Aulūs Zante

Zante's limestone cliffs and Shipwreck Beach draw visitors to this Ionian island, but the real reason to book the Aulūs ultra all-inclusive here is the dining sequence: breakfast at the buffet, lunch from one of three à-la-carte restaurants, dinner from another, drinks at any of four premium bars, and the nightly option to join local tradition at a Panigiri celebration. The word "ultra" matters on this island where most resorts stop at half-board. At Aulūs Zante, ultra means 24/7 access to a buffet running through the day, unlimited pours from branded spirits (Johnnie Walker, Bacardi, Ketel One and Greek wines that rotate), a free minibar restocked daily, and grab-and-go snacks on the beach and by the pools. This is not a resort that counts your meals or tells you which restaurant is premium.

The property holds roughly 140 rooms split between family suites and adults-only sections, an architectural choice that shapes the feel: children's activities and family entertainment run nightly at the main pool and kids' garden, while a quieter adults-only area sits higher up the hillside with dedicated loungers and a separate bar. Rooms are split-level and come with garden views, sea views, or full balconies facing Zante's coast. The suites themselves fall into the ultra all-inclusive package unchanged, so a family booking three nights gets the same meal and drink allowance as a couple on a week-long stay. There's no tiering within the package, no supplement for dining in one restaurant over another.

The five restaurants demonstrate the depth of a properly resourced all-inclusive: Makris takes Ionian and Greek seafood as its base and rotates its specials nightly, meaning a week's stay will yield a genuinely different menu each evening. Antonino's runs Italian with imported pasta and a wood oven, the kind that costs to build and staff, and it's included. The Asian venue builds curries and pad thai to order. A fourth restaurant cycles through global cuisines, and a fifth covers breakfast alongside Greek specialties. This is the gap between a real all-inclusive and a resort that feeds people. The bar count backs it up: premium spirits are branded (not house-poured mystery liquids), wine lists include Greek selections that retail for real money, and the minibar gets restocked with local cheese and salami alongside soft drinks. The coffee machine in the room dispenses actual Nespresso, not discount pods.

The activities included reveal how the pricing model shifts for an ultra all-inclusive in a Mediterranean context. A three-night trip includes at least one boat excursion to Zante's sea caves and turtle conservation area, where the water runs turquoise and the swim is cold and genuine. Cooking sessions pair with local artisans in the island's interior, teaching dishes from the island's olive-oil and wild-green tradition, then a transfer back to the resort. Panigiri Nights are open to guests: village celebrations that run twice weekly, transported from the resort, immersed in locals dancing and eating mezze, not a theatrical evening activity but the real thing. Daily yoga and fitness run complimentary, scheduled at 7 AM and 6 PM to catch early risers and sunset crowds. The kids' club operates with Montessori-inspired structure and runs from breakfast through late afternoon, so parents can eat lunch without rushing or eating over a table of colouring children.

Zante's season determines value more sharply than season does on the Caribbean. The resort opens late April and closes in late October, a compressed window that means rates fall in May and June before families saturate July and August. April and September are the mild edges, warm enough to swim but spare enough to eat outside. October can flood without warning. The ultra all-inclusive rate sits in the £120–£180 per person per night band depending on season and how far ahead you book, with May and September dropping to the lower end. A family of four for a week in May costs less than a week in August by several hundred pounds, making late spring the smarter calculation if the school holiday calendar allows. Packages are quoted as three nights minimum, then any length beyond, and discounts for back-to-back weeks are available.

How this compares to booking Zante room-only is the real test of all-inclusive value. A three-star hotel near the resort runs £40–£60 a night room-only, leaving food and drink paid separately. At a mid-range taverna, a dinner for two lands around £30–£40 including house wine. Breakfast runs £8–£12 each. Four days of meals and drinks for a couple could easily climb to £200–£250 at moderate restaurants. The Aulūs rate, all-in, sits around £500–£600 per person for four nights, or roughly £1000–£1200 for the couple. The delta is visible but not massive, which is the whole point of ultra all-inclusive value at this price point: you're paying for convenience, quality control, and certainty, not a discount on aggregate spend.

What's explicitly not included clarifies the boundaries. Spa treatments at the on-site Aegeo spa (ELEMIS and Codage Paris lines) carry a cost, calculated as a percentage of the stay length but starting around £80–£120 for a sixty-minute massage. Excursions beyond the scheduled activities, like private boat charters or a guided wine tour, are not part of the package. Premium tours (helicopter rides, yacht days) that third-party operators sometimes offer through the resort desk are extras. Airport transfers from Zakynthos town center can be arranged through the desk for a fee, or picked up on a shared shuttle if booked ahead. A few restaurants in Zante's villages nearby are not covered, so a night out off-property is out of pocket. The resort makes this transparent on its site: the ultra all-inclusive is broad but doesn't claim to be infinite.

Family-friendly during the day and couples-minded in the evenings, Aulūs Zante suits travelers who want a structured itinerary without leaving the property. A week here means four or five table-turns through the restaurants, boating to sea caves, Panigiri nights soaking up island tradition, and children returned happily tired each day. It's best suited to families with children aged 5–15 (the kids' club programming sits there), couples escaping British winter, and multi-generational groups who benefit from both the family pool and the adults-only sections. Travelers seeking nightlife beyond wine and the occasional Greek band should know the resort's entertainment stays at a moderate volume: this is Ionian islands, not Mykonos.

The verdict is this: in a Mediterranean where half-board is still common and many resorts call themselves "all-inclusive" while excluding premium wines and a-la-carte restaurants, Aulūs Zante delivers the real article. Five restaurants, four bars, unlimited branded spirits, daily activities, and a boating excursion included make this not a bargain all-inclusive but a genuine one, where the rate covers the entire stay without daily negotiations over what's extra. The ultra positioning is honest.