Grecotel Eva Palace at Kommeno Peninsula

"We stayed at this 5 star Hotel for 14 nights in a Superior Panoramic Room (319) with sea view during late Sept and early October. At the outset it was apparent that this is not a 5 star hotel but it did not detract at all from the wonderful experience we had whilst there. The main building is colonial in style and there are also rooms and villas situated in the terraced gardens. Our room provided us with amazing panoramic views and we were greeted by some beautiful sunrises over the Albanian mountains across the bay. Contained within the room are two comfortable chairs and a table, a huge sliding door wardrobe which also contained the fridge and the safe. The bed was quite large with two bedside tables and there was plenty of adequate lighting. The aircon was very good and sometimes you really needed it. The very large balcony was furnished by two chairs and a small table. Sockets however are in short supply and necessitated unplugging something to accommodate chargers. Coffee and tea making facilities are provided and there is also a kettle which was strangely positioned under the wall mounted TV so it had to be aimed before boiling or it steam cleaned the screen. Aircraft make sharp turns after taking off and fly directly over the Hotel but they are not excessively noisy and when the balcony doors are closed the sound is almost inaudible. If you like aircraft they are great to watch. The water pressure for the over bath shower is astounding and would pin you to the back wall which is great but if not used with care will soak the bathroom very quickly. (experience) The staff are amongst the friendliest and helpful I have ever had the pleasure of encountering and the place itself is beautiful and spotlessly clean. There are wonderful, well maintained gardens to wander around and are mostly shady so escaping the heat is easy. Wasps are prolific in Corfu at this time of year because of the grape harvests but if you don`t interfere with them they lose interest and go to bother someone else. Mosquitos are an issue so make sure you have insect repellent or bites are inevitable as the unprepared soon discover. Some people have made complaint about the food not being varied and is mostly lukewarm at best. We did not find this to be the case, the food was varied and amazing. With a little effort by looking first to see what you would like then collecting a hot plate from the end of the counter this issue can mostly be avoided. The salad and the sweet range provided was without a doubt first class. Language barriers in the dining room can be entertaining but we did not have any problems. The only issue we had here was eating too much!! We did not experience the A La Carte restaurants by the pool such was the quality in the dining room. If needed there are several lovely restaurants a short distance from the Hotel and prices are very reasonable. The pool area is beautiful and again is very well maintained and comfortable sunbeds with brollies are in abundance but as usual get there before the towel depositors some of whom were saving beds on the beach and the pool area and moving between them as the sun became more favourable. The pool is saltwater and quite is cold. The beach could be described as building gravel so if your feet are sensitive as are mine, take rock shoes. The beach bar is a great place to relax and have a drink whilst enjoying the view and the staff are also amazing. If you are so inclined drinks and snack can be ordered from your sunbed by the pool or beach by using the app, QR code on the brolly stem. There is a free water taxi service (beautiful boat) which operates between the three sister hotels and is well worth using as you can explore the facilities at the other hotels. A complimentary mini bus is operated by the hotel visiting Corfu town three times a day. This mini bus has to be prebooked and is the best one I have ever travelled in with really comfortable quilted leather seats. This trip is not to be missed! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves BUT, then Jet2 sent an old mini bus that seemed to stop at every hotel between ours and the airport. My wife's seat recliner was broken resulting the seat back falling backwards into the passenger sat behind her when the driver accelerated and shooting upright again when the driver hit the brakes, several of the aisle armrests would not lock in place, some of the seat belts were broken and some passengers were bracing themselves with their feet wedged against the seats in front of them as was I. No air conditioning but the most dangerous failings were, a control box mounted on the inside of the automatic sliding door would trap your arm if you did not move fast enough and the driver piled the suitcases so high in the back that they were above the rear seat backs which were the only defence from the cases falling onto the rear seat passengers in the event of a sudden stop. Fortunately upon stopping at the last pickup hotel the driver had the sense to refuse 3 more passengers as there was not room for their cases. This return trip to the airport was both dangerous and very uncomfortable. I complained to the Jet2 rep on disembarking the bus, she was not interested and the only comment she made was "Oh dear". I don`t know the regulations in Corfu but operating this bus in the UK would result in prosecutions. No attempt was made to examine the faults on the bus or apologise. It should however be noted here that we have travelled Jet2 at least once annually, sometimes twice for many years and this is the first bad experience We`ve had with them. In all other dealings with Jet2 they have been exemplary and we would not let this incident deter us from continuing to travel with them nor did it spoil our holiday and we came away with some fond memories."

"We stayed at Grecotel Eva Palace for our honeymoon in September/October, having paid over £3,000 for our stay. Unfortunately, whilst there were some lovely aspects to the hotel, the overall experience fell short of what we expected from a five-star resort, particularly for such a special occasion. The positives The hotel has beautiful views, and the staff we encountered were generally lovely. We really appreciated the thoughtful honeymoon touches, including the wine, rose petals and flowers, and the valet service was a welcome addition. The food was also enjoyable, and following a conversation with reception about our initial room, we were kindly upgraded to a panoramic sea-view suite. This was a significant improvement, and we appreciated the hotel’s effort to address our concerns. The room and facilities Our original superior bungalow with a sea view and balcony was disappointing. Despite the view, the room received no sunshine, the shower was small, and the grout was in poor condition. The Wi-Fi was also extremely poor, which was frustrating and not what we expected from a hotel at this price point. Although our upgrade to a panoramic sea-view suite was appreciated, it wasn’t without its own issues. We experienced a problem with the bath drain, a chipped glass and unpleasant drain smells in our new room. We also noticed unpleasant drain smells around the beach area. These issues detracted from the experience and left us questioning the overall standard of maintenance. The atmosphere and organisation We had hoped for a relaxing honeymoon, but the resort often felt busier than expected. Despite trying to time our restaurant visits around the quieter periods indicated by the hotel, the restaurant could still be extremely busy, with 12 people waiting for a seat at one point. Wasps around the dining areas were constant, inside and outside which completely put us off. We were particularly disappointed by the lack of consistency with the entertainment. The schedule changed more than once, with a planned DJ session moved between venues before ultimately being cancelled. These changes were not communicated through the app, leaving us unsure what was actually happening. Entertainment options also felt limited overall. One of our most upsetting experiences was discovering that our engraved honeymoon sand jar had been taken by housekeeping. This was a sentimental keepsake from a very special trip, and having it taken, even accidentally, has been heartbreaking. The overall experience We chose Eva Palace for our honeymoon and paid over £3,000 expecting a luxurious, well-organised and memorable stay. Whilst the beautiful views, enjoyable food and kindness of individual staff members were genuine positives, too many aspects fell short of the standard we expected. Having stayed elsewhere for considerably less money and enjoyed a better overall experience, we struggled to feel that Eva Palace represented good value for money. We are grateful to the staff who made an effort to help us, particularly with the room upgrade, and there were certainly enjoyable moments during our stay. However, the hotel did not consistently deliver the five-star honeymoon experience we had hoped for. Ultimately, the setting is beautiful, but for us, the overall experience did not justify the price. We left feeling disappointed that a holiday we had saved for and looked forward to so much did not quite live up to expectations."

"We have just returned from eight nights at Eva Palace, for the second time this summer after first visiting the hotel in July. We had such a wonderful time, we had re-booked within a week of being home and are looking to re-book again for May next year. The hotel is located on the beautiful and peaceful Kommeno peninsula and the views are simply stunning. From the moment you enter the hotel, you are greeted with an air of calm, understated luxury and as you walk through the lobby your eyes are drawn to the fantastic lobby bar, and beyond that you have panoramic views of the sea. We stayed in a junior suite on the 6th floor, with perhaps the best views in the whole hotel. The room was spacious, with a four-poster bed, living area and open bathroom with a large bathtub, as well as a large balcony. The room was always kept clean and the mini-bar restocked daily with waters, soft drinks, wine and beer. The grounds are immaculate and constantly tended to, with many beautiful species of plants and trees. There are a number of steps particularly between the main hotel building and the pool and beach, so would not be suitable for somebody with significant walking difficulties, however there are plenty of hand rails which means it should be manageable for most. The pool and beach areas are kept spotlessly clean and you can order food and drinks directly to your lounger from your phone using the Grecotel app. Both areas are very relaxing and the loungers are of good quality. We stayed on an All-inclusive basis both times and the food in the restaurants was very good, with a wide range of choices. We only ate at the buffet once over the two times we stayed, and the food was good but I can’t comment on the variety day-by-day. The hotel is beginning to look tired in some places, particularly this last time, but we were there at the very end of the season. There had been a number of reviews mentioning this, as well as comments being made whilst we were there. As a result, and a testament to the staff taking on board feedback, the owner and CEO of Grecotel visited the hotel twice whilst we were there and I was told that they are planning on spending a lot of time and money whilst the hotel is closed to address these issues. For me however, and what really sets this hotel apart and keeps us coming back, is the staff. Everybody works with a smile (even at the end of a long and tiring season), and nothing is too much trouble. Whilst every person we interacted with was great, I have to give a special mention to some team members in particular. Firstly Ghelena in guest services, who has the most infectious smile and works tirelessly to provide exceptional service to every single guest. Harry at the pool bar, who despite on one occasion accidentally poured a whole round of drinks over himself, never stopped smiling. Then there is Maria, who manages the lobby bar, and is the shining star of the whole hotel. Staff and guests alike (including us) return because of her alone. She is simply wonderful and so well suited to hospitality. She has been with Grecotel for many years and it is easy to see why. She is a credit to the brand and goes out of her way to make guests and staff happy. If I was operating a hospitality business, I would want Maria at its heart. She leads a fantastic team at the lobby bar including Sylvia, Sotiris and George, who make spending time at the bar an absolute pleasure (and that’s before they even start making any drinks). We’ve had so many laughs and Maria even recommended (and booked) two local restaurants for us. We had a great holiday and cannot wait to return next year. It truly feels like home the moment you walk through the door. Thank you to everyone at Grecotel Eva Palace, and see you next year!"