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Review of my favourite resort, Sani Resort and the new Hotel Sani Dunes

I have written about Sani Resorts before and the reasons I love this place. Back in October, we visited the Dunes at Sani Resorts the new hotel within the resort.

I realised I haven’t reviewed the hotel and this has potentially to do with the fact that I was down with flu for 5 days out of the 7 days we were on holiday. Being sick while on vacation officially sucks!

Sani Resort is a combination of luxury 5-star hotel properties set in a beautiful cove in Halkidiki Greece. This was the third time we went to the hotel over the past 5 years and this for me is a success on its own. I always try to go somewhere else rather than visit the same place let alone three times. No wonder TripAdvisor reviews rate it five out of five and it is always fully booked.

Two years ago we visited the Sani Club hotel and this year we visited the newly opened Sani Dunes resort which is an adult only property, or it was since apparently, it will also become a family resort. All Sani hotels are extremely family friendly and set in such a way that the activities, food options and the beach can keep you within the resort without ever having to leave.

The properties have manicured gardens, a marina, shops, supermarket, free activities and tours and so much more. It is truly a place where you go and relax. No wonder many of the customers are repeat visitors. Sani is also one of the best places when it comes to customer service; though I have to say going during the start of the season offers much higher standard than the end, which is totally understandable.

The resort is open from April to October and almost from day one, it is fully booked. Prices can be as high as €1,000 per night but even then it is “almost” worth it. Majority of visitors are British, German and “rich” Eastern Europeans.

Sani Dunes is located in the centre of the resort sent on the beach with a beautiful pool running across the property. It is also a short walk to the Marina which is handy for the all the restaurants.

We had booked in October as I had to be in Thessaloniki for some work and the resort seemed the best option with only an hour drive to the city centre. The room I booked was the Junior Suite but when I asked to price match a cheaper rate online they offered me the upgrade. As a Gold member (meant to receive 10%  discount on food and accommodation) I agreed.

Our room was on the ground floor with a small garden overlooking the pool. The deco is lovely and the room is spacious and bright. I love the fact that there was a garden and sun lounge where I happily enjoyed the sun while down with a cold and freezing at 20C.

The bathroom was spacious as well with double sink, separate shower and a lovely big bathtub. Sadly I didn’t get to use it. A short one minute walk and you are at the best sandy beach of the resort.

The room

The rooms are designed in a small type villas with 3 rooms in each building. They have several categories and when I was choosing a room I found it a little confusing. The rooms are spacious and beautifully decorated. I loved the furnishing and you can tell it is a new building.

The Bathroom had everything you will need and the bathtub was perfect for soaking. The one thing which is an issue is the fact that the bathroom on the ground floor overlooks the passage alley. It is not busy but you do have to keep your blinds down.

The garden is beautiful, I loved the sitting area and I have to say it is my favourite part of the whole room. Overlooking the pool, we could also see the sea and it was very relaxing.

One thing I wasn’t keen on at Sani Dunes is the close proximity of all the rooms. The way the resort is built is to maximize the space and add as many rooms as possible and also have a big pool. For me, this slightly decreased my excitement as I could see people walking past all the time. As someone who wears hijab, this can be tiresome. If you want privacy there are rooms overlooking the sea and are on the top floor, so this way you can enjoy the sun without anyone trying to look into your room.

The breakfast

The breakfast is always good and the new Dunes restaurant is more of a fine dining experience. The breakfast is comprehensive and lovely and the waffles are to die for! Definitely, try them.

The food is not halal here so you will have to go for fish and vegetarian options. To us, this is not a problem but I know it can be for some. All of the food was fresh and delicious.

As a guest of the Dunes Resort, you also could take your breakfast in the beach club which is a smaller setting but right on the beach. I loved having breakfast there just because I could enjoy the blue sky and the blue waters but of course, the options were limited. They did have the standard intercontinental buffet and eggs.

The beach club is a lovely place to sit and enjoy a coffee also during the day.

The Dine around program

Majority of the packages offer either full board or half board. We always go for half-board now as last time we were on full board and we felt we just ate way too much because we had the option. Now we have only breakfast and dinner and it works out great.

The resort offers the dine around program which in essence gives you the option to dine around the resort in all their restaurants and you will receive 20-30 euros towards your bill, or you can choose from a set menu. This is a great idea and works well because you can dine in a different restaurant daily.

Pro tip: Book your restaurants on your arrival day, if you wait you will realise they are fully booked.

You can, of course, have buffet dinner either in the Sani Hotel or Club but this way you will only eat in one place. Two years ago when we visited I am sure they didn’t have the set menu option for the restaurants but this year you could choose a 3-course set menu and not pay anything extra. Perfect.

Customer Service

Sani resort offers one of the best customer service experiences I have ever had. I love the fact they are attentive, speak several languages and of course, deliver high customer service. Last time we went in the beginning of the season and they were exceptional. In October the staff were definitely tired after all summer working long hours and in some instances, customer service was a little less sharp as it usually is. Overall, however, the staff are always attentive and nothing is too much trouble. So I don’t think you could even notice unless you repeat visitor and more aware.

Tips

Prices during peak season, June to August, are very high. Unless you are used to spending 1000 euro a night I think you can get a decent holiday reading some of the tricks on this site. However, if you are going at the start of the summer it is much cheaper. The resort operates on full capacity almost from the first day of the opening so booking early is essential. If you want to enjoy the sunshine and swim then I recommend going in September and October when the weather is still nice but the prices are lower.

I also found cheaper rates on third party websites such as Expedia and Booking.com so you might want to try them. The links above are my affiliate links and I appreciate if you use them when booking; of course only if the price is right!

As a conclusion, Sani resort is pretty stunning and it is definitely one of my favourite places in Greece. Close to Thessaloniki airport, they offer free pick up, beautiful beaches, excursions and plenty of activities for children you can really enjoy a truly relaxing holiday without wanting to leave the resort. I will happily visit again when I want a relaxing holiday doing absolutely nothing.

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