Panorama Studios & Apartments — Hotel in Zakynthos Municipality

Let me start this review by telling you a very brief story about our trip to Zakynthos. (Skip to the dotted line for a more focused review - though we recommend reading all of it)||My missus and I were supposed to fly in in June 2018 from Hamburg.||It was, however, that fateful day where Hamburg Airport had that blackout. So all flights (including our's) were canceled. Now, the next flight would only be available a whole week later. So our option was to either drop the whole thing and go home or find another way.||Finding another way we did!||We took a train from Hamburg to Berlin, booked a flight from Berlin to Paris, and another from Paris to Athens. So far so good. However, the next flight from Athens to Zakynthos wouldn't be for another few days. So we called up Chris (The owner/owners' son) who has been very attentive and forthcoming since we booked the apartment.||And what can I tell you... The man is a legend! He quickly came up with the idea to take a bus from Athens to Kilini and a ferry from Kilini to Zakynthos. And that's not all. He actually took the burden of having to buy tickets online (with our mobile) for the bus and ferry ourselves from us! He was in constant contact via mail and phone checking on our progress and well-being throughout our whole odyssey to Zakynthos (his words ;) ).||- - - - - - - - - - - - -||||When we arrived, we were welcomed like family and we immediately felt like home.||Chris and his mother took very good care of us. Alexandra (the wonderful cleaning lady) was very thorough and super nice. She even washed our dishes when we had left the apartment in a hurry (because we wanted to get to the beach early). Disclaimer: Don't leave a mess for her... Just because it's someone's job to clean up after you, you don't have to push it.||The Panorama Studios & Apartments is a very clean and beautiful place. Very well kept and taken care of. The rooms are beautifully furnished and clean as well. Sheets and towels are changed every 2 days (while you're out) and the rooms are being cleaned every day. The view is wonderful! We had one of the bottom apartments and only had a good view of the beautiful little yard for the first week, but moved up a floor, because a disabled lady wanted to book last-minute and Chris kindly asked us to move apartments so he could cater to her needs and give her a more easily accessible apartment on the ground floor (Something that speaks volumes about his attentiveness and customer oriented management style).||||Ammoudi is a very small village and thus the whole place is quite calm and quiet. There is a small all-in-stock little mini market where you can get most of what you need (even soy milk!). The owners are very friendly and helpful. From the hotel it is less than 5 minutes to Ammoudi beach on foot and about 5 minutes to Psarou beach by car (which we do recommend to rent - Just ask Chris, he knows a guy ;) )||Also within walking distance (less than 2 minutes) is the amazing Axilion Restaurant with a great view of the ocean and even better food (Vegan options available!)||||All in all, we couldn't think of a better place to stay on Zakynthos. The Panorama Studios & Apartments experience couldn't have been any better, and we will definitely come back to our...

Let me start this review by telling you a very brief story about our trip to Zakynthos. (Skip to the dotted line for a more focused review - though we recommend reading all of it) My missus and I were supposed to fly in in June 2018 from Hamburg. It was, however, that fateful day where Hamburg Airport had that blackout. So all flights (including our's) were canceled. Now, the next flight would only be available a whole week later. So our option was to either drop the whole thing and go home or find another way. Finding another way we did! We took a train from Hamburg to Berlin, booked a flight from Berlin to Paris, and another from Paris to Athens. So far so good. However, the next flight from Athens to Zakynthos wouldn't be for another few days. So we called up Chris (The owner/owners' son) who has been very attentive and forthcoming since we booked the apartment. And what can I tell you... The man is a legend! He quickly came up with the idea to take a bus from Athens to Kilini and a ferry from Kilini to Zakynthos. And that's not all. He actually took the burden of having to buy tickets online (with our mobile) for the bus and ferry ourselves from us! He was in constant contact via mail and phone checking on our progress and well-being throughout our whole odyssey to Zakynthos (his words ;) ). When we arrived, we were welcomed like family and we immediately felt like home. Chris and his mother took very good care of us. Alexandra (the wonderful cleaning lady) was very thorough and super nice. She even washed our dishes when we had left the apartment in a hurry (because we wanted to get to the beach early). Disclaimer: Don't leave a mess for her... Just because it's someone's job to clean up after you, you don't have to push it. The Panorama Studios & Apartments is a very clean and beautiful place. Very well kept and taken care of. The rooms are beautifully furnished and clean as well. Sheets and towels are changed every 2 days (while you're out) and the rooms are being cleaned every day. The view is wonderful! We had one of the bottom apartments and only had a good view of the beautiful little yard for the first week, but moved up a floor, because a disabled lady wanted to book last-minute and Chris kindly asked us to move apartments so he could cater to her needs and give her a more easily accessible apartment on the ground floor (Something that speaks volumes about his attentiveness and customer oriented management style).

Ammoudi is a very small village and thus the whole place is quite calm and quiet. There is a small all-in-stock little mini market where you can get most of what you need (even soy milk!). The owners are very friendly and helpful. From the hotel it is less than 5 minutes to Ammoudi beach on foot and about 5 minutes to Psarou beach by car (which we do recommend to rent - Just ask Chris, he knows a guy ;) ) Also within walking distance (less than 2 minutes) is the amazing Axilion Restaurant with a great view of the ocean and even better food (Vegan options available!)

All in all, we couldn't think of a better place to stay on Zakynthos. The Panorama Studios & Apartments experience couldn't have been any better, and we will definitely come back to our...

It was a return visit for my daughter and her family - a first time for me. The warmest of welcomes started at the airport where Chris, son of the owners, picked us up and took us to Amoudi. Chris is a teacher, a history buff and the possessor of an astonishing fluency in English which he learnt at Uni in Hungary ! What a nice guy. The Panorama is a family business and everything you could wish for in facilities. Amoudi is a small village, its beach less than 5 minutes away. Uncrowded, unspoilt, clean as a whistle. A "stock everything" little supermarket is on the doorstep if you want to self-cater, but you would be daft to want to. We went to every restaurant and were greeted, by name [with hugs] and "welcome back" !. All this on the strength of a weeks visit a year ago ! Even the dog [Merlo] at the ice cream parlour remembered the kids. The place is unreal, within an hour you feel like a local. the food was great everywhere - particularly if it came out of the sea that day and prices were very reasonable. Entertainment? They taught us to dance Greek style, we gave them ballet by my granddaughter. We rode horses through the sea,had a evening coach and horse [Julia, the horse] trip, went on a mini cruise to a wreck in an amazing bay.||The view from the Panorama across to neighbouring Kefalonia in the blue Ionian Sea is magical and has to be enjoyed again - and again. We booked for next year...