Elly Beach Hotel

4 readers found this review helpful

Like most of us these days, stretched by the ongoing financial recession, and ready for a few days away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, my partner, her daughter and I browsed the Internet for a holiday at a reasonable price which offered us our much needed break in the sun at a price we could afford. Eventually, after trolling through page after page of destinations, flights and hotels, we settled for Corfu and more specifically The Elly Beach Hotel in Liapades. The on-line brochures stated that this hotel is set directly on the beach, overlooking a small secluded bay at the quiet resort of Liapades, one of the oldest and prettiest villages in Corfu and is perfect for a quiet, relaxing holiday. The Bay of Liapades is situated on the northwest coast of Corfu and is a very secluded area, surrounded by olive and fruit trees, with stunning sea views. The village offers a small selection of traditional tavernas and bars. Nearby Paleokastritsa is within walking distance and is said to be one of the most scenic spots in the whole of Europe. We all agreed that this sounded ideal for us and the holiday was subsequently booked, airport parking sorted and a private taxi transfer arranged for our arrival. The countdown began to the start of our holiday.
Life as usual carried on up until a couple of weeks prior to our flight out to Corfu. At this point I started to look at some of the reviews on the various travel web-sites. Oh dear, not quite the stunning accolades I was hoping for. Many of the reviews were quite harsh and consisted of warnings against this hotel, condemning its service, its food and its facilities. Now being a bit of a food lover, the description of breakfast and evening meal did not fill me with confidence as to what we would be faced with during our week away. Though a little doubt was creeping in, it was too late now to change so what would be would be and we would have to make the best of it and deal with any problems if and when they occurred. I have stayed in many hotels in Britain where the food, service and facilities often fall short of the expected standard and at a much higher cost. No matter what, it seems par for the course that many people like to complain about anything and everything, so my overall view was to take these reviews with a pinch of salt and make up my own mind at the appropriate time.
Finally, on July 22nd 2011, we set off on our holiday in the sun…
The trip to Manchester Airport from Liverpool went well and we did not encounter any significant delays. We parked as planned in the ‘Meet and Greet’ area of the multi story car park and went through the usual rigmarole of check-in, passport control, waiting and boarding the EasyJet Airbus A320. All of which went pretty much unhindered, so we were off to a good start. Approximately three hours later we landed at Corfu airport in Kerkyra. Once again we endured the arrival procedures and collected our luggage. One of our cases had evidently been opened as the seals we applied had been broken and the securing strap had been removed and lost. There was no explanation for this, however, nothing appeared to be missing so we let it pass as it was about 11:30 in the evening and we were tired and wanted to get to our hotel as soon as possible. For about twenty minutes we waited outside the airport for our pre-booked taxi to the hotel, but to no avail. Becoming a little concerned I sought out the A to B travel desk to enquire on the whereabouts of our transfer only to be told that there was a taxi strike in Greece including Corfu and hence no taxis were available. It turned out that the Greek taxi drivers are against a new liberalisation law - part of the conditions for Greece's current bail-out loan - and want to keep limits on the number of taxi licences that can be issued. The lady at the A to B desk asked us to wait a while until she was able to sort something out for us. After about another twenty minutes we were directed towards a minibus before setting off towards Liapades and the Elly Beach Hotel. We were the only passengers so the journey was straightforward and only took about twenty five minutes.
At around 12:35 a.m. we arrived at our destination, hot, tired and ready for a drink!
On entering the hotel reception we were greeted by two members of staff who spoke very little English, however, this was not a major problem as this was Corfu and, being English, we had not bothered to learn their language yet we still managed to communicate sufficiently to check in with relative speed. What happened next probably constitutes my only real complaint about the entire holiday. We were taken to another minibus and driven to our accommodation. Our chalet turned out to be half way up a mountain, or so it seemed, only accessible via a rather slippery and badly damaged road with a forty five degree incline! Now this was not so bad in the minibus, but for the remainder of the holiday this had to be tackled on foot, usually laden with an assortment of beach paraphernalia in the baking heat of the day. Being an asthma sufferer, this was not easy and made us ensure that we took everything we needed with us on a daily basis as a trip back to the room was a major event taking about ten minutes each way up and down an incline that makes the Three Peaks Challenge feel like a gentle stroll in the park! So, if you have difficulty walking, have small children or are basically unfit then you may want to ensure you get a room closer to the beach or hire a car, quad bike or a scooter (all available locally) for the duration of your stay. Either that or book into your local gym for a few weeks before setting off on your holiday!!
Upon entering our chalet, which turned out to be the highest in the whole complex, we changed and headed straight down to the beach bar for a nightcap. The two bar staff who greeted us that evening were most helpful, as they were throughout our stay and were more than happy to keep the bar open despite the late hour and despite the fact that we were the only people left drinking. As we sat in the bar looking out into the darkened bay, we did not feel under any pressure to leave or any pressure to buy drinks. The bar staff could not have been more friendly and helpful and more than contributed to a very pleasant holiday.
In general, the complaints surrounding this hotel seem to be about the food, the accommodation, the beach and the service. I would like to add my comments regarding each of these in turn.
The Food:
Having booked a half board package with the hotel, we were entitled to partake in the buffet for both breakfast and dinner. Now admittedly you are unlikely to see any Michelin stars being awarded to the restaurant here, especially for the standard of the buffet food, however, I do not believe it warrants the depth of such vociferous criticism doled out in many of the reviews I have read. Firstly breakfast. If you want a full cooked English breakfast then look elsewhere as you will not find it here. Then again why would you, this is Corfu. Breakfast usually consisted of boiled sliced potatoes, beans or tomatoes, luncheon meat, cheese, eggs (either boiled or scrambled), chopped bacon with onions, sausages, toast, cereals and fruit all washed down with ample juice, tea and coffee. I guess, in reality, you are offered all of the makings of an English breakfast, just not quite in the form you would normally be accustomed to. Dinner was more than passable; in fact it was always very pleasant. Each evening we were presented with a different variety of dishes usually consisting of at least one meat dish accompanied by an assortment of side offerings such as rice, pasta or vegetables. There was always a salad bar and sufficient bread to serve all. On more than one occasion I had consumed far too much food which made the climb back up the hill to our chalet somewhat difficult, mainly because I had enjoyed the taste so much and had to return for second helpings!! Drinks were not included in the evening and had to be purchased from the restaurant bar. On a number of occasions there was live entertainment which consisted of either Greek or Oriental dancing which made the dining a little more interesting, despite the mild pressure for the guests to join in. Not for me, but it was clearly enjoyed by some. Whatever you think of the food, you will be hard pushed to find a better view to either enjoy or moan about your dinner as the outside dining area overlooks the bay which becomes even more stunning as the sun sets and the sky takes on a magnificent array of colour.
My main criticism regarding the dining arrangements was not the lack or quality of the food but the lack and quality of the manners of many of the guests at the hotel. The buffet arrangement seemed to bring out the worst in my fellow diners. Clearly the buffet was arranged to facilitate queuing; starting on the left whereby you could collect your tray, plates and starter, working your way around to the right through the mains to the bread and salad. However, the queuing arrangement was not clear to all as many of the guests thought it acceptable to push in where they saw fit, be verbally and physically rude and thought nothing of pushing others out of the way to reach their chosen dish before it ran out. Ironically, if a dish did run out, the restaurant staff would quickly replenish the empty tray. My partner was subjected to such rudeness by one German ‘gentleman’ who pushed in next to her after she had been queuing for quite some time and proceeded to nudge her with his elbow constantly whilst muttering angrily expecting her to move out of his way. A credit to her that she did not acquiesce and a further credit to her that she would not let me spend the rest of the evening attempting to bounce olives off his balding head as he ate his dinner!! Beware, dinner-rage is contagious!! Another symptom of this anti-social behaviour was to witness some diners grabbing as much food as they could to ensure they had their fill at the expense of everyone else. On one occasion, at breakfast, I witnessed at fresh tray of sausages being delivered to the buffet at which point a small child rushed up, clearly on the instruction of her parents, and proceeded to pile half of the contents on to a plate which ended up being about twelve inches high. These guests were sat next to our table and on leaving the restaurant at least half of the food they had acquired was left to go to waste. They were not the only guests guilty of such greed as was evident from the amount of food left over on many tables recently vacated.
Many other review writers have condemned the presence of wasps and cats in the restaurant. I agree on the wasp front, however, this is clearly beyond the control of the hotel, who to their credit did what they could to minimise the problem by burning small trays of ground coffee which did clear the wasps for a while even if this was at the expense of the food being enjoyed amidst a smoke filled haze. As for the cats, yes there are a few which inhabit the restaurant, but if you don’t like them, don’t feed them and they quickly move on to those who will. Personally, as an owner of six cats, I did not find this to be a problem as they do not jump onto the tables; instead they just sit at your feet and hope you are willing to share your dinner. If you are one of those who are happy to moan about the quality of the food and you don’t like what you have chosen simply give it to the cats – problem solved!!
The Accommodation:
As already stated, our chalet was the last and the highest in the whole complex, leaving us to walk a hard steep road at the end of a day’s sun-bathing and again after dinner and drinks. This aside, the actual accommodation was pretty basic and consisted of two double beds, a T.V. that did not work, a safe, that we were told by the management, was not safe to leave valuables in, a dressing table and mirror, a wardrobe and a bathroom with toilet, bath, sink and shower (without a curtain).
The first double bed was on the ground floor and the second up a rather badly built staircase to an equally badly built mezzanine floor. Thankfully, my partner’s daughter is fourteen and relatively sensible so was unlikely to come to any harm, however, I would not recommend this for smaller children as they could easily fit through the bars and fall to the hard tiled floor below.
The on-line brochures proclaim both a fridge and a hair-dryer in every room, though neither was present in our apartment. Fortunately, we did take our own hair-dryer but didn’t read about the fridge until we returned from our holiday, so didn’t realise we were not being supplied with all that we should be.
On the plus side, the bed was comfortable and the air-conditioning (minus the remote) did work well and offered a welcome cool breeze after a long climb to the summit of Mount Elly!! The patio outside offered a beautiful view of the surrounding hills and was lined with trees. There was a very slight side sea view, but this was left more to the imagination than to an actual view, given it was blocked by the trees. We did have a resident cat which we fondly named Scraggy. She was very unkempt when we first arrived and in need of some TLC. Again, being cat lovers, we took food from the restaurant on a daily basis for this unfortunate animal and by the end of the week we were greeted by a loudly meowing and purring puss awaiting her breakfast and evening meal. By the time we left she was looking a lot healthier which was a good thing given she was clearly pregnant. If you do happen to stay at the top of the hill and see Scraggy then please take her some food. She is rather fond of the luncheon meat served up for breakfast but also has a taste for the pork chops often served.
Once again the wasps (also fond of the restaurant leftovers!) were a nuisance buzzing around the patio from dawn until disk, however, they did not seem aggressive and no-one was actually stung despite our usual daily game of wasp tennis with a pair of flip-flops. Beware though. Apart from the normal sized wasp you may be accustomed to in England; there are a few extremely large ones, sometimes referred to as hornets, which like to visit on occasions. We had one crawl up the plughole in the sink, after which it spent quite some time flying and crawling around the bathroom. Despite several prolonged sprayings with everything I could lay my hands on and multiple direct hits with a large glossy magazine, the creature refused to die. In fact it refused to stop flying around the bathroom! I was tempted to use a can of hairspray and a cigarette lighter, but, decided against this, fearing I would burn the place to the ground and even then I would bet that the hornet would survive with only minor singeing!! In the end, armed with a glass and some stiff cardboard, I managed to trap the monster and let it go outside, fortunately never to be seen again.
We did see one rat which boldly crept up on to the patio. It actually looked very healthy and soon ran off when it realised that we were there.
The Beach:
The view from the beach was stunning with rock faces on both sides and greenery capping most of the cliffs. The sea was blue and pretty clear in general though there was quite a lot of weed on some days which clung to everything it touched.
I was told, by my partner (with a geology degree!) that this was a storm beach and hence comprised of stones and gravel rather than sand. Be sure to wear some form of footwear as it can get a little painful underfoot when on the beach and in the sea. The sea I found to be quite cold most of the time, until you actually took the plunge and got used to the temperature. At which point it was very pleasant and gave welcome relief from the average temperatures on the beach of around 35 degrees Celsius.
I did read some reviews regarding a large outfall pipe to the left of the beach which was felt to be extremely unhygienic. We did find this pipe but there was no smell emanating from it and the sea was crystal clear apart from a small amount of algae. It appeared to be a drain from the streets rather than from the toilet, but I guess a little caution around this area would be wise.
To the rear of the beach was the bar from which you could purchase the usual alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks you would expect. The prices are a little high, but as residents of the Elly Beach Hotel you are entitled to 25% discount from 8am until 7pm.
Sun loungers are available at varying prices all along the beach. I say varying prices as payment for these items is collected by a rather odd old lady (clearly a few cents short of a Euro!) who seems to make up the prices from day to day and you virtually have to haggle with her to keep the price you payed the previous day. Each and every day at the beach we would wander down after breakfast, set up our loungers and parasols, settle down and await the call of greeting from this interesting and eccentric character. “Kalimera”, she would call to us with a smile, “Good Morning, Kalimera”. She would then point out all of the items you have decided to hire and indicate the price she wanted that day. We managed to settle on a price of nine Euros for the hire of three loungers and one parasol. The following day she wanted ten Euros and the next day eleven. Having only paid nine the first day we pointed this out only to get into a long Anglo-Greek debate during which she eventually conceded and agreed to charge us only nine Euros. However, for our sins we had to put up with her muttering grumpily for the rest of the day every time she walked past us, and yet the very next day we had to go through the whole rigmarole again, starting with “Kalimera, Good Morning, Kalimera”.
Speaking of grumpy old ladies on the beach, our week in Corfu was graced by the minor celebrity Rula Lenska, famous for her early roles in the seventies series “Rock Follies” , and Minder, and more recently for her cat impressions on Celebrity Big Brother! Clearly attracted to the island for its feline population she wandered around the beach either topless or in a variety of see-through attire, which was a moderately disturbing sight not to be witnessed by those of a sensitive nature!! We did consider saying hello (or Kalimera) and asking for a photograph with her, but on smiling at her in passing one day she raised her nose to the air and walked on by with an air of arrogance. Meow!!
In general though, many very pleasant days were spent on the beach and the atmosphere was friendly, so I have no complaints on that score. There are a variety of boat trips, pedalos and canoes for hire all at reasonable prices. A small shop is situated by the beach selling various beach accoutrements such as snorkelling equipment, air beds etc, so you don’t need to take these with you. There is also a pleasant Thai gentleman who wanders around the beach on a daily basis offering massages, if that is your pleasure. Food and drink to hand, and if you get bored with the beach you can always take a dip in one of the two hotel pools which we found to be pretty clean.
Service:
No complaints about the service. I found the hotel staff very pleasant and helpful throughout our stay. Perhaps this was because we did not complain about anything, given that we did not feel the need. As previously stated the bar staff were excellent and lovely people, the hotel manager offered us the use of his driver to give us a lift into the nearby town of Paleokastritsa, when we needed to find a cash machine. Given the taxi strike and the bus stop being a fair walk we were grateful for this offer.
The restaurant staff were, again, very helpful and polite, doing what they could to make our dining experience as pleasant as possible.
On our final day, after checking out, the hotel offered us a courtesy room to allow us to shower before leaving for the last time.
Would I stay at this hotel again, well despite my positive review, probably not? This is nothing really to do with the hotel in general, but more to do with having to fight for my food with the other hotel guests, which is an experience I would rather avoid if possible.
I did enjoy my holiday very much and it has left me with many happy and amusing memories.
I hope this review helps you decide whether to choose this hotel and beach or not. At the end of the day you can only make up your own mind and remember if you buy a budget holiday that is what you can expect. If you want pampering then look elsewhere. If you want a room, basic food and a lovely beach at a reasonable price then this is not a bad choice.

We booked a ten day stay at this resort and although I had seen a couple of bad reviews I thought we should try it. HOW WRONG WAS I !!!!!!! We arrived on Saturday 23rd July at about 5 am in the morning, we was greated by an unkempt man who took our passports of us and then bundles all 7 of us into a van and drove us to accomodation that was as far as it could possibly be from the main resort, surrounded by trees and certainly without a sea veiw (which we had payed for) We had requested 2 sea veiw bungalows with fridges as with 5 children at least I would be able to keep snacks and drinks cool. There was no fridge or kettle in the room and the smell of sewage was not very nice. I have been to greece before and know that the sanitation is not very good but this was terrible. The beds had clean sheets on them but it was clear that the bed spreads never get washed as it was stained.
I went to complain to the manager as soon as the reception was open (even though it was meant to be 24 hr) "Costos" came up with all kinds of excuses as to why we had not been given the rooms we required and promised to move us that day. I again went to him several times throughout the day and again kept being fobbed off with excuses such as taxi strikes and he would move us the following day!
We tried to start to make the best of the holiday the kids explored the several pools around the complex however it went from bad to worse at dinner time as the food was appauling, covered in wasps with no taste and very basic. I expected traditional Greek food and we got nothing more than prison food!!! No drinks were included with meals so we had to pay. limited choice, basic salad, ham and pasta with a bit of melon to finish. Breakfast was left overs from the night before with ham again covered in wasps and cereal or bread for toast, cutlery and glassess were dirty and there was cats running around all over. The seven of us were very disappointed and although there was an alternative menu that we could have ordered from and then PAID for we chose to fnd other tavernas each day. Obviously we were even nmore disappointed and quickly struggling for money as we had not accounted for having to pay for food twice!
We also stayed away from the resort as there was one particular waiter who tried to flirt with my 14 year old daughter. He also got caught trying to mollest another young girl in the resort!
Eventually on the Monday afternoon we were moved to our sea view bungalows which did have a fridge. They were nice but again problems with the drains and the bath did not empty so stangnent water hung around. Again the bed spreads were dirty so we did not use these.
Disaster then struck as my partner started with sickness and diarrhoea which lasted for a few days and then I got it! The pools belonging to the resort ranged from green to light blue! the pools at The Cricketer Taverna and Villa Birlis were cleaner as they did not belong to the resort but could be used by guests. On several occasions we saw rats running throughout the resort which upset all of us.
Overall there are some beutiful beaches and views in corfu but MY ADVICE WOULD BE DO NOT GO TO THIS RESORT!
IT IS DIRTY, A COMPLETE RIP OFF AND THE STAFF ARE UNHELPFUL

We booked our holiday through ‘low cost holidays’ and low isn’t just the standard of the prices but also the service. When we arrived at Elly Beach Hotel, they informed us that they had no record of our accommodation and that there was not a room booked under either of our names, this problem was sorted and we were given a family sized room. We thought this was excellent as the more room would ease congestion in the room, which it did but in turn, we had to swap extra room for no hot water. In the morning, still no hot water...we spoke to the manager and said that the problem was being dealt with and not to worry so we did not think anything of it and went to the beach. When we went back to the hotel room after our meal, still no hot water, this meant that cold showers it was, we were very disappointed that our problem was not dealt with. In the morning we went down yet again and spoke to the manager and insisted to us that the problem had been dealt with and not to worry, having pushed him a little further an assistant went and checked and found that the water was freezing and that it was definitely going to be fixed. By the evening it was sorted and we had hot water 2 and half days into our holiday.
Food during the morning was acceptable but 7 days of luncheon meat, sliced boiled potatoes and warm milk was quite enough, evening meals though surveyed a wide choice of foods and was very enjoyable with a great selection. The staff during these times were helpful and constantly updating empty dishes with new ones. The hotel room itself seemed very under finished, with wires poking out from certain nooks and crannies. The wood staircase leading up to the two single children’s beds seemed unfinished and very unsafe for a child to be walking down or sleeping at that height with only two railings stopping them from falling down. Also the website states that nearly all the rooms have a sea view we were on a terrace of five rooms, and more terraces around us clearly had no sea view at all, instead a rather untidy wooded area and dirty paths lead our way down to the beach. It seemed to us that the resort did not care for the out of high season guests with bags of rubbish and grass strewn all over the grounds.
The area in which we stayed seemed very friendly and the people around in the neighbouring shops seemed quite keen to help where they could. The taxi drivers were on time and allowed for a great access to the island for a good price. We did however feel that the holiday was not what we thought it might have been, we were hoping for a more get up and go holiday and the area of Liapades we were in was a more laid back and relaxing one where the most exciting thing to do during the day was turning over to complete a tan. However if this is what you are thinking of for a holiday then this is definitely the place for you, it really was a beautiful location (that is undeniable) and we made it what we wanted. We would however make strong suggestions on going on as many boat trips as you can and the hire of a car could make the holiday a lot more enjoyable. All in all we would give this holiday a 5/10.

2 readers found this review helpful

Great week at Elly Beach Hotel .Staff are friendly, willing and able! All staff helpful, rooms all though a climb, clean comfortable and air conditioned.
Breakfast and dinner were edible; yes maybe there could have been more traditional choices.
All in all a fab week idyllic location, Spiros fab. All staff fab. Will definitely return.

This was the best holiday I have ever been on. Don’t listen to the bad reviews.

We have recently returned from two weeks holiday to the Elly Beach Hotel.
Liapades fully lives up to its reputation of being the most beautiful little resort in the whole of Corfu, and the hotel is situated in the most idealistic situation.
The views are superb from all areas of the hotel, especially from the swimming pools and terraces. It was a joy to sit and eat breakfast and dinner there, and just to relax and enjoy the morning sun and sunsets. The staff were very friendly and could not do enough for us.
However the food was really bad - We were served powdered potato for dinner on two nights out of the 5 we ate there, and the only vegetables were frozen mixed veg. Dessert appeared on one evening only!
My husband would divorce me if I served him this kind of food at home. We only managed to suffer the food for five days, before we were forced to eat elsewhere for the rest of the holiday, adding extra expense to what was not, in the first instance a cheap holiday.
It would not take a great deal of effort for the owners of this hotel to serve good Greek food. We would love to go back there one day-after they've found a chef!

We stayed here late in the season, October.Very nice location but hotel was virtually closed around us half way through the week - swimming pools closed, rep disappeared, etc.
We made the best of it, hired a car and saw some beautiful places.
Holiday was spoiled by staff 'questioning' whether 2 drinks had been paid for (they had), a great pity to leave a bad impression over a couple of Euros.
I have no problem with cats, wasps or sewage all of which are present, but wouldn't return, holidays are too short to waste arguing with members of staff.
I thought the food was good.

3 readers found this review helpful

We booked a seven day half-board holiday at the Elly Beach Hotel in Liapades from 29th Sept-6th Oct through LastMinute just 10 days before departure. Outward flight (First Choice)and coach transfer was uneventful and we arrived at the hotel around midnight along with several other guests. Night manager was friendly and courteous and took us to our room, right down on the beach.
Our room was spacious and clean with a fully equipped bathroom and a patio area outside with sunbeds included. We were eager to see 'the view' in the morning having read so much about it on the internet. We weren't disappointed - the scenery is absolutely stunning! The hotel is arranged in graduated blocks on the side of a rather steep hill with most rooms having a sea view.
The buffet style restaurant has seating both inside and outside on a terrace overlooking the ocean. Wasps were a problem at breakfast time (8-10am) but were not the 'aggressive' type and we didn't see anybody stung. Cereal, jam, marmalade and honey was offered everyday with very fresh bread. Cheese slices, ham, sausages and eggs were also available along with fruit juices, tea and coffee. The hotel has a rather antiquated looking but very interesting toaster that made perfect toast every time. Coffee was taken from a large 'urn' and was fine when fresh but bitter if the urn was nearly empty. Dinner (8-10pm) offered a daily starter of salad, olives, onion rings, feta etc and several choices of main course. Previous guests had complained that the food was 'bland and uninspiring' but we always found something to eat, everything was well cooked and plentiful. Fresh fruit or ice-cream was also on offer for dessert. House wine, both red & white, was available in 1/2 litre or litre jugs and was very cheap and very drinkable! The restaurant and bar is open all day for drinks and food and you could order from the additional menu in the evening too.
Pool bar was open from midday to midnight and served beverages as well as alcohol. Beach is pebbly - shoes required! - And the sea was warm and generally calm. Two pools in the hotel are very under-used - water is freezing and broken wooden slats around one of the pools may be a hazard to children. Beach is not owned by the hotel so you need to pay to use the sunbeds there. Pedalos and canoes are available for hire and water taxis can be booked for trips to adjacent bays although if sea conditions are rough, these will stop running. Our travel rep (Travel Gems) was initially very helpful and gave us lots of advice on places to visit, or avoid, and where best to book a quad bike or car but her assurances of 'ring me whatever time, I'm always here to help you' proved to be rather ambitious as several guests tried to contact her without success.
Excursions were available but rather pricey but car and bike hire was reasonable and this was a good way to see the island. We visited Paleokastritsa by walking over the cliff - around an hours climb so more good shoes required! - And found a good taverna in the bay, very friendly staff and excellent food. We took a 40 minute trip on the glass-bottom boat to feed the fishes and visit the caves but the captain kept us out for well over an hour when he spotted some tuna feeding. A visit to the monastery on the cliff above Paleo is also recommended. No entrance fee payable but it is only open at certain times. It’s a beautiful place and Italy is visible from here on a clear day. We caught a bus from Paleo to Corfu Town and went to the Hill Fortress where you can see Albania just 2km across the water. Day trip is possible to Albania - but is expensive, passports are required and only give you limited access. Lots of little shops in the 'lanes' in Corfu as well as the more 's****y' shops in the other part of town. We had about 10 drops of rain during the week although had a brilliant dry thunderstorm one night. Mosquitoes were a problem and a good repellent is a must. Local pharmacy very helpful. There are several supermarkets up the hill from Elly Beach and the Cricketers Tavern has a good seafood menu. There are quite a few cats around the hotel but all are very friendly and do not pester. Rooms were cleaned daily except on Sundays, staff all English speaking although majority of guests staying while we were there were German. No tips are expected although appreciated.
All in all, we had a great holiday. If you need English TV channels, a constant mobile phone signal, kiss-me-quick hats and burgers, this place is not for you. If you want a quiet, no-frills holiday in a slightly out-of-the-way but truly tranquil location and you are prepared to walk, drive and explore we would definitely recommend Liapades. Considering the price of our holiday - £540 for flights, transfers and 7 nights half-board - for two adults, we thought this was very good value for money.
PS - Mobile phones work OK around the upper pool area!!

3 readers found this review helpful

My partner and I spent a lovely week at the Elly Beach Hotel at the start of August. We too read bad reviews on this website after booking the trip and were worried that we had made a mistake. Having both travelled very widely to some first class destinations, we began to think, why did we choose this location?
BUT we had a fantastic time in this idyllic spot. The hotel staff were friendly and helpful. The food was basic as some people have said here. But we have to remember that you get what you pay for and the holiday was not expensive. We ate out at least half of the time and our 2 recommendations would be the Cricketer up the hill from Elly Beach Hotel and definitely the Apollon Restaurant above Paleokatritsa. You need a car to get to the latter but the amazing view is worth the trip and the food and service were great.
On the room front - we had to move out of the old part of the hotel as the room was pokey and a bit stuffy, but we ended up with a studio type room, which was clean and had a nice view from the balcony. So no complaints there.
We hired a car for 3 days and drove around the whole island and to be honest Liapades was the most beautiful place we came across. Most of the island seemed to be like Blackpool in the sun and we would definitely not bother with the car next time. Why bother when you can have all the peace and quiet of Elly Beach?
Sunsets at the beach bar with a cocktail were great! There was even a thunderstorm one night which was dramatic to watch with a beer.
Hiring a motorboat for the day was also a really good idea, as we got to go to some of the really deserted little beaches, which aren't accessible by road. Just like a desert island without Sue Lawley!
We didn't have any bother with wasps, cats, sewage, or grumpy taxi drivers and all in all we can't complain. On the contrary....we had a great holiday. In summary we think some people are more than a little 'precious' after booking a budget holiday and getting the kind of facilities and location that is Elly Beach. Go and see it for yourself...its got fantastic views, great local restaurants, a quiet beach and a really chilled out atmosphere...BUT beware the 'Greek Night' on Wednesdays...its frankly rubbish and extremely touristy...escape that night and you'll be fine.

3 readers found this review helpful

We recently returned from a 7 night break staying at the Elly Beach Hotel in Liapades and would highly recommend it. We booked it through Lastminute/Travel Gems.
The hotel’s location couldn’t have been more perfect. Our room (spacious and clean) was set just behind the bar area at the front of the hotel, literally a stones throw from the sea. We had expected to be disturbed by music from the bar during the late evening, but were pleasantly surprised by the peace and quiet once our door was closed.
Liapades is very quiet and relaxing yet there is enough to keep yourself amused if you enjoy water sports as the bay has plenty of motor boats and canoes available for hire. The water is also extremely clear and warm so it is a fantastic area for snorkelling.
However, having read the previous reviews we do sympathise with some of the general complaints, especially regarding the food which was very basic and pretty uninspiring (although it was always fully cooked and there was plenty of it). Yet considering the cheap price of the holiday it was no hardship to order off the menu or eat elsewhere in the evenings (which we did more often than not). We can strongly recommend a visit to The Cricketer which is just up the hill from Elly beach and serves excellent, typically Greek food.
Although there are no cash points nearby, the hotel does accept Visa cards for amounts over 10 euros. We did notice a few cats around the hotel but they didn’t really make their presence felt and certainly weren’t a problem. A good mosquito repellent is essential. Another thing that I think it’s worth bearing in mind is that the road up into the village is very steep, I imagine anyone with even moderate walking difficulties would find it a struggle.
Unless you’re content to stay by the pool/on the beach you definitely need your own transport to make the most of your stay. We hired a scooter, although we did need to be very vigilant at times! Having said that the island was easy to get around and a trip to Corfu town was only about 35mins drive.
Finally, if you do only one thing during your stay in Corfu you really must go to the Golden Fox, a cliff side restaurant in the little village of Lakones. To get there you need to take the hill road that turns off to the right just before you head into the main resort of Paleokastritsa. The food was lovely and the staff friendly, but most importantly it has the most incredible view over the bays of Paleokastritsa and right out to sea. Our travel guide said that it must have one of the best views in all of Greece and we absolutely agree, possibly the most stunning view we had ever seen!