Grecotel LUXME Kos ★★★★★

Upon arriving at the Imperial Thalasso we were greeted with the sight of water everywhere and buildings clustered around like little islands. There were lush tropical gardens dotted with bright shrubs and canopied shady places in exactly the right spot to laze and gaze at the sea and the islands. In the gardens, bright bougainvillea and sweet-smelling frangipani created splashes of colour, and in the background were ancient ever-present olives and elegant palm trees.

Clever design means most of the rooms and villas face directly on to the water – whether pool or sea. There is certainly something eternally relaxing and satisfying about being surrounded by water wherever you look. There are natural lagoon pools fringed with wild plants, waterfalls, swimming pools, some elevated, some sunken, so the watery surroundings are almost three dimensional, and it all cascades right down to the edge of the sea. They describe it as a water wonderland and it really is!

Our bedroom had a fairy-tale pretty wrought-iron bedstead, and four posters draped with diaphanous white swathes. With the glass doors onto the balcony drawn back, you feel open to the wide world, yet cosy in your cocoon at the same time. There is no evidence of Greek sparsity here – in our room we had not only a king-size bed but comfortable armchairs, a glass coffee table on elegant wrought-iron legs, and lots of desk space.

It was a delight to choose which of the restaurants we would sample each evening. The real gourmet restaurant was Pavilions, surrounded by illuminated water and flares. However, we also loved the Lagoon Restaurant, with its traditional Mediterranean cuisine and fresh fish. The sight of the multi-level pools in the evening, leading the eye out to the sea with its moonlight path, is unforgettable.

I spent long lazy mornings in the spa with seaweed and mud treatments, or just had a relaxing massage, almost glad of my excuse for some pure indulgence in the interests of regained health. I felt almost guilty at my indolence, but my husband reminded me of another saying of the wise Hippocrates, which the Kos Imperial Thalasso clearly understands very well: “To do nothing is also a good remedy.