Review - The Amada Colossos Resort, Rhodes, Greece

We have just returned from a lovely holiday at the Amada Colossos Resort in Rhodes, Greece and I thought I'd write a quick review in case anyone is looking for some holiday inspiration as we begin to adventure and holiday abroad again! 

We visited during our October half-term holiday which falls a week earlier than much of the UK. The resort was full, but mainly with adults and older children. We booked the holiday as a package with TUI as they are currently offering fee-free changes if you need to alter your booking due to Covid-19 related issues. At the time we visited, fully vaccinated adults and unvaccinated children under 12 could enter Greece freely with just a Passenger Locator Form and our unvaccinated 12 year old needed to take a private antigen test two days before arrival which was easily booked through TUI.

We stayed in a swim-up family room which sleeps four. This room had a large private terrace with two sunbeds, and access to a long pool shared with nine other rooms. There was a sliding partition to separate the two sleeping areas with a double bed and two single beds. Because it had been so long since our last holiday abroad we splurged a bit for a fancier room than usual, and are very glad that we did as the room was fantastic. It's swim-up rooms all the way for us now!

We loved having access to the pool from our room and it was great to have two guaranteed sunbeds as well as two chairs and a table. The terrace was hot and sunny in the morning and shaded in the afternoon. As well as the view over our pool we could also see over the main pool and had a wonderful view of the sea in front of us and to the side. 

The water in the swimming pools and the waterpark was a little chilly and you really had to brace yourself to jump in! Once you were in it was fine, and it was nice to come out into the sunshine and warm up. The waterpark was open for most of the day, but not all the slides were open at once, so if you wanted to try them all you had to visit at different times of the day. They were also closed for disinfecting for an hour over lunch. Our children did find the water a bit too cold to spend very long here, but plenty of other people didn't seem bothered. The area seemed to be well supervised with a good variety of faster and slower slides. There was also a lazy river and pools to splash around in.

We spent most of our pool time in the pool by our room, but we did venture out a couple of times. There was quite a lot of sunbed reserving going on which was a bit of a problem, but we always managed to find at least one lounger spare. We don't tend to spend long sitting by the pool anyway, so we only needed somewhere to put our things while we were in the water. 

The main pool is very large, with a separate adults only area at one end. It was never busy with people swimming so there was plenty of space for relaxing on a float or attempting to swim the long length all in one go.

We also spent an afternoon on the private beach. We found plenty of sunbeds here, and there is a bar close by for drinks and snacks. The beach is quite stony, so we were glad that we had read this in a review before we went and so came equipped with water shoes. The sea was usually calm and no colder than the swimming pools. It gets deep very quickly so it's perhaps not so good for toddlers and small children to play in, but it's great for swimming as you don't have to go out too far from the shore. The water was beautiful and clear.  

We don't tend to travel for the food, so the buffet restaurant in the resort was more than adequate for our needs. It did get quite busy at peak times so we tried to get there as soon as it opened for meals. There were always several clearly labelled vegetarian options as well as a separate children's buffet with simply prepared vegetables, chips, nuggets, salad bits, ice cream and so on. There was a different theme every evening in the main restaurant, for example Mexican, Greek or Italian, and there was plenty of bread, salad and so on. There were also lots of delicious desserts, including an amazing chocolate fountain buffet one evening! 

The resort also offers three specialty restaurants which can be booked during your stay - Asian, Greek and Italian. We didn't eat at these though as our children get on better with the buffet dining.

The resort is situated really well for travel to other places on the island - we visited Rhodes town (about 20 minutes on the bus), Lindos (about forty-five minutes by taxi) and Faliraki (less than ten minutes by taxi). There is a bus stop right outside the resort and a taxi rank a minute's walk away. The taxis have very clear pricing so you know in advance how much you'll be paying. The buses were convenient and easy to use, however we only used the bus to get to Rhodes and back as on our outward trip the bus was very crowded and we had to stand in the doorway which wasn't very comfortable.

There are some small shops within a few minutes walk and the hotel also has a supermarket and souvenir shop. We found the prices in the shops very reasonable compared to similar places that we have visited, there were some lovely cheap souvenirs to buy like hand painted bowls and ornaments along with postcards, magnets and so on. You could also buy inflatables, snorkels, beach shoes and that sort of thing as well as toys, games and snacks in the supermarket.

There is a very large Waterpark just opposite the resort which looked pretty amazing if that's something that you are interested in. It was closed at the time of writing but it looks like it will be opening again for 2022.

We had a lovely stay at the Amada Colossos Resort. We felt that it represented good value for money with plenty to do in terms of swimming and relaxing. The food and drink selection was very good, and there was no problem with getting food or drink when we wanted it. The staff were friendly and helpful and although it was busy it all felt clean and well organised.

Here you can see a short video that I put together with some clips from around the resort, including some footage of our swim-up pool.

I've also written about a couple of the trips that we did from the hotel:

A visit to Lindos, Rhodes and the Acropolis

A visit to Rhodes Old Town

A note about Covid-19 considerations (October 2021)

We felt that the coronavirus precautions taken by the hotel were excellent. Both staff and guests were strict about wearing masks indoors, even when just going to and from rooms. The buffet restaurant did get a little crowded, but masks were worn, plastic gloves were provided and used for handling utensils, and the tables were situated at a good distance from each other. There was plenty of outdoor dining space and bar seating, and when wet weather meant that it was necessary to eat indoors there were two sessions for dining to make sure that everyone could be accommodated safely inside. 

However I must mention that unfortunately my husband tested positive for Covid-19 on our return home. There's no way of knowing where he caught it of course, although we feel that the places on our holiday where we were most vulnerable were on the flight or the local bus rather than at the resort as it genuinely did feel like a safe environment.

The Iberostar Playa Gaviotas Park Hotel, Fuerteventura

We spent a week at the Playa Gaviotas Park in Fuerteventura in April 2017, and had such a lovely time that I thought I'd share a little review of the Iberostar holiday where we stayed. Although our children were on their Easter holiday from school it was a slightly quieter (and cheaper!) week as not all the schools had broken up.

We booked our holiday with Jet 2 Holidays and flew from Birmingham. It was the first time that we had travelled with Jet 2 and we were very impressed, everyone was very friendly and it was a very smooth flight. The transfer from the airport was about an hour and a half - quite long although with some interesting scenery on the way and not too much stopping at other hotels. We did end up getting off at the wrong hotel though, the Playa Gaviotas. I'm not sure if it was our fault or the coach driver (there was no rep on board the coach), it did lead to a bit of confusion and although only next door we ended up lugging our suitcases up a few flights of steps to get to the reception at the correct hotel!

There are three hotels in this Iberostar complex - the Playa Gaviotas Park, the Playa Gaviotas, and the Fuerteventura Palace. You can use some of the facilities at the other hotels but do check at the hotel directly, for example we could get drinks at the Playa Gaviotas but not at the Fuerteventura Palace, but could use the pools at all three. We also had the option of dining in one of the other hotels for one evening.

Our room was a Suite which was located on level 4, the same level as the main reception and a floor above the restaurant and pools. There was a lovely feel to the communal areas in the hotel, with plenty of plants and fresh air.

We had a large double bedroom with double doors leading out to the balcony, a desk, and large wardrobe.

The children slept on a double sofa bed in the living room, again with large doors to the balcony, a television, and a dining table and chairs. The bathroom had a bath which is very important when it comes to dealing with sandy children. There was plenty of storage and it felt very spacious and clean.

We also had a small kitchen hidden in a cupboard. Although we didn't do any cooking, the fridge was very handy to store snacks and drinks in. There was no kitchen equipment provided though, so you'd need to bring it all along yourself if you did want to self cater.

We had a lovely view from our balcony over the pools (good for checking sun lounger availability in the morning) and the sea in the background. Talking of sun loungers, we did find that people were reserving them from fairly early on, despite warnings that items would be removed. We generally headed down to the pools around 10am and found somewhere, but tucked away at the back (which suited us as the children weren't that bothered about the pools). Later on in the day it was quite difficult to find a group of sun loungers anywhere, although we found plenty of outdoor seating on sofas and comfy chairs at the Iberostar Playa Gaviotas hotel next door.

Only one of the swimming pools was heated, and it was still quite chilly, so our children didn't go in them much. It's a shame as the other pools looked lovely but were mostly empty as they were very cold, there was a good range of shallow areas and deeper parts for swimming.

Breakfast and dinner were served in the main restaurant, with lunch in the pool bar. The main restaurant was large and never felt crowded, although to be fair we were visiting during a quiet week. There was plenty of food and a good selection, we aren't foodies and the children are quite picky, so we didn't make the most of it at all. As vegetarians we did end up with quite carb heavy options (lots of pasta, bread, pizza) but there was plenty of fruit and veg to balance it out. At mealtimes you could help yourself to drinks in the restaurant and the bars, including many types of alcoholic drink.

Several times during the week there was a barbecue at the pool bar for lunch, and there were three themed nights during our stay - Mexican, Canaries and Tapas - with some more interesting and varied menu items. We spotted a timetable for the following week and there was a themed night every night with lunch also served in the main restaurant, so things obviously change during busier times.

I have terrible will power when it comes to unlimited desserts and there were plenty to choose from, luckily small portions so you could try a bit of everything. On one of the themed nights there was a chocolate fountain which we all enjoyed, and every evening we were welcomed into the dining hall with either sparkling wine or a cocktail.

The beach, part of the Jandia Peninsula, is located a few minutes walk from the hotel, but you need to climb or walk down to it. There's a pretty little steep path from the hotel, or you can cut across through the neighbouring Iberostar Playa Gaviotas and use the lifts to get down.

It's a really beautiful beach, miles and miles of golden sand, and it was never busy. We spent a lot of time here building sandcastles and playing in the sea. There were lifeguards on duty but the sea was a little rough for swimming, however it was shallow and when the tide was going out it left behind large lakes which the children could splash about in.

There's a smooth foot path/cycle path along the top of the beach which makes for a nice walk. We made it as far as the lighthouse which was about a 30 minute brisk walk, and there's a whale skeleton on display which is an interesting sight. I made a little video of the beach which you can see here:

Our children weren't interested in the daily kids club, although there seemed to be plenty going on with daily activities. There was lots to entertain them though! Apart from the beach and the pools where we spent most of our time we found a nice playground in the Iberostar Playa Gaviotas and there was a Mini Disco every evening. There was also a later show which was suitable for children but as it didn't start until 9.15pm it was a little late for ours. We did enjoy most of Mamma Mia and the Magic Show, and the other shows looked pretty good too.

I have also made a little video about the hotel showing our room, the pools, the beach and some of the food, enjoy!

We had a lovely stay at the Iberostar Playa Gaviotas Park, and I wouldn't be surprised if we end up coming back!

Review - The Esplanade Hotel, Fistral Beach, Newquay

At the weekend, we were invited to stay for a couple of days at The Esplanade Hotel located on Fistral Beach, Newquay, to spend time together as a family enjoying the family friendly facilities and beautiful sandy beach.

Our family room was located at the front of the hotel, with a large bay window and fantastic view across Fistral Beach. The children slept in bunk beds which they loved (fortunately staying for two nights meant that they could have a turn each!) and they were delighted to find a towel animal and goody bag waiting for them on their beds. Our bed was large and comfortable, the room was spacious, and everything was spotless.

There was plenty of storage space, and I loved the table and chairs in front of the window where you could sit and gaze out. I also appreciate a well stocked tea and coffee making selection, especially when it includes hot chocolate and biscuits, and of course complimentary wi-fi is always a plus! It was also a lovely touch to have a phone call shortly after we had arrived in our room - there's often something that you forgot to ask at check in.

Below was the view from our large bay window - amazing! I loved watching the tide going in and out through the day, seeing the surfers and the people strolling on the beach, and falling asleep to the sound of the waves. We also had a great view of a firework display which I believe was linked to the Night Surf competition taking place on the beach while we were there.

The hotel is located on Fistral Beach, and it takes minutes to cross the road and descend the steps to the sand. The hotel's slogan is "The beach is our playground" and it describes it perfectly - the beach really did feel like an extension of the hotel. As well as spending time there during the day it was close enough to pop down in the evenings for a walk and some rock climbing. I've always found the scenery in Cornwall to be stunning and I love the contrast between the yellow sand and rugged rocks, perfect for sandcastles as well as climbing and rockpooling.

Fistral Beach is well known for surfing, and the hotel houses the Quiksilver Surf School with coaching and facilities. Our children aren't confident enough in the water to try surfing yet, but the hotel offers surf adventure breaks with accommodation and surfing lessons.

We ate dinner at the hotel one evening and enjoyed two breakfasts. There was a great selection to choose from at dinner, and the children's menu in particular was very good. Our children are fussy eaters and there was a nice selection including some simpler food that appealed to them like vegetable sticks, and they loved having their ice cream dessert served in a bucket! The breakfast selection was also very good for us all, with hot and cold buffet items and plenty of choice.

There are also plenty of dining options locally, we enjoyed a lovely pizza lunch at The Stable which is a short walk from the hotel at the other side of the beach with fantastic views, and we ate dinner at The Fort Inn in town which has a great indoor play area for the children.

There are plenty of facilities in the hotel for families. The lovely indoor swimming pool is absolutely immaculate, with changing cubicles, showers and lockers. The pool has a very shallow splash pool at one end and a larger deeper pool for swimming. It was out of depth for our children so you'd want to bring armbands and so on for non swimmers. There is also a hot tub and sauna and extra towels are provided in the pool area.

Photo credit - The Esplanade Hotel

The hotel also has an indoor soft play area with toys, a pool table, and an outdoor play area with a themed pirate ship to play on. We brought buckets and spades for the beach with us, but I was impressed to find a large chest filled with beach accessories that you could borrow, as well as board games for when it's more of an indoor day.

There is a free car park at the hotel, and then additional free parking on the road opposite. You can reserve a parking space in the hotel car park for £10 a day which will be marked with your family name. If you are visiting at a peak time I'd definitely recommend considering this, as I can see that the car park would get busy, especially as it is also used by the surf school.

There is plenty to do in the local area. We spent a fantastic day at the Eden Project which is about a half hour drive away, and we also visited Pirate's Quest in Newquay - full reviews to follow shortly!

We had a fantastic stay at the Esplanade Hotel and a really lovely weekend away in Cornwall, and I really can't think of anything negative to say. The hotel's location so close to the beach is absolutely perfect, and we made some lovely family memories together on the beach. It's also a great location for exploring beautiful Cornwall, and the high standard of the hotel made for a wonderful weekend break.

Our two night stay at the Esplanade Hotel, along with dinner and breakfast, was complimentary in exchange for a review on my blog.