Corfu / Grecotel Corfu Imperial

Italian lakes grandeur is unexpectedly the order of the day at this palatial property on its own private peninsula, but despite its glamorous attire, the informal and personal hospitality is distinctly Greek.

There’s no denying Grecotel Corfu Imperial’s curb appeal, all manicured gardens hiding stoic statues and porcelain walkways lined with palms and olive trees. It seems to be bathed in an eternal ethereal light. Its location means every angle of the peninsula provides a different view soundtracked by birdsong – from open ocean one way to a forested bay and distant marina in the other. A place this pretty needs to be shared, so travelling twosomes wander the walkways alongside families. Everyone is equally spoilt though. Kids go off to nurture their appreciation for good cuisine in their Grecoland Club cooking classes; while grown-ups set out for a tour and private dinner in Danilia village where ‘The Durrells’ and ‘For Your Eyes Only’ (among other silver and small screen gems) were filmed. Grecotel is large enough that no one feels on top of each other though, and with three beaches to choose from, there’s never any shortage of chilled-out enclaves.

A great measure of a place is by its people, and some of the staff here have been doting on guests for well over a decade. They’ve really honed their practice, almost predicting needs and wants before they even cross guests’ minds, think a spread of cocktails on arrival and a list of places they think will go down well on a yacht tour of the coastline. Truth be told though, with a place that has everything you would wish for – from entertainment like live music and full moon parties to a total of five restaurants including an overwater seafood joint – no one is blamed for never leaving.

Travel notes:

• 185 rooms and bungalows
• There’s a total of 4 pools here alongside the two-storey Elixir Spa
• Yacht tours are the thing to do here, taking in tours of everything from Instagram hot spots and religious architecture to the surrounding areas of Canal d’amour and Paxos
• As well as Grecoland for kids, the teens are catered for in Grecoland Teens Club while the watersports school teaches the like of windsurfing, water-skiing and sailing among other sports
• For an evening out, head across to one of Grecotel’s sister properties for dinner or to Corfu town centre, only 15 minutes away by car
• As a close friend of the hotel, Carrier guests get special treatment when booking certain rooms, from in-room treats to floating breakfasts in the pool and a private sunset cruise