It’s not hard to fathom the reasons behind the success of the expanding family-run business of Paradisos Hills Hotel in Paphos, despite the recession.
The location of the hotel in Lysos village is breathtaking and the building although modern, has been constructed using traditional materials sourced from Cyprus. In addition, guests are ensured a warm Cypriot welcome.
‘Paradisos’ has hit on a simple winning formula which entices guests to visit year after year. It offers what discerning visitors originally sought from a holiday in Cyprus years ago but which is almost impossible to find now.
The hotel was the dream of the current owner’s late father, Andreas Demetriou, who was born in Argaka, but married at a young age, moved to Lysos, the village of his wife Theodosia before later moving to South Africa for many years. His children say it was in Lysos that he discovered the magic of ‘Laoni tou Paradisos’ – Paradisos Hills, though .
His daughter, Soulla Charalambous, along with her sister, Niki, take care of the day-to-day running of the outfit although the hotel is owned by all of Demetrious eight children, one of whom has now passed away.
“My dad envisaged the hotel and spent many nights sleeping in the open under a tree which still sits just below the site of the hotel,” Soulla said. “After he died, we all felt compelled to build the hotel and bring his dream to life.”
Maybe these strong roots and family ties to the area are part of the secret to the hotel’s success.
Built in a traditional style using lots of natural materials such as stone and wood, the interior is in keeping many items of old-style everyday life on display. Most of these came from a contents sale of an old house in Salamiou village.
The family is reticent about discussing their good fortune, but Soulla believes a numbers of factors play an important role in any hospitality service in Cyprus.
“We all have to go back to our roots and offer a traditional Cypriot experience complete with Cypriot hospitality. It’s also important to offer good prices,” she said. “A lot of our customers complain that wherever they go there are no Cypriot people serving them. They say they’ve come to Cyprus to live with the locals and they go to places where they are served by Romanians or Bulgarians who can’t speak Greek or English, so they can’t communicate at all.”
Paradisos hotel has a total of nine staff, two of whom are Romanian. One is married to a Cypriot and they both speak fluent Greek.
“It was important for us to employ staff who understand about the Cyprus way of life, the traditions and so on,” she said.
“All of our staff are regarded as part of the family even though we are not related. Some of them have been with us since we first opened; we consider them as a brother or a sister.”
The concept behind the hotel is very simple.
“It is very unique place here, it’s like a retreat. People come here to rest and relax; there is no stress, just a tranquil setting and a homely feel which they seem to love.”
There are 15 rooms and suites in all, complete with a sizeable balcony or terrace to soak up the views of forest and coast. A well placed swimming pool adds to the sense of tranquility.
All rooms include breakfast and the restaurant serves traditional Cypriot and International cuisine. It is also now possible to attend cooking lessons which are available by appointment. The Sunday buffet lunch includes a selection of 20 traditional Cypriot dishes. All of the cooking is undertaken by Soulla’s sister Niki.
“My parents and the eight of us were all living in South Africa and my father always knew that one day he would come back and buy this piece of land and build a hotel. We came back to Cyprus in 1992 and after he died we decided to go ahead with his plan and I hope he can see his dream come true.”
The hotel took 18 months to build and has been open for six years. The family is currently extending the hotel to include a further 12 rooms, a conference room and a spa with a steam bath, Jacuzzi and gym. The extension should be completed by next June.
Paradisos hosts many weddings and other special occasions and Soulla said that many guests rebook time and again.
“We have more than 50 per cent repeat customers. Our clients are about 40 per cent English, 40 per Cypriot and the rest are from all over the world.”
The hotel doesn’t budget for marketing, instead relying on word of mouth recommendations and their internet site.
“The hotel is my whole life. I love it, it’s very rewarding. Every time a customer leaves and he’s satisfied it makes us happy.”
