Corfu Holiday Palace

“ My 15 year old son and I have just returned from a super week spent staying at the Aquis Corfu Holiday Palace. Situated in Kanoni and right next door to Mouse Island, it is approx 10 mins by car from Corfu town or a bit longer on the local bus, which stops right outside the hotel and costs 1.5 euros.

The hotel is an oasis of peace and luxury and we were looked after superbly throughout the week. I would say that it is worth paying extra for the seaview rooms, as the view is spectacular. Do not be put off by the fact that Corfu Airport runway is fairly close by! Watching the planes coming in was an absolutely a bonus, it is not noisy or busy and hardly noticeable and of course gives you a short transfer time!

The hotel have installed a lift down to their private beach and there is a great little beach bar there too. Everywhere around the hotel is beautifully maintained and the staff do a 1st class job. The only improvements for us would be the food at dinner; it wasn't bad at all but it wasn't great either, the outdoor pool was too cold to use, only one brave guest managed it while we were there but it is late October and the end of the season and there is also an indoor pool. At least we could swim in the sea. A thoroughly enjoyable week and highly recommended.

“ Top Tip: My top tip for your holiday in Corfu is to hire a car for at least part of your holiday. Must see places are Mount Pantokrator, for spectacular views and amazing 'James Bond' journey to get there. Pelekas, again for the spectacular view and the prettiest hotel/spot to enjoy a sundowner. Doukades, a beautiful little village above Palaiokastritsa. Corfu Town of course and more spect views from the Old Fort.

“ This is a very good hotel. The staff are very friendly and helpful, the food is good and it is very clean. The corridors however do smell a little musty, especially on the lower floors; perhaps the carpets are in need of a good clean.

The pool area is very attractive and we enjoyed lunch most days at the beach bar. The prices for food and drinks at the hotel are very reasonable. The views are absolutely stunning and although the planes landing nearby obviously do make some noise we did not find this bothered us too much. In fact we enjoyed watching them land!

The entertainment at the hotel was excellent also.

“ I am not impressed at having to pay for sun-loungers on the beach or to use the Cardio machines in the Health Club. The food was poor to say the least. Luke warm and vegetables were hard. No care in the presentation of food for either dinner or breakfast. Staff attitude wasn't particularly pleasant in the restaurant either. This was down to the senior members of the team, not the waiters who seemed intimated by the older staff. We were challenged by the Manager - politely, about having our dinner on our last night as we had checked out by midday as requested, but weren't leaving until 9pm that evening, but having not arrived until after 11pm on our arrival day we were told by reception that no food was available and to take dinner on the last day instead. This was a little humiliating as other diners were within earshot of this conversation. However, i felt that some recent negative comments on trip advisor about the state of the hotel were unfair as the interior of our bedroom, corridors and public areas were fine and housekeeping do a good job.

“ Really enjoyed the hotel. Very friendly staff. The food was good, but the cost of the drinks were generally very expensive. Just a pity that the drinks could not be included in the price, or a price which includes drinks. (However, the cost of food and drinks generally in Corfu is expensive. Greece is no longer a "cheap" destination)

The hotel is rated as a 5star, but it probably is only a 4star as the rooms are quite dated with not sufficient amenities. Service of the rooms is excellent and the room was always cleaned to a good standard.

None of the above bothered us as we had a super time at the hotel. The evening entertainment was generally "OK" with the Greek evening most enjoyable.

A major negative was that the air-conditioning / fans in the lifts were not working and was very hot and stuffy, particularly when the lift was full. Many people remarked on the discomfort in the lifts.

After a while we 'almost' got used to the noise of the aircraft, the runway/airport being so close to the hotel.

“ Top Tip: Because of the cost of the drinks, we purchased water and wine at the near-by supermarket and kept it in our room fridge, although the space was very limited.

The nearby "Captain's" restaurant provided good Greek menu's.