My Holiday With Mark Warner

Last month I was lucky enough to visit Levante Beach Resort in Rhodes with Mark Warner. I wrote up all about our trip not long after I returned home, however after a few weeks of reflection and the post-holiday glow well and truly dampened by the English autumn, I wanted to write up my thoughts on the resort and what you can expect from your stay.

The Hotel

Photo courtesy of Carissa

We arrived late at night after an eight hour trip via Athens. We were greeted by several members of staff and taken into the restaurant where they had opened up the buffet for us. This was such a welcome sight as we were all hungry and thirsty from our travels.

The next morning gave us chance to see the hotel in the daylight and from opening up the curtains to see the adult pool right outside my door, I was thrilled. The main building of the hotel is set back from the beach and as you walk through the resort from the activity pool past the adult pool and finally to the beachfront pool, you can walk right onto the hotel's beach within about ten minutes. All of the pools were crystal blue and spotless and there were plenty of sunbeds to go around. It was out of season when we visited but we were assured that even in high season there are still enough sunbeds to prevent the need for early morning towel claiming.

Throughout the resort you can see how well it is cared for. It is a relatively new resort to Mark Warner and some of the grounds are still growing in, but everything was fresh and well-kept and there were flowers all over the place.

Childcare

One of the most impressive features of the resort, and something which they pride themselves on, is the childcare on offer. They cater for babies from six weeks old to teenagers and have a whole host of activities for all age ranges. We were shown around the childcare centre and I was really impressed with what was provided. They had as much, if not more, than at my children's' nursery and everything was really clean and like new.

The staff all have to be fully qualified to British standards (to full NVQ or CACHE level) and to see them with the children without the resort you could tell they were in safe hands. One of our group had brought her one year old with her and although she wasn't sure whether or not she would leave him, he settled pretty well and she was thrilled to enjoy a few child-free hours, safe in the knowledge he was happy and well looked after.

Over the course of our stay, we saw the kids clubs around the resort and it was lovely to see groups of toddlers enjoying sailing in the pool, all wrapped up in life jackets and sun hats and having a whale of a time, and the babies enjoying playing in the sand on the beach or having a dip in the baby pool.

As well as offering childcare over the course of the day, they also have an evening slot from 7.30pm until 11pm, where children can watch a film in the centre, tucked up in their own sleeping bag, whilst mum and dad enjoy a meal in peace and quiet. I think this is a fantastic service as it can be hard as parents on holiday to find time for yourself and really get a rest, so childcare as a parent is crucial, and to be able to actually enjoying a couple of hours together on an evening really adds that extra touch.

Food

There are several places you can eat within the resort. The main restaurant provides buffet-style breakfast and dinner and it is here you will be for your half board and full board meals. Next to the main pool there is a Greek snack bar where you can expect sandwiches, pizza and salads. Further down the resort near the adult pool there is a Pan Asian restaurant which I can highly recommend, the food there was delicious and everyone in my group commented how tasty their meals were.

The main restaurant, Almalthia, has a huge range of food. Each morning we could choose from fresh fruit, omelettes made to order, cooked breakfast, cereal, pastries and yoghurts and the hugely popular fresh crepes and waffles served with syrup, sauce or ice cream, which I can say were absolutely yummy!

The evening meals varied each night we were there, which lots of choice for everyone. One night there was a fish and seafood theme, another it was Italian. We had different requirements within our group including a blogger who was vegetarian and one who was gluten-free and both were well catered for.

Accommodation

I stayed in a family room, which all on my lonesome seemed absolutely huge, but it would be perfect for families. There are two rooms, divided by sliding doors, so once your little ones are asleep you can shut the doors and sit on the terrace enjoying a drink or two. There was also bags and bags of storage space so definitely no need to worry about having room for all those baby things! The king size bed was lovely and comfy and I slept like a baby!

The bathroom was lovely with a shower and a bath, which was a great size and may even fit Mr H's size 12's! There were his and hers sinks and lots of lovely toiletries on offer if you forgot your own. Beach towels were also provided so you don't need to worry about squeezing those into your case.

Activities

We were treated to whatever water sports we wanted to try whilst we were at Levante. Myself and another blogger gave windsurfing a try (great fun, but be prepared for a workout!) and other bloggers did sailing, paddle-boarding and kayaking. Each activity is led by a qualified instructor and there are speedboats on the water all the time watching over you and staff ready to jump in if you need a hand. Some of the activities are extra, such as water skiing and the inflatable sofa ride, but there are tons to do for those who are feeling active.

There are various organised activities such as yoga, water polo or aqua aerobics, which some of our group had a go at. There is a sunrise stretch which I was really keen to do, but unfortunately I just couldn't drag my bum out of bed in time!

The resort also offer on-land sports, such as social tennis and bike hire as well as hiking if you should desire. You can also hire cars from the desk in reception if you want to explore the area further, which I can highly recommend as Rhodes is a beautiful island.

Overall

Within the group of 12 of us, we all thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Levante Beach Resort, and on a personal note it was exactly what I needed after a tough few months. Despite wind surfing, visiting Lindos for several hours and not napping throughout the day, I came home feeling more rested than I have in months. If you are looking for a resort which will offer plenty of things to do, or not if you prefer, and will give you the chance to rest knowing your children are entertained and happy then I can highly recommend Mark Warner and this resort.

I am extremely grateful to Mark Warner for giving me the chance to go on this trip and to all the girls for making it so much fun.

For even more on our stay, you can watch my video of our trip: