DESTINATIONS GREECE | EUROPE
ASK THE operator operator
Erin Johnson, marketing director, Sovereign Luxury Travel “Porto Sani has long been a favourite
destination for Sovereign guests looking to make the most of their time away. Particularly exciting this year is the host of new services and facilities available following the recent renovations. A personal favourite is the new Spa Suite, which includes Anne Semonin treatments, such as the Gold Seekers Face and Body treatment, in addition to a Junior Spa menu for guests aged 12 years and above. It’s a great way for families to really treat themselves and relax together, and a great selling point.”
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Marina at Sani Asterias; Halkidiki coastline; herb picking at Sani Resort; birdlife at the Sani wetlands PICTURE: Ektotas Nikolakis
where I dig the dusty soil with my hands and plant one more. She tells me that in four years, it might just bear some juicy olives that’ll end up in a guest’s dinner.
FARM-TO-TABLE FOOD Halkidiki olives are far from the only local ingredient on the menu. Almost two-thirds of Sani’s produce is sourced from within 100 miles of the resort. Much is even closer to home: one morning, I see chefs picking little leaves off the sage bushes in Sani’s fountain-filled courtyards. If your clients love food, Sani’s half or full-board
Dine Around programme encourages them to discover all the mouthwatering ways local ingredients are put to use across 27 dining venues. One such place is Tomata, an alfresco grill at Sani’s glamorous yacht marina. And, in 2022, Tomata became the first Sani restaurant to pilot an AI system that weighs and monitors food waste. Not that there’ll be very much. After starters of
Greek-grown charred mushrooms, plus aubergines and artichokes seasoned from a spice rack that covers much of the world, I polish off homemade linguine spruced up with lemon, basil and enough olive oil to mop up with spongy bread afterwards.
WILD THINGS After dinner, I arrive at the Sani Marina – bathed in the warm evening glow – for a sunset cruise. Even the
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pleasure cruises here have a sustainable twist: in 2022, Sani lent these vessels to a non-profit organisation called iSea to conduct the first proper photo survey of dolphins in the Thermaic Gulf. If you’re really lucky, you might just see a pod hurdling over the boat’s wake. More or less every activity at Sani has an
environmental angle. During my stay, I pedalled six miles through the wetlands, dunes and watermelon fields to a wild flamingo habitat; paid homage to Mother Nature with morning yoga by the beach; zipped around on electric golf buggies; and had a go on the treetop zipline course. Clients can even learn to go off-grid at the Bear Grylls Survival Academy. Of course, what’s happening behind the scenes is
more vital. The resort has run on renewable electricity since 2019, uses all its wastewater for irrigation and recently banned all single-use plastic. Naturally, Sani’s green initiatives are a work in progress: its own solar farm hasn’t yet been built, and refilling stations for reusable bottles are currently popping up to replace complimentary water cartons. But this groundwork could easily help Sani to become Greece’s first net zero hotel. Halkidiki clearly isn’t just my happy place. It’s a safe haven for the birds and the bees, the fish in the peacock-blue sea, and the trees that have rooted in its soil for thousands of years. And with Sani’s ever-evolving environmental strategies, it looks set to stay that way. TW
WHAT’S NEW AT PORTO SANI?
A €30 million investment since
2020 has resulted in: E 50 new suites E Makeovers for the other 98
E A brand-new spa E Revamped crèche and kids’ club E Two new restaurants: Lima,
suites, with decor combining beach chic with modern sleek
offering Japanese and Peruvian cuisine; and Elia, which serves modern Greek mezze
BOOK IT
A seven-night full-board stay in a Junior Suite Private Garden at Porto Sani costs from £3,299 per person, based on two people sharing, departing on June 12, 2024. The price includes return flights from Gatwick and a 10% early booking discount.
sovereign.com
31 AUGUST 2023 43
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