I challenge anyone not to have a great holiday at Almyra. OK, so it's bigger than most i-escape hotels, and the resort town of Paphos can be a bit tacky. But hey, you've got 4 pools to choose from (including adult-only options, a godsend during the popular school holidays), lawned grounds for sunbathing, a small patch of beach to swim or sail from, a superb spa to pummel you into glorious submission, and kids' clubs to look after the little ones. There's Asian-Med cuisine served alfresco at low cushioned benches, or Cypriot mezes at lamp-lit taverna tables on the seafront. Art exhibitions grace the open-plan lobby. Kick-back of an evening by the firepit alongside the lap pool. 5* service comes from 150 staff who seemed to be smiling permanently (and sincerely) during our stay.
Bedrooms are sleek but understated, with a choice of couples' rooms and family suites in the main buildings, or more spacious Kyma Suites in a secluded wing. Stroll to the old harbour for cruises and amazing Roman mosaics, jog or cycle along a pedestrianised promenade to the Tomb of the Kings, or hire a car to explore turtle beaches, vineyards and cedar forests. Oh, and did we mention the sun shines here over 300 days per year?
Highs
- There's a lovely vibe: staff really care, the chef chats to diners, waitresses remember preferences from one day to the next, and the gardener burns rosemary to keep insects away from your terrace
- We loved the Joëlle Pléot-designed bedrooms: clean white spaces with wooden accents, comfy beds and excellent showers
- We stayed in the Kyma Suites on our last visit, delightfully secluded, with semi-enclosed sea-view patios – you'd never guess you're in such a big hotel
- Our dinner at Notios was outstanding: tender sushi, fresh sea bream, crisp and exotic salads, delicate mango mousse... and Ouzeri's meze lunches were fun, too
- Paphos is home to Cyprus' biggest archaeological park and close to its best beaches; it has its own airport with excellent connections
Lows
- The main building is big and blocky, with tall hotels on either side; rear-facing rooms can get noise from passing motorbikes at night (ask for a sea-facing if you're noise-sensitive) as you'd expect from being in an urban area
- The beach is very small and overlooked by passers-by (but the waters are calm – great for long swims)
- Paphos is a well developed resort town – karaoke bars and English pubs dot the old harbour – but you're 5 minutes' walk away on a relatively quiet patch of seafront
- The buffet meals in Mosaics Restaurant can be a bit hectic at busy times
- Potties
- Training seats
- High chairs
- Buggies
- Sterilisers and bottle warmers
- Wet wipes and swimming nappies
- Baby gyms
- Baby bathtubs
- Waterwings
- Colouring crayons, books and DVDs
Some equipment may need to be requested in advance
English-speaking qualified babysitters are available day and night for up to 3 kids/sitter
- The wonderful kids clubs and creche (extra charge), for children from 4 months to 12 years old, are open 6 days/week from Easter to October (book at least 24 hours ahead), and on request in winter (book as far ahead as possible)
- The Titans creche (4mo-2y11mo) is well equipped with soft toys, games and a sleeping room; it\'s air-conditioned
- The more peripatetic Griffins, Centaurs and Tritons clubs (for children from 3-11) offer daily changing activities, including T-shirt painting, beach games and treasure hunts, zoo outings, pottery, strolls along the harbour, mini-golf, water park excursions, photography workshops, and sports lessons on the under 12s playing field next door
- Supervised early-evening children\'s dinners at Mosaics
- A Lunch Club is available as an add-on to the creche/kids\' club activities
- Beach and watersports (waterskiing, banana boats, sailing, windsurfing)
- Main pool for all ages and abilities with shallow end, usually heated in winter
- Toddler pool, usually heated in winter
- Pine-shaded playground with slides and swings
- Tennis lessons
- Table tennis
- Table football, air hockey
- Indoor spa pool available for children under 16 9am-1pm at spa manager\'s discretion
- Seafront Hotel
- 187 rooms
- 4 restaurants on site, more nearby
- All ages welcome
- Open all year
- Pools
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Babysitting
- Creche / Kids Club
- Car not necessary
- Parking
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Concierge Service
- Tennis Court
- Bicycles Available
Rooms
Choose between sea- or rear-facing rooms (entry-level standard varieties only have French doors and no balcony, ground-floor rooms have direct access to the gardens, higher ones have better sea views), and 1- or 2-bedroom family suites for more space. Some have a balcony and/or indoor sitting area - see Rates for details. Note that rear-facing rooms don't get much of a view, and you may hear passing motorbikes at night, and that Premium Sea Views are adults only. We'd recommend a Superior Sea View if you're counting pennies, a spacious Terrace Sea View if you want to be able to roll down the lawns to your sunlounger, or a Kyma Suite if you're treating yourselves.
In all, expect clean bright lines: deliberately blank white walls, wooden accents, grey screed floors, marble-lined showers, excellent chic brass lighting and upholstery in white, blue and purple tones. Mattresses are super comfy, showers truly drenching and you get White Company toiletries. Photographs by local artist Michalis Kouloumos grace the walls.
Our Kyma Suite had a vast bed, a sitting zone with a broad sofa/extra bed and a table stacked with design books and fresh fruit. An ents console hides a flatscreen TV inside a wooden box that rises at the touch of a button... all very 007. A sea-facing glass wall leads onto a private terrace with double daybed, ideal for a bottle of chilled wine at sunset (as luck would have it, you'll find one awaiting you in the minibar for booking through i-escape).
Features include:
- Air conditioning
- Bathrobes
- Cots available
- Hairdryer
- Minibar
- Radio
- Safe box
- Toiletries
- Turndown service
- TV
- WiFi
Eating
With 4 on-site restaurants and plenty of alternative eating and drinking holes a short walk away, you've a great choice of food options.
If you try Asian-Med crossover Notios first, you'll dine every night at its low-slung outdoor seating with superb views across to Paphos harbour. Dishes could include beautifully presented sushi platters, delicious concoctions using fresh-cut leaves from their kitchen garden, extravagantly flavoured plates from vegetarian to meat and local fish. If a lighter evening meal is preferred, sample the bar snacks in Aeras beside the Helios bar in the lobby.
Consider booking half-board which is good value: choose from a short menu at Notios and a wider spread at Mosaics, Almyra's main, family-friendly restaurant, which offers everything from international buffets to local seafood, with occasional themed nights too. It's also where the rich and varied buffet breakfast is served: mountains of baked goods plus an inventive range of hot dishes and smoked fish elevate the usual cereals, juices, fruit, yoghurts, eggs, cheeses, and cold meats.
For lunch, wander to Ouzeri where, sitting at traditional taverna tables on lavender-painted wicker chairs on an over-sea deck, you're served Greek meze-style tasters. Think grilled halloumi squares, puréed-aubergine melitzanosalata, mini spinach-filled spanakopitakia and Greek salad. It also draws a number of passers-by from the seafront promenade; note it can close in bad weather. Alternatively, healthy fruit shakes, organic teas or juices and light bites can be savoured in the Eauzone eatery adjacent to the spa.
Other exciting innovations include omakase ('trust the chef') menus, beach BBQs for the kids, and 'wine appreciations' with the ebullient sommelier.
Features include:
- Bar
- Kids' meals
- Restaurant
- Restaurants nearby
- Room service
- Vegetarian options
Activities
- Swim from the tiny sand-shingle beach (the sea is calm and safe), or go windsurfing, parasailing or waterskiing
- Lay down some lengths in the lap pool or spa pool; retire to a canopied daybed in the gardens
- Book a treatment at the Eauzone spa - perhaps the signature fragrant flower ritual (rose-milk exfoliation, aloe-frangipani rinse, neroli-oil body massage, wild-rose oil facial) - and enjoy its steam room, sauna, salon, yoga room, beauty parlour, 120m indoor pool and relaxation area
- Almyra's winter fitness programme includes water aerobics and yoga, plus Training camps for cyclists and triathletes. Hire bicycles all year including mountain and road bikes
- There's a tennis court, table tennis, and 4 top-rated golf courses within a short drive
- Themed evenings, especially in summer months, include live music, chill out tunes, bossa nova and jazz, occasionally the spa pool is transformed into a swim-in movie theatre
- Wander along the seafront promenade into Paphos harbour for touristy cafés, souvenir shops and excursions: glass-bottom boat trips, cruises to turtle beaches, fishing, helicopter rides, scuba, jeep safaris
- Further is the Fort and Archaeological Park with houses, baths and temples from Greek and Roman times, plus immaculately restored mosaics
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Boat trips
- Fishing
- Golf
- Hiking
- Historical sites
- Kayaking
- Mountain biking
- Museums / galleries
- Nightlife
- Private guided tours
- Sailing
- Scuba diving
- Scuba diving courses
- Shopping / markets
- Snorkelling
- Swimming
- Table tennis
- Tennis
- Tennis coaching
- Well being
- Windsurfing
- Wine tasting
- Yoga
Best Time to go
Almyra is open all year. Spring (April-May) and autumn (Sept-Oct) are the most popular months: nicely warm but not too hot, with the choice of lush landscapes in spring or warmer seas in autumn. Or try March / early Nov, which are generally sunny and much less expensive. July and August can be very hot (high 30s celsius, occasionally 40), but there's A/C in the rooms, shaded daybeds in the gardens, and lots of watersports. The sea is comfortably warm for swimming from May through to Nov, and fine for a shorter dip in April, too.
Our Top Tips
If you're treating someone special, book a Kyma Suite. As well as more room inside and a secluded patio out, you can enjoy rooftop dinners at sunset, and healthier, calmer breakfasts in the Eauzone spa (summer only). Sitting by the slender grey-tiled pool, you're served a careful selection of fresh yog and muesli, segments of seasonal fruit, a trio of local cheeses and a pastry basket, all immaculately presented. Service is super-attentive: even as you drain the teapot, a waitress appears offering more. In front of you, morning joggers pound the promenade, and a keen swimmer rounds the orange buoy at sea - now that's what you should be doing, says an inner voice, before being silenced by a slurp of "Cypriot smoothie".
Location
Almyra is on the waterfront of Paphos (Pafos), a resort town in the west of Cyprus (the Greek speaking part).
By Air:
Paphos is the closest airport (20km) but Larnaca (145km) has a slightly wider range of flights.
From the Airport:
You can take a taxi, book a transfer, or hire a car. If you are not intent on exploring the island, you could easily manage without a car.
Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.
More on getting to Cyprus and getting around
Airports:
- Paphos 20.0 km PFO
- Larnaca 145.0 km LCA
Other:
- Beach 0.1 km
- Shops 0.2 km
- Restaurant 0.2 km
Our guests' ratings...
Based on 5 independent reviews from i-escape guests
Feedback is only from guests who have booked and stayed through i-escape