HALKIDIKI, GREECE EKIES ALL SENSES RESORT
Ekies wasn’t supposed to be so family friendly. The boutique resort, nestled among the palms and pine trees of the Halkidiki coastline, was bought as a crumbling ruin by Alexandra Efstathiadou (with help from her father, a Greek food canning businessman), who had visions of a creating a grown-up, elegant, artful holiday retreat, replete with architect-designed suites and lush tropical gardens. And it is all this. But the thing is, the chic striped sun loungers and the irresistible giant macramé hammock edge the shallowest lapping sea waters, which are perfect for kids to safely splash about in. And the open-air beach bar and adjoining restaurant may be a hip array of bleached wood, Tom Dixon lights and over-stuffed banquets, but the staff are also so charmingly accommodating of young families that it would seem a travesty not to bring yours with you.
And really, that’s what makes Ekies so special – it seamlessly blends the luxe-y holiday hopes of adults with the practicalities of kids (see also the pancake bar at breakfast, giant cushion-strewn day beds in each room, which become sleeping areas for children, thoughtfully placed nappy supplies in the public bathrooms and the most stylish pastel wood playground ever).
It’s not all about the little ones, though. The swimming pool is bracingly cold and surprisingly deep (good for hot days, not for toddlers), which makes it an oasis for people coming sans enfants. There is also a bijou spa tucked away among the foliage, with good massages using home-grown herbs and a natural soundtrack of chirping birds and chortling frogs; and some of the rooms are definitely tailored to a more sophisticated clientele, hidden in the sleepy forest with mini plunge pools and woven hammocks, awash with tranquillity.
While you could spend your time in Halkidiki snapping Greek ruins or shopping for leather sandals, it’s hard to drag yourself away from the resort. You could hire a giant retro swan pedalo from a craggy Greek man 10 minutes down the beach, or amble for five minutes through the pine trees to Karidi beach, which could rival the white sand and azure ocean of the Maldives. But really, staying at the little sandy beach at Ekies, drinking Greek iced coffees, then cold beers, eating piles of deep fried zucchini with tzatziki and occasionally dipping into those tranquil waters is all that’s required for a blissful family break.
Families feel welcome at this chic boutique hotel.