Review: Sani Dunes

_Location: In mainland Greece on Halkidiki’s Kassandra peninsula, sandwiched between the Aegean, wetlands and forests. Sani Dunes is roughly an hour’s drive from Thessaloniki airport.

_{First impressions:} It isn’t until you’re given a resort map on check[1]in that you really appreciate this property’s sheer size. Sani Dunes is part of the wider Sani Resort, which is scattered across 400 hectares of land on the Halkidiki coast.

The map is so big I find myself a little overwhelmed as the gentleman checking us in points out some of the hotel highlights – and, we soon discover, there are many. Sani is one of the brands I’ve written about most in my time as editor of Aspire.

It’s an evergreen hotel that is always popular with affluent clients and it didn’t take me long to discover why. It is constantly upgrading and innovating, a must given the level of repeat business the hotel attracts. The lobby is vast, with statement art pieces and plenty of places to lounge.

It unfurls onto a terrace that in turn leads to an enormous lagoon-style pool – the largest heated pool in Greece. The pool zigzags through Sani Dunes, sweeping past almost every room and suite. You’re never more than a few footsteps away from the water’s edge.

_{The facts:} Sani Dunes is one of five properties at Sani Resort (alongside Sani Beach, Sani Club, Porto Sani and Sani Asterias). Each is interlinked and guests are encouraged to use all the facilities. Sani Dunes has 136 rooms and suites; the lead-in rooms are quite small but the higher categories are truly impressive.

Across the entire resort there are 39 bars and restaurants, 10 swimming pools, five spas, six miles of forest trails and four miles of beach. In Sani Dunes you’ll find a spa and gym, while on the food front there’s The Market restaurant, Fresco Wine Bar and the Beach House, my favourite spot during our stay.

Across the wider property the culinary options are expansive, from traditional Greek tavernas and Spanish tapas restaurants to Asian fusion and Japanese-focused eateries. Some venues are adult-only but most welcome children, and all should be booked in advance of your client’s stay as we found it tricky to reserve anything on arrival. The hotel offers a Sani Dine Around programme that allows you to dine at most of the restaurants as part of the half or full-board offering.

As well as having à la carte choices, the participating restaurants have a set menu for the Dine Around scheme. Families adore this hotel, because there are plenty of activities on offer. It has a partnership with Chelsea Football Club, with coaching sessions available between April and October for those aged four to 16 years old.

There are also tennis courts aplenty, including a Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre, while adventurous types should head to the Bear Grylls Survival Academy. Scuba Diving, sailing, biking, watersports…you name it, you can do it at Sani. There’s even a Triathlon Academy for anyone who fancies swimming, running and cycling around the resort.

_{Ideal for:} Families. Those with very young tots need not fear because this hotel guarantees a stress-free holiday. Sani provides everything from buggies and baby baths to bottle warmers and sterilisers. It even provides white noise machines, night lights, Groclocks and video monitors. I particularly loved the Babewatch service – 30 minutes of complimentary beachside babysitting is available at five of the resort’s beaches allowing parents to go for a quick dip or simply sit in peace.

_Explore: I imagine most clients don’t leave the confines of the wider Sani Resort. But that’s understandable, because the site caters to all needs.

_Wow: The choice on offer is very impressive. You could never be bored at this hotel, in fact you’ll struggle to fit everything on offer into your stay, which must give guests ample reason to return. My husband was also wowed by the number of football stars staying there, and was very jealous when he heard that other guests had enjoyed a morning game of tennis with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

_{Book it:} A night at Sani Dunes in a double room with private garden starts from €220 on a half-board basis.
sani-resort.com