ELENI ANTONIOU visits an extraordinary hotel in between Limassol and Paphos
IT WAS quite a long drive. When I first heard that my assignment this week was to visit a hotel in Pissouri (20 minutes from Limassol and I live in Nicosia), I was dreading the day all week. Don’t you just hate driving in the heat? However, the long drive culminated in an overwhelming experience as my eyes were glued to the amazing sight of the Columbia Beach Resort in Pissouri.
Hidden away in pure privacy, the resort lies on the south coast, between mountain and sea. Driving on a narrow road, through mountains and rocks, I couldn’t help but feel I was going to live to regret what I was doing. I had no idea where I was going. But I was wrong! Paradise was just around the corner and I mean it.
The Columbia Beach Resort (not to be confused with its sister property, the Columbia Beach Hotel) has 94 rooms, all of which are suites. There are junior suites, executive suites, one bedroom family suites, two bedroom family suites and purposely-designed disabled person’s suites. Sales manager, Annie Karapataki gave me a tour. I followed her to the balcony, from where she explained the resort was constructed in 2002 and comes under the ownership of the Columbia Ship management group.
“And this is the swimming pool,” she said. And it certainly was impressive. The swimming pool is 80 metres long and begins from inside the hotel, ending in waterfalls where the water is shallow for young children. With palm trees and an array of different coloured flowers, villas on each side and the sea opposite, I almost felt I was in a different place and time.
As soon as I had recovered from the swimming pool, Annie continued the tour and apologised for not being able to show me a junior executive suite, instead I peeped in at an executive one. Very posh indeed, complete with carpets and a couch, wallpaper and Victorian cabinets. And I hadn’t even got as far as the bathroom. “Each room has double sinks, a shower and a bath tub,” Annie explained, “but you can also request one with a Jacuzzi.” Well, that was it! I definitely knew where I wanted to go on holiday and it didn’t mean leaving Cyprus.
After checking out the rooms, I was led to the left wing of the magnificent building, which was again amazing. As the elevator door opened, I was led to one end of the swimming pool. The “end” where in the winter, the doors close in the middle and the swimming pool becomes a heated indoor pool. Arranged around the pool were flowers, candles and other aromas carefully placed here and there as relaxing music played in the background. The sound of running water indicates that it was all Feng Shui coordinated. “Customers can use the swimming pool before or after they take a sauna with a cold plunge or even a steam bath,” Annie said opening the door to the Spa Centre. Four rooms were set around the Jacuzzi and squash courts, where qualified therapists are on hand to give toning and relaxing treatments.
The Columbia Beach Resort is a five-star hotel and offers everything a holiday maker could want, without having to leave the resort. Three restaurants and two bars are located in the resort.
The scent of flowers everywhere, the villas with private pools and that lagoon, I mean the swimming pool, are nothing compared to the whole package, and the longer I was there, the longer I wanted to stay. I wish I’d given my interview a bit more thought and packed a bikini.
