Greece has long been a favourite summer holiday destination for families, what with its many characterful islands, watersports, five-star resorts and famous ancient culture to uncover – not forgetting the fantastic food too! Well, here at Infinity & Beyond Travel we are always on the lookout for the next great family getaway, a hotel that offers more than most and ideal holiday locations when travelling with kids; and we found all three, plus a little bit more, at the marvellous Sani Resort in Halkidiki.
Getting to know the Sani Resort
Ok, we hold our hands up, the wonderful Sani Resort isn’t exactly new on our radar. We’ve known about this five-star family-friendly retreat in Greece for quite some time, but a recent revamp and host of new facilities has caught our attention once more. First though, let’s take a look at why Sani Resort is just so good to begin with, even before that wave of new facilities. It starts with the location, nicely tucked away on a 5-mile stretch of white-sand beach in Halkidiki’s Kassandra Peninsula, meaning instant access to numerous beaches that both adults and little ones alike will always love. The surrounding pine forests are also perfect for playing games or enjoying an afternoon stroll to work off that gourmet lunch, and a private luxury yacht marina with boutique outlets and restaurants ensures a touch of glam too. From a family holiday perspective, Sani Resort boasts 1,000 acres of private, secure reserve that contains five 5-star luxury hotels all with their own distinctive personality, which means something to suit everybody. This ever so isolated setting also means children can roam around in safety and freedom, while you enjoy a little downtime – which then comes in many forms here!
Tiny toddlers have the Sani Creche, while slightly older children can enjoy the Mini Club, complete with games, crafts, a playground and children’s pool (the Mini Club Olympic Games and water polo are sure to provide a lot of laughs). Meanwhile teenagers then have their own get-togethers, social spaces, football coaching, sailing, a dance academy and plenty more besides. The result is all-round entertainment for babies through to even the most demanding of teens, leaving adults little else but to kick back, soak up some summery Greek sun, head to the spa or any one of multiple lagoon-style swimming pools.
Things to do at Sani Resort, Halkidiki
Another reason why this luxury Greek resort is such a winning combination for family holidays is the sheer abundance of outdoor activities, sports and adventures to be had in and around the resort itself. For anyone feeling even the slightest bit energised, there’ll certainly be no struggling for things to do here; a gift when away with bouncing children high on holiday adrenaline! You have snorkelling and scuba diving available; a KTM mountain biking club or simply bikes for hire; beekeeping classes; water-skiing and paddle-boards; bird watching walks and scenic forest trails nearby; a child-friendly splash pool; sailing adventures; archery; football; tennis; live theatre performances at the Garden Theatre on evenings, or music and themed foodie nights, depending on the time of year. Add to this the host of beaches within walking distance and those irresistible pools, over 30 separate restaurants and bars; you’ll soon see why Sani Resort is one of the most desirable Greek locations out there.
New at Sani Resort for 2019
Taking a moment to draw breath then, you’d be forgiven for thinking – what else could Sani possibly add to their already endless list of facilities and fun for 2019? The answer comes in the form of an exclusive Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre, a haven of expert coaching, top class equipment and perfectly presented courts for budding players and beginners alike. This is, in fact, the only centre of its type in Europe outside of his own tennis academy in Majorca, so it really is well worth visiting whether you would usually play at home or not. Sani’s tireless team have also introduced an innovative – and very welcome – ‘Digi-detox’ programme, whereby younger visitors are encouraged away from screens, TVs, laptops and iPhones in place of sports classes, a Chelsea FC-sponsored football school, brand new splash pool, sailing clubs and even lessons on how to build the best Lego robots. Parents love it, and we do too.
Another new addition to the already astounding Sani Resort offer is the Adventure Park, where exciting zip-wires and suspended treetop bridges are sure to get the blood pumping! It’s also good to know that every bit of this is made all the easier thanks to an innovative, dedicated service which Sani now provide, whereby on booking certain suites, a personal concierge is assigned to help with time at the creche, arranging activities or reserving your favourite table at mealtimes; magic. Adults need not feel left out, however, as the resort have also installed a new lounge at Sani Club, where beachside BBQs, seafood and carefully crafted cocktails are the order of the day, best enjoyed while little ones are being entertained at the kids club, perhaps. Finally though, as our focus here at Infinity & Beyond Travel is of course the family-friendly elements of Sani Resort right now, we can’t fail to mention the recent inclusion of a special vegan kids menu across the board but, maybe more importantly, an onsite ice cream van too.
Why book your family trip to Sani Resort?
Sani Resort really is one of the ultimate luxury family destinations in Greece, from its immaculate grounds awash with facilities to that enviable setting on the beach of Halkidiki’s Kassandra Peninsula. What’s more, this is actually every bit the indulgent adults escape too, with plenty of romantic spots, stunning spas, sun terraces, gardens to lose yourself in, beaches to stroll along and quite literally dozens of top-notch bars and restaurants that are certainly not steered towards children. That is quite a rare mix, but such is the standard and style of this masterful Greek getaway, plus the ample grounds Sani Resort has to play with when introducing each new service, facility or dedicated area. All this results in a five-star family holiday surrounded by as much elegance as enjoyment around every single corner; genius.
