The half-term holidays are here! To celebrate, a friend and I took our children for an afternoon at The Columbia Beach Resort in Pissouri. The Columbia is synonymous with five-star luxury and many of my friends have recommended its restaurants, gym, pool and spa. My friend is a member of the hotel and for $30 she could take a guest to use the facilities for a day.
The Columbia is nestled behind a hill overlooking Pissouri Bay. The rooms line the hill in tiers, bright purple and white bougainvillea trailing over the sides. We went through the smart lobby to sign in at the spa reception desk. We were met by a sour-faced woman who gave the impression that it wasn’t okay for my friend to bring her (paying) guest. But perhaps I had missed something.
Things weren’t helped by the fact that our children were with us and one of them had just fallen over and knocked his head. For a couple of minutes, the tranquility of the spa was shattered by the cries of a 3 year-old echoing down the corridor.
‘The children can only stay if they are quiet,’ said the Sour-Faced lady, insensitively.
Agreed. I love spas and I love my son, but the two should never mix. Allowing members to sign in at the main reception desk upstairs would have been better for everyone.
The Sour Face didn’t make for a great first impression. I’ve visited spas all over the world and, in my experience, if the staff aren’t warm and welcoming, no amount of sumptuous décor or high-end products will make up for it. I’m not feeling as fussed about booking that spa day I’d been planning. Well, not at the Columbia. If I’m going to pay $90+ for a treatment, I at least want a friendly face smiling at me as I hand over my money.
About 5 metres from the spa things improved dramatically. For on the other side of the lobby the hotel opened out into a GORGEOUS pool area. The pool was magnificent! Stretching from inside the spa all the way down towards the sea – it was massive. It was crossed by little wooden bridges and lined with sunbeds and a pool bar. At the far end was a great little splash pool for younger children. My friend and I drew up a couple of sunbeds and watched our children have fun.
Lunchtime and we ordered pizza for the little ones and salad and a bagel for the grown-ups. The staff around the pool area were the opposite of what I’d experienced in the spa. They were warm, chatty and attentive. Plus totally accepting of our little loons running around like monkeys and trying to use a sunshade as a fireman’s pole.
After lunch we took the children to the Kids’ Club, housed in a wonderful room covered from floor to ceiling with children’s artwork. At the far end was a chill-out area with bean bags and a TV and just outside the door was a small play area with plastic slides – they were a bit young for my 4 year-old but would have been perfect for a child a couple of years younger. We left them with a lovely lady who took them in to enjoy some activities. I have never used a Kids’ Club before so I can’t say how it compares to others. I felt a little guilty leaving Goobie there when he had been enjoying playing outside, but it was now late in the afternoon and he was getting tired. The Kids’ Club seemed a great place to wind down before going home, and when I collected Goobie 40 minutes later, I found him curled up on a bean bag watching Cinderella with his friend.
After a few roly-polies down the grassy hill in the garden (the children not me!), and a few final photos of our luscious surroundings, I helped a tired boy into the car and we headed home.
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