As part of our ever insatiable need for product knowledge Karrie and Emma travelled to Rhodes to have a look at the hotels, villas and the resorts we are featuring in our new product offering  here’s their tale……

This was my 2nd trip to the Island of Rhodes but the 1 st time staying in the village of Pefkos
After a hassle free Easyjet flight  we arrived at  the 3 star  Hotel Matina which is located in the heart of Pefkos and only a minutes walk from the beach.

Even though arriving quite late the staff were friendly and accommodating and happy to still provide food.
A large family run hotel which focuses on making  guests comfortable and happy, nothing is too much trouble and staff take the time to get to know everyone personally.
The hotel had  1 restaurant and 2 snack bars based around the 2 pools,we ate here lots and was really happy with the choice and standard of food. 

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Myself and my Manager had flown for a 3 night stay to look at some of our Hotel s and Villas which range from basic self catering accommodation to 5 star ultra contemporary boutique hotels,so something to cater for every budget and taste
Pefkos is relatively small but has a lively feel to it but without the discos and night clubs of Faliraki. Nightlife is more based around eating out in restaurants which offer a fantastic range of traditional Greek food.Â
A short 10 minute taxi ride away is the stunning town of Lindos, a traditional  Greek town with white washed houses which hasn’t changed at all in the 20 yrs  since I last visited it,which is definitely a large part of its attraction.
Located on a large steep hill Lindos is made up of tiny narrow lanes which lead into shops,restaurants and courtyard gardens of the  local Greek families.

At the bottom of the hill is the beautiful sandy Lindos beach.You can eat in one of  the many roof top restaurants and enjoy the view day or night.

We also visited St Pauls Bay which is an amazing bay very popular with couples getting married,the view from the top of the hill is spectacular and no less impressive when you get down into the sandy bay.

I was very impressed with the quality and standard of the Villas,they had private pools,bbqs,washing machines and televisions everything you would need to make a stay hassle free if travelling with a young family.

All in all a really nice break to a beautiful Island,good food,good accommodation,great beaches and lovely friendly people,I enjoyed it so much that I am starting to plan my trip back next year with my family

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Well - what are you waiting for …….

The months of May and June aren’t only suggesting that Summer is getting closer but they represent the best time to enjoy one of the most delicious shellfish in the always innovating culinary world: the lobster. Since 1999 Brussels the best seafood restaurants in Brussels have been celebrating this culinary delicacy by creating menus where the lobster plays a leading role. In fact, 29 restaurants in Brussels (9 of which are situated on the famous Vismet!), 17 on the Belgian Coast, 6 restaurants in Antwerp,…. in total 100 Belgian Restaurants all over the country will serve the most delicious preparations of the excellent Canadian Atlantic Lobster Festival from May 21st till June 20th!  

The food ambassador of Canada is a well loved dish in Belgium therefore the initiative is definitely a food festival not to be missed in a restaurant near you.

A full list of participating reataurants can be found here.

On Wednesday night a select delegation from Short Breaks took the opportunity to show off their superior product knowledge at the Flanders Face Off - organised by our friends at Tourism Flanders at their London HQ.

Bruges by night

The competition was tough but the Short Breaks Team prevailed to win by a a point - obviously the visits to Mechelen , Leuven, Bruges have paid off.

Unusually the prizes of ornamental Special Edition Belgian beer and glasses havent made it back to the office……….!!!!!!

As well as being famous for brewing everyone’s favourite Belgian beer, Leuven is also an amazing historical university town - home to the Lemmens Institute, summer rock music festival Markrock and many sights including the Town Hall, churches, monasteries and abbeys.

While visiting Leuven, you can enjoy the beverages at the Domus brewery (the only brewery in the Benelux that produces its own beer on location), or enjoy Zoet Water Park for free between July and August (located 4 miles south of the town).

Eurostar services from St Pancras International to the medieval Leuven are routed via Brussels and comprise a connecting Belgian train. Journey times to Leuven is under 3 hours and 30 minutes.

While the official Leuven tourist website is currently unavailable to English speakers, in the meantime you can find out more about short breaks to Leuven via our site.

Stella Artois, Magic Eye Image

(stare at the beer bottles long enough and watch them come alive - cheers)

As with the rest of the world’s hotel industry, the Guardian reported yesterday that the luxury 4 star end of the Paris hotel market is suffering more than the budget end. This is probably not that surprising given the current climate but what it can mean is that a stay in a really stylish individual hotel may not be out of the reach of mere mortals.

I have been lucky enough recently to stay at the stunning Trianon Palace and Spa in Versailles with it’s views of the Versailles Palace and the amazing gardens. The journey from door to door from South London via Eurostar and a 20 Minute RER journey from Gare Du Nord was about 3 hrs which even my two sons found manageable.

The hotel get the balance of luxury and relaxation just right. Right now there are one night breaks from just £169 per person including Eurostar - if you can stretch to it, ask about a room at the front of the hotel - floor to ceiling windows and batchrooms as big as my house. Of course there’s a cost, but given the current climate you may be surprised. Oh and did I mention the Gordon Ramsey restaurant……

Offers like this are around at the moment, and ones like the 3 for 2 offers at the higher end hotels in Ghent , Lille, Bruges as well as Paris are worth checking out.