Just back from 3 weeks at Paphiessa and can't believe some of the reviews here and on Tripadviser!
Yes breakfasts are limited to porridge, corn flakes, muesli (once bran), hot and cold milk, tea, coffee, 3 fruit juices, iced water, brown, white sliced and local sesame bread and an automatic toaster. Two jams or marmalades each day. Ham or luncheon meat style salami - different ones during the week, with sliced cheese, tomato and cucumber, hard boiled eggs and some days scrambled eggs, with chopped frankfurter style sausages, and baked beans. It is buffet style some eat as much as you like! You cant go hungry! You are not allowed to take food or drinks out of the dining room - but just watch how the Russians manage it! Because of reviews here and wanting future bookings I asked to see other rooms and also visited other guests rooms - I saw over 15 rooms, studios and apartments in different blocks including 026 which has featured in a condemning review. There is a great deal of variety in size, layout, balconies and furnishing. All which I saw were very clean and in a good state of decoration and maintenance. Some furniture was a little dated in design, some outside furniture showed age and was no longer gleaming white like new! None of the rooms visited had stained baths or dirty fittings. Our room was serviced daily, floors mopped and bins emptied, except one day each week. Beds and towels were changed 3 to 5 times a week. Some of the towels were old and a bit rough in texture but were always clean. Some of the sheets and pillow cases, washed in their own laundry, also showed age and were not as pure white as new ones. A bit like home!!! We had a wonderful cleaner Daniella who was very friendly and helpful and spoke English better than many guests. We made our own beds daily but she remade them in her hotel style! Poolside - loose slabs, tripping hazards! I hope they were reported. Was it this hotel? We did not find any. The pool and paving was kept clean, tidy and was well maintained. It was safe for children, the elderly and infirm! The water was not "murky" but crystal clear. The pool was kept clean, clear of leaves and litter and was tested and treated daily. There are loads of sun beds, most new but some older ones at one end. A few need replacing as do a few shades but there are enough without needing these. The evening meal was never undercooked and was always very tasty! A buffet self service choice of soup, fresh bread, salad (6 to 8 different dishes which changed daily) a vegetarian dish (often pasta, fish or rice dishes) and two main courses with two or three vegetables. Sometimes there were lovely home cooked Cypriot cakes and other local deserts, but usually plenty of fresh fruit salad, crème caramel, rice pudding, jellies and of course 3 varieties of ice cream every day and two cheeses. Every night there was a traditional Cypriot dish. Stews, casseroles, goulashes, stroganoff, moussaka, cottage pie, fish pie, pork chops, fish in breadcrumbs, sole fillets, roast chicken were just some of the meals. You could not be hungry! Ants and insects - yes sometimes especially on the ground floor. This is Cyprus! The Med! And there are gardens at the hotel! Just do not stay in villages where you might get scorpions, snakes, rats and mice! I did not see any in any room I visited. I heard no complaints from other guests only on this forum. Reception does have sprays available and will deal with the issue if needed. Entertainment - we only saw the live performers all of whom were very professional. Chloe was very good as was the other female singer. This is a family run budget range hotel and it is a bit like going to stay with family! Everyone is very friendly and helpful. Any concerns are dealt with immediately - just be polite and non-aggressive! I will post photographs and more information in the next few days.
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