Review: Lesante Blu, Zakynthos (Greece)

Wednesday newsletters always feature a hotel or flight review.

Last month (July 2023), I enjoyed a wonderful holiday where I stayed at two five-star resorts managed by the Lesante Collection: family-friendly Lesante Cape Resort & Villas and adults-only Lesante Blue.

Review: Lesante Cape Resort & Villas
Review: Lesante Blu (today)

Today: Review of Lesante Blu, Zakynthos (Greece)

Hotel website: Lesante Blu
Location: Google maps

True to its name, Lesante Blu – a member of The Leading Hotels of the World – is surrounded by spectacular views of the Ionian Sea offering privacy and peace of mind to the discerning traveler. At Lesante Blu, the defining premise is, “it’s all about you.” This attentive and caring approach is manifested through the adults-only concept, as much as it is through private pools and the state-of-the-art suites. Fine dining restaurants with Mediterranean flavors prepared by the Executive Chef Ispiroudis Nikos enhance the culinary offerings. Among the other memorable experiences and premium amenities to be savored: complete tranquility and rejuvenating moments in the Essence Spa with Germaine de Cappucini treatments and private yacht cruises to the Blue Caves and the world famous beaches of Zakynthos.

Lesante Blu features in my top 10 list of the best hotels & resorts in Zakynthos.

Have you ever stayed at Lesante Blu? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment.

In this review (more info and photos below my YouTube video):

PROS & THINGS I LIKE

Together with its sister resort, family-friendly Lesante Cape Resort & Villas, adults-only Lesante Blu is one of the best 5-star hotels on the beautiful island of Zakynthos, also known as Zante. Sunshine all day long, picturesque beaches, vibrant turquoise waters and Zakynthos’ spirited heart offer travelers a traditional Greek summer holiday. Insanely beautiful Navagio Beach (Shipwrech Beach) on the northwest coast and the endangered Loggerhead sea turtles that inhabit the waters on the southeast coast are the island’s most famous attractions. And Lesante Blu places you in the middle of the action, as the resort is situated on the edge of the buzzing area of Tsivili. Offering the best of two worlds, you can seek to become a part of Tsivili’s party-vibe or retreat into the resort’s tranquil serenity.

Lesante Blu features a modern design, created by the architecture and design office “Dedalo Progetti” and Yiannis Kiratsos. The property is comprised of five hillside buildings, which are topped by the hotel’s light-flooded lobby and located right above the pool area and the private beach. The hotel pavilions are laid out on parallel lines and blurred corners to protect privacy and provide unobstructed views of the sea. The architecture is inspired by the luxury of sailing boats with dynamic lines, white walls, subtle wood touches and large aluminum glazed windows. The sailing theme continues on the inside, with bright, white interiors that contrast with the azure blue of the sea and the lush green of the grass lawns in front of the hotel, while the rich use of wood on floors and walls offers discreet luxury.

Lesante Blu features 92 suites, which all boast sea views across Kefalonia from spacious balconies and terraces, some of which feature private pools or Jacuzzis. The suites come in six categories, ranging from double suites with sea view to the Royal Grand suite with sea view and private pool (Lesante Blu’s most proud creation). During my holiday, I stayed in deluxe suite sea view with private pool on the resort’s ground floor. The spacious suite featured an elegant bedroom and sitting area in open plan style, a lavish marble-lined bathroom with standalone spa bathtub and shower cabin, as well as a private terrace with swimming pool facing the resort’s lawn and the Ionian Sea. The suite’s minimalist esthetic was offset by a neutral color palette, modern furnishings and some locally inspired design touches.

If you dream of relaxing under endless blue skies all day long while tasting delicious summery cocktails, you will love Lesante Blue’s infinity pool and private beach. Overlooking the blue waters of the Ionian Sea with the silhouette of Kefalonia island on the horizon, the magnificent infinity pool is shaped in the form of a letter L, with one leg of the L being shallow while the other leg is quite deep. The pool is perfect for both taking a refreshing dip or swimming laps, and is surrounded by dozens of sun loungers, including several front row floating sun loungers which are popular among hotel’s goodlooking guests. A staircase descends from the pool area to the a small, private beach, where you’ll find several sun loungers, a wooden sundeck on stilts (with cabanas) and a jetty stretching far out to sea.

Lesante Blu offers three excellent concept restaurants: by the pool, the à la carte and the main restaurant. Featuring elegant surroundings, overlooking the gorgeous gardens, the Ionian sea and the majestic pool, each concept restaurant offers a unique tasting experience:
- Located next to the lobby, Gaia Restaurant serves breakfast each morning (until 11 am). Breakfast is comprised of a great buffet (including dozens of pastries, cakes and tarts) and hot dishes which can be ordered from a menu (eggs, waffles, pancakes). At night, Gaia Restaurant is also open for dinner with a rotating 5-course menu (guests on the halfboard plan will have their dinners here, although they can also dine at the other restaurants for a supplement).
- Awarded with one FNL star and named as ‘Best Fine Dining Luxury Unique Experience in Southern Europe 2020′, Melia Fine Dining is the resort’s signature restaurant and the best fine restaurant on Zakynthos. The poolside venue, directly fronting the Ionian Sea, offers a gastronimc journey created by Executive Chef Nikos Ispiroudis with a menu inspired by the multicultural character of Zakynthos’ history and the local cooking tradition.
- Also located next to the pool is Ostria All Day Restaurant. The à la carte restaurant serves fresh fish from the catch of the day, a variety of cuts and Greek traditional dishes. For lunch, the venues offers snacks, light meals and delicious suhi.

Lesante Blu features a small, intimate spa, which is located one floor below the grand lobby. Called the “Essence Wellness & Spa”, the facility offers a wide range of treatments by Germaine de Capuccini which have been selected to relax and recharge the body and mind. Spa facilities include an indoor heated pool (which also has an outdoor section), three massage treatment rooms, a sauna, hamam, cold water splash and indoor heated Jacuzzi. Next to the spa is also a hair & nail salon. If remaining active by doing sports is your idea of wellness, the resort also offers personal training, a fully equipped gym (which is located right next to the spa) and a tennis court.

Just like its sister resort Lesante Cape Resort & Villas, Lesante Blu is counted among the portfolio of the Leading Hotels of the World (LHW). The latter is an exclusive collection of more than 400 luxury hotels and resorts in over 80 countries. LHW does not own hotels; it rather offers a reservation service for independent hotels and supports sales and marketing, advertising and public relations, financial services, quality control, and hotel inspections for its member properties. LHW has many iconic properties in its portfolio, such as such as the 12 Apostles Hotel in Cape Town, The Datai Langkawi in Malaysia, Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin, Le Sirenuse in Positano (Italy), Il Sereno Lake Como (Italy), and the Gstaad Palace in Switzerland. LHW also has its own loyalty program, which allows you to collect points at LHW properties and spend them for free nights at LHW hotels & resorts.

CONS & THINGS TO KNOW

The suites at Lesante Blu feature an open-plan layout as there is no real partition between the bathroom and bedroom (and in addition, toilets are only separated by a thin glass door). Of course, Lesante Blu is an adults-only resort and mainly appeals to couples (for whom an open-plan layout may add an extra romantic touch). But if you’re traveling with a friend or family member and not your loved one, just keep in mind that the bathroom do not offer a lot of privacy.

The beach at Lesante Blu is a narrow strip of sand (mixed with pebbles) and pretty much packed with sunbeds and umbrellas. Also, compared to some images of the resort from a couple of years ago, it looks like if the beach has eroded a bit in some parts (especially on the northern edge of the resort), which might be the consequence of a natural process of course. But while the beach might not be the best in Zakynthos, it is completely private, features crystal clear waters and feels very tranquil, hence why I preferred it much more to relax here as compared to the overcrowded public beaches on other parts of the island.

Although the pool area features plenty of sun loungers (arranged in a rather unusual rectangular layout around a small grassy field), only few of them offer unobstructed sea views (e.g. the sun beds in the first row as well as the floating sun loungers in the pool). When the hotel is busy, some guests are taking these sun beds early morning, only to show up again after a few hours which is a bit annoying (although it’s hard to blame the hotel for that). That said, next to the pool area is a beautiful lawn which is not used in any way (except for the rare landing of a helicopter); perhaps the hotel management could consider putting some extra loungers on the sea-front edge of this lawn to offer more guests the possibility to relax with an open view of the sea.

Lesante Blu is located in a small village and except for a few bars, there’s nothing of real interest within walking distance from the hotel. If you want to go to Tsivili or Zakynthos Town, you’ll need a taxi. If you’re going on a tour on the island, you would be better off booking a transfer or renting a car (both of which can be arranged through the resort’s excellent concierge team). However, for mosts guests, the secluded location of the hotel won’t be a problem at all since they hardly leave the hotel’s inviting resort grounds and its excellent facilities during their holiday (except perhaps for a boat trip to Navagio Beach)

MY VERDICT

Location: 7/10
Design: 8/10
Pool: 9/10
Rooms: 8/10
Food: 9/10
Breakfast: 9/10
Spa: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Wow factor: 8/10
Value for money: 9/10
Overall experience: very good – 8,4/10

TIPS FOR FUTURE GUESTS & SAVE MONEY

Save money: read here my tips for getting the best deal at a luxury hotel like Lesante Blu (and/or receive many free perks).

Read my tips for preparing your trip in time.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

June and September are the best months to visit Zakynthos: the weather is warm and sunny and touristy sites are less crowded. July and August are high season and you will pay premium prices at hotels and also meet many other tourists; the weather is hot (too hot for some) but you can always cool off with a boat trip. April, May and October are low season months: the weather is mostly sunny, but in April-May the sea is still quite cool for swimming and occasional rainy days may occur. Many hotels, restaurants and bars are closed from November to April.

HOW TO GET THERE

Lesante Blu is a 20 min drive from Zakynthos Island’s international airport. Click here for a continuously updated list of airlines that offer direct flights to Zakynthos.