Sani Resort is popular with Russians, and perhaps outside Russia too, for its high quality service, accommodation and location- and child friendliness. Near Halhidiki, it is a short drive from the airport. For this, in the summer season, you really need an air-conditioned car. The resort is composed of several different areas: a central hotel with two blocks, a luxury villa village, plus apartments on a third side. Cheap it is not, but with an all-inclusive rate covering food in most of its restaurants it is very convenient. When I was there I stayed in the hotel and worked all day in the villa area, so I know both quite well. The villas are excellent, with en-suite and swimming pools. Once when I was there, at the end of the World Cup football in 2018, Harry Kane, the England football captain, was staying there- it’s that kind of place. Food and catering is largely set up for children, with all the children’s favourites: fish and chips, pizza, ice cream… There are plenty of excellent adult food options too- everyone will be very happy.
I was working with a 4-year-old boy, for which you need plenty of games and entertainment. He was learning to swim and this was one of the main reasons to visit. Fine white sand and warm, shallow, clean sea make for a wonderful place to splash around in the water. There are pedalos with slides into the water which make for great fun. There is a small aqua park area in the sea with bigger inflatable slides and fun things for kids. There are boat trips to see dolphins at sunset, and snorkelling around the hotel’s beaches. The sea is very warm. It is great for beginner swimmers. There is para-sailing too.
The whole resort is in a traffic restricted area. There is an occasional passing taxi but apart from that the only traffic is the buzzing golf buggies ferrying guests around the resort. You can book one any time by phone- they cost a few dollars per ride. There is plenty of potential for riding bikes and scooters around the resort, on wide asphalt paths and footpaths that criss cross the area. There are marshlands to visit and forest areas not for from the hotel- there are running tracks too for early mornings- after about 8 am it is usually too hot. Generally I would say the resort area is extremely safe, with the exception of the marina area, if your kid can’t swim. Having said that, if your kid does run off, there are plenty of places to hide, so better to keep them close! There are also numerous shops around the resort, selling toys, books, high-end clothes and souvenirs, plus the usual sun cream and everyday necessities.
For children specifically, of all ages, there is quite a lot. There is at least one crèche with inside and outside play areas- its a good way for young children to socialise a bit. There is a good adventure playground with things for ten year olds and even young teenagers. There is bike and scooter hire. Every day there is a wide range of activities on for entertaining your or your employer’s children- from simply playing in the sand to clay modelling, painting, dressing up, group games and theatre school. This last one is quite impressive- every few days there is a new theatre performance at a building in the middle of the park. It is great to simply spectate, and a great advert for the kids to get involved in the drama school. There is a large number of sports activities too, including tennis academy, football academy, sailing, scuba diving, Bear Grylls’ Survival….There is an app that you can download which gives you all the information you need- it really is convenient. Very good stuff.
Overview
+ great location, right on the beach
+ great range of activities for children of all ages
+ great all-inclusive arrangement
+ great child-care services
+ very good, safe environment
- It’s so good you will have to keep going back