Olea All Suite Hotel Zakynthos Review — The Most Beautiful Hotel We’ve Ever Stayed In

We’ve stayed in some genuinely special hotels over the years — Four Seasons properties, boutique ryokans in Japan, overwater villas in the Maldives. But Olea All Suite Hotel in Zakynthos stopped us in our tracks in a way that few places have. From the moment we arrived, it felt completely unlike anywhere else. Here’s our honest review.

🌿 First Impressions — Design That Actually Delivers

Olea sits on a hillside on the northeastern coast of Zakynthos, surrounded by olive trees, with views over the Ionian Sea that stretch further than you can follow. The architecture is tropical-modernist — concrete, wood, water — and it avoids every cliché of Greek island design while remaining deeply rooted in the landscape around it. Reviews often compare it to Bali or Indonesia, and that’s not entirely wrong. There’s a lushness to the property, a way the built environment and the natural environment blur into each other, that feels more Southeast Asian than Mediterranean.

The suites are strung along a lagoon-like pool at the centre of the resort, creating the impression of floating villas. The whole place has a calm, considered atmosphere — like a hotel that knows exactly what it’s doing and doesn’t need to announce it.

📋 Olea All Suite Hotel — Quick Facts
Location: Tsilivi, Zakynthos — 10-min walk from Tsilivi village, 10-min drive from Zakynthos port
Suites: 89 luxurious suites, all with private pools or pool access
Restaurants: Omikron (fine dining), Flow (Mediterranean), Cocoon (poolside)
Bars: 3 on-site bars
Spa: Royal Spa — 300 sqm, hammam, deep relaxation treatments
Wellness: Yoga pavilion and classes
Note: Adults-friendly hotel (guests 12 and older)
👉 Official Website | Check availability on Booking.com

🛏️ Our Suite — Superior Water Suite Pool View

We stayed in a Superior Water Suite with pool view, and the design was the first thing that struck us. From the exterior approach to the interior details — the materials, the lighting, the way the furniture sits in the space — everything had been thought about. It’s the kind of room where you find yourself noticing details you’d normally walk past: the texture of a wall, the way natural light moves through the space at different times of day, the quality of the linens.

The private pool on the terrace was a highlight. Not huge, but perfectly positioned — the kind of pool you actually use rather than just photograph.

🛏️ Superior Water Suite Highlights
Beautifully designed interiors with natural materials throughout
Private terrace with pool view
Air conditioning, minibar, Smart TV
Natural and locally sourced toiletries
Twice-daily housekeeping

🌱 The Garden — Farm-to-Table Done Properly

One of the things that genuinely sets Olea apart is the kitchen garden. The hotel grows its own produce on site — herbs, vegetables, ingredients for the kitchen — and the difference it makes to the food is noticeable. Everything tastes fresher than it has any right to. It’s the kind of detail that sounds like marketing until you taste the food and realise it’s actually true.

This commitment to local and seasonal sourcing runs through the entire dining experience. Even the toiletries in the rooms are natural and locally sourced. It’s a property that takes its relationship with the island seriously — not as a concept, but as a practice.

🍽️ Estia Restaurant — Evening Walk Worth Taking

One evening we walked down from the hotel into the village and ended up at Estia Restaurant, a short stroll from the property. The atmosphere was exactly what you want from a Greek taverna evening — warm, unhurried, with good food and the kind of setting that makes dinner feel like an occasion rather than a meal. The food was excellent, the ambience charming, and the walk back up to the hotel afterwards was a pleasant end to the evening.

If you’re staying at Olea, Estia is worth the walk down.

📋 Estia Restaurant
Location: Tsilivi village, short walk from Olea All Suite Hotel
Known for: Warm atmosphere, traditional Greek cuisine
👉 Google Maps

✅ Tips for Staying at Olea All Suite Hotel

Book the yoga class as soon as you check in — spaces are limited
Ask for a suite with the best sea view when booking — worth specifying
Walk down to Tsilivi village in the evenings — Estia Restaurant is a great stop
The hotel runs golf carts across the property — useful given the hillside layout
Spend a morning at the Royal Spa — the hammam is exceptional
Try breakfast at Omikron — the garden-fresh ingredients make it genuinely special

✅ Final Verdict

Olea All Suite Hotel is one of the most beautiful hotels we’ve ever stayed in. It’s not just the design — though the design is extraordinary. It’s the combination of architecture, food, wellness, setting, and a genuine commitment to the island it sits on that makes it feel completely its own thing.

If you’re planning a trip to Zakynthos and want somewhere that will genuinely surprise you — this is it. Highly recommended.