The Princess and the Butler

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fter her three and a half hour flight from London, the Princess was overjoyed when she pulled up to the courtyard of the breath-taking Eagles Palace hotel, Halkidiki, set amongst the most luscious foliage and exotic wildlife. She was tired from travelling, had the pungent scent of the airplane stuck to her clothes and a stomach crying out for Greek cuisine.

Helped out of her vehicle by a smartly dressed chauffeur, the Princess breathed deep the sea air, inhaling the intoxicatingly fresh scent of the dewy tropical flora that enveloped the hotel complex, the sea breeze blowing through her hair awakening her every sense.

Abruptly, her moment with nature came to a halt as she was asked to step back into the vehicle and was driven down a path away from the hotel entrance. Was this just a teaser? Like when you get a coach from the airport while on a package holiday and the coach stops at glorious 5-star hotels, your heart pounding with the hope that it will be yours, when the reality soon comes crashing down on top of you as you pull up to an old goat shed that is your residence for the week. Thoughts rushed through 132 House of Coco

her mind, “Where am I going? Surely there can’t be another Eagles Palace? Hasn’t someone sent word to the manager that I have arrived?” Not even the air-con in the car could cool her anger as she was driven towards a gated courtyard. The gates opened slowly, heavy with possibility, unveiling a cluster of beautiful Greek-style bungalows, oozing luxury and shaded in exclusivity by towering palms. Perhaps things weren’t so bad for the Princess, however, she remained unconvinced, as her patience grew shorter and her body temperature soared from her red-hot anger.

The car came to a standstill outside bungalow number 18. The pristinely white bungalow shone like a diamond in the sun, with beautiful greenery tumbling down the exterior, all against the backdrop of the glistening blue waters of the Aegean Sea. The Princess stepped out of the car, eyes wide and beaming as she felt all of her woes stream out of her body from the tips of her perfectly manicured toes.

Outside the bungalow stood a young Greek man, his sun-kissed skin contrasting to his crisp white shirt, his perfectly pressed suit mirroring his cool, calm and collected manner; a suave gentleman, with a warm and welcoming smile. “Good morning

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THE PRINCESS AND THE BUTLER

The butler should always know the tastes of his Madame.

Words by Caoilfhionn Rose

Princess, and welcome to your Presidential Suite.”

In that moment, the Princess fell in love with Eagles Palace. It transpired that the young gentleman, named Manolis, who’d manned the doorway to her castle, was her personal butler for the next 24 hours. Manolis took the Princess by the hand and helped her graciously through the doorway of the Presidential Suite. The suite was a palace in itself.

Spread across 180 square metres of pure luxury, comprising of two bedrooms, a marble bathroom, a walk in wardrobe, a splendid lounge area leading to the grand terrace where an obscenely large private pool offered unadulterated views from the peninsula of Halkidiki. Overwhelmed by the beauty of her residence, named after the famous Maria Callas who honoured the suite with her presence soon after its grand opening, the Princess felt right at home.

Standing on the terrace, admiring the staggeringly gorgeous view, the Princess felt a hand on her shoulder, “It’s time to relax. Please, have some champagne. You’re our Princess now” said Manolis. The Princess turned around, and laid on the table was a platter of chocolate strawberries accompanied by a chilled bottle of Gosset Grand Reserve.

“IT’S TIME TO RELAX. PLEASE, HAVE SOME CHAMPAGNE. YOU’RE OUR PRINCESS NOW.”

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“Take time to freshen up and enjoy your bubbles, I’ll come back to get you at 2pm to accompany you to lunch” Manolis said as he left the bungalow, but not before checking that the temperature of the room was to the Princess’ desire, and her clothes were unpacked from her suitcase and hung neatly in the walk-in wardrobe.

The Princess sipped her bubbly and savoured every mouthful of the hand-dipped chocolate strawberries. She laughed at the irrational thoughts that ran through her mind before arriving at number 18 and planned how she would spend the next four days in paradise. Browsing the hotel brochure she fancied the cooking class with Monk Epifanios of Mount Athos, or a boat trip to Ammouliani Island, maybe even an afternoon of sailing with the hotel’s resident sailing champion.

She floated around the suite; robe trailing behind her along the marble floor, deciding which bed she’d sleep in as the bubbles and excitement rushed to her head. She felt revitalised, carefree and special. She wondered how much of a diva Maria Callas was when she stayed in this suite, and pondered how much of a diva she was willing to be. After all, she had a presidential suite with a private bar, exclusive access to the beach from her terrace pool and a butler who was at her beck and call.

She could transform into Mariah Carey and write a rider that made ludicrous requests like removing all of the red M&Ms, or having her bed covered in 100 white roses daily, or having her bath filled only with Fiji water. The possible demands could go on, 134 House of Coco

but that’s all they’d remain, possible, because when Manolis’ jovial face appeared through the bungalow door as she was mid-plotting her rider, the Princess’ mind blanked and her heart filled with warmth. “Princess, are you ready? I’d like to take you to lunch.”

The Princess followed Manolis from the bungalow along the floral-laden path towards the entrance to the hotel. She asked, “How long have you been a butler for?” as he was so relaxed yet professional in his every move that she was sure he had been a butler for many years. “To be honest Princess, you are the first guest that I have had the pleasure of offering Butler service to, and it is with great gratification that I do so. I hope that I will not disappoint you during your stay” he replied, courteously bowing his head. His humble honesty made the princess grow ever more fond of him.

T

hey arrived at the hotel’s Kamares Restaurant and Manolis boasted that this would be a gastronomic experience like no other, assuring the Princess that the resident chefs, Yannis Baxevanis and Jerome Serres, served only the finest in Modern Greek cuisine. Manolis pulled a chair out for the Princess, bowing slightly as he welcomed her to take her seat. She caught his eye, which glinted with mischievousness, and blushed as she took her seat. In that moment she knew that Manolis could never disappoint.

While the restaurant’s wonderful waiting staff served the rest of her party, Manolis provided her with his undivided attention. He coaxed her into trying the local rosé wine, assuring her that it would be to her taste. She wondered how he was so sure of himself, especially when she didn’t trust rosé wine drinkers, always avowing that they should be able to make a choice between red or white. Nonetheless, the Princess indulged Manolis and to her surprise, he was right.

Bringing out plate after plate of delectable dishes, Manolis explained each dish to the Princess, telling her the history of the dish, where the produce came from and how the chefs put an Eagle’s Palace twist on it. She gazed into his eyes through his Clark Kent spectacles, eating up his every utterance. Was this love, or was this platonic? Who knew?

The pair wandered the grounds of the hotel throughout the afternoon, dipping their toes in the sea and sharing stories from each other’s past.

Manolis told the Princess all about the history of Halkidiki, of the monks on the neighbouring Mount Athos, and of how he came to work at Eagle’s Palace. As the sun began to set on their walk along the beach, Manolis offered to walk the Princess back to her suite. Who said chivalry is dead?

On her return, she found that Manolis had had all of her clothes pressed that had fallen victim to travel creases. Her makeup was lined perfectly along the marble sink and her bed had been turned down. Another bottle of champagne was chilling with a note beside it that read “With love from Eagle’s Palace”.

‘Was this a dream?’ she thought, as what seemed surreal became reality. She pampered herself with the beauty product range provided by the hotel, sipping her champagne in a bubble bath, marvelling at the afternoon’s events. Soon after she had gotten dressed a knock came to the door. She opened it to be greeted by Manolis’ smiling eyes, “Well, you look perfect”, his voice echoed through the room with care and sugariness. Had she skipped a few years of her life and somehow found herself in a relationship with a Greek man?

How could this man only be her butler?

M

anolis walked the Princess to the rest of her party who were enjoying cocktails in the hotel’s bar. She sat with them, subdued by shyness and the overwhelming care that he was showing her. He disappeared for a moment only to return with a bourbon-based cocktail that came with a basket woven from caramelised sugar, filled with fresh cranberries. “I think that you’ll like this Princess, trust me” he assured her once again. She sipped the drink slowly, revelling in the sweet delight of the cranberries mixed with the gentle burn of the bourbon as it trickled down her throat. She turned to the hotel manager who had come to welcome her and asked, “How does Manolis already know what I like?” to which he replied, “It is the job of the butler to know the tastes of his Madame.” She looked at Manolis and there was that glint again. She swooned and oh-so clumsily dropped a cranberry on her silk jumpsuit.

She looked at the stain and let out a sigh of disbe-

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lief, but before she had even begun to deal with the problem Manolis had returned with a steamed cloth in hand to help his damsel in distress.

The night wore on and soon it was time to retreat to the palace. Manolis insisted once again on bringing the Princess safely back. He told her that he would have breakfast brought to her, as she should relax in the morning before a two-hour spa treatment that he had chosen for her. ‘Why weren’t all men like Manolis?’ she thought as she lay awake listening to the waves lapping against the shore, deciding on whether or not to hire new waiting staff on her return home.

She awoke to the sun beating through her bedroom window and the birdsong dancing through the air. There was a knock on the door – it was Manolis and another young gentleman carrying a breakfast tray fit for the Queen of England. Manolis ushered the young boy out onto the terrace where he served the breakfast to the Princess. A fresh fruit platter, meats and cheeses, pastries and bread, homemade granola, Greek yoghurt and local honey; it was never-ending. The two left the Princess to enjoy her breakfast in the sunshine but just as she was about to put the first morsel in her mouth, a knock came to the door once again. No surprise, it was Manolis. “Princess, I know that you like something a little sweet after your meal, so I’ve brought you these”, he handed her two dessert sized pavlova with fresh strawberries and homemade honeycomb on top, “I’ll be back for you in an hour” he said as he turned on his heel and left.

The Princess grazed over her extraordinary feast and wondered if this was in fact real life. She 136 House of Coco

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She awoke to the sun beating through her bedroom window and the birdsong dancing through the air. wondered how she’d feel when she would have to say goodbye to Manolis, the face she’d grown so fond of. She wasn’t sure about how she felt for him; it was a new feeling, one she’d never felt before; she had a great love at home, so it wasn’t that, she didn’t feel for him like she felt for her friends, after all, they barely knew each other, but there was undeniable chemistry between the two, an unbreakable bond that had manifested in a matter of hours. Whenever she needed him, he was there, whenever she thought that she might need him, he was there. It was like the pair had been tuned to the same wavelength during check-in.

After her spa treatment, that once again Manolis had chosen perfectly, he took her on a tour of the neighbouring towns. Driving around the pair sang along to the radio and laughed at each other’s questionable taste in music. He brought her to Ouranoupolis, a small town at the edge of the third peninsula of Halkidiki, mostly famous as the port town from where the ferry to Mount Athos departs. They walked along the port and Manolis took the Princess to different scenic spots where he thought she’d like to take pictures. He explained the history of the Tower of Ouranoupolis to her, proudly saying that the Greek history is the richest in the world. After walking around the town for a while they sat on a wall in the Town Square, telling each other what they hoped the future had in store for them respectively. The Princess knew that she and Manolis had very different paths laid out for them, but she couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if their two paths merged into one.

The party she was travelling with arrived at the town centre to meet her and Manolis. This was it, the final goodbye. He took the Princess by the hand, kissed her on the cheek and said: “If you ever need anything, I’ll always be here”. He walked away; cool as ever, not even looking backwards like in a cheesy rom-com. The Princess melted, not because of the blistering heat, but because of the adoration, care and affection that Manolis had shown towards her in those 24 hours.

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In that moment a revelation hit and she no longer wondered what the chemistry was between them.

It was not love, it was not desire, it was not friendship; it was the bond between guest and Butler that only the service at the incomparable Eagles Palace can offer.

Our writer Caoilfhionn Rose starred as the Princess, and Manolis starred as his ever-wonderful self in this true fariytale.

EAGLES PALACE

Nuzzled in a verdant oasis of northern Greece and engulfed by the most stunningly beautiful beaches of Halkidiki and the sacred Mount Athos, this inimitable 5 star luxury resort and spa is located only 4 km from Ouranoupolis and 110 km from the “MACEDONIA” airport of Thessaloniki.

Featuring 157 Rooms, Suites & Bungalows as well as a fabulous selection of facilities and services, this outstanding SLH hotel takes pride in its eco- logical conscience being one of the few Ecological Resorts in all of Europe.

The butler service is 250 euros per day, including 24/7 presence of the butler, unpacking and packing all of your clothes, making reservations for the restaurants and the spa, accompanying you to your boat/road trips, bringing you your room service etc Double rooms are from £156 per night, B&B. The Maria Callas suite is from £1,000-£5,500 per night.

Wi-Fi is complimentary, as are the hotel’s yoga, stretching, aqua gym classes and mountain-biking services; access to the kids’ club costs extra.

Facilities include: • • • • • • • • • •

Four restaurants A café Two bars Night club Beach access A fitness centre Kids’ club Pool Room Service Tennis courts

To book, please go to www.eaglespalace.gr