Exotica Hotel and Spa by Zante Plaza

For this beach holiday, my main goal was to enjoy every single minute of our one-week stay in Zakynthos, and I truly did! Here are the highlights and my honest experience staying at Exotica Hotel & Spa during the first week of September:

» HIGHLIGHTS«

Hotel Room 🏨 We were assigned a Superior room that was spacious, clean, and featured a lovely balcony with a view of the main swimming pool and the ocean horizon in the distance. It had a comfy bed and plenty of storage space for our clothes and belongings.

Staff 🛎️The staff are hands-down the absolute best part of this hotel. Everyone, regardless of their role, was exceptionally kind, helpful, and made us feel right at home. Shout-out to Mary’s energy, and to our housekeeper who was so sweet, keeping the room spotless daily and changing our towels and sheets whenever requested.

Dining Team 🍽️ The entire dining and kitchen team works so hard from early morning until late night, yet they remain continuously warm, professional, and attentive, clearing plates instantly. A very special thank you goes to Bruna 💎 she is a true gem! She was genuinely caring, always checking in on how we were doing, and balancing top-tier professionalism with real warmth. Wishing you love and light on your journey, Bruna!

Food 🍰 As a vegetarian, I had plenty of delicious options to choose from across breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The main meals were fantastic! The pool bar snacks are simpler, but great for a quick bite or grabbing a fun scoop of ice cream. The dining area is spacious with great indoor and outdoor seating options.

Atmosphere & Location 🌴 The grounds are lovely with palm trees, two swimming pools, two outdoor showers (great for rinsing sand off after the beach), and plenty of sunbeds. The theme nights were fun yet tasteful, and everything wrapped up quietly by 11:00 PM. The balcony doors blocked out exterior noise very well. The hotel is also just steps away from the main street filled with tavernas, car rental spots, and excursion agencies.

Beach 🌅 We spent plenty of time enjoying the warm, calm sea! The gradual entry into the water was incredibly soothing and relaxing. We brought our own blanket and umbrella to set up near the lifeguard tower, which saved us from paying the €20 daily fee for sunbeds.

Excursions 🚤 We rented a car and booked a boat trip to Turtle Island through our agency, both of which were fantastic choices.

» THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND «

Beach Walk 🚶🏻‍♀️ The beach is roughly 500 meters away (about a 10-minute walk) without much shade along the way. However, we turned it into a positive—it was a great way to walk off all the delicious food!

Bathroom Setup 🛁 As mentioned in other reviews, the shower area would benefit from extra hooks and shelving. Knowing this beforehand, we brought our own temporary over-the-glass hooks and a suction-cup organizer for our toiletries, which solved the issue easily. The overhead rainfall shower head wasn’t operational during our stay.

Minor Details 🧐 There was a faint drain smell on a few days. Also, keep in mind that the hotel uses solar water heating, so hot water isn't readily available very late at night or early in the morning.

Overall, it was a wonderful, soul-soothing stay, and the incredible team at Exotica made it truly memorable. Highly recommended!

We loved Kalamaki and especially the Exotica. The staff absolutely make this place they’re all so amazing- the restaurant staff work so hard and are never without a smile and everyone from the cleaners to reception staff go out of their way to help you but the star employee should be Panos the barman. He works at the pool bar all day and then at the restaurant bar all evening- he greeted us every day asking about our day and I loved his sense of humour. Our room and the hotel were spotless and the bed comfortable.I was a bit dubious about the shower arrangement but it worked really well and the shower was powerful. Adequate storage space and the tea and coffee were replenished daily. Breakfast was the best meal for us but the other food was good too and we could always find something to eat - we did eat out a couple of times by choice. The location is good literally a couple of minutes from the main strip but quiet as down a side street. It took us 10/15 minutes to get to the beach well worth a visit. All in all a really enjoyable holiday