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first greece trip ... Amanzoe and ??

first greece trip ... Amanzoe and ??

Old Sep 12, 2019, 8:10 am
  #121  
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Don’t focus on luxury hotels in Greece, this limits you too much. There are lots of amazing, beautiful islands that have nothing better than a 3-4 star property. Still 100x better there than being overrun with tourists and staying at a 5-star in Fira or Oia on Santorini.
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Old Sep 12, 2019, 11:59 am
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Originally Posted by GetSetJetSet
Don’t focus on luxury hotels in Greece, this limits you too much. There are lots of amazing, beautiful islands that have nothing better than a 3-4 star property. Still 100x better there than being overrun with tourists and staying at a 5-star in Fira or Oia on Santorini.
You do realize this post is in the Luxury Hotels forum? I think people realize there are plenty of good lower star options to pick from but that's not what this forum is all about.
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Old Sep 12, 2019, 12:12 pm
  #123  
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Originally Posted by GetSetJetSet
Don’t focus on luxury hotels in Greece, this limits you too much. There are lots of amazing, beautiful islands that have nothing better than a 3-4 star property. Still 100x better there than being overrun with tourists and staying at a 5-star in Fira or Oia on Santorini.
As pointed out below, this is the Luxury Hotels Forum.

Also, I want a luxury hotel and all its bells and whistles and great service and F&B--and better chances to deliver me reliable air con. If I was willing to forego those, there are plenty of campgrounds and such that offer incredible locations that I also could enjoy. But I won't!

Also, there often are reasons there are so many tourists in these high demand locations. There often are great restaurants to enjoy in these high demand locations. And there often are great luxury hotels taking advantage of them in those locations. It doesn't have to be mutually exclusive proposition if one stays in a luxury hotel in one location and visits or also stays in a less touristy but also beautiful location elsewhere.

We will be visiting Meteora while staying at the Grand Bretagne in Athens--as a day trip by helicopter. There are no great hotels at which to stay in Meteora despite it being an incredible place. And it's a long 5 hr drive there and back from Athens. I want to avoid less impressive hotels and onerous drives. The helicopter day trip allows us to do both while still getting to see an incredible spot.
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Old Sep 12, 2019, 12:35 pm
  #124  
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Originally Posted by bhrubin
We will be visiting Meteora while staying at the Grand Bretagne in Athens--as a day trip by helicopter. There are no great hotels at which to stay in Meteora despite it being an incredible place.
Have you been to Meteora before? I wholeheartedly disagree that there are " no great hotels" in Meteora.... great and luxury don't have to mean the same. The Dellas Hotel ( we stayed two nights) was one of the most magical lovely experiences at ANY hotel in the world I have had. From the hotel staff to the sublime breakfast to the sound of nightingales singing us to sleep. I still dream of our two nights there and long for more.

https://dellasboutiquehotel.com/

What a shame to see and experience Meteora as a day trip.... it deserves more time.
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Old Sep 12, 2019, 12:44 pm
  #125  
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Originally Posted by david55
Have you been to Meteora before? I wholeheartedly disagree that there are " no great hotels" in Meteora.... great and luxury don't have to mean the same. The Dellas Hotel ( we stayed two nights) was one of the most magical lovely experiences at ANY hotel in the world I have had. From the hotel staff to the sublime breakfast to the sound of nightingales singing us to sleep. I still dream of our two nights there and long for more.

https://dellasboutiquehotel.com/

What a shame to see and experience Meteora as a day trip.... it deserves more time.
No shame whatsoever! This will be our first visit to Meteora. While I'm delighted that you enjoyed the Dellas, that isn't luxury to me at all. Nor is the 5 hr drive each way from/to Athens.

We will get to see 2-3 monasteries and enjoy two fly-overs of all 5 monasteries for our helicopter day trip. The average visitor staying nearby supposedly sees 2-3 monasteries, too. And we'll get the flyovers that most don't get at all.

It may deserve more time for you, but it's just about perfect for me--not to mention that I dreaded the onerous 5 hr drives to and from Meteora. Instead, we will enjoy much shorter 75 minute flights each way. That absolutely is luxury to me.

Keep in mind that I also shortened our Santorini stay from 5 nights to 3 nights because I wasn't sure there's enough there to hold my interest. That view will hold my attention for maybe a day or two and then I'll be ready to move on.

I think I know myself pretty well. I don't need to see 4 monasteries to get a sense of what a monastery looks like. Churches in Europe come to mind...

Different strokes...
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Old Sep 12, 2019, 2:15 pm
  #126  
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Originally Posted by bhrubin
No shame whatsoever! This will be our first visit to Meteora. While I'm delighted that you enjoyed the Dellas, that isn't luxury to me at all. Nor is the 5 hr drive each way from/to Athens.

We will get to see 2-3 monasteries and enjoy two fly-overs of all 5 monasteries for our helicopter day trip. The average visitor staying nearby supposedly sees 2-3 monasteries, too. And we'll get the flyovers that most don't get at all.

It may deserve more time for you, but it's just about perfect for me--not to mention that I dreaded the onerous 5 hr drives to and from Meteora. Instead, we will enjoy much shorter 75 minute flights each way. That absolutely is luxury to me.

Keep in mind that I also shortened our Santorini stay from 5 nights to 3 nights because I wasn't sure there's enough there to hold my interest. That view will hold my attention for maybe a day or two and then I'll be ready to move on.

I think I know myself pretty well. I don't need to see 4 monasteries to get a sense of what a monastery looks like. Churches in Europe come to mind...

Different strokes...
No need to defend yourself....I get it.....and you are absolutely right.... the 5 hour drive is the worst and I would never do it again. The drive is through a boring landscape littered with half built factories never finished or abandoned. Perhaps my romance with Meteora in part was simply a relief to be there after the long dusty drive.

P.S. Jealous about the helicopter ride and over fly.
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Old Sep 12, 2019, 2:19 pm
  #127  
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Originally Posted by david55
No need to defend yourself....I get it.....and you are absolutely right.... the 5 hour drive is the worst and I would never do it again. The drive is through a boring landscape littered with half built factories never finished or abandoned. Perhaps my romance with Meteora in part was simply a relief to be there after the long dusty drive.

P.S. Jealous about the helicopter ride and over fly.
That's funny. And making me even more excited about not doing that drive.

Out of curiosity, which monasteries did you see?

Which 2-3 Meteora monasteries do you or others recommend we prioritize to see?
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Old Sep 12, 2019, 3:49 pm
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Looked at the Dellas Website. That place definitely looks like a no go to me for bhrubin!
Even if they agreed to a 17 Celsius room temp!
His helicopter trip sounds like the way to go. No car travel, and beautiful scenery!
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Old Sep 12, 2019, 4:55 pm
  #129  
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Originally Posted by christianj
You do realize this post is in the Luxury Hotels forum? I think people realize there are plenty of good lower star options to pick from but that's not what this forum is all about.
I am well aware, there are some awesome islands with NO true luxury though, it would be a shame to miss out on them because they don't have a proper 5-star. I also construe this forum to be "closest to luxury" when people ask about destinations without real luxury.
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Old Sep 12, 2019, 4:59 pm
  #130  
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Originally Posted by GetSetJetSet
I am well aware, there are some awesome islands with NO true luxury though, it would be a shame to miss out on them because they don't have a proper 5-star. I also construe this forum to be "closest to luxury" when people ask about destinations without real luxury.
Perhaps people don’t miss out on them. Perhaps they just don’t mention them in this forum...since it’s the Luxury Hotel Forum and there aren’t luxury hotels on those other islands.

There’s a lot of world and only so much free time to travel around it. We’re all going to miss plenty. There’s no shame in that for me. I’ll prioritize what I want to see and leave it to everyone else to prioritize what they want to see.
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Old Sep 12, 2019, 5:17 pm
  #131  
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Originally Posted by bhrubin
That's funny. And making me even more excited about not doing that drive.

Out of curiosity, which monasteries did you see?

Which 2-3 Meteora monasteries do you or others recommend we prioritize to see?
I couldn't tell which ones we saw.....we had a guide and after one I got bored. He ended up taking us out to a cave about 15 minutes from town that was fascinating. It is the most continually inhabited cave in Europe. Theopetra Cave. When I was there they had just discovered footprints of a child that were so crazy old.

https://www.visitmeteora.travel/theo...000-years-ago/
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Old Sep 12, 2019, 5:31 pm
  #132  
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Originally Posted by david55
I couldn't tell which ones we saw.....we had a guide and after one I got bored.


That could make you even worse than me.

My husband likes to say that my favorite way to see a museum is to fly over it in a 747. I normally don’t last more than an hr in the Louvre.

Here’s hoping I’ll enjoy at least 2 monasteries.
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Old Oct 10, 2019, 12:07 pm
  #133  
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Checked in at FS Astir Palace yesterday. Before my stay I was very skeptical as many may know. It's of course not in Athens and if sightseeing is the mainfocus the wrong choice. The rooms are nicely done with some minor failures which will be a problem over the time (f.e. carpets are already full of stains and some furniture at the balcony already is worn do n and shabby). Beach is OK if you compare it with other European beach-hotels, of course if you compare with the top-choices in Asia, Seychelles etc. it's a completely other league. Service is good.
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Old Oct 10, 2019, 1:51 pm
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I fully support Crete. Was in Athens three times, there is nothing to compare. I was relaxing at the Alexander Beach Hotel and this trip is now one of the most pleasant memories.
The location was perfect. Settled in the villa, overlooking the ocean, with its pool and sunbeds. Very quiet, comfortable with green areas, white stone walls and incredibly beautiful plants.
Insanely delicious and varied Greek cuisine. Tables are choked with food. The main thing is that the hotel is very quiet, calm, music and no movement is heard. But after literally 3 km, you find yourself on Malia Street, with many bars and nightclubs. Plus in Crete there are many beautiful places where excursions and the best beaches lead.
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Old Oct 10, 2019, 2:07 pm
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Originally Posted by jessicaDreamer
I fully support Crete. Was in Athens three times, there is nothing to compare. I was relaxing at the Alexander Beach Hotel and this trip is now one of the most pleasant memories.
The location was perfect. Settled in the villa, overlooking the ocean, with its pool and sunbeds. Very quiet, comfortable with green areas, white stone walls and incredibly beautiful plants.
Insanely delicious and varied Greek cuisine. Tables are choked with food. The main thing is that the hotel is very quiet, calm, music and no movement is heard. But after literally 3 km, you find yourself on Malia Street, with many bars and nightclubs. Plus in Crete there are many beautiful places where excursions and the best beaches lead.
Huh? LOve Crete....but that part of Crete is my least favorite and represents the invasion of change. Wall to wall AI resorts catering to a younger drinking crowd. Malia in particular is known for this.
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