On booking our 2 week holiday, we were led to believe from the brochure pictures that we were within the hotel....no clarification given by the tour company. On our arrival at the hotel, which is lovely, we were ushered to one side and told we were in the gardens and were then led across a road, down a dark alley, into another building with a basic reception area, to check in and then again led out of there, across another road into another building. The darkness and lack of holiday atmosphere was very disconcerting. The studio room was very basic, more like a hostel, with 2 single prison-like beds, a TV, table and chair. The small balcony had a huge tree encroaching into it and the view to the right had a building site. The lift and people's voices could be heard clearly through the walls. The small kitchenette faced the door as we entered. We were not expecting this kind of standard. We asked for another room, none were available....we were not staying there so we asked to see a standard room in the main hotel and this was what we expected to have...it was lovely with a view of the pool.
The helpful female receptionist saw how upset we were with the comparison and with a discussion from her supervisor, they offered us a reasonable deal for an upgrade into that room. This tightened our budget somewhat but we were just relieved to be in the main hotel as there was a lovely atmosphere, and plenty of activities. The facilities were good, ie; indoor swimming pool, however, there were no staff about by the pool or in the gym. As we were booked in on a B&B basis, we couldn't use the sauna, which seemed unfair when we could use other facilities. There was plenty of choices for breakfast but we only ate twice in the restaurant, as it was a bit pricey to eat in there for 2 weeks, although the food was good with plenty of choice. Hotel staff were efficient and friendly. The location of the hotel was not so good, up a dark street and in the middle of other buildings. On Limassol itself......well, very disappointing........it's only good point is that Limassol is a good base to tour Cyprus from. The local beach was muddy coloured 'sand' and there was no specific ' to the beach ' pathway....just find a gap between a building....! There was no pedestrianised promenade worth mentioning for a mile each way, where the huge sea front hotels were. The Old town was a very long walk from the hotel, it is better to get the number 30 bus and get a 2 euro day return ticket. The Castle square cafes area is nice and Caballeros cafe/bar was great for it's welcome and the food. Finding any shops is like going through a maze of just back streets, shops are not all together, Debenhams stands alone on the sea front. There is no harbour as yet, a 2 year major building project is in process.....so that's the lot for Limassol. As it was the Winter months, some shops are closed, except in Nicosia and much of the areas around Cyprus look like building sites. The East / West of Cyprus are flatter and prettier......there is a tendency for more rain/snow around Troodos mountains. Having said all that, there was still a lot of attractions open to tourists. The Cypriot people are very friendly and many speak English ok.
Hiring a car was the best thing to explore Cyprus, some interesting things to see and as it was our first time in Cyprus, we found that other resorts were much prettier than Limassol....ie. Protaras/Agia Napa/Paphos. We booked the hire car with Eurocar, cheaper than others. A map is best but the motorway and main roads are good with tourist attractions displayed as in the UK. Tip: have a historical guide book to find out Cyprus's history. Take your passport to Nicosia and go over into Turkey-zone and go to the 11th floor of the Debenhams ( there are 5 Debenham stores in Nicosia!) nearest the border for great views over the border and of Cyprus.
A very mixed holiday for us, not a good start, made good use of everything available, lots of interesting history, weather was changeable, some sunshine but more rain than is usual, so a variety of clothing needed, ie colder in the evenings and in Troodos. We don't think we would visit Cyprus again.