Sani Resort Greece – Why this award-winning luxury resort is perfect for families

I still wanted a fabulous long sandy beach that I could walk or run along, lots of restaurants to dine at with great food and service, a swimming pool for the hubby and some activities to keep us occupied; However, I now also needed somewhere safe for children, that wasn't too busy, with age appropriate facilities & activities… Quite a tall order, but I thankfully found Sani Resort, which fit the bill perfectly!

The recipient of numerous Blue Flags for its 7km of unspoilt coastline, Sani Resort has won countless awards including Worlds Leading Family & Beach Resort at the prestigious World Travel Awards for 4 consecutive years, Europes Leading Family Resort & Worlds Leading Luxury Green Resort. It was the first certified resort in Greece with a zero carbon footprint awarded in 2020. With a direct flight from Dublin to Thessaloniki in under 4 hours, the boxes were well & truly ticked.

Complimentary inclusions to elevate your experience & ensure you can relax. Sani Resort offers spacious suites equipped with everything our family would need, child-friendly pools, specially designed children's menus from Annabel Karmel across the resort, kids club & beachside babysitting, yoga, pilates, aqua aerobics, guided hikes and a family friendly boat cruise. What more could we ask for? (Additional services such as private nannies & evening babysitting are also available at a charge.)

Sani Resort offers exceptional in-room facilities for baby's & children, meaning you can travel a little lighter - bottle warmers & sterilisers, white noise machines, night lights, cots, bed guards, audio & video monitors, highchairs, changing mats, bath seats, potty & toilet seats, thermometers & even strollers. Everything is taken care of. Older children can choose from the Chelsea FC football academy, Rafa Nadal tennis centre, Bear Grylls survival academy, a host of water sports, treetop adventures with ziplines, bicycle hire & more. Teenagers have their own dedicated space at Sani Marina. (Note there is a charge for the academies). It is best to pre-book as much as you can before arrival to avoid disappointment.

Five 5 star hotels, one resort

I specifically chose Sani Club for our stay, as the accommodation is very spacious, modern & luxurious. This hotel sits at the far end of the resort, on a hilltop with fabulous views of the Aegean sea and the surrounding pine forests. It offers seclusion, with a fabulous beach & all the facilities you would require on your doorstep plus the facilities of the other hotels within easy reach (complimentary shuttle bus). We chose a Junior Suite Grand Balcony. For ultimate privacy, upgrade to a suite with your own private garden &/or pool. Ask me about other accommodation options available at this stunning resort.

Restaurants & bars

Accommodation at Sani Resort ranges from B&B to Half Board & Full Board on a fantastic dine-around program. There is no All-inclusive meal plan. At the time of booking (early booking offer) we received complimentary airport transfers, a complimentary upgrade from Half Board to Full Board & the children stayed free. ** Book in advance!! ** Home to 27 unique restaurants & 13 bars, scattered throughout the resort including the Marina, you are spoilt for choice. There is a lovely laid-back atmosphere, where children are welcomed with open arms & have their own menus with great healthy options to choose from. No matter where we ate, the food was always excellent. The service was impeccable & always very warm & friendly. You can avail of a set menu at various restaurants or choose to dine a la carte with a credit towards your meal. You can pre-book restaurants on the resort app or at the concierge desk.

I loved that we could choose where we wanted to dine & were not limited to our chosen hotel. We could have an a la carte breakfast with fantastic views, lunch at a beachside restaurant or by the pool & dinner in a traditional Greek restaurant at the Marina. My favourite was The Beach House at Sani Dunes, which had amazing food & the most comfortable loungers. We tried the Asian restaurant one evening, which did not disappoint with plenty of options for children. The Italian restaurant was also a big hit. Nightlife includes live music, parties on the beach & white night events at Bousoulas Beach Club. We attended the white night event with the children & they had great fun dancing together with their little friends for a short time before we called it a night. It was great to be able to enjoy it together, even for a short time.

A day at Sani Resort

After breakfast one morning the children danced around to Peppa Pig in the kids club pretending that they were jumping in muddy puddles, before we moved on to the playground & children's splash pool. After lunch, we rented a pedal boat which had a slide into the water. Life jackets with whistles were provided for the kids. They had great fun blowing the whistles & instructing us where to ‘sail’ to next. We then spent time making sand castles & burying each other in the sand, before getting ready for a lovely sunset meal.

Overall, I would return to Sani Resort in a heartbeat & I don't say that about many places; Variety is the spice of life after all, but it really is this good. It is also a great option for a multi-generational holiday in my opinion. With a wide variety of accommodation options, excellent dining, it is very safe & easy to get around & there is so much to do to suit all ages. I would recommend that you put Sani high on your travel wish list! And book early!