Review: F Zeen Retreat, Kefalonia Greece

I don’t know about you, but I’m not ashamed to admit that my party days are over. Gone are the days where I want to go on holiday to get drunk every night and dance ‘til dawn. At 25, I may be a little bit old before my time, but these days my dream holiday involves going to a place where I can feel rested, pampered and at home in a peaceful setting. I want laid back luxury, where I can spend all day in flip-flops, with crazy beach hair. I want to eat fresh, healthy, delicious food that is good for the soul. And ultimately, I want to spend some valuable time with someone I love, and to take care of my wellbeing.

If this is your idea of a dream holiday too then keep reading and let me introduce you to F Zeen Retreat in Kefalonia.

In a Nutshell

F Zeen Retreat is a boutique wellness hotel on the beautiful Greek Island of Kefalonia. As an adult-only retreat with just 28 rooms, F Zeen is all about relaxation, romance and privacy. Many hotels like to claim that they are ‘family-run’ but at F Zeen, this truly is the case. Mother, Father, Brother and Sister all look after different aspects of the hotel, and are on site every day. After meeting them all, it’s clear that their heart and soul is in this place.

A Wellness Retreat

Everything about this hotel lends itself to the concept of wellness, starting with the location; from the spectacular panorama of Lourdas Bay to the fresh air and the sound of the lapping waves, the setting immediately makes you feel calm and at peace. The wellness centre (equivalent to the hotel spa) offers a range of treatments from massage and beauty to healing reiki. Along with two fresh-water swimming pools, an impressive fitness centre and a yoga pavilion, F Zeen has all the ingredients to restore your mind, body and soul.

The owners told me they often see guests arrive exhausted and burnt out and leave with a glow, looking like completely different people. This seems to be the F Zeen effect.

Soul Food

The main bar-restaurant serves locally sourced, fresh and healthy dishes. With a contemporary twist on all the Greek classics, the menu here is all about quality not quantity. As well as an impressive buffet, hot breakfast dishes are cooked to order (the scrambled eggs with tomato and feta cheese is a must and the freshly-ground coffee is fantastic). Along with an exotic herbal tea menu, fantastic wines, cocktails and made-to-order smoothies, every taste is catered for. This relaxed area is the heart of the hotel and guests hang out here all through the day.

I loved this salad and falafel dish; the falafel was lightly fried in oil instead of the traditional deep frying method. It was served alongside the freshest salad and tzasiki. It’s all you need for a wholesome summery lunch.

Poolside Chic

My favourite area of F Zeen Retreat is the top pool area, which is connected to the Bar-restaurant. Four-poster cabanas and plush sunbeds surround the immaculate pool. The bottom sun deck has a shaded area and comfy bean-bag chairs, which are the best seats in the house during sunset. Being an adult-only hotel, you don’t have to worry about screaming kids or unnecessary splashing. Both pool areas stay super chilled no matter what time of day it is.

Minimal Design

The bedrooms at F Zeen are light, bright and minimal in style. They aren’t overly fancy or spacious, but the understated design fits in perfectly with the rest of the hotel. A design feature of all bedrooms is that the rain shower is within the main bedroom behind a sweeping wall; contemporary and cool, as long as you don’t mind being exposed to your room mate. Lovely touches such as fluffy white robes and local Greek sweets on arrival add a homely touch.

The Verdict

If you want shot bars, nightclubs and lively crowds, this hotel isn’t for you. However, if you’re endlessly searching for a hotel that combines wellness, great service, beautiful surroundings and laid-back luxury, F Zeen Retreat offers everything you could ever want from a sun-drenched Greek holiday. I’m all for discovering new places around the world and like to cram as much in to my trips as possible, but if there’s one place I could go every year to recharge my batteries and totally switch off, it would be here.

What do you think of F Zeen Retreat? Is this the kind of place you’ve been searching for? Or have you already visited Kefalonia? If you enjoyed this post, please leave me a comment in the box below x 

Want to visit for yourself? Book or check rates at F Zeen Retreat

Perfect for; couples looking to unwind, recharge and reconnect. Small adult groups in search of sun and total relaxation

Local Restaurant Reccomendations; Lorraine’s Magic Hill and Olive Lounge

Classic Retreats at F Zeen Retreat start from €160 per night on a b&b basis. For further information, or to book, visit www.uniquekefalonia.com.

My visit to F Zeen Retreat was complimentary as part of a blogger press trip in May 2016. All views are my own.