As summer draws to a spluttering close, we’re looking for a beachy bolthole where relaxation and near year-round sunshine are within easy reach. So, naturally, our eyes turned towards Cyprus and this hip waterfront hotel where the bronzed and the beautiful make the most of the pampering spa and superlative restaurant.
This is horizon-gazing relaxation at its most unapologetic. Most guests spend their days simply moving between the hotel’s pool, small beach and spa before starting the circuit again. However, if a jaunt of more breadth is desired, Londa Beach Hotel is near numerous historical sites such as the boxy Crusader castle at Kolossi and the dramatic ancient Greek city of Kourion (Curium).
Rooms: With 68 rooms spread over 7 floors, Londa Beach is a little larger than your typical i-escape hotel, but we still consider it an unequivocal gem. The interiors are finished to exacting standards. Think solid cherry wardrobes, high-thread-count sheets and designer lamps in spacious rooms. We suggest plumping for a front-facing sea view room where you’ll be treated to warm sunsets and the twinkling lights of ships in the evening. If you’re looking for a little more space, opt for a suite which comes with a sitting room and, in some cases, a second bathroom.
At Londa, the divinity is in the detail and its features like spoiling Molton Brown toiletries, super-thick robes and a welcome gift of fruit and Cypriot delicacies that set this hotel apart from its more generic neighbours. We also love the more practical in-room additions such as a free Nespresso machine, a minibar and weighing scales (handy for that return flight suitcase).
Food: Giovanni Caracciolo, the Italian chef at Londa’s La Caprice restaurant, has been producing cuisine with as much artistic flourish as gastronomic triumph since his arrival in 2012. Aubergine soufflés and house salads of octopus, snow-peas and cherry tomatoes are decorated with whorls and swirls of culinary colour and they taste fantastic, too. As you’d expect, fish features heavily on the menu, but there’s a wonderful range of flavours and sophistication. Whether you opt for the exquisite cod-filled tortelli, or plump for seabass with chips against a tomato, basil and olive backdrop, you can be confident of the quality.
The buffet breakfast is similarly varied and healthy (and included in the rates). There are petite poached eggs and grilled cherry tomatoes (or crispy bacon and hash browns if you prefer); multigrain bread and nutty parma ham; or an excellent diced peach and apple salad. Wonderfully, this is all enjoyed on the hotel’s sea-facing terrace where you’re served by affable, white linen clad waiters. If you want to venture out for the evening, Limassol’s long drag of bars and restaurants has ample options.
Top Tip: There’s a free walking tour of the old city every Monday at 10am, organised by the Cyprus Tourist Organisation – worth booking ahead if you are interested.
i-escape gift: a 30-minute Harmonious Pain Relief massage (one per person per stay, except on Early Booking rates)