Capo Bay Hotel, Paralimni

We have just returned from our honeymoon in Cyprus. We stayed at the Capo Bay Hotel, which stands on the Fig Tree Bay in the resort of Protaras. It is one hours drive from Larnaca Airport.

(I will reveiw Protaras as a resort separately. This review is solely on the Capo Bay Hotel).

The hotel was fantastic. It is 4star hotel and the service and facilities are great. The Capo Bay hotel has 225 rooms
over 4 floors and was built in 1985. It offers a gymnasium with massage and jacuzzi, tennis, scuba diving, pool, 2 swimming pools (1 heated) and 4 different restaurants to eat in, including 1 beside the pool.

We paid £1500 for two weeks Bed & Breakfast. This was for an inland view room, but because we were on our honeymoon, we were upgraded to a seaview room. We overlooked the swimming pool and had an excellent view of the sea. Also we were on the ground floor, so no need to use the lift. Disabled facilities are excellent in the hotel, we saw several wheelchair users while we were there.

We received wine, fruit, cake and a present of 2 t-shirts from the hotel upon arrival in our room.

The room had a huge bed in it, it must have been 7 foot wide! There was plenty of drawers and wardrobe space. The ensuite bathroom had two sinks and a power shower over a bath. The room also had 2 chairs and a coffee table.

The television had 18 channels, including BBC Prime, Sky News, MTV and LTV which shows English films with greek subtitles.

We were provided with a safe and a mini-fridge, along with glasses, plates and cutlery. You also get tea/coffee making facilities which is refreshed every day. There is a hairdryer in the room also. Air conditioning is standard in Cyprus in all 4* hotels and is free. There is also a direct-dial telephone and of course, a copy of the bible is provided!

The balcony was a little small, but we could both sit on it comfortably.

The rooms were serviced every day, with the bed being made and the room cleaned and tidied. All of the staff are very friendly and say morning as you pass by them.

BREAKFAST
++++++++++

Breakfast provides fruitjuices or water, along with cereals, fruit, yoghurts, bread, toast, cakes, ham, cheese, olives, and a full english. We totally overate for 2 weeks at breakfast time! The waiters come round and provide tea and coffee pots.

Breakfast was served from 6.30am to 10am.

RESTAURANTS
+++++++++++++

We did not eat in the hotel in the evenings, but there is the Capo Greco Restaurant, the Aquarium Bar, The Parasol Poolside Bar, and the New Pavillion Restaurant and the Bella Vista Restaurant. Food is served from 11am to 10pm. Other residents stated that the food was fantastic.

SWIMMING POOLS
+++++++++++++++

There are two swimming pools, one is heated. One has bridges over it and a waterfall and water cannon and the other one is heated and is just a straightforward pool. Both pools were looked after and cleaned daily by Costas and friends.

When you arrive, you are issued with a guest pass and cards for beach towels. You exchange these cards for yellow towels which can be replaced daily, then swap them back for cards at the end of your holiday to hand in at reception.

You are also issued with a sunbed for the whole of your holiday which saves fighting with towels at dawn over the sunbeds! This system is great and you just wonder down to your sunbed each day, knowing that it will still be there. It is extremely safe there as well. Everybody leaves their cameras and money beside their sunbed knowing that it will not be touched.

BEACH
++++++

The beach of Fig Tree Bay is directly behind the hotel. You need to go down some steep steps to get to it. The beach provides changing rooms and showers. You need to pay for the sunbeds though. There is an extensive range of watersports from Stavros. There is a little island in the water which makes the beach feel a bit closed in and means that you are not looking out to vast endless water.

The beach has a minimal tide and shelves so that you walk down into the water quite quickly, however it is level for quite a way. The waves are minimal and the current is minimal.

RESORT OF PROTARAS
++++++++++++++++++++

Just a brief word to say that the surrounding area is great with lots of restaurants, tavernas and supermarkets/souvenir shops. The area is very family friendly and does not seek laddish or loutish behaviour. I am sure that the resort is a lot busier in peak season, but even then I have been assured that it is a family place.

WORD OF CAUTION
+++++++++++++++++

Because we were on honeymoon, we were tied to the time of year that we went. Our holiday company did not advise us that the hotel would be closing in our second week! The season basically ends on 31 October and we were there until 6 November, with reduced facilites, no watersports, restaurants closing and sunbeds being removed around us. I would not advise to go in their final week.

SUMMARY
++++++++++

I think I have covered everything, if not then I will update the reveiw. I would thouroughly recommend the Capo Bay Hotel. It has a lot of repeat customers who return year after year so that speaks for itself doesn't it?

We will certainly be going back again for a future anniversary.

www.capobay.com.cy