We stayed at the Altinkaya for two weeks in September 2006. We arrived at about 2030 but were warmly welcomed by reception.The staff cooked us up a fresh meal which was tasty and most appreciated considering the hour. We stayed on a bed and breakfast basis in one of the two roomed bungalows.
This is not a 4 star hotel and misses out on the finer points but none the less it was clean and comfortable but fittings in bathroom were somewhat dated.

Rooms were cleaned on a daily basis with daily clean towels.
Swimming pool was a bit jaded but welcome but there was hogging of the sun beds( and there wasn't a German in sight)

Breakfast was generally good but choice of fruit was disappointing. Evening meals were variable from excellent to indifferent. We ate out most evenings.

Reception was excellent. Mansur was forever cheerful and happy and Sandra,hotel rep,couldn't do enough for her guests.

A large supermarket nearby- Le Mar- provided all our needs. As is common abroad,the hotel charged for water at an inflated price but we were able to buy plenty in Le Mar and store it in the efficient fridge in our room. Television and phone also provided.

Not a four star hotel but we enjoyed our stay,warts and all, and would go back again with no hestitation.

Like "Disappointed" of London, I was a visitor to the Altinkaya in March this year, but the hotel he or she saw then was not the one I encountered on my visit.
Maybe the staff had changed (or the weather!) but my welcome there was a much warmer one.
Like our friend from London, I also arrived early in the morning in Kyrenia (2am-ish), but the young man at reception was only too happy to open the bar and dispense a few ice-cold Efes (beer) before I hit the hay.
Considering the Altinkaya is rated only two stars officialy, I was delighted with my room on the second floor (no lift, incidentally).
It was not at all cramped, had a good-sized balcony that looked on to the swimming pool, and had all the usual things (air-conditioning, mini-bar, TV, bath, power shower, etc) you'd expect to find in hotels more highly "starred".
So a winner right away as far as accommodation went. Breakfast was taken across the road, and, again, it was up to the mark. Not five-star repast, true, but I did not imagine for a moment that it would be.
This was my third visit to North Cyprus since 2002, and, like everywhere else, you get what you pay for.
If I had looked for better than the Altinkaya, and booked in at the Dome Hotel near Kyrenia harbour, I know breakfast would have been altogether more lavish affair. I hadn't, so I considered the more modest Altinkaya offering perfectly acceptable.
Returning to the main hotel complex, which is a mixture of studios, hotel rooms, apartments and terraced villas, I made good use of the pretty sun terrace, without ever daring to dip more than a toe into the swimming pool's icy waters.
Yes, it was a disappointment that the indoor pool area was "under development", but not such an enormous letdown as to spoil my holiday.
I travelled with Jewels of the World (was perfectly happy with them), and had been upgraded to half board. However, I dined in only once or twice over the week, preferring instead to check out the many village restaurants about a 15-20 minute wak away.
Again, it was good, honest fare at the Altinkaya. Nothing to give Gordon Ramsay (famed British chef) anything to worry about, but decent enough considering I was virtually getting it for free.
The Altinkaya is perhaps three quarters of a mile way from the main "biz" in Kyrenia, with little around it other than a souvenir shop. However, a bonus was the fact that a well-stocked Lemar supermarket is just a 100 yards or so away.
Very handy for stocking up on essential items such as brandy and beer!
Now, here's where things get a tad difficult. Because the Altinkaya as a pay mini-bar set-up, you'll see notices pinned up in the hotel stating that the only beverages you are allowed to bring in are tea and coffee.
Well, tell that to the marines! I felt no shame at all in bringing in a bottle of local hooch to warm the cockles late at night.
Truth be told, that was after a few brandy sours at the busy Altinkaya bar downstairs, so I felt no embarrassment at all when I returned to the sanctity of my room to look out the "contreband".
The point I am making here is that if you play fair by the Altinkaya (as in spending money at the bar), you expect them to play fair by you.
I'd never make a night of it by smuggling in carrier bags of booze for a "singles" (make that single) party in my room, and I'd think you'd have to be a pretty sad person to do so.
So, although the "tea and coffe only" notices were pretty prominent, I never once saw anyone being stopped bringing in a Lemar carrier bag. Get my drift?
Jewels of the World reps organise all manner of day trips out of the Altinkaya, and pick of them must be the outing to the Karpaz Peninsular, stopping off at pretty Bogaz harbour for lunch or a refreshment.
Another to consider is an excursion to St Hilarion Castle, where you may combine history with a breathtaking climb to the summit, and, on clear day, marvel at the sight of Turkey - some 40 miles away.
I must agree with "Disappointed" of London that there is a fair amount of building work going on around the Altinkaya, and that swirling dust can be a bit of a pest at times.
But that did little to detract from the excellent time I enjoyed there. I found the hotel ticked most of my holiday boxes, and again emphasise the warmth of the welcome I received.
I'd go back tomorrow. Need I say more?

I stayed at the Atlin Kaya for nine days in March 2006. Although this may a nice hotel in the Summer, I could not recommend it for a Winter break. Arriving at 1.30 in the morning in a chilly period, surely the (very noisy)central heating in the room could have been on to warm up the room when we arrived ? The couple who arrived at the same time could hear my central heating system all night and their's did not work!
The 'duluxe' room was barely standard for any 4* hotel I have stayed in. The shower did not work, the sheets weren't changed once in the nine days and cleaning was perfunctory to say the least. The rooms were 'cleaned' late in the afternoon and shortly after that an officious man came round to inspect the mini bar. There was no 'do not disturb' sign anywhere and so I was disturbed when I had an afternoon nap! This could be quite alarming under certain circumstances!
The staff were not particularly friendly or welcoming, even during the power cuts which happened several times during my stay.
The hotel was very empty (like most at this time of year it seems),and the facilities such as the indoor pool and gym were not available. No mention was made of this in the (Jewels of the World) brochure.
Breakfast was a disgrace. Heaven help you if you did not eat All Bran or scrambled (congealed) eggs. Perhaps one was supposed to cancel out the other!. Exactly the same every day, there was only one choice of cereal, very little fresh fruit, one type of bread and all served in a large, dark and dingy room with damp patches on the ceilings - presumably from the building work going on above.
My tip is to take as many tea bags from the buffet as you can because they only provide tea and coffee in the room for the first night! I asked for some more coffee and was told I would have to buy my own and bring it in. It's also advertised as having one of the best fish restaurants in the area but this was not the case. I ate there twice and the food was very average. Those I spoke to on half board described the meals as being like school dinners, and there was no choice available.
The area around the hotel is a building site and the hotel is on a main road. At the moment there are few pavements and little street lighting so the walk into Kyrenia in the evening is dangerous. Only those with cars were able to venture out at night. The are few restaurants within an easy walk of the hotel - certainly out of season. The hotel ran a courtesty bus three times a day which was helpful, but it did not run after 4.00pm. If you walked anywhere from the hotel you were soon covered in a film of dust from all the building work in the area and from the lorries tearing up and down the road.
If you visit Kyrenia out of season stay somewhere more central, and avoid the mean minded Atlin Kaya.

We stayed here for 3 weeks in October 2005 on a half board basis. Our apartment was OK but slightly dated but still comfortable and clean, with a sunny balcony offering stunning views. The complex is in 2 parts on opposite sides of a main road. We were in the main part where the Hotel accommodation is also situated, however, most of the meals are served in the other complex, over the road - not really a problem as you're not walking any further that you would in any reasonable sized complex and the road isn't too busy.
The staff were friendly and the food was quite good but after 3 weeks, we were getting a bit bored, (they change their evening menu on a 2 weeks basis it seemed but the breakfasts were always the same - buffet Turkish style, as you would expect).
The complex is within reasonable walking distance of Kyrenia centre - speaking as two oldies of 50 years plus! There is also a courtesy bus and taxis are fairly cheap. Most of the guests were British, mostly couples of 40+ - during our stay, we only saw a couple of children in the pool, so it was a quiet, relaxing time. The grounds and pool areas etc were well kept, plenty of sunbeds and parasols. The evening entertainment left a lot to be desired - basically two chaps on guitar and keyboard singing non descript songs - but what the heck, you're on holiday! All in all, a nice place where we would be happy to stay again.