AD | Our stay at Sani Beach Halkidiki with Jet2
*Why is this post marked AD? I was invited by Jet2 to experience their new April package holidays to Halkidiki. We received complimentary flights and hotel stay, with full board catering. We met all other expenses ourselves. You can trust that I will always be honest and truthful on A Brummie Home and Abroad, and being an invited guest will not influence my opinion in any way.
Our stay at the 5 star Sani Beach Hotel with Jet2holidays was the perfect opportunity to relax and rejuvenate after what has felt like a very long British winter. Sani Beach is one of five luxury accommodations which make up the Sani Resort. It has a prime position on Cape Sani, with sweeping views over the azure waters of the Aegean Sea. Surrounded by nature, this secluded resort has 20km of forest trails to explore on foot or by bike and 7km of glorious sandy beaches and shallow waters. A flower-strewn Sani Hill juts out into the sea, with the Tower of Stavronikita atop, perfect for views of the imposing Mount Olympus.
Sani Resort is essentially a small village, with the sparkling Sani Marina at its heart. When all the facilities are open there are over 25 restaurants and 13 bars to choose from. During our April visit, three of the hotels were open, with their dining options available to all Sani Resort guests. You can read more below about the Sani Resort “Dine-Around” programme. Luxury shopping is also available, both at the Marina and in each hotel.
Arrival and Check In
Sani Beach is a 45 minute transfer from Thessaloniki Airport. As part of our Indulgent Escapes package with Jet2 we have a private transfer. In our case, it’s an unnecessarily large minibus seating 20 people. Just for us two. Our driver takes off like he’s desperate to get home for his Friday night tea but eventually settles into a less manic driving rhythm. We drive into the resort and I get at a sense of it’s size. No wonder there are little club carts to ferry guests from one hotel to another. In reality though, it’s a short 10 minute stroll between Sani Beach and the Marina.
Porters whisk away our suitcases the moment we step off the bus. We assume we will see them again at some point. There’s a gleaming reception area. On first impression it looks like one of those hotels that you don’t dare wander around in your swimwear. A member of the Sani Beach Reception team offers us an electronic device to enter our check in details. A welcome glass of something sparkling is thrust into our hands. The gentleman showing us to our room mistakenly pops us in the lift before realising our room is actually on the same level as reception. This causes me to be VERY confused when searching for reception. I tell Mr Fletche that there must be TWO identical receptions. To be fair, it had been a long day. And I’m easily confused.
Our Room
Room B454 is an Economy Double Room, which is perfect for our needs. It would be nice to have a balcony or a sea-view; instead we have a terrace which is next to a maintenance/housekeeping area. It’s relatively private though, no-one to judge me having a morning cuppa in my pyjamas.
There’s plenty of storage space, mirrors and plug sockets (not USB, so don’t forget your adapters). The bathroom also has plenty of shelf space, a little feature which always pleases me and ensures I don’t lose an eye pencil down the sink. Towelling robes and slippers are provided. There’s a Nespresso machine, and a kettle for tea. The mini bar is stocked with goodies at usual hotel mini bar prices. Theres a bottle of water which is re-stocked every day, and a complimentary bottle of red wine (which sadly is not). Due to our late arrival, staff have thoughtfully left us a sandwich, crisps and fruit. And our suitcases thankfully materialise shortly.
Hotel Facilities
A drizzly first day gives us the opportunity to explore every nook and cranny of Sani Beach. Every exterior door we open seems to lead to yet another swimming pool. There are two lagoon style pools, both just steps away from the thin stretch of sandy beach. Another pool which host the daytime activities and is more of a family pool. A splash pool with brightly coloured buckets and sprinklers. And when we do get to finally spend a little time lounging by the pool we find the towel service excellent, with fresh towels available at the kiosks. Most times though there’s a member of pool staff heading for you with an armful of towels before you can even choose a sunbed. If you want your sunbed moving, or your parasol put up or down, staff appear like magic, attentive to every need. Like the shopkeeper in Mr Benn.
If you’re more of a beach person, there are plenty of loungers set up along the beach. In some areas steps cut into rocks lead straight down into the crystal clear sea. April was definitely a little too cool for a sea dip for me, but it looked pleasingly shallow, and accessible without the need for water shoes. And you still get that incredibly attentive service.
We popped our heads into the spa on the first day, and the staff were happy to give us a quick tour. So much so that it became part of our daily routine. The spa, not the tour. The staff would have soon got sick of us. The indoor pool is blissfully kid-free after 6pm, so a quick sauna, steam room and a leisurely swim became a pre-dinner ritual.
Activities & Entertainment
There’s a daily schedule of fitness and well-being related activities, from the ubiquitous aqua aerobics and garden yoga to guided birdwatching walks, and archery for budding Robin Hoods. With the Rafa Nadal Tennis Center, Bear Grylls Survival Academy and Chelsea FC Academy onsite, there’s expert tuition available for adults and kids. We spent a wonderful morning strolling through the forest, wondering whether those participating in the (fully supervised) treetop course were brave or just daft, considering the winds. After dangling from a rope bridge in Mexico I prefer to keep my feet firmly on the ground.
This early in the season, entertainment at Sani Beach mainly centred around vocalists or DJs during dinnertime, and was all very low-key. The hotel’s famous weekly White Party was sadly scuppered by violent winds. The Garden Theatre at Sani Beach opens its doors from May 9th, and will definitely mean livelier evenings. We found we had to entertain ourselves after dinner had finished.
There are complimentary daily cruises which leave from Sani Marina; a morning cruise or a sunset cruise. These can be booked with Guest Services; make sure you book this with them as soon as possible as spaces are limited. We did book a sunset cruise, but with the chillier April weather decided not to sail in the end. Sani Beach also has a full water sports centre, along with a PADI Scuba Diving centre.
Dining at Sani Resort
Sani Beach has two buffet restaurants; the Veranda is open for breakfast and dinner for over-12s only, with lunch taken by all at the Poseidon. Both overlook the pool and sea, with floor-to-ceiling windows letting the light flood in. Front of House staff greet us at the entrance and ask for our room number before showing us to a table. Bar service is available at lunch and dinner; drinks are added to your room tab to be paid at checkout.
We were staying on a full-board package, which meant that we got breakfast, lunch and dinner included at Sani Beach’s buffet restaurant/s. But it gets a bit more complicated than that. With a half- or full-board option, guests are able to take advantage of the “Dine-Around” programme. 11 of the restaurants around the resort offer an inclusive set menu, and all offer a discounted a la carte option.
All dining can be booked via the ever-helpful Guest Relations team, or via the Sani Resort app. We found this particularly useful when switching and cancelling bookings after being a little over-exuberant with our reservations. We ate at four of the Sani Resort restaurants, opting for the set menus each time. Psaroyannas and Vosporos were traditional Greek restaurants at Sani Marina; also at the Marina was Macaroni, an Italian restaurant that we visited for lunch one day. On our last evening we ate at El Puerto at Porto Sani. We definitely saved the best for last as we were treated to a tasty menu from Michelin-starred chef David Ibarboure.
Beverages
Okay, let’s get the negative bit out of the way. Drinks are VERY expensive. Cocktails were €16,5. Cheapest glass of wine, around €11. Small draught beer €6,5; large draught beer €8. Cheapest bottles of wine, €34. And non-alcoholic beverages were no cheaper. A bottle of sparkling water was €8,5. €5,5 for Coke, Fanta, Sprite etc. €7 for a frappe. As it’s a resort, all bars and restaurants are similarly priced.
We’re not huge drinkers but if we followed our usual holiday pattern (a couple of beers whilst sunbathing, a glass of wine each with lunch and dinner, a pre sunset cocktail, a post sunset cocktail, a couple of drinks in the room) we would be dropping over €100 A DAY on drinks alone.
When dining in the restaurants (buffet restaurants excluded), we were disappointed to find that we were charged for water. Which meant that there was NO beverage we could have with our meal for free. A bottle of still water was €5,50. For the same water left in our room daily.
Tip: try and book one of the bus tours offered by the hotel (€10pp) as soon into your stay as possible (Saturday and Wednesday at Sani Beach). You’ll be able to find a local supermarket and pick up supplies for your room. We hired a car and stocked up whilst we were out and about – we bought a bottle of wine and four beers for less than the cost of a glass of wine at the hotel.
Family Friendly Sani Beach
Choosing a family friendly resort is not high on our list of desirable criteria, but families are at the heart of Sani Beach without ever impacting on our couples experience. Under 12s stay for free at Sani Beach (and also at Sani Club and Porto Sani). Little ones even have their own menus, specially curated by award-winning children’s chef Annabel Karmel.
There are splash pools and adventure playgrounds, kids clubs and beachside babysitting. There’s also a Teen Zone at the marina, with a clubhouse just for 12-17 year olds.
If you’re interested in the family-friendly aspects of Sani Resort I found this great blog review by Geo Ellen Jones on Motherhood Edit.
Sustainability at Sani Beach
Sani Resort pride themselves on their sustainability initiatives. They were the first hotel in Greece to become carbon neutral, and runs on 100% renewable energy. In 2022, the World Travel Awards named Sani Resort the World’s Leading Luxury Green Resort for the third year running. There are no single use plastic items, including the water bottles. Of course, glass bottles come with their own hazards. As Mr Fletche found out on our last day. Glass bottles do not bounce.
Would I return?
To Halkidiki? Yes, definitely. It has some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve seen in Greece, and I was sad that we couldn’t find the time to visit the port city of Thessaloniki. But for me, one of the most wonderful things about Greece is getting out and about, exploring different areas, sampling various taverns and the local hospitality. Some of these small joys are lost when you stay at a resort like Sani.
The customer service was flawless, from all members of the Sani team. Maybe that’s one of the perks of going early in the season. And it’s no exaggeration to say that the food was incredible, with the ability to dine around the world without ever leaving the resort.
Sani Beach is a little different from our usual choice of quirky hotels or self-catering accommodation, but as this trip was sponsored by Jet2 it was a lovely opportunity to sample something a little more indulgent. It’s a 5 star hotel, and that’s reflected in many of the aspects – including the prices. But if you’re after a treat then there’s no doubt this is a very special hotel for a memorable stay.
