Each Sunday until the end of the year the Cyprus Mail will be talking to an individual representing a specific group on how they survived 2020. This week, the co-owner of the Paradisos hotel in Lysos
By Bejay Browne
For Soulla Charalambous, the weight of ensuring that the family owned and run Paradisos Hills hotel will survive the pandemic is keeping her awake at night.
“We are hoping to be able to pull out of this hole, but I don’t know. I am having trouble sleeping and am thinking about going to the doctor to see why I keep waking up all of the time,” Charalambous said, speaking candidly to the Sunday Mail this week.
The small boutique hotel in Paphos is nestled in the hills of Lysos and is usually a popular choice with both residents and tourists.
This year, business has been decimated by the fallout of the global pandemic, but Soulla is determined to remain hopeful for the future.
The hotel was the dream of Soulla’s father Andreas, who moved to Lysos, the village of his wife, Theodosia, to discover “Laoni tou Paradisou” – Paradisos hills.
He spent many nights sleeping beneath an oak tree where the hotel is now built.
“When my father died, we decided to make his dream come true and Paradisos Hills hotel was built,” she said.
The hotel has now been in operation for 16 years and now has 27 bedrooms after a further 12 rooms were built five years ago at a massive cost to the family.
“We invested €1.5 million. But every time we start to get on our feet, something happens. There was the Mari explosion, then the banks crashed and we had a ‘haircut’ and now the pandemic,” she said.
The hotel usually closes in January and February, usually after a busy Christmas and New Year, but this year, despite advertising acts booked for both festivities, they have no choice but to close early.
“We were forced to close down as most of our guests from Limassol didn’t come. In November, we didn’t have anyone. It’s not worth trying to open for Christmas, people can’t book and then you cancel them at the last minute. The restrictions may be different, stricter by then. Who knows? I don’t want the stress.”
The hotel stayed open in November, hoping for business, but even guests that had booked for the first two weeks – before the two-week ban on movement to and from Paphos – cancelled. One group was a choir of 50 and the second, a walking group.
The hotel usually employs nine staff and applied for the government pandemic support scheme for small businesses under 10 people. This covered 60 per cent of wages.
Soulla said that the scheme has helped. Her sister Niki also works at the hotel and the other staff are from the village and the surrounding area. But like so many others, initial mistakes in applications and elusive government officials meant Soulla failed to receive all the funds she was eligible for.
“The first time I filled out the forms in March, I made a mistake on my application. The government was paying people individually and my sister got paid, but I didn’t. No-one answered the phone, or fax or email. Apparently I put my name in the wrong section. I couldn’t change the form but, when I eventually got hold of them, they told me to explain what happened in a fax or email, I did both. I never heard anything, or got paid. It’s the same for a lot of people I think,” she said.
The next time the hotel applied for the staff, received the money and they paid the staff.
“It was much easier that time.”
The hotel is now closed, but some staff still have to be paid and once again there are questions concerning the scheme that need answers. And once again, no-one official on hand to help.
“A lot is not clear, and yet there is no-one to speak to. For example, the gardener still comes although we are closed and will get a percentage of his salary. But how to calculate it as he is not working full time? It’s very confusing and the same story, no-one answers your questions.”
But such frustrations aside, Soulla is grateful for the government scheme which ensured 60 per cent of salaries were paid, calling it a big help.
“I can’t complain. It has been very helpful, but what is frustrating is the lack of information or help to answer questions.”
One bright spot in the year was the months of July and August when, thanks to the domestic market, the hotel did not really see a drop in visitor numbers.
Soulla didn’t apply for state help during that time and paid her staff the full amount.
“We were busy and worked well with the locals. I think it’s fair that I didn’t get paid for March because of this, it sort of balanced it out.”
Loan installments have also been frozen for nine months until next year and that has proved to be a huge help as well, she said.
“Hopefully, in 2021 we can catch up. The pandemic has taught me that you never know what to expect and have to be prepared for anything. Also, if possible, always have something put aside for emergencies.”
Health really is everything, she said, and this year has also been a worrying time for her as a parent. One of her sons works in the army and another is a teacher.
“I worry about them and the pandemic all the time, and you don’t only worry for yourself and your family, you worry about everyone else and their families too.”
Soulla also has mixed feelings about the Covid-19 vaccines that have just been announced, saying that she knows that she should get it, but: “it’s new and who knows what the side effects may be.”
And the future?
The hotel has already had two repeat customers book for 2021 since the jabs have been announced. One is a wedding from Israel.
“They previously cancelled three times, but now they are able to plan as the vaccines will be available without worrying and will come in June,” she said.
“I do feel hopeful. People in the UK can’t wait to go on holiday and we also usually have yoga retreats from Denmark and Holland.”
