A family stay at Elix, Mar-Bella Collection

I had booked the Elix, Mar-Bella Collection for a family holiday with my parents. All we wanted was a sunny place, good restaurants and a great beach to spend some quality time together after the difficult period of the pandemic we had just gone through. The hotel did not disappoint us in the least, everything was perfect from start to finish, so much so that when we checked out, we could easily have extended our stay by a week.

On this trip we did not have any small children with us. However, as you know, we are still our parents’ babies, so it was time for me to experience the Elix, Mar-Bella Collection through my childlike eyes.

We had booked two one-bedroom family suites to get a good idea of how they were laid out. The suite has two rooms, a sleeping area with a king-size bed and a living area with two sofa beds. There is plenty of space (and cupboards with lots of storage space) in each of the bedrooms, and the best part is that there is a real door that can be closed between the two rooms to ensure maximum privacy for the whole family.

The terrace is THE highlight of our suite! It is accessible from both bedrooms through floor-to-ceiling glass windows and offers incredible views of the Ionian Sea. It’s the perfect place to watch the sunset before going out for dinner.

The hotel has a buffet restaurant and 3 a la carte restaurants (including the beach restaurant, perfect for lunch), all of which offer a high quality and wide range of dishes. If you book the Ultra All Inclusive package, you can visit any of the restaurants for lunch and dine in the a la carte restaurants three times a week. The hotel also organises a Dine Out evening once per stay. On this occasion, the hotel staff will take you to a nearby authentic Greek tavern(transport to and from the tavern is provided by the hotel). The food is simply delicious! In general, you won’t be bored with the food at MarBella Elix

For the little ones, the hotel has thought of everything. There is a free kids club, which is open in the morning and afternoon, and sometimes even has lunches. There is also a baby club (0-4 years) available for a small fee. We have seen many families with young children enjoying their stay at the MarBella Elix, and the children’s club leaders ensure that there are daily activities with the little ones.

As for the beach, it was without doubt one of the other great highlights of our holiday and we enjoyed it every day. It is a private beach, very clean and access to the water is very easy, even for small children, as the slope is very gentle. As the hotel is situated on a cliff (with a magnificent 180° view), you will have to go down some stairs to get to the beach, but rest assured that this is not the only way to get there. There is also a state-of-the-art lift that will take you from the hotel to the beach in seconds… a must!

The MarBella Elix is also perfect for those who don’t want to give up their good habits on holiday. In addition to the many healthy food options, the hotel offers free yoga, Pilates, cycling, running and hiking classes, and is also home to a tennis court and basketball court (as well as a ping-pong table) that can be freely used by guests.

As no holiday is perfect without a good massage, the hotel ensures that you receive a €50 credit as part of your Ultra All Inclusive package, which you can use for any of the treatments offered at the spa. The massage I chose was absolutely perfect and very well priced for a hotel of this standing (€100 for an hour).

The weather was perfect for most of the stay, but we had one cloudy day which we decided to use to visit a small town nearby. We didn’t know much about Parga, which is a 15–20-minute drive away, and we are so glad we went! We found it to be a lovely fisherman’s town, with colourful houses, a fort, an olive oil factory that you can visit, as well as many shops and restaurants. A great place to explore during your holiday in Elix, Mar-Bella Collection!

One thing is for sure, we will be back for more wonderful family moments!

Sonia