Accommodation abroad

THE PALACE HOTEL, SLIEMA, MALTA

(2011) First class boutique hotel with a most efficient Reception Manager. One of the best breakfast buffets I have encountered (and I was in overseas travel for 20 years). Lovely indoor pool with steam rooms and a sauna. Rooftop outdoor pool next to Asian restaurant where delicious meals are served. Wi-fi in reception.

10/10 (from AnnieRowena)

HOTEL RUSSO, VENICE

(2012) A small family run hotel on the Venice Lido, right on the sea front with a super view of Venice itself. Only a B and B but loads of really good restaurants on the Boulevard - and a five minute walk from the vaperetto stop. Venice Lido is worth an afternoons stroll with beautiful hotels and family homes and small canals. The vaperetto ride itself gave wonderful views of this beautiful place - I loved Venice and long to go back again for a longer time.

9.7/10 (from dorsetpennt)

COCONUT BAY RESORT AND SPA, ST LUCIA

(Oct 12) Our holidays are usually UK/France self-catering, very quiet and with variable weather - so the idea of an all-inclusive package trip to somewhere hot (in this case St Lucia) wasn't something I'd ever considered until I got the chance to try it out for a few days.

Before getting on the plane we got the chance to experience Gatwick's V room (also available in Manchester) - a leisure lounge available to anyone when booked with or added to a Virgin holiday (price £20 for adults and £12 for children).

Included in the price, comfy seating, free wifi, hot and cold buffet and drinks, a play room for small kids and computer games/table football for older ones, nice clean loos (always vital) and a brilliant view of the runway so you can enjoy your free brekkie while watching all the planes taking off and landing. Food was great too.

The flights themselves were on Virgin's newly refurbished (and very smart!) Gatwick fleet. Small girl was delighted with the goody bag handed out to all kids on boarding. We flew out Premium Economy which was utterly luxurious and I could seriously get a taste for. Staff couldn't have been more friendly and helpful. Food was good. Most of all loved the new touchscreen entertainment system. Tons of movies and TV etc for every age/taste. Being able to start movies when you like and pause/rewind them too (a la Sky Plus) is a VERY handy feature when travelling with kids.

Flew back economy - although (obviously) the seats were smaller still very comfortable and service no less impressive. Had not flown Virgin in years but will certainly be choosing them the next time we fly.

The hotel/resort we stayed at was Coconut Bay...less than five minutes from the airport. When travelling with tired kids this is a massive plus: nothing worse after a long flight than having to spend hours in a bus or a car. I was worried about constant aircraft noise shattering our peace - but because there are only a couple of flights a day out of Fort Vieux there's no problem with this at all.

The hotel is split into two 'wings' - one adults only and the one we stayed in, for families. The decor of our room wasn't necessarily the most modern or up-to-date but it was, far more importantly, a really good size (with a seating area as well as two double beds (and worth mentioning that these were so supremely comfortable they prompted me to buy a new mattress for home...)

Although it's a fairly busy resort (250 rooms) there was no problem finding sunbeds. Swimming pools and water park enormous so plenty of space for everyone. No queueing at meal times. And being able to eat what and when you want is great for family groups of all ages. Ditto the fact there were cold drinks (inc alcoholic ones if you wanted) on tap whenever you wanted. A definite bonus of all-inclusive as when it's hot and you have to shell out $3 or $4 a pop it would soon mount up.

The food was decent and plentiful - a mix of local dishes and 'standards'. Breakfast particularly impressive - a huge buffet with plenty of choice. There are also various restaurants offering different cuisines that you can visit in the evenings (also included in the price).

We spent one day getting to see a bit more of the island, trying out an excursion to the volcano and botanical gardens. Highlight was an afternoon on a catamaran complete with snorkel stops (never tried before - but will definitely do again).

The hotel also has a spa (which it would have been rude not to try...fab) and a kids' club (which we used briefly. Looked really good but we wanted to hang out together)

All in all the whole experience taught me a lot about holiday making. Long haul doesn't actually have to be a problem - even with small kids in tow - as long as you are with the right airline. Heat is fine - as long as you are somewhere with a pool and cold drinks on tap. Having someone else do all the cooking for once is great! No washing up either : ) I would perhaps be tempted to go for a smaller resort but that's just our preference - and we had no complaints about Coconut bay.

I'm not sure that this is the sort of holiday that we would have thought about had we not been offered the chance to try it out for a few days. But it's definitely changed my perception of what works for a family with kids and we are already looking at the map and working out what far flung destination to save up for next.

In terms of prices for this trip: 7 nights on an all inclusive basis starts from £1,199 per adult and £689 per child (based on 2 adults and 2 children (under 12) travelling and sharing a deluxe garden room in June 2013) All taxes and surcharges are included.

If you want to do your own thing you can just go for the scheduled Virgin flights to St Lucia (three times a week) starting from £639 in economy (price until 5 December 2012)

I was invited on a press trip by Virgin for the purposes of review. These are my own opinions in my own words. My review is based on the whole trip and not just the hotel.

9.6/10 (from CariGransnet)

OLD SILK STORE, PELION

(2013) Pelion, fabled home of the centaurs, is extraordinarily beautiful. The Old Silk Store is situated on the Aegean side of the peninsula, perching on the high slopes of the mountain in the village of Mouresi. The rooms are quaint and romantically old-fashioned; the walled garden, where breakfast is served, is filled with plants; and the village square is charming.

Jill, the Cornish owner, speaks Greek and is a mine of information about walks and beaches. A car is essential - it's 45 minutes down the donkey paths to the beach (rather longer back up...) but you wouldn't want to do it every day.

This is a fantastic base to explore this beautiful part of Greece, especially for walkers. The mountain is astonishingly green and The Old Silk Store, so high up its flank, is cool even in high summer.

9.4/10 (from GeraldineGransnet)

PRAIA SOL HOTEL, QUARTERIA, ALGRAVE, PORTUGAL

(2011) An excellent, small, family hotel run by Maria, Paulo and Pedro, with an excellent skeleton staff who do everything to make your stay as pleasant and as comfortable as possible. Nothing is too much trouble for any of the. You can stay on a room only basis, bed and breakfast and also half board. There is also an extremely good snack menu which is very filling. Despite the fact that my husband and myself stayed at this hotel for THREE MONTHS last winter on a half-board basis, the food was seldom repetitive and was always freshly cooked and there was also a choice. We enjoyed it so much we are going back again this winter - can hadly wait! There is a fantastic promenade and wide safe beach ten minutes away which has a large selection of shops, cafes and bars so what more could anyone ask for? A 3* hotel which deserves a 4 or 5 star rating.

9.3/10 (from ScorpioTrish)

HILTON BUDAVAR, BUDAPEST

(2011) Always a pleasure. Its location is perfect, on top of the Royal Castle Hill, looking down to the Danube and the Parliament building. Excellent service, comfortable rooms and the breakfasts are to die for.

9.2/10 (from julika)

OBEROI MAIDENS HOTEL, OLD DELHI

(2011) Beautiful colonial hotel, service excellent, staff will go out of their way to help. Stayed there recently for a total of 10 days and got an upgrade to a suite on our return for 7 days. Celebrated my birthday while there & on my return from dinner there was a chocolate birthday cake in the room with plates & cutlery

9/10 (from darlolass57)

QUEEN ELIZABETH, CUNARD

(2012) Marvellous. Luxurious. Expensive.

8.8/10 (from jeni)

PAN PACIFIC HOTEL, SINGAPORE

(2012) The hotel is in the Marina Bay area of Singapore, overlooking the Merlion (the symbol of Singapore) and several other luxury hotels. The architecture provides a feeling of light and space.

The hotel has all the facilities expected of a five star hotel, but it's the staff - for whom nothing appears to be too much trouble - that make this hotel incredibly welcoming. Shopping in the arcades around the hotel, or on Orchard Road is great; have a ride in a junk up the Singapore River; go to the Night Safari; or just soak up the atmosphere in the Long Bar at Raffles to experience some of the delights of the area around the hotel. But don't forget to just spend some time in the hotel's excellent restaurants; recreation facilities or the fish pond, if you just want to relax.

8.7/10 (from Midge58)

HERMES HOTEL, CRETE

(2014) I stayed here many years ago when the kiddies were kiddies. Booked through Thomson who, in my experience are generally a very reliable tour operator. The hotel has a great location, facing directly onto the sea. The pretty harbour of Agios Nikolaos is a short walk away. Hotel staff were very friendly, especially towards the children, and the food was very good. If you prefer a beach then it's a short drive or bus ride to Elounda which has a great sandy beach backed by hills. If you tire of the beach it's worth taking a stroll uphill to nearby unspoilt villages with pretty, but simple churches and welcoming smiles from the locals.

8.4/10 (from happy2be)

AMARI VOGUE HOTEL, KRABI, THAILAND

(2013) A lovely, quiet and very comfortable hotel. It's hidden away on a quiet beach with stunning scenery. Not a lot to do so it's suitable for rest and relaxation, there is also a spa.

However it's not suitable for disabled people as there are many stairs up and down to the beach.

To get there, it's a long flight with a change at Bangkok, so a week probably not enough to fully enjoy. You might like to include a few extra days in Bangkok or elsewhere.

8.3/10 (from MaggieP)

CA'S CURIAL, SOLLER, MAJORCA

(2011) A delightful Agriturismo with only 11 rooms, amongst orange groves.

Perfect for relaxing, walking in the mountains or enjoying taking the tram to the Port of Soller.

Excellent restaurants nearby plus at the hotel too. Lovely family-run place and worth returning to.

Not suitable for children/grandchildren

8.3/10 (from MaggieP)

CA'L BISBE, SOLLER, MAJORCA

(2012) A delightful , small hotel in the town of Soller, so easy for cafés, the tram to the port or train to Palma.

Hotel very comfortable, good food though B & B a good option as so many restaurants to try.

Nice pool and rooms good.

We were a party of 14 and they coped very well with a group!

8/10 (from MaggieP)

SENEGAMBIA BEACH HOTEL, KOLOLI, GAMBIA

(2011) A warm welcome and no hassle just being there was enough but the staff always happy to go the extra bit. Food served from a buffet for most meals and excellent quality.

Beach and leisure facilities suitable for all ages. Seperate family pool so quiet swimming is possible.

7.9/10 (from mumsie)

CASA PORTAGIOIA, TUSCANY

(2011) This was where my husband & I spent a lovely week in June. Terry & Marcello run a wonderful retreat in the hills of Castiglion, providing beautiful en-suite rooms & delicious breakfast.

For two evenings we were lucky enough to experience Marcello cooking supper for the guests with Terry providing the humour & banter along with wines of the region. What with the swimming pool set amongst the beautiful gardens and vineyard, what more could we have asked for? For couples & older familes only

7/10 (from virginiaplain)

FLAVOURS HOLIDAY, ITALY

My cookery holiday in Sicily was thanks to a competition win from Gransnet and the Silverspoon.

The holiday, a week in Italy (Flavours offer a range of destinations) staying in a luxury villa, learning to cook from local chefs and with tours of the area - sounded perfect for a food loving singleton like me.

The villa was in a remote and isolated part of Southern Sicily. It was stunning with rooms that varied from comfortable to luxurious, with plenty of space to relax and enjoy the weather; in late September it was still in the upper 20 degrees most days. There was a pool, which warm enough to swim daily in

tranquillity, surrounded by flowering cacti and looking out over the valley.

Our itinerary was exceptionally well planned and amongst other things we managed to pack in both cultural and gastronomical excursions to Siracuse for art, Greek and Roman monuments and the old food market at Ortyga, Donnafugata to see artisan cheese production, Modica to see traditional

Aztec chocolate making dating back to Sicily’s time under Spanish rule and the pretty seaside village of Marzamemi where we learnt about tuna fishing.

And we enjoyed some great cookery classes. Ever wanted to know how to make pasta? Well, our charming Sicilian Chef Carla taught us how to make three different sorts. We tried our hand at aranchini at Canoli and we made an amazing meat dish called falsomagro. Of course, throughout the holiday the wine flowed and we seemed to enjoy limitless hospitality, eating at a large communal table each evening.

It’s a holiday that any single food lover, who prefers company to independent travel, will enjoy. If anyone wanted their own space then there were plenty of places where you could escape with a book and read, but no one could have felt lonely or isolated there. Throughout the week we all made friends, saw some fabulous sights and learnt how to cook Sicilian style food.

Flavours offer cookery, pilates and art holidays throughout Italy.

(from FionaMaclean 2012)

INSIGHT VACATIONS BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY TOUR

(2014) In March, I was lucky enough to take part in Insight Vacations’ Luxury Bohemian Rhapsody Global Press Tour - a seven day spectacular taster of the company’s Easy Pace Budapest, Vienna & Prague tour (usually 10 days long).

Travelling via luxury coach, we made our way through these three beautiful - and very different - cities, our fantastic guide making sure we got the full local experience at each stop. With five star hotels and exclusive Insight experiences, we were treated to a steady smattering of luxury, fine dining and local culture along the way…

Firstly, the beauty of an Insight tour is that while you travel with friends or relatives, you also have the opportunity to meet and mingle with others on the tour. I wouldn’t hesitate to go on one of the tours alone and met a great mix of people on this one, many of whom I have kept in touch with.

I was also surprised by how nice it was to travel by coach. Seeing the landscape go by, while also having the luxury of plenty of room (and Wifi!) made the trip from city to city a pleasure, and having the coach ready to take us to and from different areas of each city was a real plus.

Flying from Gatwick to Prague to kick off the tour, we were met by an Insight driver at the airport and whisked straight off to the first stop on our tour, the Art Nouveau Palace Hotel, Prague. Only a five minute walk from Charles Square, the hotel (five star - the tour has ruined me for future holidays as I’m now far too accustomed to luxury…) was the jumping off point for guided tours around the city, including one of Insight’s signature experiences at the Strahov monastery, which also brews its own excellent beer. After some local food and Becherovka liquor (hold on to your taste buds...no, really) we were treated to a tour of the brewery and a beer, then taken into the depths of hell for our main meal. And by hell I mean the famous Peklo restaurant situated down in the wine cellars of the monastery - Peklo translates as hell, though the food was far from it.

The next morning, we were straight off to Prague Castle with another local guide, feeding us inside information that turned a stroll around a beautiful castle into a detailed and insightful (excuse the pun) experience. Insight’s Signature Experiences are mixed with chances to do your own exploring, which is important for me. Back in Prague centre we were treated to a glass blowing demonstration at a traditional glass workshop, headed to St Charles Square to see the famous astronomical clock in action and finished up with a tour of the unique Jewish Museum, before doing a bit of independent exploration.

A couple of hours on the coach, watching the Czech countryside go by brought us to Cesky Krumlov, a small medieval town, and a particular highlight for me. There’s little chance I would have ventured here if I hadn’t been on this tour, which is part of its advantage of one of these tours - they are built on local knowledge of the best places, the most interesting experiences and the small, little-known gems that tourists might otherwise miss. The town sits right on the Vltava river and is a vista of red roofs with the castle up on the hill. Again, we had a local expert ready and waiting to take us around the castle - which has actual bears living under the bridge that leads into it.

Like all of the accommodation on the tour, our hotel was picked specifically for its charm - a 16th century former Jesuit dormitory overlooking the town and river, complete with medieval figures and suits of armour in the lobby. The medieval theme extended to our dinner too, which was served in the banquet hall to a soundtrack of live musicians playing period music. One thing I would really recommend when in Cesky Krumlov is exploring the town at night. With the castle, river and cobbled lanes all lit up with soft light, it’s not to be missed.

Crossing the border into Austria, we made a stop in the Wachau Valley to take a tour of its vineyard and sample the fruits in their best form, before moving on to Vienna. Having arrived at the Hilton Vienna, we were taken off to (for me) the best experience of the trip. In a private concert hall that Mozart himself played in, one of Vienna’s best orchestras played many of imperial Vienna's best compositions, accompanied by ballet dancers.

The next morning saw us touring the Schonnbrunn Palace - one of the most stunning palaces I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen a few) and touring the grounds, as well as visiting the Winter Palace treasury to see the crown jewels and one of the largest emeralds in the world.

The final stop on the tour was Budapest - my favourite city of the three. Our first night in the Hungarian capital was pretty special, as we boarded a riverboat and sailed down the Danube over a special Hungarian dinner (you‘ve never tasted real goulash until you’ve tasted home made goulash on the Danube river). Budapest really comes into its own at night, and the river city’s lights look incredible from the water.

We also toured the white Matthias Church in the medieval district, which looks a bit like something out of a fantasy book and gives a great view over the city. Then we moved on to something we’d been thoroughly enjoying throughout the tour - food. It’s not just Austria that knows its stuff when it comes to making strudel - as we found out during the demonstration at the First Strudel House in Pest, and more importantly by trying it for ourselves.

The Central Market Hall is one of the most colourful, vibrant places that we saw in Budapest, being a hub of food stalls mainly. It’s the perfect place both to see the local culture, and pick up a few specialties yourself - I made a beeline for the paprika and goulash kits, but I sincerely doubt my goulash will measure up to our host’s on the river cruise. While we were at the market there happened to be two groups of traditional dancers putting on a show in the market, one Hungarian and one from another country. Our guide found that the Hungarian dancers regularly invite groups from other countries and cultures to take part in shows.

Our last night was spent at the exclusive Gundel restaurant - which has welcomed royals from all over Europe - serenaded by the string band and plied with some of the best food in the city. Says it all really, doesn’t it? Completely lavish and a great way to end a fantastic experience.

Every potentially stressful aspect of travelling through multiple countries was taken care of by the Insight team, who were always on hand for information or to sort any problems, and the journeys between countries and cities were smooth and comfortable (the coach has extra legroom, screens and WIFI). I wouldn’t hesitate to try another of Insight’s tours, knowing that I would get a tailored experience, meet some great people and travel in the style I am now accustomed to…

This trip was undertaken by a member of the GNHQ team and was a complimentary press trip.

10/10 (from anon)