Restia Suites

I do not wish to be a complainer, but all the great reviews for this place cannot be based upon visiting during the last week before they close (I was not aware of this when I booked). I have to stress that all the people here were great, all polite and especially Wendy who was so friendly and helpful. First, this hotel is not 5 star. It’s 4 star. The location is truly remote, so perfect for a quiet break away. A long transfer, so beware if this is an issue to you. The welcome was great (a Scottish lady called Vivienne) and she showed us our bungalow after treating us to a glass of champagne. We had a sea view bungalow, 1 of 6 or 7 I think. The bungalows are north facing in a V formation. Ours was at the bottom of the V, so the farthest back…and yes, for those readers who are good with the compass, you have already guessed that our lovely sun terrace/balcony received zero sun throughout the day! What a spectacular design fault. So, if lazing on your sunny balcony is important, beware…rooms 304/301. We had several minor gripes that accumulated and accelerated throughout the 7 days, due to the fact that the hotel was gradually being shut down around us. Minor gripes do not concern me, but as they accumulated, it became irksome. Apart from the “no sun” terrace, ingredients for the cocktail list were sparse on day one and worse by the day (would it have killed them to go and get a carton of cranberry juice from the store?) It was the same with the dinner menu. By the last day, the waiter was telling us what he did have rather that what he did not have. Same with the beers and wine list…the stock simply dwindled so that you had almost no choices left. We heard comments from other astonished guests, so we know it was not just us that thought this. The room itself was clean and spacious. A nice Jacuzzi bath and large shower. The A/C was very good. Toilet…zero paper can be flushed (due to narrow pipes), so if this puts you off, you should not come here. I believe most of Corfu is like this. Food quality varied – the Moussaka was luke-warm and contained very little meat. The pork dish (that I had) was 60% fat. Lunches were poor. A club sandwich contained processed chicken and turkey. Inedible croque monsieur and the tuna baguette was from a tin and was not even drained…so when you picked it up it was dripping with brine (either this is a Greek thing or it’s unacceptable). Breakfast was decent, and you will have read many complaints over the Orange Juice not being real. It seems that the owner is unconcerned about it. And I must say that we met the owner several times and he was the most delightful man you could ever wish to meet. The pool was insanely cold, so you had to be brave each time you went in. The beach side loungers looked inviting until they removed the tables that went with them on day 2 (part of the gradual close down I guess). Tui boat trip to Corfu Town. Only 3 hours there…for 4+ hours of boating. It’s not worth it. In summary, I want to give a score of 3.5. 4 is too high and 3 is a little harsh. But my score is based upon visiting here on the last week before closure. I would add that I think it is the responsibility of Tui (exclusive sale of rooms here) to understand that this hotel starts to close down during the last week and this should be reflected in how they present the hotel on line. I believe that the money I spent on this holiday is worth the same as the money someone spent here in the middle of the season and it is hugely disrespectful to the client, when the same choices of food and drink are greatly diminished, purely because it is end of season.

We stayed in a room with a private pool and garden - this suited us well as w like our privacy. Although, the main pool was so quiet you would have it to yourself anyway! The private beach area is literally a stone throw away - so quiet and peaceful. The owner (and his lovely dog) was so friendly, knows everyone by name/room , all the staff are so personable and also remember you (and your choice of breakfast!) Their English is amazing too which helps when they're explaining the menu etc Very clean can't fault the cleanliness of the hotel We loved how there isn't many rooms. Small hotel which is great. The only fault we had was the spa - this was a let down (it basically wasn't in use) and when we used the showers on our last day before we caught our flight, they need a serious revamp. The whole hotel is so modern and beautiful, this really lets it down. Overall this was a perfect stay and holiday - we seriously recommend staying here! We WILL be back!! (stayed July 2017, wasn't that option on list!)

What can I say that others haven't about this little gem of a holiday? 1. It is much quicker to hire a taxi through hotel to get you to the hotel - at a cheaper cost than TUI. The Receptionists can take care of this for you before you arrive. Cost me 60 Euros one way. 2. Receptionists are all without doubt helpful, and will do their best for you. I put the wrong conversion plug in my baggage, they sorted me out with the correct one which I borrowed for the week. There were old batteries in the DVD Player, they replaced them immediately. They were just so helpful - thanks ladies! 3. Owner is very hands on, he doesn't sit in his office all day, he is present at meal times and is there to be helpful and answer questions that you pose. 4. Rooms are just wonderful - the most comfortable beds, massive bathroom (with walk in shower which also can be set to a steam room). Either rooms with pools are great, or the rooms without pools are just to the high same standard without the private garden/pool, and there was always space around the pool or on the loungers placed on the beach. 5. Go half-board (think this is mandatory for next year anyway), well worth it, the food is just divine, and enough choice. 6. Greek night, what can I say - around 16 courses plus 6 wines, with the Greek dancing, fabulous evening, well worth the money and a very entertaining evening. 7. The Staff, just so wonderful, and friendly and happy to help with whatever you needed, the breakfast team, the bar team and the evening team were all so lovely, miss you all guys. 8 The gardens, well kept, and pretty. So what are the downsides? 1 the pools would be great if they were heated, they were quite cold in late September, the sea was warmer ;) but didn't spoil my time there 2 Vegetarians have a separate menu which I didn't know about, would love if they were merged as I like vegetarian courses too. Think the owner is looking into this already for 2019. I can't recommend this place high enough, would love to come back at some point in the future. I came back relaxed and felt that I had had an excellent holiday. Thanks to the Restia Suites team, you deserve a great big Thank You.