PICTURES: Alex Maguire; Shutterstock/Tonktiti
RUTH NORRIS
The Torquay-based Hays Travel agent tells Andrew McQuarrie she felt like a celebrity during the Cover Stars trip to Paphos
Q. How did you hear about the competition? A. I saw it on our ‘hub’ page and decided I should give it a go because it looked like an amazing trip and I had never been to Paphos. The Constantinou Bros Asimina Suites Hotel looked fantastic and everything Jet2holidays was putting on was impressive. I never thought I’d win. You had to do a 60-second video saying why you should be selected. I had a bit of a joke saying if Dame Irene couldn’t make it, I would be the next best thing – or something cheesy like that.
Q. What was the Jet2holidays experience like? A. We had fast-track through security at Manchester airport – we felt like celebrities. Jet2holidays gave us a duty-free voucher to use on the plane, as well as a complimentary drink because we were on an Indulgent Escape. We then had lounge access in Paphos on the return.
Q. What did you think of the Constantinou Bros Asimina Suites Hotel? A. It was an amazing adult-only and all-inclusive hotel overlooking the sea. It was stunning. We were offered cocktails on arrival and we each had a suite to ourselves. The food and drink throughout was of a great standard, as was the five-star service – and the staff were so friendly and helpful.
Q. How was the vineyard visit? A. We went to a local winery, which was a nice excursion. We collected grapes from the vineyard and then watched how they made the wine. Others joined in with crushing the grapes with their feet, but I just watched. It was a great opportunity to try a few different wines while we were there.
Q. Wearing red and standing by Aphrodite’s Rock on the Island of Love, it’s no wonder you are our February Cover Star. What was the shoot like? A. It was a beautiful setting, but quite busy, so there were a lot of people watching me. It was a completely new experience, but the photographer made me feel relaxed.
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Q. Can you tell us about the evening you enjoyed the Greek mezze? A. It was an unforgettable night. We had cocktails at the Constantinou Bros Athena Royal Beach Hotel’s rooftop bar, watching the sunset. We then walked to a restaurant in town for the mezze meal – there was a constant supply of all different types of food, while a band played traditional Greek music.
Q. How was the farewell dinner? A. It was outside by the beach at the Asimina Suites Hotel. The tables were decorated to make it look like a wedding reception. We all got dressed up and enjoyed the most amazing meal.
Q. Has the trip helped you sell more Jet2holidays trips to Paphos? A. It’s definitely helped with selling Paphos. I didn’t know much about the Constantinou Bros brand before, but I’ve learnt a lot and I’m confident in recommending it now because I think it’s a great hotel chain. I also feel quite confident selling Paphos because I’ve been to a lot of places there, so now feel that I’ve got more knowledge. I’d visited Larnaca, on the other side of the island, before – but I thought Paphos was more traditional. It would appeal to families or couples. There are some lovely walks down at the harbour, and some nice family hotels as well as adult-only options.
Q. You attended the Travel Weekly Globe Travel Awards 2025 along with your fellow Cover Stars. Did you enjoy the experience? A. It was amazing – I really enjoyed myself. All the Cover Stars stayed over in London. We’d all travelled by train from different areas, but met up in the hotel bar and had a few drinks and a nice catch-up before heading to the Globes. Kerry Burnham from Jet2holidays was on our table, it was great to see Jet2 winning three Globes on the night and we also caught up with the general manager of Constantinou Bros, Aristos Diomedous, who won a well-deserved award for best hotel chain.
RUTH’s career
I worked in retail after leaving school. I had my children quite young, so I stayed in the job out of convenience – but I always had a passion for travel. When my children were
older, I took a full-time job at Thomas Cook’s Torquay branch. I stayed for four years, then joined Hays Travel in 2019. When Cook went
under, it was a nightmare. The customers thought we knew what was going on, but we didn’t know anything until it was on TV. We just had to hand our
keys back – and that was it. I looked for a new job straight away and saw Hays Travel were advertising. I left Cook on the Monday, had an interview at Hays Travel on the Thursday and then started there the following Monday. The rest is history!
Ruth is presented with her chef’s certificate by Aristos Diomedous at Constantinou Bros Asimina Suites Hotel
6 FEBRUARY 2025
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