Contessina Hotel

In planning their Greek island escape, many overseas travelers skip straight to the Aegean side of the country, and thus risk missing out on the island of Zakynthos. It’s here, just up the coast from the capital, that you’ll find Tsilivi Beach, and the adjacent town of Planos. And just off the west end of the beach is the reason for this geography lesson: Contessina Hotel, one of two hotels in town doing business under the Contessina name. (The other, the equally fine Contessina Suites & Spa, is smaller, and admits adults only.)

It’s visually impressive from the start, a modern, somewhat minimalist affair — and it’s a proper luxury boutique hotel as well, complete with its own spa and wellness center, as well as a substantial central swimming pool. A few of the garden suites add plunge pools of their own, and there’s a separate kids’ pool in addition to a playground and garden.

Even the restaurant, Veggera, features a thoughtful sub-menu just for children’s palates; adults, meanwhile, enjoy a menu that draws heavily from produce grown on site. Vedema, meanwhile, offers a more adult atmosphere, in the open air on the roof terrace overlooking the central pool.