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December 30, 2012updated Mar 07, 2013

The 5 Best Hotels on the Ionian Islands

By Chris Boyle

Palazzo Imperiale, Master Bedroom Suite

Whether you want a sumptuous bed, a spectacular view or service beyond compare, choose from our stunning selection

CORFU IMPERIAL

Corfu Imperial

Perched atop its own 14-acre private peninsula overlooking Kommeno Bay and Corfu Town, the Corfu Imperial is one of the most luxurious hotels in the Ionian.

The hotel offers stunning rooms and suites, almost all boasting fabulous sea views, and a number of private bungalows and villas are spread out over the lush grounds. Sumptuous interiors nod to the island’s Venetian heritage with plenty of gilding and original frescoes in shades of gold and apricot. With three private beaches, a myriad of hidden coves, and rich Italianate gardens decorated with olive, palm and cypress trees, the hotel surroundings offer guests their own private idyll to explore in seclusion. Choose from the lavish à la carte menu at the Aristos restaurant—named after the Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis—or arrange for the restaurant’s chefs to serve dinner or lunch in the privacy of your own yacht.

TOP SUITE PALAZZO IMPERIALE

Bathroom , Palazzo Imperiale

Why we love it: Occupying its own secluded sliver of the hotel’s peninsula, the elegant Palazzo Imperiale villa offers guests the ultimate luxurious hideaway. Regally decorated in marble and wood, the interior is adorned with period furniture and precious fabrics in the Italian Corfiot style. The spacious master bedroom features a marble bathroom with a ‘river bath’ for two overlooking the waterfront through huge glass windows. A vast stone terrace complete with a private pool makes way to beautiful wooden decking which slopes elegantly down to meet the sea.

 

 

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  • Square footage: 5,381
  • Nightly rate: available on request

Mrs. Evaggelou, Public Relations Manager

+30 26610 88400

Tzavros, Kommeno, Corfu, Greece

www.corfuimperial.com

GRECOTEL EVA PALACE

Grecotel Eva Palace

Another gem from the Grecotel group’s luxury brand of hotels, the Grecotel Eva Palace, like its sister the Corfu Imperial, is located on the pine-fringed Kommeno private peninsula.

With a reputation as one of the most exclusive resorts in Corfu, the hotel is an oasis of pristine beaches, exotic gardens and illuminated pools. Palatial cream interiors offer the level of luxury to be expected at the Eva Palace, and whether your stay is in the main building or one of their garden bungalows you are guaranteed service of the highest quality. Enjoy a cocktail in the glorious Serenissima Bellini Bar or indulge in a romantic spa ritual for two on the rooftop spa. Designed with couples in mind, spa treatments are inspired by the Greek goddess Aphrodite and include rose-petal baths and signature ‘love potion’ elixirs.

TOP SUITE PALAZZINA VILLA

PALAZZINA VILLA

Why we love it: Hidden among olive and cypress trees in the hotel gardens, this two-bedroom villa offers spectacular sea views and a host of luxurious amenities. The interiors are draped in decadent fabrics with hand-stitched bedcovers in amber tones and strewn with antique furniture. Its floor-toceiling doors open out on to the terrace with two private pools. Guests can enjoy a romantic dinner served on their terrace under a velvet Ionian sky.

 

 

 

  • Square footage: 5,812
  • Nightly rate: available on request

Mrs. Grigoriadou, Public Relations Manager

+30 26610 90003

Tzavros, Kommeno, Corfu, Greece

www.grecotel.com

PERANTZADA ART HOTEL

Perantza da Art Hotel

A stunning reinvention of a 19th century neoclassical mansion, this small boutique hotel has been hailed as one of the chicest in the Ionian Islands.

Bright, ultramodern interiors with unique, stylish fixtures from some of the greatest names in design such as Philippe Starck, Varner Panton and Tom Dixon give a highly contemporary and luxurious feel. Antique Belle Époque armchairs and 19th century Persian rugs lie next to cubes of cushions and bright red Perspex lights, while most of the 19 rooms and suites are decorated almost completely in white. As well as a restaurant, bar, library and water taxi service, the hotel can also offer a number of excursions to the villages and beaches on the island. The pièce de résistance is the hotel’s infinity pool which stretches out over breathtaking views of the island and seems to disappear into the Ionian Sea.

TOP SUITE GARDENIA EXECUTIVE SUITE

Why we love it: The only suite that is still located in the original wing of the mansion, the Gardenia Executive Suite comes complete with a private balcony with a fabulous sea view. Clad almost entirely in white, the suite exudes a sophisticated elegance and features a bathroom with a hydro massage bathtub and luxury bath products, and beds adorned in Italian designer linen. Other amenities include a TV, DVD player, iPod and minibar.

 

 

 

  • Square footage: 753
  • Nightly rate: available on request

Joanna Stathopoulou, Reservations Manager

+30 26740 33496

Odyssea Androutsou Street, Vathy, Ithaca, Greece

www.arthotel.gr/perantzada

EMELISSE ART HOTEL

Emelisse Art Hotel

In the heart of the fashionable port of Fiscardo, the Emelisse Art Hotel provides fantastic access to the many trendy tavernas and cafés that line the waterfront.

Surrounded by cypress trees, it perfectly combines privacy and luxury to allow guests to relax in supreme comfort. The newest of the family-run Tsimaras hotel group, it showcases the simple and elegant design that has become a trademark of their boutique hotels. With 64 rooms, an acclaimed restaurant and bar, pool, library, billiard room, fitness center, spa and open-air cinema, there is plenty to see and do should you wish to take a break from your charter. Clean, modern furnishings in teak and burgundy provide a sophisticated ambiance, while at night the hotel is illuminated by soft candlelight. Sip a cocktail on one of the plush sofas and watch the aweinspiring sunset reflected in the hotel’s infinity pool.

TOP SUITE EXECUTIVE SUITE

Why we love it: This spacious two-bedroom suite offers a private terrace and living room with a superb sea view. Warm teak furnishings and soft candlelight give a sumptuous, romantic atmosphere. This suite also includes Korres bath products, Italian designer linen and a minibar. For entertainment, guests can enjoy the plasma TV with integrated CD and DVD players.

 

 

 

  • Square footage: 968
  • Nightly rate: available on request

Joanna Stathopoulou, Reservations Manager

+30 26740 41200

Emblissi Bay, Fiscardo, Kefalonia, 280 84, Greece

www.arthotel.gr/emelisse

PORTO ZANTE VILLAS AND SPA

Imperial Spa Villa , Porto Zante Villas and Spa

Greece’s leading luxury villa resort, the award-winning Porto Zante has a string of accolades making it the first choice for visiting celebrities and political dignitaries.

This boutique hotel, overlooking the golden sands of a secluded bay, comprises a shoreline of world-class villas, each one decadently designed and complete with their own private pools looking out over the Ionian Sea. White canopies and dark wood furnishings dot the villas which are all adorned with select pieces of Armani Casa. As well as in-villa dining, guests can also enjoy exquisite Greek and Mediterranean fare at The Club House, the hotel’s top restaurant, and unwind with one of the opulent Thalassotherapy spa treatments available. Porto Zante also offers a wide range luxury transport including limousine hire and helicopter and jet charters.

TOP SUITE IMPERIAL SPA VILLA

Why we love it: This grand two-bedroom villa features cavernous rooms elegantly decorated in dark wood and cream and has seen a host of elite international figures walk through its doors. With its own personal beachfront, it offers the ultimate in privacy and seclusion and staggering sea views. Outside is dominated by the luxurious private pool which rests between stone pillars beneath a cloud of white canopies, while inside paintings from prominent Greek artists hang on the walls. Both master bedrooms come complete with antique Dionysian marble lined bathrooms, each with their own Jacuzzi bath and shower cabin with hydro-jets. The deluxe living room includes a fireplace and an office desk area.

 

 

 

  • Square footage: 4,300
  • Nightly rate: $5,900 ($10,000 high season)

John Sotirakos, Development Manager

+30 21082 18640

Tragaki, 291 00, Zakynthos, Greece

www.portozante.com

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