Ionian Emerald Resort

From the moment we arrived, we felt so looked after at the Ionian Emerald Resort. The staff are honestly what makes this place so special – the lovely ladies at the pool bar always greeted us with the biggest smiles and made us feel at home, and our cleaner was incredible, keeping our room spotless every single day. Everyone went out of their way to help us, nothing was ever too much trouble. The views from our room were absolutely breathtaking – we’d wake up every morning and couldn’t quite believe how beautiful it was. The pool was just perfect for kids, safe and relaxing, and the breakfast buffet each morning was such a treat with plenty of choice. Yes, there are a couple of little maintenance touches that could be freshened up, but honestly that didn’t take away from how wonderful our stay was. We left with such happy memories ☺️

The view from our room was 5*, it was disappointing to find that half board certainly wasn't. We were presented with a menu on our first evening and discovered that it remained the same for the duration of our stay. The food was fine albeit poor erratic service. However after 3 nights it became monotonous and the main course choice in particular bland and boring. The hotel was unwilling to improve or alter the restricted menu so we gave up and walked 20 minutes along a stony path to Sami where there was a vast array of restaurants to choose from. We felt hard done to as there was an a la carte menu for b& b guests to select from which had much more choice. The restaurant and bar lacked atmosphere and guests were few and far between on the nights we were staying. The pool was good with comfortable beds which had stained mattresses and we weren't impressed by the neighbouring guests at a cheaper hotel using the facilities for which we had paid a 5* price. W3e used to watch them first thing in the morning making a bee line for what they considered to be the beds in the best position. The room could have had more storage and there was little point in having a safe that wasn't attached and could have been picked up and carried away. The bathroom needed a refurbishment. Each time the shower was used water ended up over the floor causing a puddle in front of the toilet. Thank goodness for the view we really enjoyed that but won't be returning to the hotel.

We stayed in a very comfortable, large room with a wonderful view... The pool is beautiful, the service is perfect, and the breakfast is very well served and delicious. The restaurant is excellent!

We came to the hotel on the 2nd of July 2025. The hotel is excellent. It is ideally situated next to a small but beautiful beach, with lovely clear water. The staff have been very friendly and especially Alfredo who is always smiling, happy and very helpful . 5 star for Alfredo ( Fredi ) Will definitely recommend and return.

We visited Sami in Kefalonia for a family wedding. This was the hotel that we chose to stay at for 7 nights, and I'm glad we did. We were welcomed by Alexandra upon arrival, and although it was quite late, she took yhe time to take us to our rooms and show us how everything worked. I found the room to be very clean, with comfortable beds, plenty of Towels, a hospitality tray, TV etc. During our stay, I could not fault the staff, they are all so friendly and attentive. Breakfast was good, loved the nespresso pod machine and the omelettes were amazing. Couple of niggles worth a mention though, there was a safe in the room, but it wasn't fixed to anything, which in my mind mafe it kinda pointless! Also, the Bathroom, bit dated with obsolete spa bath and non thermostatic bath shower mixer, but again very clean.

Like all med resorts, they are happy to throw stars at their hotel rankings, and whilst officially ranked as 5 star, this is a 4 star hotel. That said, the rooms, staff and food are excellent. We upgraded our bedroom and had a lovely spacious room that looked out to sea. The bed was huge and there was plenty of space. The wardrobe isn’t that well designed and my wife struggled to hang her dresses properly. The shower sits above the bath, so if you prefer or require a walk in shower, it’s best to ask in advance, otherwise you will have to clamber over the side of the bath to shower. The pool is nice and quiet and we never had an issue getting a sunbed. The pool bar is well stocked and food is available from midday. The small town of Sami has a number of really nice restaurants on the sea front and it is a 15 minute from the hotel. Taxis can also be arranged and they will charge €10 for the quick drive. Sami itself closes down around midnight, as does the hotel bar, which keeps the area pleasantly quiet and peaceful. We didn’t bother with drinks in the hotel bar, because frankly it lacked atmosphere and was also pretty expensive compared to other bars nearby. I would definitely return to this lovely hotel