If “all-inclusive” makes you think of wristbands and a queue at the carvery, Avali, Mar-Bella Collection, might change your mind. It’s half an hour south of Corfu airport along the coast road, in the small village of Agios Ioannis Peristeron, where the island feels noticeably quieter. Walk through the lobby and out the other side and you’re looking at an infinity pool so still the palm trees reflect in it, with the sea just beyond. When we arrived in late afternoon, most people on the loungers were reading or asleep, and a few were on the holiday spritzes.
Avali opened in 2025. It’s the fourth hotel from Mar-Bella Collection, a family-run group whose first hotel, MarBella, opened 500 metres down the road more than 50 years ago. Where MarBella and the adults-only Nido cater to families and couples, Avali is aimed at a younger crowd. It has 76 rooms, a 300-metre pebbly beach and three acres of garden backed by mountains. Children over six are allowed, but in late September we barely saw any.
The all-inclusive covers meals, drinks and most activities. Our Panorama Junior Suite was on the small side at 24 square metres, but the long balcony looking over the bay made up for it. Inside, it’s neutral colours and natural materials, with a king bed, a rain shower, a Nespresso machine and a TV that rises out of the end of the bed at the push of a button.
Stià Grill is the only à la carte restaurant, with everything cooked over live fire and tables out on the terrace. Order the steak. Through the dine-around you can also book restaurants at the sister hotels, and the pick is Apaggio at Nido, a short walk or free shuttle away. Chef Sotiris Evaggelou does modern takes on Corfiot and Greek dishes by the water, and the scallops are the thing to get.
The rest of the time you’ll eat at Zardini, the buffet restaurant. It’s better than most, with stations that change daily and eggs cooked to order. By the pool there’s a juice and salad bar, and next to it a self-service ice cream station with no limits, which is a problem.
There’s a well-equipped gym, an outdoor workout area and free yoga and Pilates during London agency Oyogo’s wellness weeks. The spa is just one outdoor massage cabin, so for a sauna or steam room you’ll need to hop over to the sister hotels.
The east-facing beach means sunrise over the sea, and it’s worth getting up for at least once, ideally on a paddleboard. The water is still warm in September, the hotel is busy enough to feel lively, and nobody is fighting over sunbeds.
Key Information
Address | Agios Ioannis Peristeron, Corfu
Rooms from | €372 per night for a Standard Double Room with mountain view, Premium All Inclusive (2027 rates)
For more information | marbella.gr
