There is a very important lesson I've learnt whilst travelling and that is it doesn't matter what the accommodation is like, they all have advantages and disadvantages and that includes staying in a five star luxury suite in Cyprus. For one week I was very privileged to have been able to stay in such a place after I surprised my Mum at the airport. Before I met my parents my Mum thought I was in India but unbeknownst to her, my Dad and I had created a slight detour to enable the surprise to take place. I arrived in Cyprus the day before their flight landed and booked into a small family run hotel in the middle of Paphos which was very similar to a lot of the hostels I'd stayed in, it even had a usable kitchen which for a hotel is a bonus. I stayed overnight and the next day made my way to the airport. Due to the timings of the buses running to the airport I could either get one that arrived just at the time their flight landed or one that would get me in an hour early. I opted for the early bus and its a good job I did because halfway to the airport the driver pulls the bus over, tells us that he will be half a minute before opening the door and running off the bus. About two minutes later he runs back onto the bus and continues driving, the only reason I can think he needed to exit the bus was because he needed credit for his mobile phone as he spent the rest of the journey with his handset glued to his ear - there are just some phone calls that can't wait! Anyway I arrive at the airport and make my way to the arrivals area, look up at the screen with the flight details on and find out that my parents flight is delayed by an hour so I now have a two hour wait in an airport. Although waiting in European airports is something I have become a pro at after spending nearly 36 hours camped in Athens airport over three visits. I didn't mind the wait, it gave me a chance to get changed out of the clothes I'd travelled to the airport in and I had my book to read and other things to do. Eventually the time ticked by and it came to the big surprise. There I was, sign in hand that read 'Thurmott Tours', camera propped up just above and most importantly I stood in the best place to see the full reaction. I saw my parents come through into the arrivals area, caught my Dad's eye and waited for my Mum to notice me which didn't take long and the surprise was well worth it, the look on my Mum's face was priceless and the fantastic feeling of seeing them both again was brilliant. Once the shock had died off, Dad and I explained everything and the three of us made our way to their accommodation for their holiday. They were staying in a five star luxury suites hotel on the beach, something that was as new to them as is was to me.
On arrival at the hotel we were greeted by the porter and ushered into the VIP lounge where we were given a glass of champagne while we waited for the them to check us in. It was whilst sipping the champagne that we decided to ask to if I could be added into their suite as they were told they had a separate living area with a sofa bed. After much deliberation and negotiation the hotel agreed which meant I was being upgraded from a one star family fun hotel to a five star mega conglomerate suites hotel. And some people try to say that this travelling lark is tough! Having said that, I am well aware I am very lucky to have found myself in such a position although it gave me a chance to see how the 'other half' live. Each morning there was a buffet breakfast served until 11:00 and you can have almost anything you could think of, there was fruit juices as far as the eye could see, numerous varieties of water, champagne (white and pink) and then you came to the foods. Basically if you wanted it, it would be there. Every morning we would be shown to a table and every morning there would be a napkin on the table, for some reason this was always picked up by the staff and draped across our laps. This, I'm sure, is a measure to make you feel welcome but with a buffet and needing to stand up within seconds of sitting down became an annoyance more than a help. Then once we had collected our food from the buffet area we would make our way to the table again and more often than not, my Mum would get to the door that led outside and her plate would be taken away from her and then carried to the table by a man who looked surprisingly similar to Christopher Walken. Again this is a sign of respect but considering my Mum had already carried it successfully for twenty metres, I'd have thought she could have managed the final five to the table. This type of staff help or interference as I started to feel like it was, continued for the rest of the time and I'm sure it's how all the guests are treated. 'The guest must not do anything' which is fine and a welcome break but when a waiter is literally wrestling a bottle of wine out of your hands, things are getting a bit silly. Sometimes it is nice to be able to do your own thing and I actually felt a bit more restricted in what I could do staying in the five star hotel than in most of my hostels. Staying in a hostel is great because you have freedom, you have a key, a bed, a common room and more often than not a kitchen and a locker. The rest is almost literally up to you, staying in a five star hotel, you have a big luxurious private room but that's about as much freedom as you're allowed. After that you're ushered to sunbeds which have already been saved for you, questioned all day if you would like something to eat or drink and basically cared for as if you're incapable of moving. This may sound like I'm being ungrateful for the opportunity to stay in such a fancy place, I'm not, it was a fantastic experience and one that everyone should be afforded. Having said that I think if you want to pour your own water at the table whilst having dinner then you should be allowed that opportunity...at the very least you should be given the dignity that you'll be able to place a napkin on your lap without throwing it on the floor!
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