The design-led Almyra Hotel is set amongst rich history
First impressions count for Almyra, a member of the Design Hotels group. Its contemporary whitewashed design imbues a chilled vibe for everyone who visits. This terraced complex, spread across eight acres of landscaped gardens, combines luxe materials such as Carrara marble with natural materials and artisanal touches. Meanwhile, the accents of blue found across its 188 guest rooms complement the cerulean waters that lap its prime seafront location in central Paphos. It's a mere 20-minute drive from Paphos International Airport and it's in striking distance of the area's best beach. A 10-minute stroll will also take you to the city's historic harbour and Unesco-protected Archaeological Park, with the cobbled old town only a 5-10-minute drive away.
Almyra goes above and beyond when it comes to catering for couples and families. Those keen to shake off all cares with a pampering spa treatment or yoga session can retreat to the adults-only Almyraspa, with its heartstopping sea views and state-of-the-art gym. Its health-focused Eauzone restaurant serves everything from spa-healthy fruit shakes to heritage cocktails, and there's an inviting adults-only Almyraspa pool.
Beyond the spa, you're spoilt for choice when it comes to taking a dip, with the hotel's four outdoor freshwater pools, one of which is adults-only and two of which look out to sea.
Those with young travellers are well taken care of, too, with interconnected family rooms, a shaded children's pool and age-specific clubs that welcome children from four months to 12 years old. Its brilliant Baby Go Lightly baby concierge service allows parents to lighten the load when they travel, by ordering everything from nappies and sterilisers to baby toiletries and even prams ahead of their arrival. There are English-speaking babysitters available for a fee and a varied kids' club programme – spanning pottery lessons to baking sessions – with local excursions offered to older children, too.
Dining at this stylish hotel is, as expected, a five-star experience, with no fewer than four restaurants for guests to choose from. Savour Mediterranean-Asian fusion flavours at Almyra's al fresco signature restaurant Notios, and sizzling Cypriot sensations at the traditional seafront taverna, Ouzeri. The hotel's main restaurant, Mosaics, serves breakfast and becomes an atmospheric dining space come evening. Then there's Antasia, an architecturally cool restaurant, bar and beach club that's a short seafront walk from the resort – here you'll find Asian and Medinspired flavours, expertly crafted cocktails and a chilled soundtrack that will hit the spot for fun-loving guests.
When you've had your fill of the hotel's excellent cuisine, you can try the restaurants at Almyra's sister hotel, Annabelle, just a few minutes' walk away. Guests can enjoy access to four championship golf courses, which are a 15- to 30-minute drive away. The golf scene here joins a list of activities, including personal training and other pursuits offered by Almyra, and some of the greens have stunning views of the south Cyprus coastline.
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Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Peru should be your next travel destination – and not for Machu Picchu
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The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Lebanon aims to bring tourists back to its beaches as travel bans finally lift
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Now, after last year's bruising war with Israel, Hezbollah is much weaker and Lebanon's new political leaders sense an opportunity to revitalize the economy once again with help from wealthy neighbors. They aim to disarm Hezbollah and rekindle ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, which in recent years have prohibited their citizens from visiting Lebanon or importing its products. 'Tourism is a big catalyst, and so it's very important that the bans get lifted,' said Laura Khazen Lahoud, the country's tourism minister. On the highway leading to the Beirut airport, once-ubiquitous banners touting Hezbollah's leadership have been replaced with commercial billboards and posters that read 'a new era for Lebanon.' In the center of Beirut, and especially in neighborhoods that hope to attract tourists, political posters are coming down, and police and army patrols are on the rise. There are signs of thawing relations with some Gulf neighbors. 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At the event hosted last month by the tourism ministry, the owner of the St. Georges Hotel, Fady El-Khoury, beamed. The hotel, owned by his father in its heyday, has acutely felt Lebanon's ups and downs over the decades, closing and reopening multiple times because of wars. 'I have a feeling that the country is coming back after 50 years,' he said. On a recent weekend, as people crammed the beaches of the northern city of Batroun, and jet skis whizzed along the Mediterranean, local business people sounded optimistic that the country was on the right path. 'We are happy, and everyone here is happy,' said Jad Nasr, co-owner of a private beach club. 'After years of being boycotted by the Arabs and our brothers in the Gulf, we expect this year for us to always be full.' Still, tourism is not a panacea for Lebanon's economy, which for decades has suffered from rampant corruption and waste. 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Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Your rights if a hotel refuses to serve English food on a foreign holiday
A consumer rights champion has explained the rules after one woman had to eat Greek food every day on her Greek holiday A consumer rights expert has explained what you can do if your hotel on a foreign holiday refuses to serve you a full English breakfast, after a woman got £100 from TUI because she couldn't get British food on her Greek break. Susan Edwards took a seven-night getaway to the Greek island of Corfu but was horrified to find there was no English food available - although she did get chips one night. Susan, from Westerhope, described the holiday as "horrendous from the minute [they] got there." Susan said: "It was all-inclusive, £750 each we paid and there was no food we could eat and we couldn't have anything to drink." Susan, who has ulcerative colitis, said: "On a morning you could have toast, a hard boiled egg, or something in sauce. There was no bacon. For breakfast there was mozzarella and sliced tomatoes. There was no hot bacon or sausage. "We got chips one day. One day out of the whole lot. There was fish, sardines and rice - I was sick to death of looking at rice. There was pasta and salads, none of this was marked (labelled). One night there was a Greek night and they had kebabs, I couldn't eat that. It's the worst holiday I've ever been on." Susan was offered £100 in holiday vouchers from TUI but has turned down the offer. Consumer rights expert Helen Dewdney, known as The Complaining Cow, said your package holiday rights are protected under the Package Holiday and Linked Travel Arrangements 2018. She said: "A package holiday consists or two or more components, such as accommodation and flight or transfers, and must last longer than 24 hours or at the very least have an overnight element. The organiser (i.e. the travel company with which you booked) is liable for the failures of hoteliers, suppliers and services within the contract." Helen said: "The organiser must not provide misleading information. If the holiday does not match the description, you will be entitled to redress. The organiser must clearly state the details of the booking in a Standard Information Form, before you make any payment. The Form must include specifics of any arrangements: dates, times, costs, meals, excursions included/excluded, activities, transportation, cancellation fees, contact details for the package organiser, information on compulsory/voluntary insurance regarding repatriation in the event of illness/death/accident, and/or the cost of termination of the contract by the traveller." She added: "You are entitled to redress for the disappointment and distress caused by things going wrong. The amount will be dependent on what and for how much of the holiday." Helen said: 'Make sure you take out travel insurance at the same time you book your holiday. You never know what might happen between now and then!' She added: "Is it reasonable to claim for a lack of 'English food' on a continental holiday? Probably not. However, at least one TUI customer has succeeded in claiming limited compensation for this alleged breach, although she has got to buy another holiday to use it!" A spokesperson for TUI UK and Ireland said: "Our priority is to ensure customers have the best possible holiday experience, so we are sorry to hear that Mrs Edwards felt dissatisfied with her holiday. We have been in touch directly with Mrs Edwards to come to a resolution."
