Overall the hotel is very good in terms of price, location, breakfast (included in price), outdoor pool, service, etc. but you automatically get 2 small beds pushed together unless you request otherwise, also the entire time we were there the internet in our rooms did not work. They always said they were trying to fix it and/or that it was working in the lobby but this was not always true either... since it was November and cold we could not take advantage of the pool but it was big and looked beautiful. It was a bit far from the beach, maybe a 10-15 minute walk, and from the main tourist area, maybe 45 minute walk. Taxis were also expensive but we heard that buses were cheap and easy to use.

Let me not bore you with every detail of the drawbacks and shortcomings of this hotel and staff but warn you not to make the mistake of believing many of these older positive reviews. My wife flew into Cyprus to meet her cruise ship and was visiously verbaly assaulted the minute she stepped into the lobby of this dump. Not being familiar with Limmosal or Cyrus for that matter , she could neither contact police or any source of aid when the psycho behind the countered was threatening her. The same treatment was witnessed towards other foreign tourists at the hotel. Being concerned with the health of her 80 year old mother that was with her, she just picked up the room key that was thrown in her direction and hid in their uncomfortable room for the night and quietly left early the next morning. The incidents are being investigated by the travel agency but I would urge you to disregard the unjust 4 star rating and stay anywhere else you can in Cyrpus! I would suspect that this 'family owned' hotel staff member will lie his way out of this and there may be no backlash but all I can do is try and warn others of this incredible situation there. Do heed the warnings about the terrible beds and below average cleanliness

For our first visit to Cyprus, we based ourselves in Limassol as it looked like a good central point for our plans to spend a week exploring the island. Any of the major attractions, especially the archaeological sites, could be easily built in to a day's itinerary from here.

We then chose the Ajax based on what previous reviews had told us it was not. Specifically it is not a beach hotel full of package holidaymakers being loud and unruly at unsocial hours.

On both counts, we were not disappointed. The Ajax will not suit everyone but if, like us, you intend hiring a car and are looking for a suitable base, then it represents excellent value for money. And you will need the car, not only for touring the island but also for getting in to the centre of the town or down to the sea front. Be warned that the car park is on the small side for a hotel of almost 200 rooms, but take comfort from the fact that we always found a space (even if it was the last one).

Our double room with private balcony overlooking the pool was comfortable and spacious enough for our needs. The aircon was efficient and quiet enough to allow a good night's sleep. And the bed was firm and had the usual range of pillows. But the accommodation was let down by a bathroom that, although well equipped, was very tired and in need of refurbishment. The hot tap on our shower was always a bit suspect and finally refused to turn off on the evening of day 4. It was back in full working order within 24 hours, so no criticism of the response, but a bit of preventative maintenance would have removed the risk of failure in the first place.

We were on a B&B basis and were impressed by the variety of choice on offer at the all-you-can-eat breakfast. We were able to choose from one of the widest selections of hot or cold plates that we've seen. Breakfast can be taken either inside or out (beside the pool) in very pleasant surroundings. In fact, all public areas are well laid out and very comfortable. And the multi-lingual staff are efficient and helpful without being over intrusive.

All in all then, a thoroughly enjoyable stay and one that came so near to gaining an "excellent" 5-star rating - such a pity about the tired bathroom.

One final word of caution for first-time visitors to the island. You will quickly learn that Cypriot drivers treat red traffic lights as advisory rather than mandatory. To avoid damage or injury, hold back and make sure that everyone else has stopped before proceeding!

I've stayed at the Ajax many times over the last few years on business and although it does have some redeeming features, in general it is just another holiday hotel.

On the plus side, the rooms are spacious and comfortable, the bar food/drinks are good value, some of the staff are lovely, the bar area by the pool is relaxing and it's only a ten-minute walk to the seafront.

There are a couple of good restaurants very close to the hotel:
1. The Charcoal House opposite - does a great meze, other tasty, well-priced dishes and has very friendly staff. Also has a no-smoking area which is good for those of us who want to keep our lungs!
2. Turning right out of the hotel and going up the road there is a fabulous fish restaurant within a few minutes walk (unfortunately I've forgotten the name of it .... something Greek!)

Down on the seafront, The Welsh Crown Inn does great food and has very friendly staff, although it is a little noisy being right next to the road. There are several other good, local restaurants and tavernas so take your pick.

If you like running (or indeed walking), the seafront also provides a few miles of pleasant exercising options.

However, on the negative side, some of the staff are downright rude (unusual and disappointing for Cyprus), the hotel really needs refurbishing, the internet connection is poor, road noise is a problem at night and the management really need to buy a new music CD for the evenings!!

To explain a little further, although the daytime staff are helpul and friendly, the evening staff really couldn't care if you have a question or problem. To give just one example, the batteries had run out of juice in my safe meaning that the code pad stopped operating. This meant that I couldn't open the safe one evening to get to the things I'd put in it. When I spoke to the reception staff I was told I would have to wait until tomorrow. Clearly, this wasn't acceptable (or an option for me) so I had to kick up a fuss - lo and behold they had a master key all along and were able to open it!!!!!

Without sounding like a grump, this has happened several times and I now know that in the evening the first answer is always "we can't help - wait until tomorrow". However, cause a fuss (especially standing in reception) and remarkably your problem will be solved (don't listen to the excuses that the wifi is usually okay but there's a problem today .... it's always bad and varies from room-to-room!). No point asking to see the manager - he only seems to work from about 8:30am to 2:00pm and is then invisible!

As for the fixtures and fittings, the whole hotel looks worn, battered and weathered. Don't get me wrong, everything is kept very clean, it just needs a refurb (I'm guessing it hasn't been touched for ten years or so).

So, there's a balance of good and bad things about this hotel - don't be put off as overall you'll have a comfortable, nice experience here but don't expect to be 'wowed'