ALL-INCLUSIVE RESORT REVIEWS DESTINATIONS
TRIED TESTED Bored of buffets? Take all-inclusive eating up a notch
& T
he golden disc of Greek sun slips down the sky, signalling the end of another hard day of basking in its blissful rays on the sandy shores of the Aegean Sea. Right now, the thought of running a bath ahead of an evening of famed Cretan revelry – all fine dining and fine tippling – is frankly exhausting. So I simply reach for my smartphone and ping a WhatsApp message to the concierge, asking them to take care of this Herculean task. The innovative 24-hour service,
the first of its kind on the Greek island, is the jewel in the crown of a new Luxury Made Easy concept. The ‘Lux Me’ package made its debut at the White Palace Grecotel Luxury Resort earlier this year and we’re here
White Palace Resort, Crete with a new luxury package, writes Rachel Roberts
to test it out which, it transpires, mostly involves being spoilt rotten.
◗ ALL WHITE NOW The five-star White Palace will give travel-weary clients a real ‘wow’ moment on arrival. The sleek resort is an hour’s transfer from Heraklion airport or 80 minutes from Chania airport, and has a prime spot near the historic town of Rethymno on the northern stretch of coastline known as the Cretan Riviera. As the name suggests, all is
pristine white. The genial general manager Ioannis Zoulakis tells us the resort’s upkeep is the Greek equivalent of Scotland’s Forth Road Bridge: no sooner is the last lick of paint applied than it’s time to start all over again.
I ping a WhatsApp message to the concierge, asking them to take care of running me a bath
The open-air entrance lobby
is reminiscent of a modern-day Greek temple, with stunning views of the cobalt-blue Aegean. Although the resort covers
263 rooms, seven restaurants and 17 swimming pools, it retains an airy elegance, thanks in part to the chic-yet-comfortable minimalist decor and the low- level accommodation wings.
◗ VERY IMPORTANT PACKAGE The Lux Me package cleverly taps into the zeitgeist for all things celebrity and represents a long- overdue reboot of the traditional all-inclusive offering. It will appeal to clients looking for a taste of the VIP lifestyle on a mid-range budget: prices in the high season start at around £1,600 per person for seven nights and shoulder-season bookings can be made for less than £1,000. Guests can get their VIP on at the Sunset Lounge Bar. With its superlative views of the ocean, this is the ideal place for lazy sundowners and is one of Crete’s most-Instagrammed views. Anyone with a horror of those naff plastic wristbands of yesteryear can opt for a
TREAT TIME: A gelateria at White Palace Resort
9 November 2017
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