Early bird spring offers for Greek luxury resort

By Bill McCarthy

One of the top holiday resorts on Greece’s lesser-known Western Greece mainland worth considering for a summer break, is the 5-star Aldemar Olympian Village Beach Resort in Olympia. Consider heading here for a five star seascape, located in one of the most scenically beautiful areas of the country. 

We experienced the delights of western Greece and this luxury resort on a visit in May 2019

The 5-star Olympian Village Beach Resort in Olympia, Western Greece is located in a historic region, home of the Greek gods and the Olympic Games, filled with ancient temples and Byzantine monasteries, this is a stunning hotel complex overlooking the sea.

There are great offers from UK’s tour operators including jet2holidays, easyjetholidays and British Airways Holidays or visit the resorts own web site for holiday packages too, with  a 10 per cent early booking, spring offer throughout April: an ‘exclusive, fully flexible’ offer.

While uncertainty stills surrounds international travel for UK holidaymakers because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Aldemar team in Olympia is gearing up for its Summer Season 2021. Covid protocols are in place as they were last year, implemented for the safety of both the hotel staff and guests, throughout their stay.

It is a visually stunning hotel complex that stretches along (5 kms) sandy beach, surrounded by dozens of pools and beautiful gardens.

This part of Greece is one of the greenest and its natural wonders range from breathtaking mountains to ancient pine forests. The UK PR for this resort refers to this area as ‘Tuscany without the price-tag’ and as she’s partly Italian, we took her word for it when we visited, only to discover that indeed it was just that too and more!

The sprawling, low-rise five-star complex is situated in a secluded area near the village of Skafidia, just 30 kms from Ancient Olympia, hence why this area of Western Greece is also referred to as the ‘Olympian region’ of Greece. 

There’s accommodation to suit all budgets, from hotel-style rooms to apartments, family bungalows and even luxurious, top-of-the-range presidential suites with their own pools. 

Sit on the patio and in the distance is the island of Zante/Zakynthos and a little further north, Captain Corelli’s Kefalonia. Daily ferries can transport those eager to have their Greek Island fix, to both. The ferries depart from the port of Kyllini which is a 40 minute taxi ride away from the resort hotel.

Out and about Olympia is a must see. It was a major Panhellenic religious sanctuary of ancient Greece, where the ancient Olympic Games were held. The site was primarily dedicated to Zeus and drew visitors from all over the Greek world 

The Olympic Games were held every four years from the eighth century BC to the fourth century AD. The archaeological site held over 70 significant buildings, and ruins of many of these survive, although the main Temple of Zeus survives only as stones on the ground and a single column. 

Further afield is historic Sparta, Patras and Kalamata, all a full day trip. But if touring is not you thing. The resort has plenty to keep all ages entertained and relaxed. 

What’s on offer for early bird bookings

  • Welcome Package: Μineral water and Aldemar bath set (soap, shampoo, shower gel, nail file, shower cap, cotton buds, and sewing kit).
  • Free Internet Access
  • Complimentary bottle of wine in-room on arrival
  • Free use of beach and pool chairs & umbrellas
  • Free use of slippers during your stay in the hotel (for VIP & Family rooms bathrobes and beach towels are also available to use during your stay in the hotel) 
  • FREE Mini Club. For children aged 4-12, seven days a week, 10:00 – 18:00, multilingual supervisors (upon request).
  • Entertainment activities, Mini Buffet at the Mini Club “ALDY”, including a selection of sponge cakes, sandwiches, juices, water, one ice cream per child, children’s play area and mini restaurant.

BMW Coupe a showstopper

BMW M440i

By Bill McCarthy

THERE is no doubt that BMW builds some striking looking cars, with this head-turning coupe arguably the sleekest and most stylish of the lot.

Recently revised, it combines the brutal power of the straight six petrol engine with mild hybrid technology, plus specially tailored design features.

It’s a showstopper, shod with 20-inch black alloys, encasing huge red brake callipers and sporting a feline-like silhouette, it never failed to attract attention whether parked on the drive or out on the road.

The stiffer chassis builds on technology from the latest 3 series and it also features a high quality interior with a raft of driver assistance technologies, cutting edge infotainment and a comprehensive package of safety features.

Longer and wider than the car it replaces, it has narrower A pillars, frameless windows and huge doors, with extreme care needed when opening in relatively confined spaces.

What does mark it out from other BMWs however is the reworked grille. The firm describes it as a ‘vertical kidney grille’ and says harks back to a previous generation of cars. It is much, much deeper, is split by the number plate, and barely resembles the iconic kidney shape and seems much more in tune with the deep grille seen on Audis.

‘The interior is a typical BMW masterclass, with high quality materials and subtle ambient lighting’

Flanked by slim LED light clusters and deep airscoops, it is a controversial move for BMW purists, a couple of whom registered their disapproval with me. Less so with non-BMW owners, who admired the look.

 The rear end styling is also striking and incorporates slim, darkened full-LED rear lights, dual exhausts and a subtle M Sport spoiler.

Power comes from the three litre turbo-charged six-cylinder engine, which is now mated with a 48-volt mild hybrid system which adds a further 11bhp of on-demand power. 

Here recuperated energy can be supplied to supplement the 12V electrical system, like the stop/start, or used for generating additional drive power when fed back to the 48V starter-generator. When the car is accelerating, the generator is also able to offer the driver an electric boost effect.

Not that it particularly needs that 11bhp in acceleration terms, as the car rockets to 60mph in just 4.5 seconds, accompanied by the six-cylinder roar, much amplified by the twin tailpipes.

It generates 374bhp and a huge maximum torque of 500Nm. Brutal performance while still returning average fuel consumption of around 40mpg, truly impressive for such a powerful beast.

It is an engaging driving experience, either in full auto or using the shifter paddles behind the steering wheel to race though the eight-speed box. The six-pot burble is always in the background, even when just depressing the starter button, a reminder of the power under the bonnet.

The interior is a masterclass, a four-seater, although the rear two are cramped in 2+2 style, with limited headroom. It offers high quality materials and subtle ambient lighting.

M Sport models also include specific sport pedals, driver’s footrest and the powered red leather seats match contrasting dark soft touch finish, thick carpets and anthracite headlining.

This model also has multi-function M leather steering wheel and 12.3 inch digital instrument cluster display bearing the M logo and digital radio. Options included enhanced Bluetooth with wireless charging, drive recorder and gesture control.

Central is the 10.3 touchscreen in the middle of the dash, with the central rotary iDrive on the console controlling infotainment, sat nav and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, 

In addition the BMW Connected Package Professional adds remote services and real time traffic information. 

On the road, the car is stunningly quick, throwing you back in your seat, but all that power requires the technology to keep it on the road and safe. It delivers this in spades, with the xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system sending power to the wheels as required, while the stiffened body structure and suspension mountings give greater stability. The handling is peerless with the slip differential, adaptive suspension and active chassis keeping the car firmly planted while sweeing through tight bends and the beautifully weighted steering is direct and responsive.

Practicality is good with a large boot which has a capacity of 444 litres which is supplemented by a 40:20:40 split backrest, and a large central oddments bin.

Safety kit is comprehensive, with a full complement of airbags, including steering wheel bag, traction and stability control plus, plus lane change warning, crossing traffic warning, rear-end collision warning and speed limit information.

Te downside is that on BMWs you can spend a small fortune on optional extras that come as standard on some competitors. This model included eight grand’s worth of enhanced, safety, communication and extra comfort features, whacking the total price to nearly £62k. Question is, do you need them?

Factile

BMW M440i xDrive Coupe

Price: £52,100

Mechanical: 374bhp, 2,998, six cylinder petrol engine driving all wheels via eight speed Steptronic auto gearbox

Max speed: 155mph

0-62mph: 4.5 seconds

Combined mpg: 39.8-41.5 

Insurance group: 40

CO2 emissions: 155-163g/km

BiK rating: 36%

Warranty: 3yrs/unlimited miles