Looking for the very best holiday destination?
“May, you have to go here.” You can say a lot about my dear sales friend Daan, but not that she isn’t clear. Moreover, she has a knack for knowing exactly what I like, what my children love to wear, what the best Sinterklaas gift is to give, and which restaurant we should go to. So when she says, in her characteristic commanding tone, that we must go on holiday somewhere… We listen. Even if it’s a resort, something that normally wouldn’t be at the top of my list of fun things. But hey, we’re not just talking about any resort, we’re talking about Hillside Beach Club, the hotel with the highest return rate in the world. Once you’ve tasted this, you’ll never, ever want anything else.
Let me summarize why Hillside is such a treat and why I can long for it so much, even on a dreary Tuesday when it’s raining, that it bubbles in my stomach.
1. Close by
Four hours of flying and you’re where the sun shines and the sea water is lukewarm.
2. The little bay
It’s one out of your dreams. Green, with various beaches, wooden rafts where you can sunbathe, adults-only beaches where yoga classes are held in the morning (and where you get a warm honey-lemon drink and a petite massage afterwards).
3. The food
At Hillside, you eat incredibly well. There’s a large restaurant, a separate restaurant near the beach, and another 12+ restaurant (so free of whiny children). In the morning, there’s a special guy who makes pancakes and someone for the perfect Eggs Benedict. At four o’clock, there’s Turkish tea with sweets.
4. The button on your parasol
Just press it and a nice person will come by to take your order for a strawberry daiquiri.
5. The sunglass cleaners
A luxury so great that I didn’t even know I might need it. Well, needed, needed… But it is nice. While you’re lounging on your bed, people come by to have a nice chat and also clean your sunglasses.
6. The kids club
I don’t like to outsource my children, but this kids club was so nice and the leaders so capable that I really felt good about it. They apply sunscreen to the kids every hour, do various fun activities with them, and are also fine with you popping by to check how things are going.
7. Water skiing
In the bay, you can swing on a bed behind a boat or take water skiing lessons. There are also various canoes that you can take at any moment, and there are sailboats that you can rent. Moreover, there are two large boats where you can take a boat trip. Sunrise, sunset; whatever you want.
8. The spa
The spa, the spa, the spa. They have two, a nature and a day spa. And you must go to that nature spa. Because the setting, the massage. Everything.
9. The beaches
All private beaches that create a wonderful atmosphere. And in the morning, you can also take a yoga class on one of the beaches. In silence, yes.
10. Then there are the rooms
All with a view of the bay, the perfect crispy sheets, fresh flowers on your bed, and really everything you might possibly need. From hairpins to elastics to rain capes for that one rare day when it might rain in Fethiye. The bath foam is so nice that you secretly want to pack it in your suitcase and oh, it’s just divine.
