StyleNest travel writer Kerry Robinson reviews the family friendly hotel, The Almyra in Cyprus.
The Almyra is enviably placed on the waterfront of Cyprus’ buzzing harbour town, Paphos. A refreshing sanctuary from the bustling bars, hotel resorts, restaurants and neon signs, Almyra is a chic escape far from the madding crowd outside.
After a four and a half hour flight it’s a relief for restless kids that the hotel is just twenty minutes from the airport. As you step into Almyra’s slick entrance, Mums beware – you’ll first have to pass their boutique on your way in, with a designer collection that gives New Bond Street a run for its money. If you make it past the Miu Mius and Choos unscathed, a vast reception, bar and lounge area awaits, with great views over the hotel’s grounds and sea.
The interior is modern, with a contemporary chandelier centre-piece suspended in the middle of the winding staircase that leads down to the main restaurant. The main building is not the prettiest seventies block but the furnishings bring it up-to-date. The hotel sits in a prime location right on the seafront and is a short walk to the harbour and all of Paphos’ delights.
The Rooms
The scale of the reception and bar area makes it clear that this is a pretty big hotel, with 189 rooms and suites that meet a variety of families’ needs and budgets. Most of them are housed in the main building where the best rooms are on the front with great sea views, many with balconies and those on the ground floor with terraces too.
Set a short stroll from the main building are the Almyra’s 21 Kyma Suites – their signature rooms. Nestled among the landscaped gardens and taking the hotel’s premium real estate on the waterfront, they have a mood and style all of their own. Each Kyma Suite is peaceful and private – a modern, large room, with a huge bed, and pop-up TV (hide the controller from the kids). In the lounge area, the sofa and armchairs sit in front of the floor-to-ceiling sliding doors which frame the great sea view. Outside, there is a spacious terrace with sofa, table and chairs, and steps leading down to an enormous king-sized day bed, shaded by a vast umbrella – much needed in Cyprus’ often scorching temperatures. Set on the luscious grass of the hotel’s gardens, they are right above the main promenade area, yet their height and ample planting mean you’re not overlooked and feel perfectly secure and safe.
The suites’ roof terraces are a stroke of genius. Unique to these suites, you have private access to your own personal spacious sun-bathing deck in the day, private restaurant at night. The hotel will even hook a TV up there if there’s a film or sporting event you don’t want to miss.
Baby Go Lightly Service
The Almyra, (and its sister hotels) offer an incredibly useful service that allows you to pre-order a whole host of baby and toddler paraphernalia, so you can indeed travel light. It’s so good to walk into your hotel room and find all your family’s creature comforts, from potties and changing mats, to kids’ toys, books and DVDs. They’ll even stock up your room with food, formula and snacks at your request. And if you have any very specific dietary needs, like fresh purees for a baby, no problem. Babysitting is organised swiftly and easily too, with experienced, qualified child carers or nannies.
Day time activities
There isn’t a beach as such at the Almyra. Ten minutes’ walk along the promenade and you can head down the steps to a small, busy alcove which means the keen sea swimmers are catered for. But the hotel’s pools more than make up for it. The large, shallow family pool is surrounded by big double beds with shade – perfect for families to chill out under. The pool also has a vast, billowing white fabric canopy protecting delicate children’s skin from the often fearsome Cypriot sun – a genius idea. It means kids can spend all day in the pool, get wrinkly beyond belief, without you having to worry too much about endlessly slapping the factor 50 on them. There are beds in the gardens too which offer a more peaceful place to rest, but the Spa is where you head if you want some serious R&R.
The Spa
Like the Kyma Suites, the ultra-modern Spa has a very different feel to the rest of the hotel. A fairly recent addition, it is a great place to escape. Its no-children policy mean exhausted parents, and couples wanting some peace, have an oasis. Its infinity pool offers great sea views, beds to sunbathe and its poolside Eauzone restaurant means you can drink, snack or dine in the spa’s tranquil surroundings. Inside, high ceilings, floor to ceiling glass walls and acres of dark wood lead you to the indoor heated pool, gym, hair salon, nail bar and yoga terrace. There are seven treatment rooms, three spa suites and a whole host of delicious-sounding treatments using organic products from Just Pure, and marine-based products from LA’s favourite Osea. Get a babysitter and book a treatment in one of the couple’s suites for some quality time together, then relax on the room’s private terrace with amazing sea views. For parents who find it quite hard to switch off (and instead spending every minute of a spa treatment thinking of all the other things you should be doing, or have forgotten to do) you really can unwind here. The treatments, including the facials, are incredibly relaxing, and leave you feeling rested and refreshed. Just eek out your visits as long as possible before you have to head back to the kids. Or you could check them into the crèche and stay as long as you like.
Crèche
The hotel’s Baby-Go-Lightly Crèche is run by highly qualified nannies who all speak English. The crèche is a very secure room (accessed by a coded entrance system), and is filled with every kind of toy and game to keep babies and toddlers – from six months to four years – entertained. So you can have your relaxing morning in the spa, knowing your little one is having a blast, being cared for by lovely people and is safe and secure nearby. Four to twelve year olds will love the Smiling Dolphin Kids’ Club too where there is a never-ending list of activities to do – from t-shirt printing to treasure hunts. There are also evening activities for them in the high season so you can have a civilised evening out together, alone.
Dining
There are a number of places to eat at the Almyra. Mosaics, the main restaurant, offers plenty of space to eat indoors or out. It’s where the breakfast buffet is hosted and come 9am can get very busy (and rather noisy), as families cross paths. There is a great food selection but it can get a bit chaotic in there at peak times. The service suffers for it too, often a little slow, which can be frustrating if your squirming toddler needs a highchair. But if you prefer a quieter start to the day, just get there a little early. Kids’ dinner is also served here with a buffet offering many choices, from sausages to salad. The desserts are impressive, almost too good for the kids. In the evening, you can enjoy a buffet at Mosaics, or head to Notios alongside the pool. It looks stunning at nightime with low-level lighting and large dark wood booths to relax in. You can choose from a Japanese menu here, or a modern Mediterranean menu. The food sounds delicious, looks fabulous on the plate, but doesn’t quite live up to the promise – it’s good but not always great. With pretty steep prices and service that lacks true five-star finesse, it can leave you feeling a little disappointed. On the positives, you can take the baby there (asleep in the buggy) as it’s nice and dark.
Down on the waterfront is Ouzerie – the hotel’s taverna-style restaurant offering authentic Cypriot dining. Live music and its position on the main promenade mean it’s not the quietest of dining options, and again it’s quite pricey, but the food is tasty and the service is friendly and relaxed. It’s a good lunchtime dining option too offering a shady spot with a great sea breeze. Of course if you’re in the Kyma Suites there are always the personal dining options too, so you could splash out on a private BBQ on your roof terrace. There is a great deal of choice at Almyra, which is a luxury in itself.
Overall
Almyra describes itself as ‘a cutting-edge luxury 5 star family beach hotel’ – big claims that sadly aren’t quite lived up to. The hotel is definitely five star in places – the Kyma Suites and the Spa certainly live up to high expectations. But the rest lags behind a little, particularly the service and dining; and while chic, the hotel is nowhere near as ‘luxury’ as its sister – the Anassa. It is, however, a relaxed, stylish, easy going and very family-friendly destination with lots to offer.
For more information and to book please visit Almyra.com.