Tag: Kos

I discovered Casa Cook Kos whilst looking through the press section of the Tine K website. I fell in love with the interior design immediately, lots of Tine K designs, obviously. Shortly after, my friend Kate (Fabric of My Life) was invited on a press trip to Casa Cook Kos, and after reading her review I was sold on the idea of a week there this summer. Dan and I were keen to get away before the arrival of our little one, one last relaxing getaway to give us some quality time together. For want of a better term, we were in need of a baby-moon. Casa Cook Kos is adult-only and proved to be popular with other soon-to-be parents.

We flew out with Thomas Cook Airlines, they’re one of the few options if you want to fly direct, the alternative is to go via Athens and takes around 8 hours, about 5 more than a direct flight. It wasn’t the most comfortable flight I’ve been on, as the seats are pretty close together and don’t recline at all. With a 27 week old bump it wasn’t ideal.

The resort is a short drive from Kos airport, around 15 minutes. We paid extra for Casa Cook to arrange private transfers for us, which made it all pretty smooth once we landed. We drove past some of Casa Cook’s fields on the way, where they grow lots of the salad leaves, vegetables and some of the fruit that they use in the kitchen. We were met at reception with a much needed refreshing fruit drink whilst we handed over our credit card and paid for our stay. The guy disappeared off, saying he’d be back in a minute but never returned. So we didn’t receive any information about breakfast or what was included in the half-board we’d paid for (breakfast and dinner btw). There’s quite a laidback vibe at Casa Cook, which could be a bit frustrating at times. Another member of staff came and got us, and took us on a quick tour around the complex in an electric buggy.

Our suite was everything we wanted it to be; beautifully designed, cool, the size of a small studio flat and private. Our room came with a brilliant Marshall speaker, which we made very good use of throughout the week. Large glass doors opened out onto a terrace; complete with hammock, a couple of low chairs and a coffee table. A few steps down to the lower terrace there were two very comfortable sun beds, a huge parasol and our own ladder into the stunning pool, which we shared with two other suites. The terraces are divided by beautiful Strelitzia nicolai (white Bird of Paradise) plants, which offer privacy without the need for light-blocking walls. Privacy was a big deal to me this holiday, carrying around extra weight and a large bump can make you quite self-conscious.

There are around 60 rooms/suites in the complex, along with a restaurant, bar, pool, health studio and a private, well-maintained section of the beach; we made use of all but the pool (given we had our own). From the website we’d expected it to be a bit smaller but it never felt crowded and we could always get a cabana on the beach or a table in the restaurant when we wanted one. The food in the restaurant was particularly good, especially the immense breakfast buffet, with everything from your usual cooked offering and croissants, to homemade bircher musli and Greek yoghurt, and any toppings you could imagine. Dinner was a set menu, inspired by a different area of Greece each evening. It started with a small soup and bread, followed by three small sharing plates, a main, and then a dessert. Lots of food! Service was often a bit slow but we were quick to accept this, especially given how friendly and hard-working the staff were. Following Greece’s economic struggles many have left the country to seek work overseas making it difficult to find good staff.

Most days we slept late, headed to breakfast and then chilled by our pool for a few hours. I read several books; I recommend “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan“, “Tangerine” and “Tin Man” (thanks for the recommendation Brittany). We didn’t have lunch most days but would take a walk along the beach or go for a swim, and then grab a drink and sit on the bar’s verandah, looking out to the sea. We’d then chill by our pool or change for dinner, depending on the time. There’s not much within walking distance of the hotel, except a few rundown resorts. I’m not usually one for staying put the whole time during our holidays, usually preferring to go out and explore some days but this one was different and all about getting as much rest as possible. For this reason it could not have been more perfect for us.