Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Close to shops and fairly flat, ideal for walking . |
| Disadvantages: |
Not many restaurants around, too far to walk to Tsilivi |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
Myself and my family spent a week in October 2006 during the half term break at Maistrali.
The Maistrali Apartments are situated in the resort of Tragaki in Zakynthos (Zante). They are self-catering apartments.
SURROUNDING AREA - TRAGAKI
We arrived at around 8:00pm and after checking in at reception, we were showed to our apartment.
As it was still fairly early, we decided to go for a walk around the resort, and try and suss the place out a bit. We found that smack bang opposite the gates is a very handy supermarket, selling all the necessities that you need, such as water, fresh bread and fruit and veg which is handy when it is extremely hot and the idea of carrying a 2 litre bottle of water in the boiling sun isn't very appealing...
When you stand outside the gates and look left and right down the road, there isn't a lot you can see as there is no surrounding restaurants. You have to turn left and the gates, walk for about 4 mintues, then turn left again pass the Iberostar Plagos
Hotel. Two mintues later, you come to approximatley 4 restaurants. But as the season was coming to an end, there was only 2 open, not much choice at all, not even in the height of the season.
We decided to walk to Tsilivi one day and it took us around 45 minutes. I would definatley not recommend it for people with walking difficulties and it is uphill some of the way and an extremely long walk. Hire a car or call for a taxi instead. There is a bus service but they stick by GMT - Greek Maybe Time. But if you stand at a bus stop, one will turn up eventually. There was a bus stop situated around 2 minutes down the road.
THE COMPLEX (Please see photos for a more deatiled view of the pool area and bar area)
Personally, I could not fault the place. The staff were very friendly, especially Jenny and Voula. And also, the couple that serve behind the bar in evening are Welsh so they make you feel very welcome.
There was always enough sunbeds around the pool and they are nicely spaced out, so you don't feel you are on top of one another.
The meals at the bar were reasonally priced and also very nice! They did a wide selection, including Greek specialties such as chicken souvlaki and mousaka. And of course all the other stuff you get on menus, such as pizza and pasta dishes. They serve an English Breakfast all day which is very filling.
The rooms were very clean and the cleaners came in 6 days a week and were very thorough. Me and my family had two studios between us. The studios accomodate upto 2 people while the apartments can accomodate 5, I think.
As you walk into the room, the bathroom is on the left hand side and the kitchen on the right. There was a dressing table, good sized warbrobes and two single beds. The rooms at the back of the complex, on 2nd and 3rd floors had a fantastic view of the sea.
CONCLUSION
In my opinion, the apartments and the complex were really nice and I cannot fault them. They were exceptionally clean and staff very brilliant.
The only downside was that there were not many restaurants, even in the height of the summer so the resort isn't exactly buzzing - no atmosphere. That is why I have only given it four stars.
Even though there is a ten year building ban in Zakynthos, I hope in a few years time, there is plenty of empty land to build some more restaurants and accomodation. If this is the case, then it really would improve your holiday if you were staying at the Maistrali.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We travelled with Thomsons but for 2007 they were going on their own and bookings had to be made direct with them. But saying that, my Mum says they are in the Direct Holidays brochure for 2008, so maybe they didn't take many bookings this year. I have checked on Direct Holidays website and they are now taking bookings for 2008.
www.directholidays.co.uk
http://www.maistrali-apartments.gr/zak ynthos-zante-hotels.htm
THE AIRPORT
Zankynthos airport is one of the smallest airports in the world. Once you are through check-in a passport control, the departure lounge is really small and there is only one duty-free shop up stairs and one cafe selling drinks and food.
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