Greek Islands w/13 y.o. girl beachlover for about 10 nights. Which island/s? We want to use our 80,000 Starwood pts too somewhere! Blue Palace on Crete?
Oct 17th, 2006, 08:58 AM
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Greek Islands w/13 y.o. girl beachlover for about 10 nights. Which island/s? We want to use our 80,000 Starwood pts too somewhere! Blue Palace on Crete?
We're finally ready to take our 13 year old daughter (my stepdaughter) out of the country from Maryland on vacation next year when she's out of school. Maybe July or August. We're thinking about 10 nights would be great. We also want to use our Starwood Pts and the Blue Palace on Crete looks best.
http://www.greekhotel.com/crete/elou...alace/home.htm
Vedema Hotel on Santorini
http://www.vedema.gr/photogallery.htm
is so remote, and has no view of the Caldera, so I think that might be "out", even though it looks amazing to me and we "could" use points. She would be happy on Santorini with a great pool and a view of the caldera, but we can't afford $500+ a night for the super deluxe elite places mentioned here alot.
This kid LOVES the beach so we were hoping for a beach hotel, though I doubt any Starwoods are on the beach from what I can tell. We don't drive cars in foreign countries so we'll have to rely on public transport everywhere. We're trying to have the least stressful trip as possible, so the less hotel changes and the less island hopping the better.
We're flying from Washington DC to Athens and then to an island or 2 or 3. Any recommendations? What are the best islands where there's some shopping, some action, not too sleepy, great beaches, and if no beach - the "must see island" with the killer pools? I know this is totally subjective, but... any ideas? Lastly, are beaches at the places you're recommending really awesome? Or, are you picking resorts where you can take an EASY shuttle to the beach and it's magificent? That might work too. We really want nice views!
We love the look of the Blue Palace on Crete, so I think that'll work. I can't believe we could get this place for free for 5+ nights. It's 12000 pts a night. Is that too many nights on just Crete?
How would you split it up? Would we fly into Athens, stay at say..., the Grand Hotel Bretagna for ... 1 night, THEN go to the islands, and then have to stay there again on the way back?
http://www.grandebretagne.gr/index-eng.htm
At 413 euros a night, we'd probably save up points for a night or 2 there too.
If you have this 13 year old, she loves the beach, we want to expose her to some culture, and you don't want to plan a totally grueling trip, which islands would you pick, including the Starwood factor as well. We NEED to use our points to afford part of this trip, so Crete is probably a definite. I realize it's not on a beach, but I'm assuming you can get to the beach easily from where it is. Yes?
Initially we were all set for a relaxing trip to Nevis, the Four Seasons, for 7 nights, at $325 a night instead. But the more I thought about it, the idea of Greece seemed a bit more appealing, though it would not be the totally relaxing trip that Nevis would be. The reason I thought Nevis would be great is that she loves the beach as do we, the Four Seasons for only $335 including full breakfast buffet off season rates is very appealing. We're not snorkelers too much but try it now and then, and there's 25+ channels of cable tv to entertain her at night when she's bored. Don't laugh. She loves tv!
So... thoughts? Or should be just head to Nevis and wait till she's older for Greek Islands?
Steve R
Silver Spring MD
http://www.greekhotel.com/crete/elou...alace/home.htm
Vedema Hotel on Santorini
http://www.vedema.gr/photogallery.htm
is so remote, and has no view of the Caldera, so I think that might be "out", even though it looks amazing to me and we "could" use points. She would be happy on Santorini with a great pool and a view of the caldera, but we can't afford $500+ a night for the super deluxe elite places mentioned here alot.
This kid LOVES the beach so we were hoping for a beach hotel, though I doubt any Starwoods are on the beach from what I can tell. We don't drive cars in foreign countries so we'll have to rely on public transport everywhere. We're trying to have the least stressful trip as possible, so the less hotel changes and the less island hopping the better.
We're flying from Washington DC to Athens and then to an island or 2 or 3. Any recommendations? What are the best islands where there's some shopping, some action, not too sleepy, great beaches, and if no beach - the "must see island" with the killer pools? I know this is totally subjective, but... any ideas? Lastly, are beaches at the places you're recommending really awesome? Or, are you picking resorts where you can take an EASY shuttle to the beach and it's magificent? That might work too. We really want nice views!
We love the look of the Blue Palace on Crete, so I think that'll work. I can't believe we could get this place for free for 5+ nights. It's 12000 pts a night. Is that too many nights on just Crete?
How would you split it up? Would we fly into Athens, stay at say..., the Grand Hotel Bretagna for ... 1 night, THEN go to the islands, and then have to stay there again on the way back?
http://www.grandebretagne.gr/index-eng.htm
At 413 euros a night, we'd probably save up points for a night or 2 there too.
If you have this 13 year old, she loves the beach, we want to expose her to some culture, and you don't want to plan a totally grueling trip, which islands would you pick, including the Starwood factor as well. We NEED to use our points to afford part of this trip, so Crete is probably a definite. I realize it's not on a beach, but I'm assuming you can get to the beach easily from where it is. Yes?
Initially we were all set for a relaxing trip to Nevis, the Four Seasons, for 7 nights, at $325 a night instead. But the more I thought about it, the idea of Greece seemed a bit more appealing, though it would not be the totally relaxing trip that Nevis would be. The reason I thought Nevis would be great is that she loves the beach as do we, the Four Seasons for only $335 including full breakfast buffet off season rates is very appealing. We're not snorkelers too much but try it now and then, and there's 25+ channels of cable tv to entertain her at night when she's bored. Don't laugh. She loves tv!
So... thoughts? Or should be just head to Nevis and wait till she's older for Greek Islands?
Steve R
Silver Spring MD
Oct 17th, 2006, 06:08 PM
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So, no thoughts anyone? I just came home from work after posting this in the afternoon and this post is down to 143 from the top with nary a response.
Oh well. I guess I actually do need to figure stuff out for myself in life and just make a decision and go with it.
Thx anyway,
Steve R
Oh well. I guess I actually do need to figure stuff out for myself in life and just make a decision and go with it.
Thx anyway,
Steve R
Oct 17th, 2006, 07:07 PM
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Stever,
We visted Greece in July with our two teens for a little over two weeks. With ten days, I'd definitely recommend limiting yourself to two islands at most plus Athens.
I'd also suggest not spending your first night in Athens, but rather visiting and staying in Athens on your way back.
By the time you go through customs, wait and collect your bags, get a cab into Athens ( about 40 minutes), you could be at your island destination, and settling in for a few days, rather than heading back to the airport the next morning.
Also, since ferries and planes can be cancelled or delayed in bad weather, it's best to be in Athens the night before a flight home. With only 10 days, you probably don't want to go to Athens twice.
As for islands...
We stayed in the town of Oia in Santorini, and just loved it. We were at one of the luxury hotels which I can't recommend, but there are several very good accomodations along the Caldera that shouldn't break the bank. I don't know if any of them have a pool or not, but even if they do, most of the pools we saw are fairly small.
One of the properties that I have seen recommended many times by Brotherleelove2004 who seems to be very knowledgeable about Greece, is Lava Oia Traditional Houses. You might want to check this one out. It really looks amazing on the website!
We were lazy so we didn't make it to the beaches on the other side of the island, but we did take the long staircase ( 214 stairs!) down to Ammoudi Beach, which is just at the end of the pedestrian walkway in Oia. This is really a stone pier that you swim off of, but it was quite beautiful, and surrounded by a few outstanding fish restaurants. ( We went to DIMITRIS one night, and really enjoyed our dinner!).
We also took a private boat tour w/ Captain George, a young Santorinian, who took us on a swimming tour of the sulphur springs, as well as on a hike into the volcano. It was one of the most memorable days of our trip.
The other islands that we visted and loved were Crete and Rhodes. We stayed in the port city of Chania in Crete, and loved wandering through the twisty side streets and visiting the covered market. It's an incredible town for unusual shopping, and full of history ( Venetian, Turkish, and Greek). It was also the site of the Battle of Crete, and you can still see many ruins of buildings that were bombed during that time.
The harbor area is a lot of fun- tons of people in the summer months, lots of fish restaurants, gelaterias, a tiny museum devoted to the history of Chania, and the place where you can book a boat tour to some of the islands that dot the area.
We stayed in a renovated Venetian townhouse,( Palazzo di Pietro) close to the harbor. There was no pool, but the townhouse was only about 15 minutes away from the public beach. We could also have taken a bus to a more beautiful beach about two hours away, but ran out of time!
Chania is also fairly close to the famous Samaria Gorge. This is a 12-mile trek through a natural wonderland full of streams, incredible views, and rare plants and animals. It's about a two-hour bus ride from Chania.
If you're interested in hearing about Rhodes, just post again. We stayed out at the beach in Farilaki ( spelling?) about 20 minutes from the Old Town. I didn't like the hotel, but loved touring around Rhodes. My kids particularly liked Lindos, and the rare butterfly farm. But maybe more about that later??
Anyway, good luck!
We visted Greece in July with our two teens for a little over two weeks. With ten days, I'd definitely recommend limiting yourself to two islands at most plus Athens.
I'd also suggest not spending your first night in Athens, but rather visiting and staying in Athens on your way back.
By the time you go through customs, wait and collect your bags, get a cab into Athens ( about 40 minutes), you could be at your island destination, and settling in for a few days, rather than heading back to the airport the next morning.
Also, since ferries and planes can be cancelled or delayed in bad weather, it's best to be in Athens the night before a flight home. With only 10 days, you probably don't want to go to Athens twice.
As for islands...
We stayed in the town of Oia in Santorini, and just loved it. We were at one of the luxury hotels which I can't recommend, but there are several very good accomodations along the Caldera that shouldn't break the bank. I don't know if any of them have a pool or not, but even if they do, most of the pools we saw are fairly small.
One of the properties that I have seen recommended many times by Brotherleelove2004 who seems to be very knowledgeable about Greece, is Lava Oia Traditional Houses. You might want to check this one out. It really looks amazing on the website!
We were lazy so we didn't make it to the beaches on the other side of the island, but we did take the long staircase ( 214 stairs!) down to Ammoudi Beach, which is just at the end of the pedestrian walkway in Oia. This is really a stone pier that you swim off of, but it was quite beautiful, and surrounded by a few outstanding fish restaurants. ( We went to DIMITRIS one night, and really enjoyed our dinner!).
We also took a private boat tour w/ Captain George, a young Santorinian, who took us on a swimming tour of the sulphur springs, as well as on a hike into the volcano. It was one of the most memorable days of our trip.
The other islands that we visted and loved were Crete and Rhodes. We stayed in the port city of Chania in Crete, and loved wandering through the twisty side streets and visiting the covered market. It's an incredible town for unusual shopping, and full of history ( Venetian, Turkish, and Greek). It was also the site of the Battle of Crete, and you can still see many ruins of buildings that were bombed during that time.
The harbor area is a lot of fun- tons of people in the summer months, lots of fish restaurants, gelaterias, a tiny museum devoted to the history of Chania, and the place where you can book a boat tour to some of the islands that dot the area.
We stayed in a renovated Venetian townhouse,( Palazzo di Pietro) close to the harbor. There was no pool, but the townhouse was only about 15 minutes away from the public beach. We could also have taken a bus to a more beautiful beach about two hours away, but ran out of time!
Chania is also fairly close to the famous Samaria Gorge. This is a 12-mile trek through a natural wonderland full of streams, incredible views, and rare plants and animals. It's about a two-hour bus ride from Chania.
If you're interested in hearing about Rhodes, just post again. We stayed out at the beach in Farilaki ( spelling?) about 20 minutes from the Old Town. I didn't like the hotel, but loved touring around Rhodes. My kids particularly liked Lindos, and the rare butterfly farm. But maybe more about that later??
Anyway, good luck!
Oct 17th, 2006, 07:32 PM
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By the way, I've been to The Four Seasons in Nevis, and wouldn't recommend it in July/August. We had buggy, overcast/rainy weather when we went, and my kids were bored out of their minds. The place is very nice for little kids or corporate retreats, but it's a cab ride from town, and very very quiet.
Oct 17th, 2006, 07:48 PM
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saltymuffin and weadles:
Thx so much for the responses. I did go to that flyertalk board and it does look to be an invaluable resource.
So... quite the positive review of the Greek Islands. I will research the places you recommended very soon. And, your Nevis review was pretty sad for me to read. Sounds like Nevis in July isn't the best bet.
Food for thought. I really appreciate all this great info.
Steve R
Thx so much for the responses. I did go to that flyertalk board and it does look to be an invaluable resource.
So... quite the positive review of the Greek Islands. I will research the places you recommended very soon. And, your Nevis review was pretty sad for me to read. Sounds like Nevis in July isn't the best bet.
Food for thought. I really appreciate all this great info.
Steve R
Jan 24th, 2007, 06:53 AM
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We're going to Greece with our family in July. We've been many times before, but are going to Crete for the first time this year. There will be seven of us and I have been researching like crazy.
Starwood points are great. I'd use them at the Blue Palace in Crete and at the Grande Bretagne in Athens. It looks like the Blue Palace is very close to the beach, if not on it. I wouldn't worry about that. Check tripadvisor.com reviews which frequently mention that sort of information. From what I've gathered about Crete, 5 nights is not too much. The Blue Palace looks so nice, you may not want to leave. Mykonos has the Santa Marina (Starwood) which is right on it's own small beach. We stayed there and it was nice, but you may as well go to Crete with your points (and daughter). I don't think that I'd use them at the Vedema in Santorini. We stayed inland at the Zannos Malathron a couple of years ago and it was lovely, but we had to take a cab everywhere. On the upcoming trip, we're staying at the Volcanos Villas at the edge of Oia. The website is VolcanosVillas.com. It's reasonably priced, has a caldera view and a pool. It sounds like it's walking distance to the center of Oia for shopping and the pool will be nice for your daughter to take a dip while mom and dad relax at sunset.. It's one that Brotherleelove recommends. Don't confuse it with the Volcanos View Villas in another village and much more expensive. Santorini is perfect for two (maybe three) nights. You don't go there for the beaches.
Consider the Grande Bretagne at the end of your trip. It's in a great location and a lovely hotel. You can skip Athens at the beginning of your trip, and catch your flight directly to the islands. Two nights in Athens is great. One will do if pressed for time (or points)!
If you find you have a couple of extra days on your itinerary after visiting the islands and Athens, you could take a mainland trip to Delphi and/or Napflion. Napflion is a lovely spot on the water (beaches nearby) and Epidavros and Mycenea are close. You can also ferry to the island of Hydra from there. You're much more likely to find reasonably priced lodging on the mainland in charmig little inns and it's a good way to average down your hotel costs.
Here's one idea:
Day 1 arrive in Athens and immediately take connecting flight to Crete (Heraklion) Blue Palace
Days 2 - 5 Blue Palace, Crete
Day 6 Take high speed ferry from Heraklion to Santorini.
Days 7 (2nd night in Santorini
Days 8 Another night in Santorini or fly to Athens (Grand Bretagne)
Days 9-10 Athens (Grande Bretagne)
If you have 3 nights in Athens, you can take a day trip to the island of Hydra from the port of Pireaus or do the mainland trips I mentioned.
Starwood points are great. I'd use them at the Blue Palace in Crete and at the Grande Bretagne in Athens. It looks like the Blue Palace is very close to the beach, if not on it. I wouldn't worry about that. Check tripadvisor.com reviews which frequently mention that sort of information. From what I've gathered about Crete, 5 nights is not too much. The Blue Palace looks so nice, you may not want to leave. Mykonos has the Santa Marina (Starwood) which is right on it's own small beach. We stayed there and it was nice, but you may as well go to Crete with your points (and daughter). I don't think that I'd use them at the Vedema in Santorini. We stayed inland at the Zannos Malathron a couple of years ago and it was lovely, but we had to take a cab everywhere. On the upcoming trip, we're staying at the Volcanos Villas at the edge of Oia. The website is VolcanosVillas.com. It's reasonably priced, has a caldera view and a pool. It sounds like it's walking distance to the center of Oia for shopping and the pool will be nice for your daughter to take a dip while mom and dad relax at sunset.. It's one that Brotherleelove recommends. Don't confuse it with the Volcanos View Villas in another village and much more expensive. Santorini is perfect for two (maybe three) nights. You don't go there for the beaches.
Consider the Grande Bretagne at the end of your trip. It's in a great location and a lovely hotel. You can skip Athens at the beginning of your trip, and catch your flight directly to the islands. Two nights in Athens is great. One will do if pressed for time (or points)!
If you find you have a couple of extra days on your itinerary after visiting the islands and Athens, you could take a mainland trip to Delphi and/or Napflion. Napflion is a lovely spot on the water (beaches nearby) and Epidavros and Mycenea are close. You can also ferry to the island of Hydra from there. You're much more likely to find reasonably priced lodging on the mainland in charmig little inns and it's a good way to average down your hotel costs.
Here's one idea:
Day 1 arrive in Athens and immediately take connecting flight to Crete (Heraklion) Blue Palace
Days 2 - 5 Blue Palace, Crete
Day 6 Take high speed ferry from Heraklion to Santorini.
Days 7 (2nd night in Santorini
Days 8 Another night in Santorini or fly to Athens (Grand Bretagne)
Days 9-10 Athens (Grande Bretagne)
If you have 3 nights in Athens, you can take a day trip to the island of Hydra from the port of Pireaus or do the mainland trips I mentioned.
Aug 21st, 2007, 07:38 PM
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Thanks dgg - I appreciate your tips on where to go and where to stay. We've elected to wait on this trip for another 2 years or so, but I'll keep this info and use it in the future. It's a real shame we didn't book this trip for this year, well in advance before the Starwood pts required for a night's stay went up signficantly. Blue Palace went from 12k pts a nt to .. 20k pts a nt - a huge difference.
Steve R
Steve R
