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Any parent to a toddler will tell you, the concept of coordinating and then embarking on a carefree, relaxing holiday is an elusive one. If you add to the equation that I’m a nervous traveller, and an anxious mum to boot, our chances of success drop from slim to microscopic. For this reason, up until now we’ve kept our holidays fairly close to home, mainly consisting of long weekends in the British countryside, perpetually decked out in our well worn waterproofs. Our furthest journey to date was a ferry crossing to the French island of Île De Ré for a week of blissful, unexpected sunshine in May last year. However, after what feels like a very long cold and damp stretch, the time had come to venture further afield. Grecotel’s LUXME White Palace, LUXME translating to ‘Luxury Made Easy’, on the North coast of the Greek island of Crete, is not only seafront situated but also exceptionally family friendly, and therefore, an irresistible proposal. So we packed up my nerves, negotiated the minimum amount of Paw Patrol vehicles one could without requiring extra baggage allowance, and set off, expectations high. And boy did White Palace deliver.
We were met at Chania International airport by our driver Giannis. The drive to the hotel is just over an hour of winding roads, the sea following the curve of our route below. At every turn is a streak of pink wildflowers, the Nerium Oleander, blooming roadside. LUXME White Palace, Grecotel’s flagship property, lies close to the historic city of Rethymno or Rethymon, depending on who you ask. We discussed linguistics with Giannis, including the confusion over the city’s name, which he explained stems from a switch between traditional and modern language. The hotel sits on a fairly innocuous road, dotted with a few souvenir shops and supermarkets, but the building itself is a sprawling cube and pristine white. You arrive on the third tier, looking down onto the spectacular, saltwater pool and it’s panoramic ocean view. This pool is one of 22 that the resort boasts, which includes private, sharing, a family activity and children’s pool. We arrived at sunset, golden light bathing through the poolside palm trees and I truly felt my shoulders soften.
After welcome refreshments of lemon and ginger water for us, a rainbow lollipop for our son, and cold face towels, we went to settle in. There’s a wide range of room types to choose from, ranging from double guest rooms, swim-up bungalows with direct pool access to the ultra luxurious ‘Yali’ seafront villas. We were lucky enough to be staying in one of these, complete with our own sun terrace and private infinity pool, the Cretan sea glistening beyond. The sleek white theme continues inside through all furnishings and design. Everything is immaculate and I’m divided between loving the minimalism and panicking over my son’s sticky lollipop fingers. The attention to detail is excellent. Further little gifts have been left for my son and a cocktail station has been set up for us complete with Mastiha spirit and grapefruit juice to make a ‘Skinos Paloma’. The pièce de résistance though is the pillow menu with five options of firmness to choose from, which felt almost comically luxurious and no, we didn’t need to switch.
For our first night dinner, we opted for Ventanas il Mar, the most relaxed of the seven all-inclusive restaurants at the resort and a Mediterranean buffet-style option, the only restaurant not a la carte. We dined al fresco on the terrace overlooking the ocean. There’s options a plenty including a room dedicated to desserts and a wine tasting room with a consulting sommelier who can advise you from over 150 wines from Greece and beyond. Not your average buffet situation. It’s worth noting here that children under 12 can dine and stay for free in their parent’s room at specific room types and there’s also farm to table vegetables and fruit and baby food on offer in all restaurants. We ended the evening with a dip in our private pool before bed, heaven.
The following morning, the beach was calling. The hotel is positioned on a 1000m long fine sand and pebble coastland and a literal stones throw from our suite. It’s a little rocky navigating into the sea at points, but there’s some clearer sand banks to wade in if you wander. There’s waiter service directly to the beach, making it increasingly hard to not order a cocktail before midday while making sandcastles. There’s a few spots for lunch including Fico D’India, serving Italian classics, poolside, but there’s also a Creperie and Gelateria. As you can imagine, all day long free ice-cream to a toddler is a dream come true, ok, for me too. We opted for our faves ( vanilla, pistachio, stratciella ) savoured in the shade from the hot sun. We spent our afternoon lazing between beach and pool but if further relaxation is required, there’s also a Hippie Spa, offering signature treatments inspired by the rituals of Ancient Greece.
Early evening, skin tingling from the sun and salty sea, we explored our dinner options. There’s The White, adults only fine dining ( there’s a babysitting service available), and Asian influenced Asia White on the seafront but we opted for Tavernaki, their authentic Greek restaurant. The food was delicious. Warm bread and tzatziki to start, calamari and a fresh seafood orzo pasta was served with local wine as the sun set over the coastline. The service here and throughout the hotel was warm and attentive. In particular, I loved the thoughtful interactions I saw with our child, and the other guests’s children. They never conveyed inconvenience, always engaging with them kindly and patiently, and for me this is the true meaning of being a ‘family friendly’ resort. After dinner we stopped by the Patisserie and Chocolaterie, our son joyous to pick from the ceiling high candy bar, and then went to watch the evening entertainment.
For our final night, the hotel organised a visit to the Grecotel owned Agreco Farm and Taverna for a traditional Cretan experience. It’s a postcard of bucolic perfection, with the pergola shaded taverna surrounded by pastoral land, the serene blue of the sea beyond. We took a tour of the organic farm, sampling olive oil, cheese and wine as we roamed before dinner was served in the al fresco taverna. Everything on the set menu is seasonal farm to table, with highlights including their feta with fresh oregano and stuffed peppers.
As our last morning at White Palace approached, we were thankful we’d extended our holiday by a few more days, staying with family close by. We weren’t quite ready to burst the bubble yet. As travelling with a toddler goes, this is a great way to do it. Family friendly at it’s core but with a luxury focus for your relaxation too. And there wasn’t a single encounter for us in Crete where our son didn’t feel welcome. Our staycations might well be a thing of the past.
Download the Grecotel app before you arrive where you can make reservations and view the activities calendar and other happenings.
Spend an afternoon exploring local Rethymno and it’s Venetian harbour and old town.
If you have a car, there’s some beautiful villages close by. Visit the pottery studios of Margarites and pick up some ceramics to take home and have fresh fish for dinner in Panormos by the bay. A special mention to Kostas of Taverna Roumeli, in Roumeli, who brought blankets for my son as he slept on my lap and served up Cretan classics with the best view from his terrace.
Prices start from €326 per night for a Swim Up White Room, all inclusive. Flights are available from major UK airports.
For more from Glamour UK’s European Visuals Director Amelia Trevette, follow her on Instagram @ameliatrevette