Hotel St George

The St George is part of the village of Chlorakas, halfway between Coral Bay and Paphos, and the old port is only 5 mi away. The archaeological sites are only 3 mi away. Paphos airport is 7 mi away, while Larnaca airport is 87 mi away, via the motorway.

You'll probably be wondering what that huge abstract T-shaped sculpture on the beach represents. It's a monument dedicated to a handful of brave Cypriots, members of the independence movement, who landed here armed with only a few guns to fight against the British. Their boat is on display in the small museum located between the St George Hotel and St George Gardens.

The exterior of St George Hotel (built in 1984) is rather uninspiring and massive but the lobby is impressive. Very stylish, it includes a huge bay window that affords a spectacular view of the garden and the sea. The floor is clad in grey marble, the walls are shiny white, and there are black and dark purple columns. It boasts comfortable sofas and armchairs, a large television set, a trendy bar where concerts are organised, and a mini market with everything you may need. The lobby is built on 2 levels connected by a designer staircase. The hotel's gardens are very well kept and show a myriad of colours (a team of 13 gardeners works on it every day). The lawn is fresh and pleasant underfoot, and provides a nice terrain for a game of volleyball. There are 2 outdoor swimming-pools, one of which includes a children's pool. In addition to the tennis and squash courts where you can let off some steam, the Sen Spa is relaxing and comfortable and provides wonderful treatments (there are frequent promotions, some of which offer a 50% discount on certain massages), and there is a naturally lit indoor pool where you can swim your laps.

The hotel has 255 guest rooms, which were all renovated in 2008. They come as 232 standard rooms (34 of which afford a sea view), 3 studios, and 6 suites. The accommodation units are clean and suitably decorated, with parquet floors or wall-to-wall carpet. All of them include a flat screen satellite TV, a direct international phone line, individual air conditioning, a small fridge, a tea and coffee tray, a safe, a hair dryer, and a balcony furnished with a table and some chairs. The bathroom includes a shower and a bathtub. The hospitality products bear the hotel's name. Finally, an assortment of fresh fruit, some water, and a bottle of bubbly wine are there to greet you upon your arrival, whatever your room category.

The advantage of the St George resides in the fact that you can enjoy virtually every meal outdoors. The Cafe Lara serves a (varied) buffet breakfast and has its own sheltered terrace, as does the Kionos, which serves theme buffets for lunch. The Kionos also includes a small section for guests who would like to eat à la carte. The food is of excellent quality, with fresh products, and the desserts are particularly hard to resist, especially if you like cheesecake and fruit jelly. Our advice: don't miss the banana-stuffed pancakes, you'll never get over how delicious they are. The Avakas is the lobby bar and it serves a large variety of cocktails, with or without alcohol.

The closest beach is the public one in the village of Chlorakas. There is an artificial sea wall protecting it from strong currents (though it's hard to believe there are actually currents in Cyprus). However, the insufficient number of deckchairs is regrettable, as the beach becomes very crowded when the sun is high. The water is warm and crystal clear, and the beach is made of fine sand. In addition to mattresses and sunshades, there are a couple of showers available. Close by, there is also a nautical club.