Page 71 - Rooftops Summer 2019

all washing our hands for much longer than necessary as the soap was divine.
During the evening, the discreet maid service would leave a bottle of water and a truffle on the bedside tables; maybe a small gesture but one that always raised a smile when we returned to the room.
The rooms have very effective black out curtains and I haven't ever stayed in a hotel that has been so quiet. There is plenty going on, but the building has been cleverly constructed so you don't hear people next door going in and out of their rooms. You don't even notice the flush of the toilet on the floor above in the middle of the night. Consequently we had the best three nights sleep possible.
My daughter and I are quite early risers so were usually one of the first down for breakfast where we found an amazing array offood.Theyreallyhavesomethingforall tastes. The restaurant sits on the first floor offering a view of the sea and the early morning sun and the food serving areas were pristine. The waiting staff were attentive and courteous at all times and nothing seemed to be too much trouble.
Our visit was in late April and we were lucky with the weather. Two days of wall-to- wall sunshine allowed us to lie back on comfortable sunbeds and alternate between dozing and reading. We had the use of a shade-giving cabana for our stay which was welcome as the heat was quite mighty at times. Again the waiting staff are super attentive and deliver food and drink to your sunbed.
We dined in the hotel's restaurant on the first evening and the food was amazing. The freshest of ingredients, the clever food combinations that only a good chef would have the knowledge and confidence to use, allied with sensible portion sizes. We had 'dressed' for the evening so took our time over the meal with some wine, and some nice conversations with the restaurant staff made for a very enjoyable evening.
Asthehotelislocatedonasmallhill,it was an easy walk down into Portals Nous where there are a lot of shops and restaurants so there is plenty of choice if you don't wish to eat at the hotel. We stopped at a very good vegan cafe and had some wraps and then carried on with our
exploring. We located a beautiful beach in a cove which also featured a gateway leading to a large marina with hundreds of yachts of very differing sizes. I'm not a boat lover but there was something very alluring about these vessels and the people connected to them. It certainly looked as though it was a millionaire's playground and the cars parked along the quay emphasised this was a megarich corner of the island. Our flight home was quite early in the morning so we would have missed breakfast - but not at this hotel. A table was set up for us about an hour before food was usually served and we tucked into fruit, toast, yogurt and coffee. Even at this hour service always came with grace and a smile. We truly felt as though we had been cocooned in a world of luxury living and cannot recommend the experience highly enough. Suffice to say, wewere veryreluctanttoleave.
n Rates from £234 per room including breakfast www.chicretreats.com or 0203 397 0085
Far left: A view of the hotel’s infinity pool and above, the sun terrace, pool and view to the sea. Left and below a bedroom and treatment room
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