avilda hotel paphos 11 june 2008

not impressed at all have been going to cyprus for 10 years on & off this was the worst hotel all inclusive we have ever been to.
the rooms are very worn & in desperate need of renovating.the cleanliness was very poor not sure that any cleaning was done did not see a maid once.supposed to be four bars only ever seen two working (not at the same time) staff were good pity managment did not work as hard as the staff at putting things right food at first was not hot but a few of the other holiday makers who had been there a little longer complained and this improved slightly after three days we did not eat at the hotel (kalinas) next to the hotel did excellent food breakfast & dinner good job we are not the sort not to move because we are all inclusive. entertainment was a joke this hotel is not a 4 star has advertised stay well clear

My friend and I booked this hotel as it was very close to a sandy beach and listed as a four star hotel. Neither of these were true.

Our first impression on arrival was of a hotel in dire need of renovation and largely populated by retired couples. The rooms are very basic, with sheets and towels only changed every three days. And the sheets didn't even quite fit the size of the mattresses! Our air conditioning, when switched on, just made the room smell like a toilet so we had to sleep with the patio door open - the sound of the traffic, birds and fighting cats was less than soothing! The fridge in our room didn't work, but if it had you are changed a daily rate to use it.

The food was ok, but some of the basics seemed a struggle - the boiled eggs were like russian roulette and either black on the inside or coked for about mins - and quite limited choice, especially if you're vegetarian.

As for the "sandy beach" it's more like a garden with some rocks and a bit of sand at the end, which you can't sit on. It's actually at the Venus Beach Hotel, which is just a few minutes walk away. Thankfully we found that Coral Bay Beach was only 15 mins bus ride away, with the bus stop right outside Avlida. It was a very pleasant beach - sun loungers, umbrellas, waitress service - though did get quite busy so get there early.

The final gripe concerned check-out. As with most hotels, they said we could leave our luggage with them after check-out as our flight wasn't until the evening. They also said we could use facilities to get showered and changed in free of charge. The alternative was to pay €40 to keep our room on. We went for the FOC option, but be warned: the area to leave your luggage is not secure and anyone can access or remove luggage at any time. When I mentioned this to the receptionist she told me it wasn't her problem! When we got back from the beach to use the "facilities" we were directed to the basement where there was a single shower and toilet, a moudly shower curtain, no space to put clothes or get dressed, no mirror, missing lightbulbs and a low, sagging ceiling. All in all a very unpleasant experience!

Thankfully the sun shone all week, the people we met were lovely - both other guests, locals and most of the staff - and we found some lovely restaurants. I'd definitely recommend the location, but not this hotel!

Just back and had an absolutely fantastic time, it did help that we had a real mix of people staying at the hotel, everybody mixed really well in the pool and bar areas thanks to Jonny and his killer pool/darts and cheesy disco sounds in the evening which had us all up dancing!!!

The staff are fantastic and cannot do enough for you from Jonny in Animation to Yolande & Esso in the bar, this is despite that fact that the manager constantly berates all staff in front of the paying guests!!!

Rooms are a bit small and could do with a makeover but hey, who wants to spend time in their room??

Food is plentiful and I always found something to eat, although don't expect a Michelin star restaurant

had only just opened for season when arrived.

father & son. all inclusive. used as a base to drive around island.

food better than expected. hotel clean & well maintained, except lifts.

had sea view with a VERY small balcony (approx 4'x3'). couldn't sit & sunbathe on there. 2 chairs & a table crammed on was about it.

need to ask for KEO beer at bar, otherwise served locally brewed carlsberg.

staff friendly. no complaints.