New routine, new me!

After four days on holiday, new routines forge and a rhyme and rhythm emerges which often says as much about the person, as it does the place they’re visiting.

For me, the ‘best bits’ of the Contessina Hotel that have made this new (and vastly improved) lifestyle possible are:

The rooms, which are mindfully designed, with comfort and luxury in mind. With a private pool and natural fibre aesthetic (think wood, bamboo, raffia) the junior suite packed many surprises. The most pleasant of these were separate single beds for the children (I was expecting a sofa bed), a waterfall shower, sliding partition between kids and adult sleep area, a coffee machine and usb ports. Cleaning can also be booked on demand, as well as replacement water, coffee posts, milk etc.

The second ‘best best’ was the breakfast buffet, with its wide variety of hot and cold buffet food, ranging from pastries, to scrambled eggs… to fresh fruit. Given my weakness for croissants and coffee, this section had me at hello.

The third ‘best bit’ is the pools. The hotel has a choice of pools, which has worked well for holidaying with young children. They’ve enjoyed the main pool, with its relaxed vibe, but for afternoon chill time, they’ve been equally content lounging in the one of the peripheral quieter pool areas.

The fourth ‘best bit’ is the kids playground, which has proved a saviour for between the hours of 11 and 3, where 35 degree heat makes getting out of the sun a priority.

Fifth… the Rosé! The hotel is a Rosé-lovers paradise, with some of the crispest blushes I ever did see. The waitress suggested they could keep an open bottle behind the bar with our name on, as this worked out more cost effective than buying by the glass.

Sixth…the Contessina hotel has its own app, through which you can order coffee, water, and bar snacks from your sun lounger.

The seventh ‘best bit’ is one of my favourite finds - a hammock. It’s located in the little garden running parallel to one of the secluded pools.

Eighth…it’s the pool bar, with the friendliest waitress named Christina, who was on hand with a wealth of refreshments and local knowledge.

Ninth…is the proximity to the beach. From outside the hotel front door, a sandy beach with shallow waters is just two minutes walk away. This has meant plenty of intersecting of beach and poolside fun, including after dinner walks to watch the sun set beneath the waves.

The last and final ‘best bit’ is the location. Out of the hotel and left, there are plenty of shops and tavernas, and because the hotel gives the option to switch half board to lunch, this affords a freedoms to eat out and sample some cultural cuisine in Tsilivi.