Travel with Katie Butler: Sampling the delights of a luxury hotel brand in Corfu

Katie Butler writes: We (12 independent travel agents) from across Yorkshire and the Midlands departed from East Midlands airport at 7am last Monday morning.

East Midlands is a brilliant little airport and we were through check-in and security within just 20 minutes.

After a short period on the tarmac due to a technical issue we were on our way.

Fortunately for us the delay worked in our favour, as upon landing we were greeted with glorious blue skies and sunshine.

It seems we brought the weather with us, as prior to landing it had been drizzly and cloudy, and had been like that for the last week.

The Domes of Corfu is located in the village of Glyfada on the west coast of the island, and is just a 45 minute transfer from the airport, so took just over an hour.

Hotel rooms were allocated and we were given some free time to freshen up before a ‘light’ lunch.

Our host Penny warned us that we would be sampling some amazing food in the hotel’s four different restaurants, and that we would have ‘plenty’ to eat over the next few days.

Greek hospitality, I have always thought, is some of the best I have experienced, and we were certainly not disappointed.

Our ‘light’ lunch was ‘family style’, a way of eating in Greek tradition where you are all seated together and sharing dishes are brought to the table.

Needless to say after our ‘light’ lunch it wasn’t long before we were in bed, after all it was an early start and we wanted to be fresh for the next few days.Ordinarily, on an educational trip, I would expect to visit at least three to four hotels a day, but this one was solely sponsored by Domes Hotels.

This meant that we would be viewing their only two hotels on the island, and we would take part in more experiences that are available through the hotel.

Greece of course is renowned for its olive oils and we were lucky to take part in an olive oil tasting session, and also a Greek traditional coffee making experience.

We also attended a sound healing and well-being session, where the sounds and vibrations cleared our minds, and made me almost fall asleep on the mat! The session ended with us being asked to stretch like a cat – very relaxing.

All of these experiences I wouldn’t normally take part in on my own regular holidays, but I will certainly look out for cultural experiences in the future.

It definitely gives you an insight into old traditions and it’s good to learn about the culture of the places you visit.As I write this, I am sat drinking Greek coffee in Corfu town, ready for our walking tour to commence.

It’s our final day and I have had a fantastic time and learnt lots to bring back to the office, our team, and more importantly my wonderful customers.