Valmar Corfu

We only got one night here because a huge thunderstorm kept our plane from landing. After a long night at the airport, we arrived at 5am to find rainwater had flooded the foyer. Lots of staff were working hard to clear it, and by morning everything was cleaned up so well you’d never have known. Everyone was lovely and helpful to us very tired travellers. The lifts weren’t working because of the extreme weather, but our bags were brought up to the room right away. Our fifth-floor room looked out over the sea and had an incredible view. The bed was huge and really comfortable, and the bathroom and shower were fantastic, with thick, fluffy towels. In the morning we got a frappe at the beach bar, then had lunch from the buffet. There was a huge choice and every dish was delicious. The wine was good quality too, not the usual very cheap local plonk. The staff were attentive and polite. It’s a shame our stay was so brief and only because of an emergency. We’d love to return and relax here. There isn’t much around the hotel, though, and Corfu town is about 20mins away by car.

A viral illness has reportedly been going around the hotel for several weeks, and I don’t think the hotel or Jet2 has fully acknowledged it. I’d also be cautious with TripAdvisor reviews. I’ve seen several very positive ones that go into a lot of detail praising staff members by name. Make of that what you will. My own review has dropped down the list, and an earlier one seems to have been removed altogether.

We stayed four nights in August. The room was nice and clean, and the sea and swimming pools were really comfortable to get to, right next to the rooms. But the beach had no service, only self-service, and there were very few food options. Most were salty or fried. Although they say you can book both hotel restaurants, we could only book each one once during our stay. Otherwise, we had to eat in the dining area. The all-inclusive offer felt misleading. About 80% of the menu wasn’t included, despite what the reservation staff had promised before we booked. The included white and red wine was cheap and rated just 3.3. I’ve never seen a five-star hotel with wine rated under 4 on the no-charge menu. I’ve visited more than 20 five-star all-inclusive hotels in Greece, and this one definitely felt like one of the fake five-star places. All the Google reviews rated 5/5 seem to come from Greek hotel staff or their friends. On the second night, one of us got food poisoning. There were flies and too many wasps around the dining areas, especially on the food plates. They kept burning coffee to drive the wasps away, which left an awful smell all the time. Two staff members also got sick at the same time, but they denied it and tried to hide what was happening. A kind woman called Mrs.Matina at the reservation help desk was polite at first, but after the incident her attitude changed. The staff were young and polite, but didn’t have the experience you’d expect at a five-star hotel.

Maria, the guest manager, was incredibly kind and helpful, and made sure we felt welcome. Her hospitality made the stay more memorable, and we’d definitely love to return. We had a wonderful time at Valmar Louis in Corfu. The hotel was clean, comfortable, and very well maintained, and both my partner and I were really pleased.