Proper luxury in Europe

[HeNeedsRehab]

I’ve got a big birthday coming up next year during the summer holidays.

I’m looking for an AI holiday in Europe with proper luxury, like come and take your drinks order round the pool luxury.

I’m going potty trying to find what I want so am asking the hive mind!

Criteria:
2 adults and 2 DC (late primary aged)
Swim up suite where I can lie on my lounger and can actually see them in the pool
7 nights
AI
In case it’s not clear, proper luxury 😂 like Caribbean style luxury
Could spend up to £10k for the right thing
Water slides etc if possible for the kids but not a deal breaker

Thank you!

Bayou Villas Lara Antalya might meet your requirements

Lots to look at, thank you.

Assumed turkey might be the answer but there’s literally so many to choose from I was going holiday blind

We stayed at the Ganadi Grand resort in Rhodes a few years ago. It could be what you are looking for. The restaurants are insanely good and all included. We had a suite with a private pool but it also has a two or three main pools. Waiter service at the main pools and beach.

I have been to several of AI places where there are water slides, and in some of them if you are nice to the bar staff they will come and take your order. But to me, "luxury" means cocktails made to order with premium spirits and Fever Tree mixers, not something pre-mixed splashed into a plastic tumbler. Even the relatively posh AI places know that once they have your money, the bar and restaurant are cost centres, not profit centres. (I haven't been to Ikos, but maybe the huge price difference allows them to not worry too much about costs. I doubt it, though.)

It also means an a la carte restaurant where you eat and drink whatever you want, cooked to order (or at least, served to order at the table). Like a good small cruise ship where they will adjust dishes to your taste. I don't think any buffet can ever be "luxury".

The only time we had AI and top-end drinks service was in 2008 in Majorca, when AI was a fairly new concept and the naice hotel we stayed at was trying it for the first time. Only about a quarter of the guests had taken the AI deal. We had the run of the cocktail menu, which we took full advantage of, and it was all premium stuff and made properly. As we checked out we were a bit nervous as we had been signing tickets for every round, but sure enough, the guy on reception smiled, winked, and pointed at the €0.00 for the "Bar" line on the bill.

This tbh. If you want proper luxury you need to look outside of AI.

Ikos do all of what you've described.

Stella Palace in Crete is quite luxurious but you need to get a swim up room to fully benefit.. that gives you access to a premium type breakfast room which was much quieter than the buffet, piano player most mornings which made it more relaxed. Amazing water park and 5 good A La Carte restaurants. We had waiter service around our swim up pool and the other, larger swim up room area has its own private bar.

Eg Chedi Andermatt - we stayed at the Chedi in Bali so haven’t been to the Swiss one but the chain is amazing. You deffo don’t have to worry about going to the supermarket OP 🤣 rooms look to be about £8k for a week & 2 under 12s in the summer hols.

Conde Nast Traveller usually picks out great hotels and The Telegraph travel reviews loads of hotels. It’s not that difficult to find luxury, but for me it’s rooms, high class food that is tasty not just pretty and impeccable service and beautiful public spaces. AI rarely can do all of that.

Sorry for being dim but what is the food situation then?

Also for those nitpicking about AI and luxury, maybe I should rephrase: I want the most luxurious AI available in Europe.

Ikos looks like it fits the bill, might be able to keep shopping for a better deal but we’re limited to school holidays and know we’re paying a premium for that too. Might stretch the budget to know it’ll be amazing

Could you not just go to a luxury hotel in Europe and pay for half or full board? I think you’ll struggle to get a luxury AI in Europe but there is so much choice if you skip the AI part and go to a large, luxury hotel with lots of à la carte restaurants.

Lots of people commenting here that luxury AI doesn't exist have clearly never experienced one.

Barut or Regnum group in Turkey although Regnum might be out of budget. I wouldn’t say Stella palace was luxurious it good but I’ve been once but wouldn’t bother again. Ikos has obviously been mentioned. Mardan palace turkey is worth a look we stayed in a lake house probably wouldn’t bother with a normal room they are small and overpriced.

Any suggestions of specific hotels that offer this please?

I know lots of people have said Ikos but not sure if people have advised to go deluxe at Ikos to get the best experience. Even more expensive though.

Luxury villa/house on the Cote d'Azur with a chef every night (or as you choose) to cook amazing food for you on the terrace beside your own pool.

Not ai but Minos beach art hotel

Liberty Fabay in Turkey

This sounds fab but honestly I cannot be bothered to organise that 😂.

You don't have to do it yourself. Go into a decent travel agency that has luxury trips/venues on its books, and get them to sort it and/or give you options. I don't think we use good travel agents enough. Just have a few ideas of where you want, i.e. Greece, Italy, France. They'll do the rest.

OP I didn’t suggest any hotels as I honestly don’t know any luxury hotels that will have waterslides. All the lovely hotels I’ve been to have gorgeous pools and restaurants but no slides in the pools. I recently stayed at Puente Romano hotel in Marbella which has loads of restaurants and pools and is on the beach but no slides. Also stayed a few times at Bahia Del Duque in Tenerife which again has nice pools and gorgeous restaurants, especially if you stay in one of the villas but again no slides. Have a look and see if these fit your bill. Maybe not luxury enough for you? Not sure.

But my OP said water slides weren’t a deal breaker 🤷🏼‍♀️. If it exists then great, but if I can have all the other stuff and no slides I’ll take it

Any idea how much something like that would cost though?

I’m not sure if it’d really be what I want though if I’m honest, I don’t really like the idea of someone else in the villa we’d be staying in. Which I know sounds batshit when I want an AI hotel full of other people but I imagine it feels like having a stranger in your house.

Barut Lara has water slides galore. We're back for our 3rd visit later this year.