28 of the best hotels in Cyprus

Times

3 days ago

The choice of accommodation on this jewel of a Mediterranean island is vast, so before you start your search decide on the type of holiday you want: easy and all-inclusive; down by the beach or up in the mountains; close to Unesco world heritage sites or within walking distance of bars and clubs.
To make the most of your trip you'll need a car, as the public transport infrastructure on Cyprus isn't as comprehensive as in some destinations. The capital, Nicosia, as well as Paphos and Limassol are always popular; the south and east coasts have beautiful beaches; while the Akamas peninsula, in the northwest, is still untamed and a great place to explore — follow those rugged trails to explore secluded bays where you can skinny-dip and soak up views you'll want to remember for ever.
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£ | SPA | Best for tech heads
Map ranks among the top hotels in the capital, despite having opened only a few years ago. Its location — a few minutes' walk from the architect Zaha Hadid's masterful Eleftheria Square — is one of its key attractions. Others include its sleek interior decor, gym, spa and excellent restaurant. The technology is smart and then some, so if using an app to do everything from switching off the lights to drawing the curtains is your idea of modernity, then you've come to the right place.
££ | SPA | POOL | Best for bay views
Named after an ancient city, the ruins of which stand a short way along the coast, this well-established hotel is a favourite for high-end holidays. In addition to multiple pools, a blue-flag beach, renowned spa and wellness facilities, this luxury property is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World, so you can expect the highest standards. The choice of restaurants is outstanding, there's a heated pool for off-season stays and if all that still isn't enough you can upgrade to the even fancier Amathus Residences next door.
• Read our full guide to Cyprus
£ | POOL | Best for a cultural immersion
Lovely Lefkara is one of those time-stood-still discoveries that add character to Cypriot holidays. It is the island's centre for handicrafts, particularly lacework and silverware, and the village is also known for its cobbled streets and Venetian architecture. One former market has been transformed into the Agora: an adults-only boutique beauty dressed with bespoke furnishings and traditional touches that is as characterful as the village in which it stands. Guests can visit the weekly market or pop into workshops to learn about (or try their hand at) pottery, embroidery or beekeeping. It's a world away from the beach resorts, yet just 30 minutes' drive from Larnaca.
££ | SPA | POOL | Best for country-club vibes
In the hills above Paphos, yet only 20 minutes' drive from town, this refined and indulgent retreat feels far removed from the mega-hotels on the coast. It offers more of a nature-based holiday, surrounded by countryside and golfing greens, with the added advantage of having one of the best spas on the island. Even the entry-level rooms here are suites, decked out in earthy shades and with lovely views of the landscape. Travelling en famille? Upgrade to a two-bedroom, suite or even a larger villa or residence, all with first-rate facilities and five-star service.
£ | Best for a peaceful haven
Managed by the same family since 1929, this charming heritage hotel — with rooms, maisonette suites and self-catering studios — is a jewel. Near the Kalidonia waterfalls, and surrounded by the pine trees of the Troodos Mountains, its recent renovations have given it a nip here and a tuck there, while keeping its fine features intact. Its natural attractions include the 250-year-old pine tree that grows through the bar, but guests more interested in its facilities and services will be impressed by the quality of the dining — a banquet breakfast, a Cypriot menu drawn from family recipes, and international fare in the gorgeous Veranda restaurant. Snacks, soups, mountain tea and sandwiches filled with locally made halloumi are served in the social lounge.
££ | SPA | POOL | Best for grown-up getaways
For a country that loves children, Cyprus certainly has a lot of child-free accommodation, with the Cali Resort & Spa adding to the choice of five-star hotels for those who would sooner stay home than go anywhere with a kids' club. You can walk to Coral Bay's thriving restaurant and shopping area in mere minutes, with the blue-flag beach just a few more steps away. All rooms are beautifully furnished and finished — no corners cut here — and the spa treatments are heavenly.
££ | SPA | POOL | Best for the eco-conscious
Despite its considerable size, this elegant, modern hotel has built its reputation on its warm hospitality, sustainability credentials and first-rate services. These include an award-winning spa, tennis courts, pools (one with a waterslide), several restaurants (one of which is plant-based), and great evening entertainment. An added bonus is that many rooms have a balcony or terrace to make the most of the sea or marina views, and all have tea and coffee-making facilities — something that many new hotels are doing without. The location is fab, too, just 15 minutes by car from Limassol.
£ | SPA | POOL (indoor) | Best for spa lovers
Anyone travelling this deep into Cyprus's interior could be forgiven for wondering if the winding roads and extra transfer time are worth it. Such doubts are soon dispelled on arrival at this remarkable property in the Troodos Mountains. A collection of traditional houses converted into a spa hotel, it sits next to a Unesco-listed, 1,000-year-old church and monastery complex, complete with Byzantine frescoes. Hiking and sightseeing are popular here, especially at this cooler altitude, but the hotel is no slouch when it comes to luxury. Its spa is outstanding, the rooms are gorgeous, and its diners — Byzantino restaurant, serving traditional Cypriot dishes; Byzantino café, for lighter meals; Pantheon for pizza, pasta and salads, and Loutraki, the grill restaurant — are all excellent.
££ | SPA | POOL | Best for fans of boutique hotels
With just 100 rooms, this intimate hotel is more focused on seaside relaxation than partying — hence its indulgent spa, which champions organic Greek brand Aegli. Flanking a white, sandy beach, Alion has tennis courts and an outdoor pool ringed by shady seating areas. Among its numerous dining venues are the Deck Terrace restaurant with a Mediterranean menu, poolside Akti serving relaxed lunches, and Symposion, which offers an international buffet that includes an abundance of choice for vegetarians and vegans. Pale-wood and white finishes render bedrooms bright, and there are private balconies. Evenings feature live music performances, cocktail-making lessons and local wine-tasting sessions.
• Best places to visit in Cyprus• Best family hotels in Cyprus
££ | SPA | POOL | Best for entertaining everyone
When is the Four Seasons not the Four Seasons? Well, when it's in Cyprus. And yet such are the standards at this five-star resort hotel that it wouldn't be out of place in its more famous namesake's portfolio. With access to a blue-flag beach and expansive views of the Mediterranean, it lies six miles east of Limassol but, being one of the largest hotels on the island, often tempts guests to explore no further than its own sprawling grounds. With a kids' club, tennis courts and selection of pools, it's also ideal for families, especially as its five restaurants cater to a wide range of tastes.
££ | SPA | POOL | Best for an all-rounder
Perhaps nowhere in Cyprus hits the sweet spot of luxury, style and history quite so well as the Columbia Beach Resort. Anyone with a car really doesn't have to go far east to explore the ruins of Kourion, with its ancient Greco-Roman amphitheatre, while to the west you can find Petra tou Romiou, the site where the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, was said to have emerged from the waves. You could be forgiven for not exploring at all, though — this 169-suite hotel has a version of everything, but never lets its standards drop, whether that's in its spa, its quieter adults-only areas or the considerably less serene kids' club.
Read our full review of Columbia Beach Resort
£££ | SPA | POOL | Best for luxurious experiences
Conflict may seem like a strange bedfellow to serenity, but so it is on the Akamas peninsula. Occupying British forces carried out training exercises for so long here that development stalled and left behind a sumptuous national park, home to endemic flora and fauna. On the very edge of this unspoilt land sits the Anassa, one of the finest hotels on the island. Experiences range from professional photoshoots to pottery classes to shamanic retreats, but of course there's the option to simply lie by the outdoor pool with that bestseller you've never quite got round to reading.
Read our full review of Anassa
£££ | SPA | POOL | Best for celebrity restaurants
Opened just before the onset of the pandemic, the Amara has really hit its stride, with its fresh design, clever use of natural light and uncomplicated use of tech proving popular with guests of all ages. All of the 207 rooms and suites have a sea view and two (of the four) restaurants have celebrity-chef names attached: Giorgio Locatelli and Matsuhisa, of Nobu fame. These modern touches are lovely, of course, but what's equally appealing is the location — a 20-minute stroll west will take you to the 3,000-year-old archaeological site of Amathus.
Read our full review of Amara
£ | SPA | POOL | Best for R&R
Despite being in the heart of the Cypriot party capital, the Napa Plaza is an outlier — an adults-only hotel that's a cut above anything else in town when it comes to refined debauchery. Though almost lying in the shadow of Ayia Napa's church and monastery, its Pepper Bar has DJs playing most nights in summer, while offering a wonderfully diverse cocktail menu and shisha pipes galore. The wilder side of the town awaits just outside the property's high walls.
£ | POOL | Best for an early flight/proximity to the airport
If you don't want to delay your holidaymaking by any more than five minutes, then Larnaca's adults-only Hotel Indigo is for you. Its proximity to the airport is matched by that of Finikoudes beach and its famous, palm-lined promenade that lies a short stroll away through town. The beautiful ninth-century Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Lazarus is even closer than that. The hotel's rooftop pool bar, with superb views over the Mediterranean, is popular before nights out around town too — or if it's one of Larnaca's rare cloudy days, duck inside to the well-stocked wine bar.
££ | SPA | POOL | Best for private pools
Lying between Paphos and the wild Akamas peninsula, Cap St Georges pulls off the neat trick of being enormous and calm at the same time. With 150 villas and ten bars and restaurants, it is certainly not a boutique hotel, but it's part of a gated resort and everything is well organised and polished. There'll be no outsiders staggering on to the private beach, nor cannonballing in the swimming pool here. Many of the bungalows have their own pools and views of the sea. As the resort faces west, the sunsets over the ocean can be divine.
££ | SPA | POOL | Best for couples
The Amavi isn't just suitable for couples, it's exclusively for them. That's the only kind of reservation possible here, in the heart of Paphos, making it popular with honeymooners and fraught parents escaping their offspring for a well-earned break. The cocktail bar has an inspired menu, while the popular pool bar is well-staffed all day. Downtown Paphos is just a 15-minute walk away, with its ancient harbour never entirely quiet. The hotel can also lay on day trips to vineyards in the Cypriot interior, should you fancy getting away from the coast.
Read our full review of Amavi
££ | SPA | POOL | Best for Greek ruins
If you don't mind waking up next to the dead, then this is the hotel for you. Right beside the storied Tombs of the Kings Unesco world heritage site, Elysium sets a lofty standard for the living. The hotel's design takes its inspiration from Cyprus's later Byzantine period, but the spa is thoroughly modern, as are the pool and gym. If you'd like to meet some of the locals, then take tea, or enjoy a cocktail, at the recently refurbished Café Occidental — it has proved a hit with the community. There's also a kids' club and direct beach access, while the sunset views across the Mediterranean haven't changed since the days of the ancients buried next door.
• Best villas in Paphos• Best all-inclusive hotels in Cyprus
£ | SPA | POOL | Best for an adults-only vibe
Sitting atop a promontory in the south west of the island, this hotel is simultaneously conspicuous and private. It overlooks both the Med and a 3,000-year-old Mycenaean settlement, and is a very short walk to the golden sands of Coral Bay. Downtown Paphos will require a 15-minute drive, but many guests choose to relax on site, with romantic sorts particularly keen on the Psari restaurant, with its alfresco tables offering views either side of the peninsula. With no kids allowed in the hotel, the only background noise you should have to worry about is audible swooning from your fellow guests.
££ | SPA | POOL | Best for a special occasion
One of Southern Cyprus's most exclusive and expensive resorts, Parklane may not take much inspiration from the wider island and its rich history, but it does provide a sense of luxury not easily found elsewhere. It's managed by the behemoth Marriott Group, and a wealth of international experience has created a sleek resort delivering a combination of villas and hotel rooms, multiple pools and sprawling private grounds hosting tennis courts and a football pitch. It's large enough that it has areas reserved for adults, but elsewhere you'll find the excellent Explorers Kids Club.
£ | SPA | POOL | Best for an all-inclusive option
If you fancy the reassurances of a resort but don't quite fancy deep-diving into Ayia Napa, Protaras grants great access to the historic Cape Greco, powder-soft beaches, and blushing dawns for early risers. Long one of the most popular hotels in this part of the island, Crystal Springs is set in seven acres of gorgeous gardens, but still offers direct beach access as well as its own pools. It has an extensive all-inclusive package for anyone who doesn't want to worry about settling bills at the end, while for an extra cost it can arrange Padi training, too.
£ | SPA | POOL | Best for child-free holidays
With the closest beach a good 15-minute walk away, the adults-only King Jason may not be the first choice for sea lovers, but it does offer residential comforts for those hoping for a quiet getaway. There's still plenty of outdoor focus here, with three swimming pools (including a hydro contact spa pool), large sun deck and resplendent gardens throughout the grounds. Many of the rooms are in an apartment style with their own kitchenettes, while elsewhere in the resort you'll find a library, as well as bike-hire facilities. The spa offers a wide selection of treatments, as well as its own quiet pool with a big focus on relaxation. Recent renovations have energised the public areas, including the main restaurant, lobby and library, and have upgraded 77 rooms and suites with chic, contemporary furniture and soft lighting.
£ | SPA | POOL | Best for nature
If you want to be close to some of Cyprus's most satisfying nature but don't fancy the serpentine roads of the interior, Grecian Park may be the perfect choice. Several trails begin from the hotel, including a ten-minute option that leads to the beautifully secluded Konnos Beach. The wild expanses of the Cape Greco National Park lie beyond, so it will come as welcome news that Grecian Park has an excellent spa for recovery after your long walks. Elsewhere around the property you can find a kids' club, tennis courts, a steam room and, if you've somehow got energy left, a small nightclub. Open seasonally from the end of March to November.
£ | POOL | Best for solo travellers
Offering excellent rates for individual travellers, the Sveltos is a 46-room affair just north of central Larnaca. With the small size comes just one main restaurant, although the buffet-operated Fanari runs themed Indian, Italian, Mexican, Japanese and — with singing and dancing — Cypriot nights in summer; the lounge and pool bars both serve food. Rooms are simple but cheerful and there's a 20m outdoor pool, a smaller children's paddling equivalent and loungers aplenty. Many cafés are within walking distance and the nearest beach is 200m away.
£ | SPA | POOL | Best for families
Children love this Thanos family-run, 187-room residence on Paphos's bustling esplanade. From the Baby-Go-Lightly service, which lets parents order items such as nappies, wipes and car seats ahead of travel, to a mighty, age-divided kids' club, every consideration has been made. Sleek, interconnecting seafront suites are available, one of the freshwater pools is devoted to youngsters, and restaurant meals can be tailored — be it Japanese-Mediterranean fusion in Notios or waterside Ouzeri's halloumi salads. Adults-only pool and spa areas provide rejuvenation; alternatively, a tennis court or olive oil-making excursions allow for fun family afternoons.
£ | SPA | POOL | Best for a budget-friendly break
On Cape Greco near Ayia Napa, 243-room Cavo Maris delivers a good standard of luxury at bargain prices. Landscaped gardens front a golden-sand shore with blue-flag status, while a two-minute walk will take you to another pair of coves. Fig Tree Bay, one of the island's most beautiful beaches, is just a mile away. You won't have to leave the estate to find a pool or tennis court, however. Rooms are bright and breezy in style and Argo Burger Bistro is among the à la carte restaurant choices.
££ | SPA | POOL | Best for sporty types
This hotel — near Aphrodite's Rock, the birthplace of the goddess of love — covers a large expanse between Paphos and Limassol. Around it you'll find an 18-hole, Cabell B Robinson-designed golf course — look out for the seventh hole's dramatic gorge — plus football, riding, the Village Square's various dining venues, the Tennis Academy's clay and Plexicushion courts, and a grand, Greco-Roman-themed spa. Its plateau setting means most of the 290 rooms or suites have sea views. Children are very well looked after, including in the hotel's restaurants, which feature Asian, Mexican, Italian and Mediterranean fare.
£ | POOL | Best for an authentic escape
There's such a resolute focus on the Cypriot coastline that its interior often goes unexplored, its traditions ignored. Surrounded by vineyards, the Vasilias Nikoklis Inn will feel like an anomaly to some — a small, quaint property with no beach, and even the idea of a nightclub very distant. Instead, you'll find a local taverna as part of this family-run inn and personalised, friendly service that many of the big coastal resorts advertise but rarely deliver. Hire a car if you can — the inn is off the beaten track — to explore even more of the island's mountainous heart.
vasilias.nikoklis.com
• Best villas in Cyprus• Best beaches in Cyprus
Additional reporting by Richard Mellor, Oliver Berry, James Litston and Xenia Taliotis
What's your favourite place to stay in Cyprus? Let us know in the comments