like a previous group we went to celebrate a wedding (28 people including 3 children), but our problems started before we even got there! We had originally wanted another hotel but as it did not accept single occupancy our travel agent suggested The Caravel as an alternative 4*, and then managed to [--] most of the holiday anyway even though it had been booked well in advance!
SO, after reading some of the reviews (after booking) it was with some trepidation that i set off at all, but here i must say that the staff on arrival where very helpful (even though we did end up having to pay extra to upgrade to the room/s we thought we had booked through the travel agent!).
The rooms are basic but they where cleaned daily and sheets changed. After two days though we had to suddenly start paying for the air conditioning (1st Sep onwards).
The hotel as a whole could do with being refurbished as I wouldn't say it came up to 4* standard now (maybe when it was first built!), some of the seating in the top reception area does look rather grim (stained clothe from wet cosies is very off putting!).
There was also a problem on one occasion with finding somebody had been sick in the ladies bar/reception toilets, it had been covered with a sheet and apparently left all day and when we asked if it could be cleaned up we received some verbal abuse from a member of staff!
Like a lot of your reviewers we had gone 'all inclusive', never again, the food was boring and predictable and often cold and looked under cooked, on the second week we mainly ate out as the meal times just didn't fit in with what we wanted and we where sick of the same stuff every day!
One reviewer commented about the pool side leaving a lot to be desired however we found it to be clean, but as stated a lot of people 'saved' the sunbeds with towels (and often didn't use them all day!). The pool side staff where also often miserable and unhelpful!
The entertainment suddenly changed on the 1st Sept and what entertainment there was of an evening was a little hit and miss, however the two staff charged with trying to keep everyone happy did the best they could considering it was the start of 'low season'.
I would like to say at this point that the two bar staff, George and Yanis, more than made up for the lack of civility and helpfulness from some of the other staff.
Would i go again - possibly (but only if nothing else was available). Would i go all inclusive - definitely not!

We booked and travelled with Thomas Cook staying at the Caravel Hotel in May / June 2006 on the 3rd floor over looking the entrance of the complex with a sea view if you leaned out far enough from your balcony!

The hotel is very pleasant with helpful staff, which was a concern when we read the reports on Trip Advisor prior to leaving. It is airy, clean and smart though the rooms are on the slightly basic side, with a double bed, dressing table/chair, comfy chairs, table with colour TV, bedside tables, shower/bath but you do get air con and it is worth the extra cost.

The dining room is large, with a vast array of breakfast options ranging from cereals to fry ups catering for many different nationalities in the process, likewise with the Lunch and Dinner options too. The complex has a large pool surrounded by deck chairs and parasols with more on the grass area all free of charge, beware you have to pay for are the ones on the sandy beach further along as the beach directly outside is shingle. The hotel is situated in large grounds with many different activities available on site; just outside the entrance are many bars, shops and a supermarket. Further up the road, turning left will take you into the main drag of shops, bars, restaurants and all other types of places to spend your money.

We took 2 optional excursions booked through Thomas Cook representative being the Island Tour and Try Dive (the latter being very expensive and not worth it). We were advised that the Island Tour included a visit to the well known wreck and we could pay a local fisherman to take us on to the beach, when in reality we visited a small village with a vineyard and hung around for an hour for no apparent reason, before going by boat to the caves, one with an image of Christ in the rock face (you have to use your imagination for this one). This is where we found we could not go to the ship wreck via boat on this tour! Back on board the coach you are taken to an advantage point above the cliff face where you look down and to your left on a small platform, time is very limited as only a couple of people can be on the platform at one time and therefore with a coach load of people waiting it is a very rushed affair. We stopped off for lunch at a very nice restaurant but do check the prices and what you are charged as there is a very high overcharge in your bill, politely point out there error and all is well. We had a look around some fort ruins whilst there. From there we then went to Callinico vineyard for a tour before returning back to the hotel.

The Try dive experience with Euro Divers was an utter disgrace, I am a Advanced Plus Medic 1st Aid diver with over 14 years experience but my wife wanted to have a Try Dive so I booked us both with Thomas Cook as Try Divers (they had no knowledge of my status). We were told to walk down to the dive shop, where we found that they had already left to pick us up from the hotel?! Once we were collected we were driven to their dive shop/site and with several other people having Try Dives too filled in the PADI disclaimer forms to say we were all fit and healthy. The couple opposite us, the lady put that she used to suffer from sinuses many years ago and was told by the staff that if she wanted to dive she would need to change her answer to NO. Anyway, we eventually board the boat after our safety and skills briefing to find there is a mixed bunch, ranging from Try, Open Water, to Advance divers. All the Try Divers had to carry out their skills in the sea, unfortunately we were the last couple to be called and they were in a rush to complete to get the boat out. I at that point made the instructor aware that I was an Advanced Diver and therefore he could spend a little more time with my wife who was having problems with her equipment (mask floods etc), Oh No-they weren’t interested and promptly after 5 minutes said she could come on to the boat but she could not dive. Strangely enough the lady with the sinus problems from many years ago had to disembark when her ears started to play up (no refund given). I buddied a Open Water diver for my first dive, a pleasant easy going dive and when the second dive came up I asked that since my wife was unable to dive could I have a second dive? The answer was strange as he told me that there was no extra equipment (tanks) to be able to take my wife’s dive experience, I pointed out the fact that her tank had not been used and therefore it was possible, now that I got his back up the answer was still a no!

Thomas Cook was an absolute waste of time to raise my concerns re. Island Tour and not being able to take the boat trip to the shipwreck for an additional fee to the fisherman and the Euro Divers “Take the money and run” attitude if you are unable to dive. The tour rep acted all apologetic asking us to fill in the complaint form with many additional pages added but did not tell us that she would be unable to assist as it will take several (4?) months to come to an end. Thomas Cook finally refunded the Island Tour (£40?) but did not refund anything of the Try Dive package (£70?) as the complaint has to be done directly with them and they disputed all of my comments…which then begs the question of why pay extra to use a travel agents rep since you have no back up for the privilege!

Would we go to Zante and stay at the Caravel hotel again? Yes, without any hesitation but we would no longer use travel agent reps to book any excursions ever again, booking directly with the tour company concerned instead.

We stayed in this hotel for 2 weks in July.
Not by any stretch of the imagination could this hotel be classed as Four Star.The rooms are tiny.The beds are not comfortable.It was like sleeping on the floor.Our fridge did not work properly.The room mirror was broken.
Our room was over the shop and faced on to the road and pub.
The cleaning service was fantastic though.The towels were changed every day and the bed sheets every 2 days.
The staff at the reception desk were curt and rude.We had a problem with air conditioning and got no satisfaction at all.The staff in the resturant were unfriendly, unhelpful and uninterested.
We were half board.The food was ok.It all began to taste the same after a few days so we ate in the resort.
I would never stay here again.For the price we paid it was daylight robbery. The resort itself is lovely.Just don't stay in this hotel.

We have just returned from a very expensive all inclusive holiday to the CARAVEL HOTEL in Zante. We booked it through "on the beach.com" and what a complete and utter let down the travel company were for their service leading up to it, and the hotel itself!

I did actually read the reviews of other travellers before we went (after I had booked it!!) and was dreading it. Our first impression of the hotel was great. We were checked in by a very nice receptionist and given our keys and wristbands (which would turn out to be our downfall). The room was a good size considering what we have stayed in before and was of ok decor, so far not bad, and I thought what were all the reviews about - must be people just whingeing and fussing about nothing - PHEW i thought. BUT they were absolutely right.

Once you start meeting the rest of the staff and using the services you start realising that all those bad reviews are ABSOLUTELY right and completely justified. Nothing was made clear as to what was covered in the all inclusive and to be honest I think they just made it up as they went along.

We took our 2 boys aged 11 and 8. The first week we were there they met 2 other lads and they had a great time but once those lads went home there was absolutely no-one for them to play with and nothing for them to do onsite. Everywhere you looked there were Germans, rude, arrogant and just completely unfriendly. We even had to lower ourselves to reserve our sunbeds by leaving our towels on them 24/7 for the whole 14 days we were there because that's what they were doing - how bad is that!!!!!!
The food became very boring and the times were just not long enough. The children were not catererd for at all in the restaurant and the snacks were pretty much non existent. You had a big choice of chips, toasties and hot dogs!!!!! Quite often though we were told they had run out only to turn around and see paying guests eating what we had just been told had run out!!! The soft drinks were always flat. The all inclusive guests were treated like second rate citizens and what they fail to get is that we have actually paid for all our food UPFRONT!!!!! The staff are so rude and unhelpful, they never smiled (other than the female receptionist, oh and the inside barman) and their English is terrible.

On a good point TSILIVI was great. We did end up eating out a lot of the second week and all the bars and restaurants nearby were lovely and the staff were so friendly it was like being in a different country!!

All in all I would recommend Tsilivi to people but would definitely NOT recomment the Hotel CARAVEL - especially on an all inclusive basis and if you have young children.

I would not recommend "On the Beach.com" for a tour operator either.