Certain places reveal themselves in layers. Corfu is not immediate. At first glance, it might seem like another Greek island made for postcards. But spend time in its folds—in the flicker of olive leaves along the old Venetian walls, in the soft clang of church bells above the Ionian—and a different Corfu emerges. One marked not only by its beauty, but by its scars, its conquests, and its quiet sense of permanence. This is a place that has worn the mantles of empire and shrugged them off, holding on to fragments of each: Doric, Byzantine, Venetian, British.

Today, the island stands not in spite of these eras but because of them. The Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, still wears its Venetian arcades and neoclassical façades like a second skin. At every corner, echoes of empire intersect with something local and lived-in—religious festivals, bell towers, bitter kumquats, and a pride of place that hasn’t dulled with tourism.

It is here, on the Greek island’s eastern shoulder, that Angsana Corfu Resort & Spa has taken root—not as a showpiece, but as a statement. The European debut of the Banyan Tree Group, it is not merely another five-star perch above the sea. It is a thoughtful experiment in how East and West, heritage and modernity, form something lasting.

A Modern Acropolis Above the Ionian

Opened in 2021 as the Banyan Tree brand’s European debut, Angsana Corfu occupies a hilltop estate above the fishing village of Benitses. The site, once home to a Greek royal family residence, now unfolds in layers—whitewashed terraces cascading toward the sea like modernist ruins softened by olive groves and coastal air.

From the road, it’s invisible. There’s no dramatic signage, no arrival fanfare. Guests follow a winding drive through thick foliage before stepping into a subdued lobby where architecture, light, and landscape begin to converge. The experience is deliberate. The outside world dissolves slowly.

The property spans 196 accommodations: 159 rooms and suites within the main building, and 37 standalone villas, each with their own pool, garden, and designated liaison. Interiors are sophisticated but unfussy—stone, teak, linen—marked by splashes of Angsana’s signature tangerine, which feels more Mediterranean citrus than Southeast Asian spice here. It’s a space that speaks multiple design languages fluently, yet doesn’t try too hard to impress.

The Pool That Won the World

It’s difficult not to pause at the infinity pool. A sweeping half-moon of water, it appears to spill directly into the Ionian Sea, with the Albanian coast framed like a painting in the distance. This is not a gimmick; it’s geometry turned theatre. The 1,000-square-meter pool earned the title of “Best Hotel Pool in the World” from Prix Villégiature in 2022—and for good reason. It draws you in and holds you still.

But Angsana isn’t content with just one centrepiece. The resort is a network of sensory encounters: spa rituals scented with Greek herbs, sound healing ceremonies in shaded pavilions, chef-led dinners in the privacy of your villa courtyard. Meandering pathways and olive-tree courtyards create the impression of a slow, serene village—albeit one with a full-service wellness centre, eight bars and restaurants, a private beach, and a concierge fluent in the whims of modern luxury.

The Texture of Daily Life

It would be easy to spend days without leaving the property. The on-site guide, simply titled 101 Things to Do, reads like a dossier of tactile pleasure: olive oil tastings, mandala painting, Greek-Corfiot cooking lessons, organic skincare workshops. Days are not filled—they unfold.

For villa guests, the offerings are even more elevated. Private chefs prepare locally sourced meals; aromatherapy baths are drawn under the stars; a personal wellness guide might lead a meditation session on a terrace where the only noise is the occasional rustle of wind through cypress.

Eating, Properly

The culinary program—overseen by Executive Chef Tasos Andriotis—is both outward-looking and grounded in local produce. Breakfast at Ruen Romsai presents an unexpected meeting of Asia and the Mediterranean: sesame-studded breads beside miso soup, Greek yogurt beside bao.

At Oribu, the resort’s marquee Asian fusion restaurant, Japanese, Taiwanese, and Korean techniques are interpreted through Ionian ingredients—octopus in dashi, slow-braised pork with mountain herbs, sashimi served alongside local citrus. The views are as considered as the plating: long lines of sea and shadow, punctuated by occasional music from a live DJ at golden hour.

Lunch might mean mezze by the water at Emerald Beach or a rustic Corfiot feast at Sofrito, the resort’s ode to regional cuisine. By night, the beachfront transforms: lanterns, bouzouki music, grilled squid and souvlaki served in the sand. The experience doesn’t strive for theatricality. It doesn’t need to.

For something more composed, Andriotis’s offsite restaurant, The Rose Garden, offers a tasting menu that leans poetic—delicate, deliberate, and reflective of the land that nourishes it.

And when the moment calls for a drink, there’s a place for every mood: Vertigo Skybar for bold views and brighter cocktails; A Lounge for aperitifs with an architectural backdrop; Starboard and the Sunrise Pool Bar for long, lazy afternoons that blur into evening. Kumquat negronis and crisp Santorini whites feature prominently, as they should.

The Deep Quiet of Wellness

Wellness is not ornamental at Angsana—it’s foundational. The island’s largest spa comprises 11 treatment rooms, a Rainmist hydrotherapy suite, hammams, saunas, and a series of rituals that reflect both Banyan Tree’s Asian heritage and Corfu’s own healing traditions.

There is depth here. The resort hosts week-long wellness retreats with guest practitioners, sunrise yoga on panoramic decks, Pilates in sun-filled studios, and an indoor lap pool that feels more private sanctuary than fitness amenity. Family programs include parent-child spa experiences—attentive without being patronizing.

More Than a Luxury Resort

Angsana’s commitment to sustainability is not performative. There’s a zero-plastic policy in place, solar panels tucked into roofs, and herbs and vegetables grown onsite. But perhaps more impressive is the restraint with which the resort operates—it doesn’t attempt to reinvent Corfu, but rather listens to it.

Though often booked for weddings and corporate gatherings (there’s capacity for up to 300 guests), Angsana wears these functions lightly. They don’t define it.

For those who do wish to explore further, the resort arranges private yacht charters to the limestone caves of Paxos and Antipaxos, sunset speedboat dinners in Corfu’s Old Town, or land-based visits to the grand Achilleion Palace—once the poetic refuge of Empress Elisabeth of Austria—or Mon Repos, the British-built neoclassical villa where Prince Philip was born. For walkers, there’s the 200-kilometre Corfu Trail; for swimmers, the sculpted inlet of the Canal d’Amour, where legend has it love is sealed in saltwater.

Leaving, and Not Quite

What lingers after Angsana Corfu is not just the memory of its architecture or indulgences—but a shift in rhythm. A recalibration. It is rare to find a resort that manages both scale and stillness, design and discretion, luxury and locality.

And this is just the opening note. The Banyan Tree Group is set to expand in Greece, with the forthcoming Banyan Tree Varko Bay scheduled for 2026—an indication that this kind of considered, mindful luxury is becoming less an exception and more a statement of intent.

But for now, on a quiet hillside above Benitses, Angsana Corfu holds its ground—off the radar, but not out of reach.