Kefalonia Bay Palace

Bella struttura , personale accogliente e gentile. Un po' di trascuratezza nella manutenzione del verde.

We stayed as a family for 6 nights and had a great time. The family room was a little disappointing when we first went in as it was small for a family of 4, however we didn’t spend any time in the room except to sleep so it was actually fine. The breakfast isn’t perfect, and some good coffee would have been much appreciated, but considering the price point of the hotel I think it’s really good value. The location and pool are amazing and I think that’s what really made it for us. Spending time by the pool was a pleasure and we really enjoyed the Greek Salad and toasties from the pool bar. There’s a little cove for swimming just down from the hotel which is lovely. We didn’t hire a car but used taxis to get to Antisamos beach and Assos. Agia Effimia is quite small but it’s really pretty and there’s a good selection of restaurants and a few things to do. We hired a boat one of the days from yellow boats at the harbour, and also took a cruise to Ithaca, both of which were great days out. The ice cream from Daily Art is outstanding.

I have seen some bad reviews on here which I have to disagree with. The hotel is slightly dated but very clean with great staff, especially the breakfast ladies! The views from this hotel are breathtaking. We stayed in one of the villas which had a spacious patio and decent size pool. The room although basic was clean and comfortable but could do with an upgrade. Half-board for the price is a no brainier. The food was decent enough and the menu for dinner changed every night. My only complaint, there is a lack of ambiance. Nice table cloths and decent cutlery would change the mood, you already have the best views in Greece! The bar for spirits is expensive although wine and beer is cheap. If you are unfit or immobile, this hotel is not for you. It has hundreds of steps and steep hills to climb or descend, either way it’s tough going. Location 10/10 Cleanliness 7/10 Staff 8/10 Villas 10/10 Bar 6/10 Food 6/10 Main pool 9/10 I look forward to returning.

Beautiful romantic hotel, with stunning views, beautiful spacious rooms, lovely breakfast and bar area, with outdoor seating and views to die for. The pool is huge and always had sun beds available, pool towels are included. The staff were very welcoming and friendly.

Firstly, one thing we all know from reading the reviews….yes there are a lot of steps/steep hills. It’s set into the side of a hill & it’s this that gives you the amazing views. Yes you’re going to be out of breath, but it’s good for you & burns off the excess calories from all that delicious Greek food. Now for the useful info that we found lacking prior to booking when we were researching: This hotel & area is quite ‘buggy’, so keep this in mind if this is a problem for you. We stayed in Skala at the same time last year & barely noticed any bugs. Our room here had a lot of mosquitos in it when we checked-in (& is clearly a general issue given the swatting stains on the walls from previous guests). Though once we cleared the room & put our plugs in, & made sure all windows & doors were kept closed, we didn’t really have a problem. Outside is a similar story, the gardens are beautiful but this brings with it lots of (big) wasps, ants, moths, bees etc. I’m telling you this not as a negative or to put you off, but just so you’re aware as I know for some people this would be a major worry. I’m pretty nervous of wasps & survived OK! The hotel is a 15 minute walk (at a decent pace) into the main village. Plenty of tavernas to choose from & a couple of nice cocktail bars. Cocktails 10-12 euros each which is on the pricy side for the island, in our experience anyway. More than enough choice locally for a week of doing something different each night & the scenery is just so beautiful. We failed to find a decent pina colada (no Captains bar or Akri here!!). We stayed in a villa with private pool, room was OK with kettle, nespresso machine, tv, minibar fridge (that got much colder once it was full), bath robes & brilliant air con. The bathroom is wet room type which I’m not a fan of, hate having a wet floor by the toilet. Not much storage space overall really, but we coped for a week. There’s a free safe in the room but it’s smaller than we’ve had before - for example we couldn’t get our normal sized iPad in it. We got some lovely toiletries in the room, good quality local ones which smelt amazing (shower gel, shampoo, conditioner), weirdly no hand soap so we used the body wash for washing hands…..I found this a bit odd. The toiletries weren’t replaced either, but reception provided more when we asked (mainly for something to wash hands with). The maids also weren’t great at topping up toilet roll etc so had to also ask at reception for that. No big deal, but can get a bit annoying having to ask for things like this, in a hotel of this standard anyway. The rooms are dated in style, but I think it’s supposed to be that way & everything was clean. Reviews before we went suggested this hotel was in dire need of a refurb, and we were close to booking somewhere else because of them. But as we so often find, it’s nowhere near as bad as people make out. There’s a certain charm about this place which will be lost if they make it a mass of modern glass & chrom

We stayed for 9 days on the 4th level in a superior double sea view. Views breathtaking once you got your breath back from navigating the 100+ stairs - there is an option of a lift part way but if coming from street level this is 150 steps up so be warned if you have limited mobility. Other than access, the venue is very good. Rooms were comfortable, albeit firm beds. A small fridge provided but no ice box. AirCon is not too loud. A buffet breakfast provided with a beautiful outdoor terrace, although be aware if you don't like wasps as this time of year they are plentiful but you can sit inside. The highlight for us was the lovely pool and very friendly and attentive bar staff. Great views and a 30m pool, which at times was like having it all to yourself as many people go out exploring the island by day. The pool toilet could do with being at the same level, again for accessibility reasons, as it's a climb of 50 steps up from the pool Kefalonia is so peaceful - it's like the Scottish Highlands, but sunny and warm. At sunset and sunris, you have splendid panoramic views with only the sound of goat bells chiming in the background. The village had a harbour where you can hire boats for day trips or join a larger group excursion. There are also many restaurants to choose from, but my favourites were the ones on route to the village. Finally, it was sad to leave but with lovely memories, although it was disappointing that the front desk did not take time to ask whether you enjoyed the stay and wish you well with your return trip - they need to polish up their act

We absolutely loved our 10 day stay at this welcoming hotel … we would have rated this hotel a five star had it not been for all the steps !! . This elevated position allows just breathless views in all directions .We understand from the lovely general manager Parvana that they have been awaiting delivery of a long since purchased elevator !! We are both 78 years old and managed all the steps…but beware ! We booked on a half board basis as we intended to travel each day to other parts of the island thus allowing us to “ relax in the evenings” at the hotel . We enjoyed four course dinners with menus changing daily !! As many other guests had booked bed and breakfast the evenings were quiet ,which we actually enjoyed . The village tavernas within walking distance were great too .We rented a small boat for a day from the village . George on reception deserves a mention as he could not have been more friendly and exceedingly helpful. All in all …a memorable stay in a beautiful place!! Sincere thanks to all ! Joan and Pat

We booked the Kefalonia Bay Palace for a ten day stay in Kefalonia based on TripAdvisor research and my perception of location, never having been to Kefalonia before. It’s about 45-60 minutes from the airport. We arrived late at night, restaurant was closed so they referred us to a nearby taverna. Hotel gave the impression of being understaffed or minimally staffed. There were enough employees, but the communal bar was not staffed (the pool bar was at certain hours) denying guests a communal get together opportunity. We checked into our room and while at dinner the hotel phoned us and upgraded us. We knew we would have part of our stay in a mini villa and part in a family room. At this point we were pleased to be upgraded to a mini villa for the entire stay. There was a nuisance local tax to pay at check in which seemed odd. It was not a lot of money but generally these things are included in your quote and these local requests for a few more Euros are a nuisance. Be alert that the Kefalonia Bay Hotel is located at the edge of the village of Aggia Effima from where numerous taverns, cafes, shops and bars are walkable. But the hotel is located on a steep cliff side offering lovely views but a tortuous ascending of 135 steps and a lift to get back to our room every night. This is no joke and we were gasping for breath every night we came back to our room. Our mini Villa was the very highest, very last of the development. Breakfast was good, often packed busy but always a place to sit and frequently rotated buffet trays. Wasps plagued your meal but we found that all over the island not just at the Kefalonia Bay Palace. After staying one night in one room and six nights in another we were asked / told to move a second time so eventually we stayed in three different rooms in ten nights. We were fully expecting to move rooms once, but not twice. But we were upgraded and we cannot complain about that. Staff helped us with each move. Breakfast was good, and one in room meal was also good. Seeing as the main lobby bar never had any staff I’d often frequent the pool bar which was staffed at certain hours. We had our own pool so did not use the communal ones. We’d eat in town every night enjoying a nice walk to numerous bars and restaurants / tavernas in the village. We worked off some calories on the mountaineering trek back to our room at the Kefalonia Bay Palace. We. ate one night at another nearby hotel that was much more accessible and has a very nice restaurant and view. We never ate in the evening at Kefalonia Bay Palace as the restaurant lacked charm and setting compared to the numerous local alternatives. We booked a nice island tour via the hotel and arranged a couple of our own tours / trips. There are many positives and negatives about the Kefalonia Bay Palace but there were some shortcomings, the place was quite expensive and not that accessible. We can neither recommend nor dissuade people from this hotel. It’s a tough one to review.

Hotel is in great location. Agia Efimia is a lovely little harbour town, good local tavernas in walking distance of hotel. Staff very friendly. Lovely pool overlooking sea. Good breakfast, plenty of choice. Hotel and villas set into steep hillside, so all the steps are a bit of a challenge, but got fitter as week progressed. On the downside, sun beds around pool rather uncomfortable they need cushions. One of our rooms was fine with a refurbished bathroom. The second bedroom had rather a poor bathroom, with stained sink and loo. Needs an upgrade. But main issue with second room number 203, which was over the hotel laundry. With noisy machines starting between 08.45am and 9.15am and hot laundry smelling air blasting out so that the room terrace was unusable. Complaints to reception failed to resolve the situation. Who advised that housekeeping were not meant to use the laundry till 9.30am. But as a guest in this room that is not satisfactory. The terrace should be available for use all day and not have to suffer the laundry noises and smells. This room should not be let out.