As locations go, you can’t quite beat that of the Elysium, which sits right beside the ancient, Unesco-listed Tombs of the Kings heritage site in Paphos. A win for history buffs, yes, but the hotel is also a certain crowd-pleaser for those in want of a quieter stay — it’s right on the beach and set in acres of tropical gardens. The hotel’s design is inspired by the Byzantine period, with striking marble columns and arches; inside, the grand foyer with its huge sweeping staircase gives a sense of what’s to come in the form of 287 lavish rooms and suites, five top-notch restaurants and the seriously upscale O’spa. Service is excellent, and children are well catered to with an excellent kids’ club and crèche (there’s also an adults-only pool for guests looking for a more relaxing spot for a swim).
Overall score 8/10
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Rooms and suites
Score 8/10
Rooms come in four categories, ranging from comfortable deluxe doubles to properly luxurious garden villas and five-person suites with their own swimming pool. Deluxe rooms are elegant and spacious with private balconies (choose one with sea views if you can), cream decor, marble-topped tables and thick, luxurious carpets. Bathrooms are kitted out in marble and most come with a separate bath and shower; some of the plushest suites have whirlpool bath tubs.
Families looking for more space can choose from one of the recently renovated, caramel-and-cream-toned Family Duplex Suites, which sleep up to four people and come with a private patio and a separate mezzanine-level bedroom.
Food and drink
Score 8/10
Farm-to-table dining is the ethos at the five restaurants, where much of the produce comes fresh from the hotel’s own vegetable and herb gardens. Italian-style Ristorante Bacco is the highlight: here, diners can choose a cosy, intimate table inside or one in the pretty courtyard, and dishes such as fish soup, lobster pasta and sea bass are packed with flavour.
Elsewhere, the Mediterraneo restaurant focuses on Cypriot cuisine, while O’Shin focuses on pan-Asian, and the light, bright Epicurean and Lemonia Piazza have a seemingly endless array of plates of international cuisine served buffet-style. Astria, Café Occidental and Mare Nostrum all serve snacks and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Exquisite hand-crafted cakes are available in all restaurants, in the foyer lounge as an afternoon treat and to purchase in the lobby.
• Read our full guide to Cyprus
• More of the best hotels in Cyprus
What else is there?
Score 8/10
The name “Elysium” refers to an eternal paradise in ancient Greek mythology, and nowhere is that more true than in the hotel’s spa and wellness suite. The opulent O’spa features a 24-hour gym, indoor pool, sauna, steam room and nine treatment rooms; impressive treatment use luxurious Espa products and include the Aphrodite’s Radiance Facial, which promotes skin rejuvenation with a rose quartz crystal massage and various soothing masks.
In the wider grounds there are three pools, along with two floodlit tennis courts. The hotel also works with the Cyprus Scuba Diving Centre to provide scuba diving lessons (extra charge). Families can take advantage of the kids’ crèche for young children (extra charge), and the complimentary kids’ club for youngsters from three to 12 years.
Where is it?
Score 9/10
The hotel stands in its own extensive tropical gardens just a ten-minute stroll along the seafront from Paphos Harbour, right next to the Unesco-listed Tombs of the Kings. Restaurants and bars are close by, and the area is served by public transport.
Price B&B doubles from £192
Restaurant two courses £45
Family-friendly Y
Accessible Y
Carole French was a guest of Elysium (elysium-hotel.com)