Grecotel LuxMe Daphnila Bay

Among olive and cypress trees on Corfu’s Kommeno Peninsula, Grecotel LuxMe Daphnila Bay descends towards a sheltered Ionian beach, combining an exceptionally generous all inclusive experience with bungalow living, abundant dining and the easy pleasures of life beside the water.

Daphnila Bay has one of those wonderfully established Corfiot settings that simply cannot be manufactured. Mature trees cover the hillside, the main house occupies the higher ground and bungalows appear among the gardens as the land falls towards the sea. At the bottom is a calm bay where natural shade reaches almost to the water and the green coastline wraps around the view.

Being part of Grecotel’s wider Kommeno peninsula gives the resort considerable scope, but Daphnila retains a character of its own. The pleasure is in moving down through the grounds as the day unfolds, perhaps beginning with breakfast above the bay, wandering through the gardens and eventually reaching the beach, where the sea becomes the natural focus of the afternoon.

Rooms & Suites

Accommodation begins in the main house, where Superior Rooms have private balconies looking either across the gardens or towards the Ionian, while the elevated Sky Rooms make particularly good use of the panoramic sea view. Family Rooms provide substantially more space and come with garden, sea or panoramic sea outlooks.

The bungalows are where Daphnila takes on its more distinctive village character. Scattered among olive trees and mature planting, they range from garden facing Daphnila Bungalows to Hideaway and Robinson Crusoe categories, with limited sea view and family options providing plenty of choice depending on position and space.

Closer to the shoreline, the Paradiso Family Bungalows occupy coveted front row positions, while the Paradiso Bungalow Suite offers a more spacious seaside stay. At the top of the collection, the two bedroom Dream Villa adds a private garden and sea view, creating a particularly appealing base for families wanting extra room without stepping away from the wider resort.

Dining

The LUXME concept is at its most persuasive when you realise how much of the day revolves around food. Antica Cucina provides the main restaurant experience, but it is only the beginning. Tavernaki celebrates Greek flavours by the water, Corfu Venezia Hot Stone brings homemade pizza and pasta into the mix, and Asia Oliva changes direction again with sushi and Asian fusion dishes.

Il Gattopardo adds another dining experience to the collection, while the pâtisserie and chocolaterie, creperie and gelateria, snacks and pool and beach service fill in all the tempting gaps between meals. Premium drinks, selected wines and cocktails are part of the LUXME offering too, so the all inclusive concept feels less about fixed mealtimes and more about having something appealing available whenever the mood takes you.

That freedom suits Daphnila particularly well. Lunch can happen beside the sea in a swimsuit, the afternoon might involve little more than an ice cream and a swim, and dinner gives you a reason to choose a completely different corner of the resort as evening settles over the bay.

Experience

The sheltered beach is the heart of summer life here. The water is generally calm, the mature trees provide welcome natural shade and pool and beach service means there is remarkably little reason to leave once you have found your favourite spot. An outdoor swimming pool provides an alternative above the shoreline.

There is plenty happening for anyone who wants it. Windsurfing, canoeing and diving take advantage of the bay, while tennis, cycling, horse riding, table tennis and fitness provide options back on land. Children have their own club and playground, and evening entertainment gives the resort a sociable side once the beach day is over.

Yet Daphnila is equally good at the unstructured family holiday. Its gardens, bungalows and long waterfront allow everyone to find their own rhythm, then come back together for lunch, another swim or dinner without the day needing much organisation at all.

Wellness

The Elixir Spa provides a quieter world away from the beach, with an indoor pool, sauna, relaxation areas and a programme of massages and treatments. Fitness facilities sit alongside the wellness offering for guests who prefer to balance slower days by the sea with something more active.

There is an appealing change of pace in leaving the brightness of the bay for an hour in the spa before returning through the gardens to the water, particularly late in the afternoon when the heat begins to soften and the Kommeno Peninsula is at its most beautiful.

Where

Grecotel LUXME Daphnila Bay sits on the Kommeno Peninsula overlooking Dassia Bay, approximately 2.5 kilometres from the centre of Dassia and 13 kilometres from Corfu Town, with Corfu International Airport around 14 kilometres away.

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