Inside the ‘blissful’ Cyprus hotel with huge pool, swim-up bar and private cove
A palatial hotel in the heart of Paphos, the five-star Elysium offers an elegant escape with plenty of ways to relax.
Days are well spent dozing on the curved terraces around the split-level pool complex, the hydro massage rotunda pool at its centre. At the Mare Nostrum Bar swimmers need not even get out of the water for refreshments.
With a distinguished reputation for dining, there are five restaurants to choose from serving local produce as well as vegetables and herbs from its own garden.
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The range of accommodation will suit all, from deluxe bedrooms with balconies to family maisonettes with private gardens, all with marble bathrooms, smart TVs, fresh fruit and flowers. Its cute, on-site chapel also makes it popular for weddings.
We take a look at everything you need to know about this hotel….
Style
Striking in design, there are Byzantine-style grand arches, columns and mosaics while colourful gardens adorned with gently trickling water features lead down to a private sun-soaked cove.
Taking its name from Greek mythology meaning “blissful place” this property really lives up to its title.
Spa and fitness
Relaxing and rejuvenating is effortless thanks to the services of the ESPA spa. Massages, facials and holistic therapies are on offer or let your tensions melt away in the sauna and steam room.
An impressive gym is on hand and there are floodlit tennis courts, a studio space for Pilates and aerobics, or hire one of the hotel’s personal trainers. Scuba-diving courses are also on offer.
Activities
Families will appreciate the children’s games room, play area, swimming and tennis lessons, kids’ clubs and 24-hour babysitting.
Golfers are very well catered for too. The island’s four championship-level, 18-hole golf courses are a 30-minute drive away with bespoke stay-and-play packages.
I spent a wonderful afternoon at the Minthis Hills course, which winds its way past a 12th-century monastery with views of the Troodos Mountains. I was able to appreciate its beauty on a golf buggy tour before a professional tutored my beginner’s swing at the club’s cliff-edge driving range.
Food and drink
Gourmet food at its wide range of restaurants is another area where the Elysium excels. Breakfast at Lemonia Piazza, set in the style of a village square, is famous for its freshly baked breads and pastries, and cooking stations – champagne making the ideal accompaniment.
Cypriot and Greek classics such as falafel, meze, halloumi, chicken gyros and souvlaki are rustled up in the open kitchen of the Mediterraneo Restaurant with gorgeous sea views – a beautiful place to watch a sunset.
At the Italian Ristorante Bacco, a harpist sets the mood as diners feast on classic dishes of beef carpaccio, calamari linguine and crab risotto.
Mediterranean cuisine stops at the door for chopsticks and woks at O’Shin restaurant. Snack on stylish plates of sushi, sashimi and maki before stir-fried and sizzled main courses are served steaming at your table.
If you fancy dinner on the edge, jump in a cab to Marios, a simple-looking restaurant with paper tablecloths and a TV stuck on the wall. It serves an outstanding seafood banquet of king prawns, calamari, octopus and fried fish with dips, sides and dazzling views of Aphrodite’s Rock – where the supposed Goddess of Love was born out of the ocean.
Best things to see and do nearby
Situated right next door to the Elysium is one of Cyprus’s most famous sights – the Tomb of the Kings. This large necropolis, dating back to Hellenistic and Roman times, is now a UNESCO world heritage site.
Of the seven evacuated underground tombs the most impressive is number three, which has an open atrium below ground level, surrounded by columns.
Rather than kings, high-ranking officials and aristocracy were buried here, but the size and splendour of the tombs – some decorated with Doric pillars – provided its name.
Another sight-seeing opportunity is the ancient House of Dionysus, a variety of Greco/Roman ruins with a collection of vibrant mosaic flooring.
A 10-minute walk away along the coast is Paphos, with its mix of bars, restaurants and palm-lined waterfront and Greek mythological heritage.
For families, the hotel is convenient for the zoo and Aphrodite Waterpark.
And in the countryside, Tsangarides Winery offers a taste of the island’s ever-improving vineyards, straight from the source with a gorgeous hilltop vista.
Book the holiday
Rooms at the Elysium Hotel in Paphos, Cyprus, start at £289 per night with breakfast. You can book at elysium-hotel.com.
You can also find out more at visitcyprus.com.
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