Before having children, my ideal holidays involved a beautiful, luxurious and comfortable hotel where everything was taken care of and you could truly relax. Since having kids, I want the same things! I just have two miniature humans who I need to make sure also have a great time…
Enter Sani. The holiday resort that combines luxury hotels, pristine beaches, and activities for both parents and kids. Even though I hadn’t heard about Sani until after GG was born in 2023, it appears families have been raving about it for years.
But you might be wondering… is it really worth the hype? If you’re spending all that money, is it actually worth it or should you choose somewhere else? There are, after all, a number of luxury Greek resorts you could visit.
I’ve dived into what makes Sani Resort an extremely popular choice for families, and why you might consider booking the resort for your next family holiday.
The Charm Of Sani
The Sani Resort is a family-owned collection of luxury 5-star hotel properties, located on the beautiful Kassandra peninsula in Halkidiki (flying in to Thessaloniki International Airport is the best way to get there).
With its crystal clear turquoise waters and pine forests, this luxury resort- which stretches over 1,000 acres of ecological reserve (and I have experienced firsthand)- is a genuinely piece of heaven on earth.
What sets Sani apart is the amazing levels of dedication to families, and their efforts to make everything as enjoyable, easy and seamless as possible. You’d be hard pressed to find a hotel with service that can beat what’s delivered by the staff at Sani.
In April 2024 we spent a week in Sani with our 8 month old and 2 year old. And you know that feeling of coming to an end of your holiday and feeling like you need a second holiday to relax after the first holiday…?
Yeah, that didn’t happen after 7 days in Sani.
Read on to find out why!
Accommodations: A Home Away From Home
Sani Resort isn’t just one hotel – it’s a collection of five distinct properties, each with its own unique charm. For our trip in April 2024 we stayed in Porto Sani, but we had other family members staying in Sani Beach and Sani Dunes, so got a really good feel for the different areas of the resort.
I’m going to dive in and take a closer look at each of these hotels:
Sani Beach
Sani Beach is the closest to a hotel feel as you’ll get, and is the ‘entry level’ accommodation on the resort. Don’t let that deter you in any way though, there is nothing entry-level about the experience. Half of our group stayed at Sani Beach during our trip, and absolutely loved it! It’s the perfect place for families seeking a lively atmosphere with a large buffet style restaurant on site.
Sani Beach has direct access to a 7km stretch of Blue Flag beach, spacious rooms and suites (many with sea views), and accommodates families of all sizes. It is also the most all-round child-friendly, and includes a huge playground, multiple splash pools, swimming pools overlooking the sea, a creche, kids club and private beach. Phew!
Key features:
• 392 rooms and suites
• Lagoon-style pools and children’s pools
• Kids’ clubs and teens’ club
• Sports facilities including tennis courts and water sports centre
Sani Beach is for you if your family loves to be in the thick of it all, with easy access to an on-site convenience store, restaurants, bars, and all the activities. I’d consider staying here once GG and TJ reach pre-school age and upwards.
Porto Sani
For families who prefer a more peaceful setting, Porto Sani provides a luxurious all-suite experience. The air in Porto Sani air is laced with the incredible scent of jasmine flowers, the environment is serene, and the tailored services are next-level. This hotel is perfect for families with babies and toddlers. We stayed in an suuuper comfortable one bedroom suite at Porto Sani, which was perfectly sized for the 4 of us . I’m going to be writing a more detailed review of it soon, so look out for that! After 3 days at Porto Sani, I actually booked for us to return for another 2 trips within the following 12 months- I loved it THAT much.
But if you have any questions for now, drop them in the comments and I’ll come back to you.
Key Features
- 148 suites, all with living areas and balconies or gardens
- Kids’ pool and toddler splash pad
- Indoor and outdoor pools
- Adult-only pools, and a beautiful spa
- Incredible buffet-style restaurant called Artemis
Porto Sani doesn’t have its own private beach, but you don’t actually need that when you have access to all other beaches on the resort. And (in my opinion) the best pools are at Porto. The location of being right next to the marina also means families can explore the resort’s dining and shopping options while enjoying a more peaceful atmosphere.
Sani Club
Sani Club is located on a hill at the very edge of the Sani Resort and is surrounded by forests and a beautiful blue bay. The accommodation is hillside bungalows, all with stunning views of Mount Olympus and the bright blue Aegean Sea. It is the quietest of the five Sani hotels and ideal for relaxation. Sani Club is perfect for you if your family is looking for a private setting, between the forests and sea.
Key features:
- 253 guest rooms and suites, many with private pools
- Low-rise bungalows spread over a gentle hill
- Private beach area with shallow waters for kids
- Kids’ club and creche facilities
Families at Sani Club can have a more secluded experience while still being close to all Sani Resort facilities. You can walk down to the rest of the resort in about 10 mins, or request a golf buggy to whizz you down.
Sani Dunes
Sani Dunes is where my mother stayed during our trip. It is definitely more adult-oriented, but they do welcome families with children over 12. So yep I’d say this hotel is perfect if you’re adults travelling on your own, or you’re a family with teens. That being said, older kids would still love each of the other properties too, so don’t feel like Dunes is your only option. No matter where you stay, it’s a dream.
Key features:
- 146 rooms and suites, all with pool or marina views
- Heated indoor and outdoor pools
- Spa and fitness centre
- Beach access
Sani Dunes is a really peaceful retreat where you can have an adult-oriented atmosphere without sacrificing on any of the family-friendly facilities.
Sani Asterias
The most exclusive, private (and expensive) of them all, Sani Asterias is where you’re going to find the greatest boutique-luxury-hotel experience. It’s best for families who are looking for privacy and a high-end personal concierge service.
Key features:
- 57 suites, including beachfront
- Private beach area
- 24-hour butler service
- Michelin-starred restaurant on site
Sani Asterias has its all-, spacious suites and top-notch amenities. Sani Asterias was being completely refurbished when we visited in April 2024 so we didn’t get a chance to take a look, but you can be guaranteed that everything will be super new, fresh and comfortable having only just been refurbished this year.
Family Activities At Sani
One of the main challenges I’m aware of when it comes to family travel, especially with children beyond toddler age, is being able to keep everyone happy and entertained. Luckily, that’s never ever an issue at Sani.
Beyond visiting the pools and beaches, there is a full schedule of activities that will take you and the children from morning through to night every day. What I loved is the convenience of it all, you can book all activities on the Sani App, or through your personal concierge.
For The Whole Family, You Can Find
- 7 stunning Blue Flag beaches with crystal-clear waters
- Multiple swimming pools, including infinity pools with stunning views
- Evening entertainment and live shows at the open-air garden theatre
- Eco-activities and nature walks with expert guides
Activities For The Kids
• Sani Creche (6 months – 4 years): Fully equipped childcare facilities operating to UK OFSTED standards
• Kids Club (4 – 12 years): Supervised activities, arts and crafts and outdoor adventures
• Ozone Teen Club (13 – 17 years): Gaming consoles, organised sports and social events
• Chelsea FCF Football Academy: Another option for football enthusiasts
• Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre: Tennis lessons for all levels
• Bear Grylls: Survival Academy
Activities For The Adults
- Spa treatments
- Fitness classes and personal training at the numerous indoor and outdoor gyms
- Water sports and scuba diving at the Sani Marina
- Guided hikes and bike tours in the pine forest
The Restaurants
When it comes to dining, there is so much to say that I feel like the restaurants deserve a whole post of their own! I did loads of research on the restaurants in the week before travelling to Sani, and despite that I was still VERY confused about how it all worked. Iit took me a good couple of days to get my head around the system with the restaurants and the ‘Dine Around’ programme.
Essentially, there are over 40 restaurants and bars across the resort. Some are buffet-style all you can eat (but make it fancy!), some are Michelin star, some are cafe and taverna style. But what is guaranteed is there are options to cater to literally any tastes. I’m gluten free (sad) and pescatarian, and never had an issue with finding something to eat. Also, every restaurant serves super fresh and healthy pureed food for babies, at any time of day, at no cost. This was huuuge for us
To explain the Dine Around programme as simply as I can… The majority of the restaurants have a ‘Dine Around Menu’, this is a set menu specific to the restaurant – available for adults, and kids. You can dine from the Dine Around menu without any additional charges to your room.
There’s generally something on that menu that will please your whole party. However, if you’d like to eat from the a la carte restaurant menus (also available), you’ll have to pay the cost of what you’ve ordered, minus the allowance each person is given each day.
That allowance depends on the resort you’re staying at, but is between 20-40 euro allowance per person per meal. It’s worth noting that this is specific to lunches and dinners. Breakfast is served at the restaurant of the hotel you’re staying at.
There are also some restaurants where there is no Dine Around MenU. If you choose to eat there, you’ll have to use your meal allowance, and then pay any additional.
The final thing to be aware of is that (unlike the sister resorts of IKOS), Sani’s ‘all inclusive’ does not cover drinks. If you fancy a drink you’ll have to cover the cost yourself.
My Top Restaurant Picks
After only one week there, we didn’t get to try out every restaurant ( some are adult only). I’m also a creature of habit, so if I’ve tried somewhere I like, I want to go back!! Here are my picks for family dining at Sani:
- Artemis at Porto Sani– this buffet style restaurant has an incredible selection of delicious food, and they open earlier than other restaurants- at 6pm- which is ideal when you’re feeding a newly weaned baby and a toddler, and bedtime is at 7:30pm
- Sea You Beach House: Delicious mediterranean seafood, with a stunning view
- Macaroni Italian Restaurant: we LOVED the food here, it’s really authentic Italian, the staff are just so lovely and kind, and they have a kids pasta and pizza menu
- Psaryannos, a Greek-style restaurant on the Marina: This restaurant is all about the Greek meze, and it’s in a beautiful setting. The food is incredible, and you will not leave hungry!
- The Market: International buffet with live cooking stations
The Sani Difference
What really sets Sani Resort apart is the attention to detail and the constant pursuit of excellence. Sustainability is also at the heart of running the resort- which was a big tick for me.
You can expect:
- 24-hour room service
- Complimentary kids’ clubs and activities
- Water sports
- Access to the Sani Resort app for easy bookings and information
- Sani Adventure Park with zip lines and high ropes or a movie under the stars at the outdoor cinema.
- No single-use plastics on site
- Food sourced from local suppliers
- Electric cars and golf buggies for guest transportation
- Recycling programmes
- Beach clean-up and educational activities for kids, which not only reduces the environmental footprint but also provide a learning experience and a sense of responsibility towards the environment.
Special Family Services
So as you may have already concluded, Sani goes the extra mile to make your family holiday stress-free. Further wonderful elements of the resort include:
- Babewatch: Free childcare on the beach
- Teen Spa: Treatments for younger guests
- Family Pools: Pools of varying depths, starting from 10cm, so (supervised) children of all ages can have a wonderful time playing!
- Baby Equipment: Strollers, bottle warmers, sterilisers, white noise machines, black out curtains in the rooms… all available free of charge- you just request from your concierge!
Is Sani Resort Worth It?
As I mentioned earlier in this post, 3 days into our April trip to Sani, I booked another two holidays in Sani within the following 12 months. I absolutely loved it, and I’ll tell that to anyone who’ll listen! It’s definitely not for everyone, but for my family I am looking for:
- A comfortable, luxury resort
- EVERYTHING taken care of so I don’t feel the day-today stresses of family life at home
- A personal concierge
- Super friendly staff who all genuinely seem to love their jobs, and love being around kids
- Multiple fun exercise options for me rather, than just going to the gym
- A host of kids activities for both good and bad weather (not just indoor and outdoor swimming pools)
- Amazing food
I know… it looks like quite a high maintenance list… But honestly, Sani delivers on every single point.
It is perfect for families looking for a luxurious, action-packed holiday. Yes, it may well be more expensive than some other resorts, but I found it really good value for the location, quality of resort, level of service and the facilities.
From the moment you arrive to the moment you leave, Sani just envelops you in comfort, adventure and incredible Greek hospitality (and can we please talk about how the air there smells SO GOOD?!).
It’s a place where parents can really relax, and even if your kids are really young – they’ll have the time of their lives in a safe and fun environment.
Sani Resort is a place where luxury meets family friendly in the best possible way. I cannot wait to return again at the end of the summer.