and don't get me started on the cheeses or the delicious dessert and pastries, because they are amazing. The patisserie cream horns are my favorite.

All of the above and the natural beauty of the olive groves and pomegranate trees that surround the hotel are what make this a Zakynthian gem.

I personally am looking forward to returning and will continue to return.

I have just returned from a 10 day holiday at this hotel and everyone should take note of the negative comments to help decide if they want to stay at this hotel.

When booking this hotel it’s very misleading, it’s rated a 4 star hotel but very far from that depending what building you get.

This hotel has two buildings. You get dropped off at the brand new building looking nice and clean and all modern and the website shows you all these nice new rooms with coffee machines etc this building could be the 4 star rating but then we was lead to another building which is the old building. Very run down and out dated. From what u can gather if you staying 3 people or under in a room your more than likely to get a new room and if your a group of adults or a family you will get a old room and this makes a difference to the holiday.

We had room 303 and if you get this room good luck. We did ask if anything else was available but told there was nothing yet the hotel wasn’t that busy so I don’t believe there wasn’t another room at all. This is meant to be a two bedroom family room with two balcony’s and a pool view. We entered the living area which had 1 table and a sofa to fit 2 people so where do 4 people sit? One wardrobe to share between 4 people. There was 1 fridge and a very old lime scaled kettle. The bathroom has a low ceiling and you can see mould. We had one light bulb out so had to report as it was very dark in the bathroom. One window which you can’t open while having a shower because like walking past can see in. The taps are rusty, grout and mould everywhere, some rust sunning down the side of the bath. The shower is positioned in the middle of the bath meaning you gave the door to have a shower then there is a drain right next to where you put the bath mat and water comes back up out of the drain. We wore shoes the whole time around the room and even in the shower.
One bedroom had two single beds pushed together, no tv but a balcony, which didn’t really have a pool view if you went right over to the end of the balcony and peered over you can see the edge of a very small round children’s pool.
The second bedroom had a small tv with barely any English channels everything was mainly German and Dutch and a kingside bed which was very uncomfortable and every time you moved it made a horrible noise after a few days started to get back ache. Started off with one pillow each but then more did appear. This bedroom and no balcony it went out on the roof above the bar/restaurant. This was very noisy, fans would start at 6am and pretty much run most of the day then the bay was noisy until around midnight. The hairdryer in second bedroom should have two speeds only one worked and if you wanted to use the plug above it you would have ti take the hairdryer out and balance it on the table.
The bedding was covered in marks. The walls had marks. Dust all around the skirtings. Under the desk in the second room the wall had a massive hole.
These rooms are to old and outdated and don’t have the chairs in the rooms like the pictures and are defiantly not 4 star hotel rooms.

My main gripe with this is we had to pay 10 euros a night because it’s for a 4 star hotel yet we wasn’t in 4 star rooms so I don’t agree with this price, if your in the older building you shouldn’t be paying that price it’s a joke.

The food…..very repetitive and not much of a selection. Wouldn’t say the food is 4 star standards compared to other places have stayed. If you wait for them to top up then you would get a hot portion. The quality of drinks is poor.

I wouldn’t say this is a family hotel for young children, one tiny children’s pool by the older building. There is no children’s entertainment or children’s club and nothing really for them to do around the hotel.

The only two positives from here is that the cleaning team did clean the room daily and gave us fresh towels although the odd day a towel was missed but the cleaning was basic and on our last full day the room wasn’t cleaned which I can understand not providing clean towels etc but our bins hasn’t been changed since Tuesday morning and especially the bathroom bin as your not allowed to flush toilet roll.

And the rest of the staff were friendly always smiles. I understand the other reviews when people said they stand in a group and stare, I did notice this but I didn’t feel like they was talking about the guests some sorts of the meal times start off very quiet. But a big shout out to Fabio he was so lovely and goes out of his way to make sure you’re ok. If you have any allergies they do not provide certain foods like gluten free bread or anything but he can go through each dish and tell you want can and can’t eat.

I didn’t see the free shuttle bus to the beach whilst we were there so can’t really comment. But they can call you a taxi. The town is about a 15/20 mins walk to start getting to the shops and bars prob 25/30 to go further where it’s more lovely and down to the beach. Be careful when walking around later when it’s dark not really much lighting around the hotel or streets and the pavement stops and starts, have to keep changing the side of the road.

In all I very much doubt I would stay here again less I knew I would be staying in a newer room.

Wow some of the reviews are so harsh. We stayed in the newer side of the hotel. Our room was big enough, cleaned everyday and clean towels given every day. Our shower leaked a bit but there is a drain on the other side of the shower door so it was never a massive issue. Bed was very comfy.
Food was fine, yes it was basic but we hadn’t paid a fortune and I am fussy but managed to eat at all meals. I did miss having actual fresh orange at bfast but we just went to the shop and bought some.
Pool was fine, plenty of sun beds, bar staff were lovely and very friendly.
The area is ok, you can be in the center in 15mins walking or use the shuttle bus. We ate out a few times and that was a lovely experience. We also walked into zakynthos town, about 45/50mins but again you can get a bus in.
One thing I would say is maybe add nets onto the patio doors so you can have a little privacy if wanted, if we had our curtains open people could look straight in when walking down the stairs.
Don’t listen to the negatives, go and enjoy your stay.

As a travel agent, i have always advised people to be weary of reviews, as everyone has different standards. However, I feel this needs to be shared.
We stayed here as a family of four the last week in September. I have been coming to Tsilivi for the last 10 years, first time staying at Filoxenia. NEVER AGAIN!
I have stayed in 2*, 3* and 5* hotels in the same resort and nothing comes close to Filoxenia.

The rooms (Room 105, 2 bed family room) - FILTHY! You could not walk around bare foot unless you wanted to end up with dirty feet.
We had to ask everyday for the room to be cleaned. 3 out of 7 days we had to request clean towels from reception as none had been left.
Balcony door was broken and wouldn't open.

There was heavy rain on Sunday and the water from the drains came up through the bottom of our door and into the room!

The beds - would have been more comfortable sleeping on the floor. Mattress was couple of inches thick on top of a solid wooden base.

The food - wow! As a family we aren't picky eaters. We could not eat at the hotel 🤢
We ate out in town for breakfast most days and every evening as the food in the hotel was hardly edible.

Staff were pleasant enough, plenty of sunbeds for everyone.
We didn't hang around for any entertainment so cant comment on that.

The resident cats (ginger, tabby and black) were lovely and the only reason im giving this place a star!

We spent 10 nights here in the middle to the end of September. I'll start with some positives. The bar staff were very friendly and always pleasant to speak to. There were always plenty of sunbeds around the pool so need to get up early to get one. Tsilivi centre is only a 15 minute walk away where there are loads of bars and restaurants to choose from. We enjoyed the walk but I'd suggest if you want things on your door step to stay somewhere more central. Also, be warned that outside the hotel there are very few paths and no street lighting so be careful when walking, especially at night and with children.

Unfortunately, that's where the positives end and I wouldn't stay here again. The WiFi didn't work in our room, even after the staff put a router in there for us. It connected for a few seconds then that was it. There was very little entertainment on in the evenings and when there was it always started at half 9 which is pretty late. Cocktails were not included in all inclusive which I have never known before, if you wanted one they were either €8 or €9. There was also not a great deal of choice in beer or lager, there were only one or two kinds.

The food was nice when it was hot but unfortunately this was a rarity. Most of the time things were either tepid or just cold. This was when the restaurant had just opened as well so everything should have been piping hot. Also, there were always four members of staff stood in the restaurant to clear plates away but most of the time they were just stood in the way by the stairs and looked to be looking at people and laughing between themselves. It felt very strange to be sat eating with four people essentially just stood watching you since the whole restaurant was quite small.

The room very basic and quite tired. The bathroom, though, was awful. It was a wet room but when the whole room is only about 1.5 meters squared this just doesn't really work. Every time we used the shower the whole floor got covered in water. There was a bath mat but we ended up having to use this as well as a hand towel to mop up the water after we'd finished. This could be quite dangerous as it would be very easy to slip and fall. Sometimes after the cleaner had been the bath mat would get taken and we'd have to use more hand towels while we waited for another one. The large shower head also looked quite grubby and rusty and in need of replacing. The toilet also spat water out of the top when it was flushed which was disgusting as it went down the side and on the floor.

In general the room was kept clean and tidy but the floor was never mopped. This meant there was dirt and sand on the floor constantly.

This is also the noisiest hotel I've stayed in which was one of the worst things about the stay. We had to put up with very thin walls and ceilings in our room. You could hear everything from next door and above and we were constantly being woken up or kept awake by banging, slamming, shouting and chairs being dragged. I appreciate this is down to other peoples behaviour but I've stayed in places with thicker walls so these things aren't as much of an issue and don't disturb you as much. The beds were very large and comfortable but I still slept poorly due to all the noise. We also found that early in the mornings we were woken up by a dog barking at one of the farms or properties nearby. This was every morning without fail. Finally, the beach is a 25 to 30 minute walk away which is quite a trek. We were told there was a shuttle bus but it only ran twice a day so was of little use to us as the times weren't convenient.

Although I enjoyed the holiday and loved Tsilivi I was quite relieved get away from the hotel. I wouldn't stay here again and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

I have just returned home after 5 nights at the Filoxenia with friends. On arrival the receptionist came outside to greet us, she was so lovely. She showed us straight to the restaurant as they were due to close. After our food she checked us in and said walked us round to our room. We were in the older part of the building, our room was really big and spacious. My only gripe was there wasn’t a lot of natural light, it was difficult to get ready on a night time as if the balcony doors were open, everyone can see in.
The bar staff were all so friendly, Demitri in particular had a good laugh with us. The food was delicious, I think if you had children with you then you may struggle with food as there aren’t enough options for them but we found the food delicious. The tzatziki was unreal and the salad so fresh. If you’re wanting to be next to the bars then it’s a bit out of the way but around 15-20 min walk or €10 in a taxi. All in all this hotel has been 10/10. My first time to Zakinthos but it won’t be my last. Thank you Filoxenia!

We first came to the filoxenia in 2006 when it was self catering and only the older side.
We have been here 10 times and it just gets better and better...
Staff are brilliant
Rooms are huge and comfortable
Cleaned everyday ...the cleaner is such a lovely lady.
We were on the newer side this year and the walk up steps from the balcony were brilliant. The new pool bar was a nice surprise.
Food is great ... im a very picky eater but there is something for everyone
Loads of sunbeds available and nobody putting towels out at 6am.
No sunbed rules so you could move you bed round to follow the sun.
We really cannot fault this hotel
The only thing I would ask for is some kind of grab rail in the shower has it gets slippy in there and nothing to hold on too....
We are already booking up for next year as can't imagine staying anywhere else

At the Filoxenia Hotel I spent 7 days with my family.

Pluses

Very nice and helpful staff.

Food fresh and tasty, good choice, but after some days a little the same. We missed grilled food, steaks were only one time. The best were desserts, but other food was also tasty.

Rooms cleaned every day, towels changed. Big plus for clean.

Minuses

A little sad, because all evening shows and parties were only for tourists from England. We compare with hotel in Crete, where evening fun was made for all nations together. Here we missed this.

In general, I recommend.

I have just returned from this fabulous hotel. It was modern, immaculately clean, food was great and all the staff were so friendly and helpful, they will do anything for you. It is a bit of a walk to the centre of Tsilivi but doable and they do put a shuttle bus on.

If you are a reasonable person please do not let the negative reviews worry you.
This hotel is in expensive compared to some of the others in the area for all inclusive and of similar standard to many other smaller 4* stars we have stayed in Greecr
We have stayed in a 2 bedroom family room in the older side of the building there is nothing wrong with them yes the bathroom could do with a bit of modernisation and a shower that doesnt face outwards but that said the two rooms are huge and have 2 balconies plenty of clothes space and 2 huge mirrors and not dated.
Rooms cleaned daily and fresh towels if you want them.
Food is very tasty, not a huge amount of choice but enough and catered well for our gluten free friend. Fish and 2 meats at most meals chips pastas potatoes veg salad bread etc
We didnt stay for any of the entertainment so i cannot comment on it.
The one side of the hotel is visibly more modern than the other but the service for staff is brilliant across both areas ,we mainly used that pool purely because sun was it on that side more.
It is a good 20 minute walk into Tsivilli center with paths not available all the way down however we enjoyed the walk each night.
I only have a few suggestions for hotel
1. Better styled bathrooms in olderside
2. Seperate toaster so gluten free bread can be toasted
3. Some earlier entertainment of an evening 9.30pm is a little late when nothing on before hand.
Fantastic stay lovely hotel supported by even better staff

Just returned from a weeks stay. Nice big room in the new part of the hotel on the ground floor with direct access to the lovely pool area. Room kept spotless with good air con (free as it should be). Two pool areas but preferred the larger area near the room. Sunbeds never a problem and towels supplied by the hotel. Pool bar staffed by the lovely friendly Alexandra who did a great job.

Breakfast was fine but we found both the quality and choice at both lunch and dinner pretty poor. Eggs available for breakfast but not freshly prepared, they did not know how to do poached eggs and when I explained how to do them the staff said they didn't have the time! I understand the difficulties in providing an all inclusive menu but most of the food was dry and very unappetizing, even the salad was basic. Never been as grateful for chips. Dessert every day consisted of small pieces of cake (a choice of 2 occasionally) with jelly and ice cream from the freezer! this is not 4* food by any imagination. Tried the soup on two evenings but found it lukewarm at best. Previous reviews praise the food but I can only think people are being polite, glad we ate out on a few occasions.

Not a great deal going on at night as we expected but we generally go into town, a walk on the flat of about 15 - 20 mins. Shame there was nothing near to the hotel as it was a little isolated.

Sorry to sound so negative as the hotel and the staff were great but some of the poorest food I have had in a long time. Probably wont return to Tsilivi but if I did would be a little nearer town and the beach.

Lovely Hotel, absolutely stunning rooms in great condition, staff lovely from start to finish all very friendly. Great food selection for all three meals. And two local good beers on tap included in the all inclusive package. Only thing is cocktails are not included in the all inclusive package. Pools and surrounding is very clean. Great stay will be back!!

Pleasent hotel, with some very friendly/Professional staff Vicky & Denis on reception, Alexandre on pool bar as the standouts.
Clean surroundings,no problems getting sunbeds ( towels supplied by hotel) food was ok, choices for an European customer base that the hotel attracts. Drinks were local brands and not great quality.
Handy free bus service into town, if bus is full driver will come back and pick remaining guests up.
Or taxi into the centre was 10 euros.

We did have issues with the room 203, in the older part of the hotel , shower flooded the bathroom floor every time it was used, dirty grouting around shower cubicle, and generally very aged.
We asked the general manager ( by email) hotel reception and the Jet 2 rep if they could move us, answer was basically its busy, so no.
Jet 2 rep never got back to us either way. Only other question I asked the rep was about hotel enterainment/events during our stay , but he said he did not know !?!

Took the edge off the holiday as I was not expecting a "skating rink" in the bathroom every time it was used. It appears Jet 2 charge the same price for rooms in the old part of the hotel as the newly upgraded ones in the opposite block, so we felt we. were the victim of two tier service.

Maybe we were a bit unlucky, but we would not return.
Better choices are The Park & The Princess in tha area

Just returned from a wonderful week at Filoxenia Hotel.
The staff are exceptional - from the moment you arrive you are made to feel welcome and at ease.
My daughter is vegan so we were worried about the food, but shouldn’t have been. Fabio and his team ensured that she always had plenty of choices and knew what she could choose - including oat milk for her breakfast - plus all dishes are clearly labelled for allergens. We all thoroughly enjoyed the plentiful and delicious food!
The swimming pools are great and we never had an issue finding four sunbeds together at any time of the day. A first for us not having to grab sunbeds!!
The hotel is immaculately kept. Our room was in the older part of the hotel and could maybe do with a little updating, but it was kept spotless.
We found it a lovely hotel in a great spot on a beautiful island and would love to return.
A big thank you again to all the super staff who make the hotel so special - bar staff, kitchen staff, waiters, cleaners, shuttle bus driver and receptionists - a massive thanks also for helping us get our mobile phone back after we left it in a random taxi - you couldn’t have been nicer, friendlier or more helpful!

Excellent hotel, highly recommended and I echo what a lot of people have said about the hotel.
Food is of a really high standard and there is enough choice, drinks are good as has been said the beer is good but not very strong, but easy to drink and the variety of soft drinks and ice cream are all great.

2 bars to choose from, one near the new hotel and one in the old section, both are great.
Staff are the standout thing too, I’ve always found Greek people really friendly and this hotel is no exception. Not all staff are Greek but they all speak English and cleaners are unbelievable really, rooms cleaned to a high standard.
Alexandra in the pool bar is very helpful and friendly as are all the staff, definitely helps when you have good people around all day.

Been a great stay lots of families and young couples as well as a few more louder ones but they were few and far between and mostly slept off hangovers through the day…

It’s a Quiet hotel which is great
Entertainment when on is fine and much more entertainment in Tsilivi which is a short walk.
Tsilivi is a great little village lots of places to go and again the people we found were great and friendly.

Overall if we came back to Zante would definitely stay here again, we travel around quite a bit and we weren’t disappointed with this hotel, one of the best we have been to and has made our 2 week holiday a great one, feel totally relaxed and not ready or wanting to go back home.

Have just come back from a family week at the Filoxenia Hotel. Absolutely brilliant. The hotel was lovely, food was great, facilities excellent and close to the airport (about 15 mins). But what was really brilliant was the staff. So friendly and always wanting to help. Would go again without question.