Subject: Club Med Portomyrina Palace Review
We (8 of us) travelled to Lemnos on 8th September for our second Neilson beach club holiday as veterans of umpteen Mark Warner Summer Sun and Sunsail Clubs. The flight times were good although early Gatwick for Brummies is a pain but with the benefit of twilight check-in and a really cheap hotel / parking deal at the Europa hotel we travelled down the night before dumped our luggage, checked in and started the holiday early.
We arrived at the resort at about 1.30 after the bonus of a short transfer (25 minutes) and were welcomed with a drink and after a quick check in went straight in to lunch. With a welcome meeting at 5 which involves sorting your weeks commitments the first day passed reasonably quickly.
The return coach left the resort at 11.00 - a nice time almost straightafter breakfast.
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| Club Med Portomyrina Palace, Lemnos, Greece |
The activities programme at the resort was brilliant although Equipment quality was mixed - Tennis courts were OK mountain bikes good, dinghies good, windsurfers ageing, water skiing / wake boarding good. Spa excellent.
The beach was badly organised and not really "managed" (like the last Neilson resort - Neilson Club Teos, Turkey that we went to) and with a couple of exceptions beach staff neither helped nor interacted with clients. Staff generally (and there were some great ones) in the resort didn't seem to enjoy their jobs and it reflected in the way they did them. Chefs were fantastic in responding to non dairy vegans in our party. Fitness instructor was very enthusiastic.
The hotel itself was very clean, comfortable and modern and very spacious. It is spread over a wide area and depending on your point of view could either be a bit soulless in some areas or very peaceful. Prices were reasonable for a hotel. Food was good if a little repetitive and very plentiful. The indoor dining areas lacked atmosphere and were very noisy. The location was great being only 20 minutes walk or 5 euros taxi to Myrina which is a pretty little port with nice shops and restaurants.
The beach and pool had plenty of beds and the pool is so large that it never seemed crowded. The beach itself is of gritty sand and great for sailing - launch straight off the beach - but beware the concrete blocks securing the Neilson buoys - I sustained an incapacitating toe stub on one which was not sunk below the surface in the launching area.
Overall we had a great holiday and would happily recommend both Neilson Beachclubs and the Porto Myrina Palace to anyone.
Mr Darby
