The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino, Greece
LOCATION: The stunning and unspoiled district of Messinia in the Peloponnese region of Greece has a new Starwood hotel that opened in May 2010. The resort was the dream of Vassilis C. Constantakapoulos, a local seaman from Messinia who wanted to make his home town a world known destination whilst preserving the environment and looking after the locals. Costa Navarino already has two luxury hotels with plans for more to come as well as properties to buy. A half an hour drive from Kalamata International Airport, the resort is the perfect distance for holidays as well as weekend breaks.
FIRST IMPRESSION: Walking in to the Grand Lobby of The Westin hotel you feel instantly welcomed by friendly staff and this permeates through the stay. Sitting on the beachfront and surrounded by an 18-hole signature golf course, this vast hotel is surrounded by olive groves and reflects a traditional Messinian style mansion made out of natural stone and structured in low-rise groups. The design of the hotel mixes contemporary furnishings with traditional Greek artifacts, set off by low-key lighting to create a peaceful and calming atmosphere for guests. The entire resort prides itself on being eco-friendly and preserving the natural environment for the people, area and the wildlife.
THE FACTS: The hotel is comprised of 445 deluxe rooms, 123 with infinity pools and 1 royal villa. The hotel has access to all of the resorts facilities which include; signature golf course, swimming pools, world class Anazoe Spa, bars, Greek and international restaurants, extensive kids club facilities which include the Cocoon and The Sandcastle, carefully selected shops, Navarino Outdoors including; hiking, mountain biking and climbing equipment as well as Navarino Racquet Academy.
WHO’S IT FOR: It’s a romantic location for couples that want to relax in their beautiful rooms or lounge by the pool, it has an extensive kids club with great facilities as well as Navarino Outdoors to keep the family occupied and obviously perfect for golf lovers.
A GOOD BASE FOR: For guests that want to explore Messinia and what Costa Navarino is doing for the local environment, the bird sanctuary set on the Gialova lagoon is ideal. Conservationists are working hard to preserve the environment which is the perfect place to spot unusual birds that are migrating, with over 277 species visiting the area. Whilst around this area, the local beach ‘Voidokilia’ is a must visit as it was voted in the top ten of the New York Times for most beautiful beach. The picturesque near by town of Pylos offers a lot of history with two ancient castles, war memorials as well as local town facilities.
WOW: The pristine 18 hole golf course with views of the ocean is designed by world famous Bernard Langer. The resort prides itself on that fact it is so eco-friendly as excess rain water is used to maintain the entire course. After a round of golf the 3,000 sq ft clubhouse which features bars and restaurants is great for relaxing and unwinding.
HOW MUCH: 7 nights from £867 per person bed and breakfast. - Call Travel Designers on 020 7720 8484 for email nick@traveldesigners.co.uk for further info.
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