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If Only.......
  • Keith Eckersall
  • Jayne Eckersall
  • Keith Eckersall
  • Jayne Eckersall

If Only.......

A luxury holiday recommended by If Only Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 17, 2026
    If Only.......

    In Search of the Sunshine

    May 17 in England ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    By 10:45 we are packed, cases are locked and by the door waiting for our taxi .
    11:10 our all electric Lexus taxi arrives silently outside, bags 🧳🧳 loaded and we are off.
    12:20 we are out of the taxi 🚕 and heading to the Jet2 check-in desk at Manchester Airport. Bags labelled and dispatched and by 12:40 we (well I am) through security and now waiting for "dodgy" looking Jayne to clear security 👮
    13:50 and it's starting to rain but hey who cares Jayne and I are off to the sunshine, and by 16:15 we are on board our Airbus A321 waiting to go. An hour later and we are finally 🛫 in the air and bound for Crete arriving in Heraklion just under 4 hours later. Through passport control with just a small queue. Greece 🇬🇷 have suspended using the latest digital technology of photo and finger prints 🫆 in favour of a human checking that your face matches your passport photograph. Within 40 minutes we have collected our luggage 🧳 🧳 and now search for our driver amongst the many holding names in the Arrivals Hall. Only he isn't here????? After a frantic 30 minutes including desperate phone calls 📞 to the hotel 🏨 and If Only in the UK 🇬🇧 our driver arrives 🚗.
    70 minutes later we are received to be walking into our home for the next 7 nights and greeted with sandwiches 🥪, cake 🎂, fruit, champagne 🍾 and a lovely congratulations on your wedding anniversary card 🎊 Oh and a room upgrade from a Junior Suite with a Sea View to a Caramel split level Maisonette with; as stated on the website, SPECIALS: Wooden staircase. We unpacked and got to bed 🛌 😴    Read more

  • If Only.......
    The Bar AreaA bedroom door with a view.

    Where are we and what is there????

    May 18 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    After a night of tossing and turning we are on the first proper day of our holiday and today's objective ........ relaxation, after of course the usual 1st day turmoil of where is everything. 

    After stepping out of our door and turning right ↪️ we could see people sitting having breakfast on the verandah over looking the swimming pool. Wow there is plenty of choice and that's before you look at the menu card for the specials.

    After breakfast we walked 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️ to the lobby to find out more about the hotel 🏨 and what it has to offer. 

    Afterwards,  we decided to explore the hotel and its grounds and the first thing we noticed is there is no need for any sunbed wars as the hotel lays out all the rolled up towels and even now at 10:00 there are hardly any guests out sunbathing.
    As lunchtime came we found a nice quiet spot overlooking the Aegean Sea and had our first holiday beer 🍺🍺 and a bowl of complimentary crisps. We were so relaxed we stayed for another and pleasantly surprised when told our 2nd round was on the house.
    After changing we headed back to the breakfast restaurant for our evening meal, which was an assorted buffet and delicious. After which we still managed to catch the 8:00 pm sunset. As darkness set, the lights came on and the evening entertainment of a musical duo began.    Read more

  • If Only.......
    16th Century Venetian Guora Gate1Fortezza of Rethymno built in 16th century1

    A Morning of Holiday Sax

    May 19 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Like in the medieval flore tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, hotel guests were drawn to breakfast this morning by following the sounds of a saxophonist, which also proved to be a very enjoyable start to our day. After breakfast we decided to make use of public transport and headed into Rethymno, the 3rd largest town in Crete. Only our journey didn't last long as unknowingly had to buy our bus tickets from the supermarket across the street first. Fortunately, another bus pulled up shortly after. It looks as though Health and Safety were on holiday when this bus stop was put in place as the bus stops ✋️ right on a zebra crossing. This also means that whilst waiting for the bus 🚌 the traffic kept stopping to let people waiting for the bus to cross the road ..... which of course they didn't 🤣 Anyway, I digress Our standing 🧍‍♂️🧍‍♀️room only bus journey eventually arrived in Rethymno and we headed straight for the old town and it's Venetian harbour. After walking out along the wall to the lighthouse and back we re-entered the old harbour area with it's many cafes and restaurants and told to not be afraid and to stop for a drink, unfortunately, we should have been very afraid as the waitress must've misheard me and thought we wanted a beer 🍺 and an expressive coffee ☕️ as when she brought it both Jayne and I along with my cap and phone 📱 ended up wearing it!!! Unfunny enough the cafe workers were more concerned about drying their table than their coffee sodden guests!! Leaving the cafe after paying the full price of the bill, but not for the sugar laden cake we were given as compensation, we walked a little way up the coastline between the sea and the walls of Rethymno's Fortezza a massive 16th-century Venetian citadel towering over the city's Old Town on the rocky Paleokastro hill. Built between 1573 and 1580 to protect citizens from pirate raids, it is the largest Venetian castle in Crete. Near to the fortezza's main arched entrance (Eastern Central Gate) is the Archaeological Museum which until the1970's was Rethymno's Jail.Read more

  • If Only.......
    1

    Rethymno Travel Guide ....

    May 19 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Following the short but scenic walk back down to the old town we came across one of the town's most prominent landmarks the Rimondi Fountain located in Platanou Square, which during Venetian times was the town centre. Built in 1626 by Rector A. Rimondi it was used to supply a large part of the town’s water needs.
    Walking 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️ on we turned a corner to what was an old Ottoman style mosque 🕌 complete with a single minaret (1890) formerly known as the Naradje Mosque but is now a Music School.
    We made our way back towards the old harbour through the honeycomb of cobbled alleyways and narrow streets dappled with shade from overhanging vines and bougainvillea to a lovely quiet cafe bar. We realised after it could have also been a drug 🤪😇 cafe....... anyway we drank the coffee ☕️ instead of wearing it. Walking further on towards the bus 🚌 stop we came across a man(nequin) with a glass of red wine 🍷.... but he wasn't for sharing! 😂
    Near the bus stop was a Greek Orthodox Church; Church of the Four Martyrs a place dedicated to the four Cretan martyrs (Aggelis, Emmanouil, Georgios and Nikolaos) who were brutally tortured before being beheaded on October 28, 1824 at the Guora Porta after refusing to convert to Islam. Relics of three of the Martyrs are still kept inside the Church.
    After a 35 minute standing 🧍‍♀️🧍‍♂️ only bus 🚌 ride we arrived back at the hotel 🏨 where with overcast skies there were still plenty of sunbeds available.    Read more

  • If Only.......
    No sunbed wars here...
    Leaf the sunbeds alone.. 🍃Look blue sky...

    No BOGOF Today.....

    May 20 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    First relaxing day of the holiday as in no where to go, nothing to find out and equally nothing to do apart from lounge around the hotel and pool area hoping that the sun will come out 🤞
    We headed straight for breakfast around 08:30; no need to divert and place towels on sunbeds at this hotel. One hour later we are camped on our sun loungers waiting for the sun to show. Almost an hour later and there are still plenty of sunbeds loungers as only a handful of intrepid sun worshippers are out cloud ☁️ bathing. But wait- 10:45 and blue sky has made an appearance 🤔 and the sun came out in abundance. As we weren't venturing far today we opted for another liquid lunch, but unfortunately it was different bar staff today so we didn't qualify for the Buy aone round of beers and Get the next One Free (BOGOF) 😪. Back at the pool we took a leaf and settled down to relax in the shallow waters of the swimming pool.
    Once again after dinner we were treated to another beautiful sunset 🌇, before heading back to the pool bar area for the evening entertainment provided by Kanun and Guitar, playing traditional and artistic music of the Mediterranean.    Read more

  • If Only.......
    11

    Just Another Day in Paradise 🎶

    May 21 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Today was another relaxing and slow day, starting with a leisurely breakfast; eggs and avocado 🥑 on toast.
    Speaking to the Concierge; Eleni, about arranging our taxi to the airport, only to find out:
    a) no transport had been booked, and
    b) today was her name day....
    The name day for Eleni (and its variants like Elena, Lena, and Helen) is celebrated annually on May 21st.This day is a major feast in the Greek Orthodox tradition, commemorating Saints Constantine and Helen (Agios Konstantinos and Agia Eleni). Quick Facts: The Greeting: When wishing someone a happy name day in Greek, you say "Chronia Polla!" (Χρόνια Πολλά), which translates to "Many Years!".
    Fortunately, just one quick phone call back to England and everything was sorted out 😊 ... we now longer have to stay here in the indefinitely 😅
    Lunchtime and pretty much all afternoon was spent on the beach on the nearest Cabana to the bar 🍺😅 just listening to the waves gently rolling in along the shoreline.
    Arriving back at our room we were pleasantly surprised to find Red Rose Mallow Flowers 💐 which are native to Crete, displayed on our bed.
    After dinner it was time to go and catch another stunning sunset 🌇    Read more

  • If Only.......
    11

    Happy 34th Anniversary 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

    May 22 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    So today is what this holiday celebration is all about. 34 years to the day that Jayne and I said I Do.......

    One thing is for sure about this hotel you simply do not need to hurry. We managed to get a breakfast table on the verandah over looking the pool, where we also took time to open our cards and pray that the lottery ticket 🎟 I bought Jayne is a BIG winner 🙏. After a more leisurely breakfast than usual complete with a couple of glasses of fizz 🍾🥂 we were still the 1st guests to claim a spot by the pool.
    It was still like our very own private pool until at least 10:30. And so the day began alternating between the pool, the beach ⛱️ and back to the pool only broken up by pizza for lunch listening once again to the sounds of the waves. No ghetto blasters 🔊🎼 allowed on this beach or at the pool even.
    When we got back to our room we had 'another' cake 🥮 waiting for us, .... but no fizz 🍾 this time. Our anniversary finished much the same as the previous evenings here, buffet dinner, followed by a walk along the busy road and then a beer listening to the music of Thalena and Panagiotis.    Read more

  • If Only.......
    1

    Sax on a Saturday Night

    May 23 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Our penultimate day and what to do with ourselves.
    The local weather app says light showers 🌧
    The good old trusty BBC weather App says rain 🌧 from 09:00 progressing to thundery showers ⛈️ and a light wind later in the day. No matter what, I think we are going to get wet - even the hotel has placed a collection of umbrellas 🌂 by the door. Walking over to breakfast the dark clouds were looming and the doors to the outside seating area were closed.
    So decision time do we head back into Rethymno and shelter in shops or preferably bars when the rain comes or stay at the hotel and see 👀 🤔 what happens as the sun 🌞 is shining and not a cloud in the sky now 🤔 🤔. One thing is for sure the hotel and pool has got busier with a fresh intake of guests AND they have brought kids with them!!!! 🤣🤣
    We decided to stay at the hotel and make use of the pool and also the beach bar for a spot of lunch whilst watching 👀 the waves crashing in, today the sea is definitely slightly rougher than it has been all week.
    As the sun went in, so did we to begin to start packing our suitcases for our journey home tomorrow. But we did have some good news - check out is normally 11:00, when we asked about the possibility of a later check out 14:00 looked very promising as nobody was due to check in our room on Sunday. Then we received a message from the hotel saying we didn't have to check out until 19:00 just 1/2 and before our taxi back to the airport was due.
    No sunset tonight as the clouds made a full reappearance but at least it hasn't rained ....yet as the a la carte dining experience has been moved in door as has the entertainment.    Read more

  • If Only.......

    Ready for Home

    May 24 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Once again the weather forecast suggested a worst day than what we had, stating rain and thunderstorms that happily didn't happen - whilst we were there at least.
    So it was a but of a mixed day really with one case packed, weighed and locked we headed to breakfast which was again an indoor affair.
    Afterwards we went and camped on sunbeds that were near our Maisonette. As usual we headed to the beach bar for our last holiday beers 🍻 before taking advantage of the last few hours by the pool, before heading inside for a shower and watch Bolton win promotion in the League 1 Play Off Final. Cases packed and ready yo depart we headed for the 18:30 opening of our our last meal here in Crete. Whilst we ate our meal our cases were brought from our room and placed in the luggage 🧳 🧳 store. At 19:30 precisely our taxi 🚕 pulled into the hotel 🏨 grounds, our cases loaded and Jayne and I had a pleasant daylight drive back to the airport seeing all the things we missed just 8 days earlier.
    At the airport we were quickly through baggage drop off, emigration and security waiting to be called to our gate along with the throngs of other passengers heading to East Midlands or Tel Aviv.
    We took off pretty much on time 11:30 landing back in Manchester just over 4 hours later at 01:30 UK time on Monday morning. Just 45 minutes later we are heading to our taxi and home 🏡 at 03:20 and in bed shortly after 😴 💤    Read more

    Trip end
    May 25, 2026
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