Hotel Helios Splendid

The host had great local knowledge and stepped in to help when our transfers let us down. Breakfast was a lovely mix of sweet and savoury local food, with homemade jams. The hotel had the scenery and atmosphere we wanted, with a beautiful local beach and tavernas nearby. It was just as promised and more, and when I accidentally locked myself out of my room at a ridiculous hour in the morning, the host was incredibly helpful. Perfect for a relaxing break.

If you want a barn for your horse, this might be a nice hotel, but a normal person can’t sleep here. The room entrance doors are broken and barely close. The bathroom is tiny, like it’s for a gnome to shower in. Breakfast is great if you’re feeding a stray dog. I told the owner the entrance door needed fixing because, as I saw it, you could break it with a punch. She said the doors were like that because of the summer sun, and that the problem wouldn’t exist if I came in May. Manuela, if you read this, though I doubt you can understand it, I hope your “barn” closes forever. I can’t call it a hotel.

This works best if you think of it as a quiet, relaxing bed and breakfast. Expect a classic hotel and you’ll be disappointed. It’s remote, so I wouldn’t stay without some kind of rental transport, though there’s plenty of parking. The rooms are small, and two suitcases make them cramped. The bathrooms are very dated: the rusty showerhead and poor drainage mean a shower floods the whole room. The beds aren’t very comfortable, with a well-worn mattress under a super thin sheet, though I could still get a good night’s sleep. A neighbor’s dog barks a lot, which is annoying. Breakfast is cold. Anything hot, including coffee other than regular, costs extra. The cold selection is fine but repetitive and not very exciting. Watermelon and yogurt would be nice, but those cost extra too, which I personally don’t understand. The owner is a very nice, helpful, sweet lady. It seems she handles the front of the house while her husband does housekeeping, and that part could use improvement. Our rubbish hadn’t been emptied when we arrived, which was pretty gross since toilet paper goes in the bin instead of the toilet. Still, it wasn’t the end of the world. There’s no pool, though the listing doesn’t say there is one, so don’t assume hotels come with pools. There isn’t much to do at the property, and most people head out on day trips after breakfast. In the end, you get what you pay for. It’s inexpensive for a reason. If a lovely bed and breakfast is what you’re after, you’ll love it; if you want a classic hotel, this isn’t the place for you.

Manuella, the hotel owner, is lovely, professional and always around to help. She speaks English, French, Italian, German and Greek, which should work well for most guests. We stayed nine nights in a twin room for my daughter and me, at 60€ per night. My friends had arrived a couple of nights earlier, and our rooms connected through an inside door, which was nice. The village of Boukari is remote, with the beachfront about a 5-10 minute walk away. The downhill walk is easy, though the steep climb back could be harder. A bus stop at the bottom of the hill has buses to Messonghi in 10 minutes, where there are lots of bars and shops, and to Corfu town in 40 minutes. They leave at 8:30, 12:30 and 15:30 daily. Watch the return times: the last bus from Corfu Town’s Green Bus Station to Boukari is at 14:30. Later, you can go back to Messonghi and walk the 40 minutes to Boukari or take a 15€ taxi. The walk is pleasant, with lovely views and lots of photo spots, and I highly recommend it. There’s a small shop at the bottom of the hill, but Messonghi has much more choice. For food, there’s Boukari Spiros Karidis Restaurant, our favourite seafood restaurant, plus other places. The hotel’s car park is full of flowers and makes a lovely first impression. The rooms are on the left, while the garden and reception and breakfast area are on the right. Our price included a cold breakfast of salad, cereal, yoghurt, bread, cakes, fruit, tea, coffee and juice. Hot food costs extra: sausage, bacon and eggs were 4€, and four fried eggs on another day cost 6€. The room was neat and clean, with its own much-needed air conditioning because the heat can make it feel like a sauna. The AC stops working when the balcony doors are open, which makes sense. There was a chest of draws, a wardrobe with hangers, extra cupboards and bedside tables. Our balcony was roomy, with two chairs and a table, and the view was breathtaking. It had French-style doors and shutters. The tidy bathroom had a toilet, bidet and small shower cubicle, though it may not suit larger guests. Not every room is the same, so ask about the larger showers. There’s no bath. Because the plumbing in the country isn’t great, toilet tissue shouldn’t be flushed; a bin is provided and emptied daily. Our sheets and towels were changed every few days. The bed was too soft for me, though my daughter liked it. It was made of two mattresses stacked together, so the thicker bottom one might have suited me better. We really enjoyed the stay and will definitely return. It’s a peaceful, non-touristy village with plenty of scenery to take in. The beach is small, not crowded with tourists, and the shallow water makes it great for families with young children.