PICTURES: Alex Maguire; Shutterstock/Tonktiti
MARINA MARSH The Holiday Shop owner tells Juliet Dennis how the Cover Stars were treated like celebrities on their trip to Cyprus
Q. Why did you apply to be a Cover Star? A. I thought ‘why not?’ I am 50 this year and I’ve decided to do 50 things I have never done before – this was one of them. Sometimes you have to go out of your comfort zone, although I never dreamed I would win.
Q. What was the journey like? A. We had fantastic service through Manchester airport with Jet2holidays. We were fast-tracked through security, which meant no queues. I’ve flown numerous times with Jet2 and the service has always been great. We had vouchers through Jet2holidays’ Indulgent Escapes brand, so I treated myself to some perfume on the flight.
Q.What happened on arrival? A. We were treated like VIPs. We had a private transfer when we landed, and were given sweets and wine by a lovely man called George. When we got to the hotel and checked in, George was there again giving us champagne. It turned out he was the hotel bar manager!
Q. Tell us about the Asimina Suites Hotel in Paphos A. I’ve stayed at the Constantinou Bros hotels before but not the Asimina Suites. The staff and service were brilliant, we were treated like celebrities. One day we were given beach cabanas and mobile phones to order food and drinks to be brought to us. The hotel was stunning; I had a Seaview Junior Suite with two rooms and a corner balcony. The views were incredible at sunset, the restaurants outstanding, the food exceptional, and the drinks all branded. The location was just ‘wow’.
Q. What experiences did you take part in at the hotel? A. I enjoyed the Master Chef sessions. They showed us how to make a traditional Greek salad, a fish dish and lamb kleftigo. We watched them cook it and then had it for lunch. We had a gin tasting and tried 10 of the best gins in the world. Our farewell dinner was in the gazebo on the seafront and was decorated as it would have been for a wedding. The food was out of this world.
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Q. What was your most memorable experience? A. The sunset cruise on a private yacht. The yacht was something else; beautiful and elegant. The music was playing while the sun was setting and we laughed so much on board. It was a perfect night. As agents we can book this type of experience for our clients.
Q. What excursions did you go on? A. We went to a vineyard and picked grapes. Afterwards I took part in the crushing of the grapes at the winery, barefoot. That was a fun experience! They also showed us how to make halloumi. I enjoyed the wine tasting sessions, meze food and Cypriot dancing. They definitely made us feel part of the family and this is another experience we can sell to clients. We also visited a traditional Greek village called Omodos in the mountains – another good excursion to sell – and stopped at Aphrodite’s Rock, a stunning beach location.
Q. Have you sold many Jet2holidays trips to Paphos since the trip? A. We sell a lot of Jet2holidays and since my return from this trip I’ve been selling even more. I have booked many Cyprus holidays, many of which include stays at the Constantinou Bros hotels. Their properties are definitely a favourite in my agency and we can sell them very easily.
Q. What was the photoshoot like? A. I had my photoshoot at St Nicholas Church near our hotel in a beautiful location. It was very busy as it’s a tourist photo stop. People kept stopping thinking I was some kind of celebrity, which was really funny. Mine was the last photoshoot. I didn’t know what to expect, but I really enjoyed the experience.
Q. How was the Travel Weekly Globe Awards? A. Amazing! I had no idea what it would be like, but it was definitely better than I thought, it was so good! At every turn there was someone else doing something. It was a great location and the hosts and celebrities – wow! We got the ‘X factor’ experience, that’s for sure.
marina’s career
I left school and studied leisure and tourism and became a rep for Cosmos Holidays. I was working in Benidorm in Spain most of the time unless they needed me in other
resorts. When I came home I got a job in Co-op Travel in Blackburn. I worked there as a customer service manager for four years until I was made redundant. I went to work for Going Places in Blackburn as assistant manager and I was there for five years. Being an assistant manager is a hard job, everyone is asking you questions all the time, and so I decided to set up on my own – that was a real moment for me. It was a big step. I set up my travel agency nearly
19 years ago. I initially joined the Freedom Travel Group, part of Thomas Cook. After it collapsed in 2019 I joined Midcounties Co-operative, so in a way it’s gone full circle as I am now back as part of one of the Co-ops. I have always loved travel – this is the best job in the world.
Marina and Rebecca Potter at the Asimina Suites Hotel
10 APRIL 2025
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