Beach, open-air spa and gym, mountain bikes, gardens, library of books and DVDs, free WiFi throughout. In rooms: flatscreen TV, minibar, CD/DVD player, tea and coffee-making facilities, all-natural Coco-Mat mattresses and down-filled pillows, Apivita toiletries, bathrobes and flip-flops.
All are clean, crisp and mostly white, with lots of wood, pebbles and other natural materials, plus quirky contemporary details such as hip recycled bedside lamps, geometric tiling or pops of colour on a feature wall. Superior Doubles and Junior Suites can offer great value for money. All have an outdoor space in the form of either a terrace or balcony.
The crisp outdoor pool is all painted white concrete and crisp white loungers. There’s a separate Jacuzzi and a small raised pool. A sleepy little bar, shaded by a white straw pergola, serves ouzo, orange juice and nibbles. All that’s missing is a deep tan, accentuated by some with-white swimwear.
Crisp cottons to fit in with all that white and show off your tan; House of Hackney print pieces to blend perfectly with the palm-lined pool and eco ethos; something more robust than Havaianas to cycle in; scarves and sarongs to ward off sea breezes on a sailboat; mark and snorkel for coasting along in the water.
The hotel has two mountain bikes to borrow free for a lazy circuit among the pine trees. Rent a traditional fishing boat (with a driver if you prefer); a picnic lunch is included in the cost (€350/five hours) for day trips to uninhabited islands nearby.
Very welcome, especially the tiny ones (there's less to do for older teens). Cots and extra beds (rates vary depending on the season) can be added to rooms. There's an adventure club for under-14s and English-speaking babysitters (€20 an hour).
Overview
Daily rates for extra beds vary depending on the season: €20 for 3–9-year olds, €30 for over-9s in April, May, June, September and October; €30 for 3–9-year olds, €40 for over-9s in July and August.
Best for
Kids of all ages are warmly welcomed.
Recommended rooms
The Junior Suites and Loft Suites are closest to the beach, spacious and family-friendly, sleeping two adults and two little ones. Most have an outdoor space, be it a terrace or balcony; some have hydro-therapy showers, others, over-bath showers.
Activities
A hammock hanging out on two poles over the water, powdery soft sand, glistening sea, high sun and cloudless skies – Ekies’ private beach is made for grown-up, crowd-free sun-seeking. But it’s perfect for little ones, too: it’s sheltered, equipped with loungers and parasols, the waters are safe and shallow and you can walk for metres before it gets deep. There are no difficult stairs to navigate with buggies, plus there are three jaunty blue-and-white striped beach huts for changing them out of their sandy stuff in privacy and comfort (without covering them in more sand). Just 300 metres away is Karidi beach, one of Halkidiki’s most beautiful, but if little ones tire of sandcastles, there’s a playground with swings and a little wooden playhouse, plus outdoor table tennis for older kids (it's uncovered, so slap on the sunscreen) .
If storm clouds loom large, there’s a pool table in reception where the teens can take on Mr Smith in a tournament. Just off the lobby, the library has a Mac for the kind of surfing you don’t do in the water, plus floor-to-ceiling shelves stocked with books (for all ages) and toys for rainy days. You’ll find a large communal kitchen table, here plus kiddie chairs and beanbags – perfect for storytime, colouring-in or beating their top score on the Nintendo DS.
Budding seafarers, chefs, explorers, dancers (the list goes on) can enrol in six-day adventure clubs in watersports or creative pursuits. Little ones can take to the ocean waves in small groups of four or five to try stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking and sailing with the supervision of experienced, qualified instructors (and added snacks). Landlubbers can stick to dry land and take to the stage with an introduction to theatre, making a mess (with none of the clearing up) in art and painting sessions, gymnastics and yoga. Kids clubs run for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon (from June to August, occasionally early September depending on the occupancy); there’s a choice of watersports or creative sessions like music and cooking. These run for six days, and you can add on evening sessions from 8pm until 10pm so you can enjoy dinner in peace while the young at heart watch movies and play games.
Swimming pool
Attached to the main pool is a separate raised pool, perfect for toddlers (the deep end of the main pool is 1.3m). Neither pool is heated, but they’re manned by a lifeguard from June to September.
Meals
The hotel has highchairs, plastic cutlery and beakers to borrow, so just ask. There’s no separate kids’ menu but the main restaurant menus list dishes like battered fish, perfect for little appetites, and the kitchen can adapt dishes to accommodate fussy toddlers. You can order food for the kids at any time of the day and staff will happily heat up baby bottles and food.
Babysitting
Experienced, English-speaking babysitters are available for €20 an hour (minimum two hours); book a day in advance.
No need to pack
The hotel provides highchairs, beakers and sippy cups, travel cots and cot bedlinen, black-out blinds, soft toys and books and PG- and U-rated DVDs.
Also
You can buy nappies, baby wipes, baby food and purées floats at the mini-market, five minutes away on foot; you can also pick up armbands and other pool toys for little swimmers there.