All has already been said about the Zefiros hotel and everything is true. About, for exemple, the advantages of such a small family business - Irena and Johnny go out of their way to make your stay a success and are always there to give you useful advice. The girls - Ashley, Nadia and Tasula - take their turn to attend to your needs with a smile for breakfast (scrumptious, whether it be full English or fresh Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts, plus freshly squeezed orange juice) or a light lunch. The kitchen is small but Andrea makes the best out of it in the evening (his fresh fish is cooked to perfection and moussaka is tastier and lighter than elsewhere). The ginger beer flavored with fresh mint from the garden is a must too. The hotel is right across the beach so that you can see the sea from the terrasse. The dining room-bar adjacent to the reception is also very pleasant - not too big, but high-ceilinged and tasteful decorated. Same comment for the bedrooms - yes the beds are on the hard side but perfectly made by Maria. The family units are well designed and all units have a mini-fridge, plus tea & coffee tray. Several have a terrasse or balcony with a lovely view on the sea through pine trees. If you are sensitive to noise, ask for a room on the third level, east side, away from the street and from the hotel next door which entertains its guests with live (but not too loud) music three evenings a week during high season. The outdoor steps on the left side of the hotel are a bit steep but are lovely shaded by a fig tree, bougainvillea and jasmines. On the other side, a cash machine is right at the foot of the stairs. You will find a well stocked mini-market 20 meters away. The three beaches are a few steps away but be prepared to pay a fee for a chair and parasol if you decide to stay. You'll need aqua shoes to negociate your way to the sea through pebbles (and cigarette butts) but the water is crystal-clear. There is plenty of interesting walks around. First of all, to the monastery up the hill (20 minutes) for the peace and quiet, stunning views over Paleokastritsa and the jagged coast, the beautiful painted ceiling of the chapel, the cats lying everywhere in the inner yard and the pervading fragrance of basil and thyme. Right beside the Odysseus Hotel, you will find the path going up to Lacones, up in the mountain and have lunch up there. A few steps away from the Zefiros, you can hop in a local bus that will take you for a modest fee to the Green Station in Corfu-town. From there you can wander in the old district or take the blue bus to Mon Repos, a beautiful park at the edge of town, or take a green bus to some other place of interest along the coast. My first stay in Corfu won't be the last and I'll come back to the Zefiros, which is in my opinion your best bet in Corfu if you prefer small family hotels.

We have just spent the last 14 nights in this lovely hotel and I cannot fault it! Irene arranged a taxi from the airport with Vassilis a true charactor and he is also a dab hand at fitting large amounts of luggage in the boot of his car! We are a family of 5 and we were given a family room on the 1st floor, it was lovely and fresh and we were given plenty of towels, and the air con works great! The breakfasts were lovely and it was a god send that they served breakfast until 11:30 as we had 2 teenagers with us and this meant that they managed to make it most days. Having a shared balcony was really nice and social and we met some really interesting people that we probebly wouldn't of done had we not shared our lovely terrace. We hired a boat for a day from Makis, just ask anyone they all know him, he is a great guy. Jonny and Irene couldn't have been better hosts, not in your face, but Jonny will do anything to help and Irene's really vibrant and yet down to earth, she seems to have really sussed what's important to people on there holidays and whatever it is she manages to deliver. We only ate there a couple of times, but everything we had was delicious and the moussaka was excellent (homemade) and the staff were all extremely friendly and at the same time professional. The cleaning lady was very nice and patient (waiting for my daughter to get up before noon!). We will be back and would advise anyone who loves the sea and small friendly hotels this is the place to stay.

We spent 5 nights in the Zefiros hotel at the end of June, in 2 different rooms to cater for five of us. Upon arrival, I was a little concerned that perhaps the hotel was a bit too rustic for us, in the simplicity of the rooms and furnishings. However, as the days progressed, the hotel's simple charm combined with the fantastic service elevated it to be the only place you would stay! We had a family room for 4, and then a double, the family definitely being better with a lot more space. The hotel is opposite the beautiful bay, but the view is partly blocked by a building across the road. The restaurant is great, the breakfasts delicious and fresh, the Gyros we had at lunch were sensational, and so cheap! We ate dinner there once and that was also very good. The owners were so friendly and helpful, and all the staff a pleasure. We were guided to a lovely small beach about 100m away rather than the bay itself, we loved it as it was so quiet, and we hired umbrellas and loungers there each day for about 5 euros a set.
We hired a car for three days which we used to go to Corfu town and explore the Venetian City, it is beautiful and so unexpected on an island. The next day we drove to Myriotissa Beach, which was just divine, though of course is the nude beach, much to the amusement of the kids. There is a great taverna at the top of the descent to the beach where we had lunch with views to die for. Angelokastra, the medieval castle was definitely worth a visit, and Pelekas beach was lovely to spend an afternoon swimming. We went to La Grotta cafe as recommended in the Lonely Planet, you have to go there just for the location, it is so pretty, but the food was nothing fantastic. Go anyway. We hired a motorboat one day, and that was also a great day out, as we explored some divine little beaches and caves, lovely to have these places to yourself. Having driven all around the island, I can say with confidence that Paleokastritsa really is the pick of the island, with some fab cafes lining the beach (especially the one furthest on the end), and a lovely simple feel that reminded me of childhood holidays many years ago.