Qeparo · Albanian Riviera
The whole bay, from above it.
Porto Palermo · 40.0517° N, 19.8061° E · guests on Booking.com score it 8.9 / 10
The whole bay
the inlet, the isthmus and the open Ionian, in one frame
What this is
A small house on a big view.
Vila D stands on the hillside above Porto Palermo, on the Qeparo stretch of the coast. Below it the sea runs into a narrow green inlet, past the isthmus and the castle headland, and out into the open Ionian. The building steps down the slope in three storeys of glass balconies so that almost everything — the rooms, the deck, the pool — faces the same way.
It is not a resort. There are a handful of rooms, a bar, a lounge, a garden of olives, and a salt-water infinity pool with nothing between it and the water. The rest of the day is yours to arrange.
The rooms
Four ways to face the bay.
They differ on one axis and it is the one that matters here — which way the window points. Every room has air conditioning, a balcony, a private bathroom and a fridge.
- 01
Double Room with Balcony and Sea View
The full arrangement: the bay through the glass, and a balcony to sit on while you look at it.
1 queen bed
sleeps 2 · sea view · balcony - 02
Double Room with Sea View
The same water, from inside.
1 queen bed
sleeps 2 · sea view - 03
Double Room with Garden View
Turned in towards the olives and the stone terraces instead. The quiet side.
1 queen bed
sleeps 2 · garden view - 04
Triple Room with Sea View
For three, facing the bay.
1 queen bed and 1 sofa bed
sleeps 3 · sea view
The pool
Salt water, and no edge on the seaward side.
It runs to a lip on the bay side, so from the water the pool and the sea look like the same thing. Travertine underfoot, timber loungers, umbrellas, olives at the far end. It opens for the season.
It is an adults’ pool. Families are welcome in the house — there are family rooms — but the water is quiet by design.
The table
Breakfast
A buffet is laid every morning — local specialities, juice, cheese, fruit. It is served on the deck under the olives when the weather allows, which on this coast is most of the season.
It is a small breakfast for a small hotel. Guests who arrive expecting a resort spread say so; guests who want coffee and something local in front of that view do not.
Practical
What is here, and what is not.
What is here
Outside
- Infinity pool, salt-water, open in season
- Sun loungers and umbrellas
- Garden
- Outdoor furniture and seating areas
- Free parking
Inside
- Bar
- Shared lounge and TV area
- Daily housekeeping
- Free WiFi throughout
- Non-smoking throughout
In the rooms
- Air conditioning and heating
- Balcony
- Private bathroom, shower, free toiletries, hairdryer
- Flat-screen TV with cable channels
- Refrigerator
- Desk and seating area
- Wardrobe or clothes rack
- Mosquito nets
- Soundproofing
- Tiled and marble floors
Safety
- Key-card access
- Safety deposit box
- Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detector
- Fire extinguishers
- CCTV in the common areas and outside
Worth knowing before you book
- The pool is for adults, and it opens for the season rather than all year.
- Payment is by Maestro card or cash. Other cards are not taken, so plan to arrive with euros or lek.
- There are no cots. An extra bed can be arranged on request for children of five and over.
- The entrance is closed between 11:00 and 11:30 each day, while the house is turned round.
- WiFi reaches the whole property and is free, and it is the one thing guests score below the rest.
- The water is below you, not outside the door. Getting to a beach means the car or a walk downhill.
The score
8.9 out of ten.
Guests on Booking.com score it 8.9 / 10 — fabulous. Here are its seven parts, strongest to weakest.
- 9.4
- Comfort
- 9.3
- Staff
- 9.3
- Cleanliness
- 9.1
- Location
- 8.9
- Facilities
- 8.6
- Value
- 7.7
- WiFi
The place
Photographs, and where you actually are.
The bay of Porto Palermo is the water below the property. The castle stands on the headland across it; Qeparo village and its beach are the next turn along the coast to the north-west. The road up is the thing to know about before you arrive.
Questions
Before you book.
- Where exactly is Vila D?
- On Rruga Persefoni Kokedhima, above the bay of Porto Palermo, in the Qeparo stretch of the Albanian Riviera. The property sits up the hillside, so the whole bay is below you rather than in front of you.
- Is it on the beach?
- No. The beaches of Porto Palermo and Qeparo are below the property and are reached by car, or on foot downhill if you like the walk back up. What you get instead is the view of all of them at once.
- Can children use the pool?
- The pool is for adults. Families are welcome in the rooms — there are family rooms — but the water is not for the children.
- How do I pay?
- With a Maestro card or with cash. Other cards are not accepted at the property, so bring what you need for anything settled on site.
- What time can I check in?
- From 13:00 until 20:00, and check-out is between 10:30 and 11:00. The entrance is also closed between 11:00 and 11:30 each day.
- Are pets allowed?
- Yes. Let the property know when you book.
- Is there parking?
- Yes, free, on site.
- What is breakfast like?
- A buffet, laid every morning, built around local specialities with juice, cheese and fruit. It is the breakfast of a small house rather than of a hotel with a kitchen brigade.
- Which languages are spoken?
- English and Albanian.