I spent 2 weeks at the Ada Beach Hotel in September. What a lovely hotel it is. Perfect location, and decoration throughout the hotel has been done to a very high standard. Lovely pool, lovely decking areas and lovely beach - spoilt for choice where to sunbathe. Typical Turkish buffet breakfast served from 8.00 am - 10.00 am. Good menu for Bar Snacks at lunchtime with an option for evening meal to have a la Carte or go for the Half Board Menu. Staff very polite and courteous, grounds maintained to a very high standard. Good choice of rooms from standard room to suites. Whilst there the hotel was very quite which was a shame. I got the impression that it is mainly Turkish people who stay there. This would be a very popular hotel for English guests and I think the hotel management ought to look at promoting the hotel towards the UK market. I understand they are putting on a Special Christmas Package this year arrival Christmas Eve departing after breakfast on Boxinig day. This is a very good deal with traditional Christmas Day Meal and entertainment. Definitely worth giving it a try.

The previous review written in 2005 is really now a bit outdated and unfair on the Hotel.

My partner and I stayed for a couple of nights after travelling over the Border from the south to see what was on offer in the North (Turkish) part of the Island.

Well our initial reaction was....wow it's so very much greener - and older - than the south.

Several friends had told us in the past....."The Turks got the best bit" after the invasion back in '74...and so it transpired with the backdrop of impressive Mountains and forested slopes running seamlessly down to the shoreline.

The Mountains really do look spectacular, although not as high as the Troodos they are incredibly steep...and...well they look more 'mountainous'!

Anyway....Kyrenia and it's little harbour are very picture postcard, with little bars and cafes around the edge all with covered outdoor tables.

DON'T order a chicken salad though....as my partner did....complete with cast-off bits of the bird that the local cat ended up enjoying more than she did! My Kebab however was fine....although after the Meze that accompanied it I hardly had room for it!

Anyway....the Hotel.

It would seem that since the last review it has been considerably enlarged and that the 'style' of the Hotel re-vamped. Generally the inside was all white walls with Marble floors, Iron staircase handrails, large paintings and generally an impressive facility.

We booked a double room with Breakfast for £54 per night which seemed pretty reasonable.

The room although very much 'Hotel standard' was clean and air conditioned, with a good bathroom/shower - with a nice marble style.

Take note.....always keep the windows closed from 7.00pm onwards - and the Air-conditioning on - as there are lots of Mosquitos in the area. WE ACCIDENTALLY LEFT OUR WINDOW OPEN.....I received SIXTY bites the first night....ouch.

Anyway the pool is large and there is a small private beach area with sheltered - by a sea wall - swimming area. There are ample sunloungers and umbrella's, all arranged on several huge sundeck areas.

The service was good and the staff all freindly...especially the manager, who was very chatty and helpful.

So in summary..... it's quite close to Town, there are other restuarents nearby - notably the 'Stone Grill and 'The Ship' and there is the spectacular coastline to enjoy.

All the Turkish Cypriates we met were very friendly too.

Definitely worth a look if you are in the area.

Just returned from a week's holiday at the Hotel Ada. Our first impressions when we arrived were clouded by our disappointment in the town itself. The journey from Ercan airport took about an hour in a shared mini-bus laid on by Green Island holidays. The bus was a bit dirty which was the same for the majority of the areas we passed through on route to Kyrenia. There was litter everywhere at the side of the roads. Kyrenia itself has a busy single main road that goes straight through the town and on towards Lapta, etc. It is lined with a mixture of run down shops, advertising billboards, military premises, hotels, sporadic building sites and estate agencies. There is the odd modern shop and restaurant set back from the road.

Ours was the 2nd drop off - the 1st was the Mountain View which was down a single track road then a dirt track amongst some pretty run-down residential properties. This was a big turn off and we were glad we were not staying there.

The Ada is about 10 mins outside Kyrenia centre just off the main road. It is very isolated with no shops or restaurants within walking distance. The brochure had described it as an "Exclusive Luxury Boutique Hotel". We were expecting 4.5 to 5 star. In reality it is 3 to 3.5 star. The building looks approx. 20 years old with some obvious renovations but some obvious signs of age.

The plus points - the pool area and lower seafront bathing area are excellent with stunning views and a massive amount of space. There is a mixture of timber and plastic loungers with towels and cushions provided free. It is very peaceful and relaxing. The rooms (18 + 3 suites) all have balconies with brilliant sea views. The staff were very friendly and the service was excellent at all times. The main bedroom area was fine, if not luxury boutique, the bathroom definetely wasn't (see below). The food was very good, however the breakfast choice limited. The omelettes cooked on request by the chef were my personal breakfast favourite. The outdoor restaurant area is also good in terms of views and ambiance. Most of the guests were British and a little older than us in their 40s - 60s, but all a decent bunch. The hotel is small so you tend to get to know everyone.

The minus points - the brochure is most definetely misleading about the hotel and the whole resort. Ada is a good hotel but rough around the edges in parts. The bathrooms especially are very small and certainly not luxurious - it just doesn't have the well finished feel throughout we were expecting. Venturing outside the hotel area by foot is not recommended. It is a good 15 minute walk to the nearest bar but you have to walk alongside the main road and there is no pavement. With the construction work going on there are a lot of heavy vehicles whizzing just past you. That said we were aware that the hotel was out of town, if not quite so isolated. We never hired a car but most others did. Taxis were 12 to 15 YTL, the bus was 1 YTL. Kyrenia itself was a let down - the harbour area is beautiful but the rest is not, with the odd exception. Even the harbour was spoilt on our 1st night by the cats (which my wife detests) roaming between the restaurants and a scuffle between some local youths.

Overall - We had a good holiday but still feel a little let down by the "unspoilt North" myth and the hotel describing it as something it isn't. We found the brilliant Niazi's restaurant and ate there most nights and the sunbathing environment at the hotel was great. Prices are slightly less than the South but not much - a beer and a short at the Harbour was 14 YTL (rip off), much better was the 6 to 7YTL at Roxannes next to Niazi's. Liked the look of the Rocks hotel which is in the heart of the town, and the Colony although it is across the road from a petrol station further from the Sea. Doubt if we will be back in the near future though.

Postscript - I understand that the Ada is converting it's top floor into a further 4 rooms after Xmas. They are also adding a steam/spa area underneath the pool area at the seafront.