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I am looking for somewhere I can go for a week, with decent sporting facilities, good air conditioned gym, pool, maybe bike hire and some running trails. Somewhere where I can eat clean, maybe get a massage or 2 and use a sauna and hot tub.
But not a full blown training camp, somewhere I can just do 2 or 3 hours gentle exercise a day at my own pace and unscheduled, and then relax by the pool with my kindle.
Any recommendations?
Neilson beach clubs. All that and more, apart from the hot tub, and maybe the sauna.
Came on this thread to post the exact same thing as convert, though the one we went to in Turkey had - unsurprisingly - a Turkish bath.
If you want more dedicated cycle/run training, Club La Santa in Lanzarote is well-renowned. I haven't been myself, but quite a few of my clubmates go every year.
Third shout for Neilson. Superb.
Are Neilson family friendly ? As in small people....is there a crèche whilst the wife and I can do some exercise / chill out?
Unfortunately Neilson only do package holidays and don't seem to be able to handle travel from non UK airports, which will be no good for me.
as they price based on flight departure you might get some luck calling them to see if they will do a price without flights.
MSP, I'm non UK based, so was in the same position. If you email them they can give you accommodation only deals that aren't on the website.
sales@neilson.com
DT78. Yes, very family friendly, to the point where parents often use them specifically for the active kids clubs and just have a beach holiday themselves!
If you want mountain biking, yoga, massage, pool and learn to windsurf, try Club Vass.
Neilson will bite your hand off if you wanted a non flight deal and email directly. The flight availability is the tricky bit. E.g. we were looking to go away in the UK May half term. Prices for the week were a bit much for us unless a deal comes up but I did notice that if you went out on the same flight but agreed to stay an extra week, using the hotel, facilities and getting fed it would be £200+ pp cheaper than going home after just the week. Crazy. Flight availability seems to be the issue. Your problem would be that many of the airports close to their clubs are pretty much charter flght only destinations.
Out of season (to be honest the best time to go) to pay £500ish person person for the week for flght (from UK), transfer, a half decent room, nearly all your food, road and moutain biking, sailing/windsurfing/kayaking, wake boarding, a gym, yoga and and other classes, tennis and organised runs etc is crazy value for money. It is also the perfect multi-generational holiday. Kids & grand parents and you get to see as much and as little of each other as you want - virtually no compromising required!
However - Club Vass is also pretty awesome if MTB and good high wind windsurfing are your thing.
Centre Parcs.
Their pricing is very much a supply/demand model, so they charge hell of a lot more during...
Summer school holidays
Other kids school holidays
Weekends
Xmas
Club la santa is ace, full of very fit people exercising which is quite motivating, but also full of very people's other halves who just want to chill by the pool.
There are lots of other chilled out exercise classes that make a nice change from ragging yourself. Yoga, pilates etc.
Free instruction on all sports is also cool, as it's nice to try new sports from time to time.
If only! Had a quick look on their website, only time approaching that price is the start of May. Prices not mental though (except £2.5k pp middle of July!!!) for what you get included, although a quick look at the reviews suggests food (why only 4 evening meals in the week?!) and drink prices in the resort very high.Out of season (to be honest the best time to go) to pay £500ish person person for the week
Would definitely consider it for some post-summer sun though, did Tenerife in November last year just as the shitty UK weather had set in (which was ace) doesn't look like the MTB with Neilson is up to that standard but obviously way cheaper as inclusive, plus you have the sailing & whatnot also.
Had a quick look on their website, only time approaching that price is the start of May.
Having lived and worked in Greece and Turkey for a couple of years I'd say beginning of May is the perfect time of year weather wise and also the state of the tourist season - food in season and restaurants open but not crowded or staff jaded.
Forgot to say, subscribe to Voyage Prive. Neilson holidays come up on there from time to time. Thats where the best deals tend to be. I got out to their Adakoy Club in Turkey (now sadly gone) for the 2nd week of July for £600 two years ago, flying BA. Last October half term week to Sivota was circa £700 each through Voyage Prive.
If you are happy to pay circa £120 for a week you can go premium bike and get a carbon full sus or road bike that is yours for the week which really makes the riding easy - no reserving a bike for a ride or riding in minium of two.
Neilson was my first thought too, went a few years ago (pre-kids) and it was pretty cheap off-peak - this was their Messini beachclub. The guest bikes were fine (MTBs were whatever the £900ish Trek 29er XC hardtail was at the time, road bikes similar level) or they were set up for guests bringing their own. They ran a couple of rides a day at various distances and pace or were happy for you to take one and head off if there were bikes left after the organised rides.
Good if you want different things, wife was happy to do yoga/pilates or swim and then hang out by the pool, and we did a few sails/SUP/kayaks together.
Neilson did seem to run a load of kids clubs for all from baby creche to early teens.
Has anyone mentioned Neilson yet?
😉
They're ace.
I did find that site when I googled Neilson offers, wasn't immediately obvious whether it was legit or some kind of BS "discount club" or something!Forgot to say, subscribe to Voyage Prive. Neilson holidays come up on there from time to time. Thats where the best deals tend to be.
Is Messini the best one for riding (mainly MTB but a bit of road also)?
What are people saying about the food/booze prices?
The only one that still exists that I have been to is Sivota and whilst the road is excellent the mtb is just ok.
Food is great and all inclusive apart from two evening meals. It's plentiful with healthy options and I would say good. Arguably a bit samey but samey is fine in my book if always good, which it is. Drinks are not particularly cheap - south of England prices. I have always had a trip it the local supermarket and filled the fridge with beer and vodka (and Ozzo/Raki, but that's me reliving my youth) and chilled on the veranda or jetty as well as the bar to keep the costs down in a pleasant way! There is a bit of 'club' entertainment in the evening (music evenings, quiz nights etc) that are OK but I tend to opt out of as done too many similar from the staff side (not Neilson, but similar) to want to do any more.