Family Ski Holidays

Just back from our first Neilson holiday in over 20 years as a family of four – two adults and our 18 & 19 year-olds - Messini really ticked all the boxes for us.

The short transfer time was a bonus and there was such a great choice of activities, but with absolutely no pressure to join in. The staff were enthusiastic, friendly and helpful throughout our stay.

On our three non-inclusive nights, we had great meals at BLE and Chrysi Ammos, both of which were easily walkable along the road/beach in around 20 minutes and spent the third evening dining at the resort. There isn’t a huge amount to do outside the resort, but that suited us perfectly. There was enough evening entertainment to keep us amused without feeling overwhelming. A highlight was definitely the evening Pool Olympics!

We all had the freedom to do as much or as little as we wanted. Between us, we tried mountain biking, road cycling, water skiing, aqua gym, windsurfing, kayaking, SUP, yoga, gym sessions, an abs class, stretch & relax, pickleball, tennis and beach/pool volleyball. The kids particularly enjoyed trying new activities, while we all still had plenty of time for R&R. The beautiful setting was the perfect backdrop to it all.

The food was varied, tasty, plentiful and authentically Greek, with plenty of choice throughout our stay. We also really liked the opportunity on the non-inclusive nights to eat at local restaurants and support the local community. We thought the whole ethos was great, particularly the focus on sustainability – it was lovely not to see any single-use plastics.

A couple of small additions would make the experience even better. I’d love to see SUP yoga added to the activity schedule and it would be great to have volleyball sessions timetabled and shown on the app. A clock on the pool bar would also be helpful, so we don’t need to carry our phones around just to keep an eye on the time and ensure we get to activities on time.

Overall, Messini was a fantastic choice for our family. It gave us the perfect balance of activities, relaxation and time together, while still allowing everyone to do their own thing. We’d definitely consider another Neilson holiday in the future.

Lovely hotel and spa . Great vibe. Staff very welcoming and extremely helpful . Food was excellent and kitchen would adapt any menu
Highly recommend
The ski guiding was such a bonus and thoroughly enjoyed by me and my family

What stands out at Neilson are the people - all the staff are extremely friendly and helpful, especially for a family holiday with children. Our girl loved the kids club and activities, and is keen to go back. I also really appreciate the opportunity to go along with the Neilson Mountain Experts, as I would have otherwise had to ski on my own; with them, there is always a group of skiers from the hotel, and it is a great, social way to both explore the area and to get to know your fellow hotel guests. For these reasons, we have already been there twice and consider going back for a third time next year.

On the other hand, the hotel itself is a bit dated and the bedrooms and bathrooms could do with a revamp; it was very disappointing that the pool again wasn't heated properly this year, so rather than being a welcome oasis of warmth after a skiing day, you need the sauna to warm up after a dip in the pool. After we were told that it were some technical issues the first time, it became clear that it must be some permanent structural issues preventing the pool to be heated properly (and the windows were kept open as well at minus temperatures outside). So don't let the pool be the main attraction to you, as you will be disappointed.

Overall though, it was a great week, and I would recommend a week's skiing there! (clearly helped by being in the middle of an outstanding resort...)