Bella Vista Beach Hotel And Studios

“A most excellent time at The Bella Vista. You will be well looked after when you stay here.”

On arrival at The Bella Vista Hotel we were greeted by the lovely GG and Carmen who were very professional, friendly and informative. We were offered a cold drink of water while we filled in some contact information. Both GG and Carmen helped with our luggage and carried it up to our room for us wh… more

On arrival at The Bella Vista Hotel we were greeted by the lovely GG and Carmen who were very professional, friendly and informative. We were offered a cold drink of water while we filled in some contact information. Both GG and Carmen helped with our luggage and carried it up to our room for us which was very kind after our long day travelling. They gave us information about WiFi, how to use the facilities and about local Greek dishes and where to buy your bus tickets from. Our room no. 214 is equipped with a very comfortable bed, marvelous for the traveller with a temperamental back complaint but equally suitable for any amorous pairing who wish to have some extra curricular time on their holiday in Corfu. Helpful too with overheating prevention, is the efficient air conditioning in the room helping to keep even the most sunburned person cool as a cucumber. For anyone with hair, there's a good hair drier in the room and a good sized fridge. The complementary soap and shampoo is nice and is local olive oil based giving us lovely soft hands and hair. The TV didn't have English channels that I could find so if you're planning to catch up on your soaps while away take a dongle of some sort or a tablet with iplayer downloaded. The balcony is compact and bijou but suitable for sitting to enjoy an evening with a glass of Kum Quat juice, an island delicacy. You will also find a low slung washing line to dry out your Speedos. Look to the left and you can see the sea which is literally just over the road and the beautiful mountains of mainland Greece. I throughly enjoyed the breakfast, in fact I think we ate them out of house and home. I could have eaten all of the cake but I had to leave some for other guests. The cheese cake was among the best I have eaten. I am in love with Greek yoghurt, it tastes different to the naff Greek style stuff for sale in UK supermarkets. The chef did a great job. Thanks Yianis. A tip: Don't pour coffee onto your tea bag like I did on my first day. I thought the urn was hot water but it contains coffee. Local cats like to eye up your breakfast so keep an eye out for any tabbies swiping at your melons. The eating area is lovely and was tended by Joanna, Laszlo and Mattia. The building has some lovely art work, painted by a former intern who is very talented. It's quite charming. Later in the week we met the Ana who helped us at reception with some places to visit and also the lovely and enthusiastic owner, Anthea. She is very entertaining, but equally very knowledgeable and tradition is very important to her. Her family have owned and run the Bella Vista Hotel for several decades, so I guess they know what they're doing now. Taking care of the guests is of high importance to all of the team at the hotel, from the wonderful Sotilia who kept our room spotless to the chef and team who are working at breakfast time and the staff on duty during the night, Gouzalo and Boti. I'm sorry if I forgot anyone. The location is very good. It is on the main route in Benitses. Buses, while not always running to time are not expensive and it's about 30 minutes into the very interesting Corfu town, be sure to head to the Church of Panagia Vlacherna, a pretty church up alongside of the airport runway. Watching the planes takeoff and land from the restaurant was a highlight of our time in Corfu. Plus you can sit on the concrete walkway across the sea where people are also fishing and do a 'Wayne's World' Style plane landing scene right over your head. One must be very careful that you don't trip on the pavement or kerbs in Corfu because they are not exactly user friendly. I would be concerned about any disabled travellers. It's probably not the ideal holiday without doing some research for anyone who is infirm. There are lots of car hire companies everywhere in Corfu, one is about 30 short steps from the Bella Vista Hotel which we used. There is a free carpark nearby and a pretty marina if you chose to hire a boat. I very much enjoyed looking at all the cars owned by locals, they stand out, let's just say that. I have seen less dents in a golf ball. October is still hot, and the sea was very pleasant, clean and clear, albeit a bit pebbly so 'sea slippers' are recommended. Mozzies are very much a problem so be prepared. There are many eateries in easy walking distance, Greek, Mexican, Pizza and more along with several supermarkets and gift stores. There are buildings that are somewhat dilapidated in the resort which is sad but reflects a bygone time much the same as lots of holiday resorts about the world. The scenery on this island is truly beautiful, the historic monasteries are wonderful too but if you want to find these places then the team at the hotel will gladly spend time detailing on maps how to find them. I think this covers my thoughts about our stay at Bella Vista, however I think this quote resonates with our stay. “People will forget what you said, forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel" Maya Angelou. Thanks all. Clare and Michelle.

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