Dome Hotel and Casino Kyrenia

Having spent 2 weeks at the small, comfortable but isolated Hotel Samiler last year we decided on a last minute break to Kyrenia at the end of September. This time we decided to stay in the centre of town and ended up at The Dome having tried, and failed, to get a room at either The Rocks or The Colony. The Dome is a faded temple to British-colonial grandeur. In our first room the air-conditioning didn't work and there was a stale smell coming from the bathroom. There is not enough storage space for two people (and we pack light!). The shower has two settings very hot and, you guessed it... On the bright side the staff try hard, breakfast is a treat and the pool area is great, but get a sunbed early if you want to spend a day around the pool as it quickly gets colonised by various Septegenerians and Octogenerians. I've NEVER been to a hotel with such an old clientele - the day the lift broke down there was almost a riot. That said, Me and the wife, in our mid-30's have never felt younger! I would not stay at the Dome again until it has had a comprehensive refurbishment (although the brochures say it has recently been refurbished !?!). PLEASE don't let this review put you off Northern Cyprus. It is a wonderful place that needs a 4x4 to explore properly and find all it's hidden gems like Buffavento, Kaplica and the unforgettable Karpas. Just don't stay at The Dome.

my husband and I spent just one night at the dome hotel in June 2005 during the school holidays. we took our 14 year old daughter across to northern cyprus from Pernera in Protaras area, where we spent the rest of the week. All of us loved kyrenia, particularly the castle, where we spent an afternoon and the harbour, where we ate that evening and had a beautiful meal. My husband and I would like to return alone, but would probably not take my daughter back as it is perhaps better for couples and younger families. We didn't find a beach, though and although the swimming pool area was pleasant there was no-one younger than 40 there and we'd have had difficulty entertaining our daughter for more than a day or two there. The Dome hotel gave us a sea view room which was spacious and comfortable, with everything in kyrenia town centre within easy walking distance. We didn't stay long enough to find anything to complain about and all had a good time. Last year we visited famagusta in the same manner by nipping across the border and found Salamis, which was a fascinating day out. We also ate in Famagusta and enjoyed great hospitality. Would thoroughly recommend anyone take the time to visit northern cyprus.

The only good thing I can think of to say about North Cyprus is that the rep was fantastic and got us out of there a week early!! We have never in our lives been on a holiday from which we were so desperate to come home. The Dome hotel is OK. Nothing more. The main attraction for us was the pool are sticking out into the sea. However, as this is entirely concrete, with concrete blocks between the pool and the sea, it is ugly to say the least. There is a pleasant enough area outside where dinner is served - so why they don't serve breakfast there as well was beyond us. Instead, breakfast is eaten in a big hall. only a very small part of which is non smoking, and which was just like being in a Pontins 30 years ago. We hired a car in a desperate attempt to find somewhere nice to visit. We found one beach that was 'ok' but did not justify the 3 hour drive each way. Everywhere was covered in rubbish, including broken bottles. The whole place is one big building site. Unfortunately we couldn't say the building work was ruining the place, as there just isn't anything there to spoil. All in all we would never ever go back. The relief at being told our stand-by seats were available and we could come home a week early was amazing!

we found the dome hotel kitchens dirty and the staff dont wash there hands before serving food, also cockroaches in the bedroom yuk. the casino is just used mainly by turkish gangsters and pimps to get rid of ther ill-gotten gains.

My partner and I stayed at the Dome Hotel the first week in June 2005. We made a last minute change to the Dome after reading bad reviews on Tripadvisor for Oscar Club (and we were very glad we did change!) We knew the Dome had been described as 'shabby in places', but it didn't spoil our stay. We didn't get the sea view we requested, but our bedroom was huge with a massive double bed and a large balcony overlooking the street, where you could sit and watch people coming and going into the Casino etc. One of the Dome's biggest plus points was it's location. From the pool area you have a magnificent view of Kyrenia harbour and in the evening the wonderful sunset. The natural rock pool was fantastic, much warmer than the main pool and lovely to swim with the fishes (just like being in the sea). Kyrenia harbour is one of the most beautiful places I've ever stayed. The people in the shops and bars are very friendly and to sit and have a drink at one of the harbour side Cafes is a delight. We stayed at the Dome on a B & B basis, but there are so many great restaurants within walking distance, we were spoilt for choice. Our personal favourite was the Harbour Bar (upstairs) which is on the East side of the harbour almost at the Castle. The upstairs area is quite small (just a few tables on a balcony), but the menu is superb, the staff are great and the view of the sunset over the harbour is unrivalled. We also went to Niazi's Restaurant which is almost opposite the Dome. This restaurant was very busy and popular with the locals (which is always a good sign). We had their famous Meze meal which included kebabs which were cooked by the Chef in the middle of the restaurant. Another 'find' was the Padisah Restaurant which is up in Kyrenia town almost opposite The Colony Hotel. Their business card says 'simply the best traditional food on the island' and our meal was excellent and the portions were large. The owner was a particularly good host and offered us complimentary liqueurs after the meal. Typically a three course meal with drinks and coffee will cost about £15 a head. Kyrenia is a lovely town, but if you can, get the Dolmus taxi into Nicosia. Go straight to the Tourist information office who will give you free detailed maps of the city and information about what to see. (The covered market is good for bargains). Other places worth visiting are Famagusta - walk out on the beach by the Palm Court hotel and see the buildings in 'no man's land', a very unusual sight. Bellapais Abbey and St. Hilarion Castle are also worth a look - if you're going to the Castle, be prepared to walk up lots of steps, take plenty of water and be prepared for a most breathtaking view of Kyrenia. We spent one week in Kyrenia which simply wasn't long enough, so we'll definitely be returning and the Dome Hotel is simply the only hotel we would want to stay in.

The Dome Hotel in Kyrenia is not so much ON the sea as IN it! So if you're looking for magnificent, panoramic views of the Mediterranean from the your bedroom balcony, the Dome just can't be beaten. Like any septuagenarian (the Dome was built in 1930), the hotel is starting to show its age. It badly needs a lick of paint and a coat of whitewash front and back, some of the carpets are threadbare, and you half expect to see Cary Grant or Katherine Hepburn sitting reading a book in the huge ground-floor lounge, such is its decor and 1940s-style "feel". That said, the Dome is still THE place to be in Kyrenia. There may be a touch of the Fawlty Towers about it - if you want to go to the fourth floor using the lobby lift, remember to press the third-floor button and that'll take you there - but any shortcomings it may have are more than made up for by the "colonial" feel of the hotel. Just like Raffles in Singapore, the Dome has "presence". Unlike Raffles, which I visited a few years ago, the Dome does not have you reaching for your gold-card plastic at every turn. A few examples. A single room for the night with breakfast - and, oh, what a breakfast - is only £27, while a double and breakfast is just £34. That wouldn't get you four Singapore Slings in Raffles! I usually judge "rip-off" hotels by their mini-bar prices as much as anything else. At the Dome a large bottle of beer out the fridge costs £1.40 and a miniature of Bacardi or Smirnoff is less than £3. Pretty fair, eh? All the hotel's 320 rooms are air-conditioned for those hot summer days and no two rooms appear to be the same size. Some are huge (reserved for the Dome's casino guests, perhaps?), others small (yes, we had one of them!). So it's likely to be a case of pot luck when you arrive. I must confess my first impression was one of disappointment - a small room, small bathroom (with a big crack in the sink) and a tiny balcony with paint peeling from the railings. Daylight softened that letdown once I stepped on to the balcony and took a look at the view. STUNNING! Suddenly I was able to convince myself (quite rightly) that our tiny holiday residence was only a place to sleep in rather than live in. Once I got that psychological barrier out of the way, I never gave another thought to the shortcomings of room No 426. Few hotels boast three swimming pools, but the Dome does. The main pool is on the top deck, and a fair size. The shallow children's pool is a level below and quite small. Then there's the sea pool built in the rocks at the bottom of the complex, where you can join the fish for a dip if you wish. Those more adventurous still, can set off from the staircases there to the open sea itself (a great set-up for the mask-and-snorkel brigade). Just one thing about the pool area, and one that appeared a huge gripe for guests. Yes, there are loungers and mattresses available free, but NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH! My wife and I are early risers on holiday (it's the clean living, you know!) and always managed to get out early enough to have our pick of the chairs. Those coming later, say after 10am, were struggling. And that JUST WON'T DO. Just 150 yards away from the Dome you will come across a clutch of restaurants and perhaps the prettiest harbour in all the Mediterranean - guarded by the imposing Crusader Castle (where a visit is a must). We were B&B at the Dome and never looked in on the Italian/Indian/Cypriot speciality nights in the dining room, costing £7. But plenty folk were and seemed to be enjoying the repast. If the food was anything like the buffet-style feast we had at breakfast, I'm not surprised! The hotel's casino is just one of 60 in North Cyprus and the reason for such proliferation is that EVERY casino in Turkey itself has been closed, in a bid to encourage those with the gambling bug to head to Cyprus and help improve the island's frail economy. Not a gambling man myself, but it's worth pointing out that all drinks and food on offer to casino "players" are free - even to those only prepared to risk a little on the fruit machines. Do drop in on the Dome this summer, even if you're not a guest. Make your way through the lobby and bar on to the huge terrace overlooking the pools and glittering Med and order up an icy beer (£1.60) and a tempting cocktail (£3) for your partner. Stay there all afternoon if you like, because the taxi fare home is unlikely to cost you more than £1. Who'd go to Raffles!

We have just returned from a week in Kyrenia staying at the Dome Hotel. I must admit that we were a bit apprehensive visiting Kyrenia as the impression we had been given was that it was more of ‘retirement’ place and very quiet. Whilst we didn’t want karaoke bars and lager louts we did want to have some fun and late nights. We did in fact find several late night bars and clubs hidden away which kept us amused until the wee small hours (check out the Night Jar for those of you who like late nights). We had a brilliant holiday and I would love to visit the resort again in the not too distant future. The harbour area is very pleasant and there are lots of nice restaurants where you can sit and watch the world go by. Try the Harbour Café the staff there look after you really well – and they have live music on occasionally too. Try the Raki although with water it’s a bit bitter but we finally managed to get it served in a tall glass with 7Up and it was very nice – quite addictive! The streets feel very safe, and for two women on their own, this was really important, not once during our stay did we feel at all ‘threatened’ even though the streets were full of groups of youths. There are lots of backstreets to go exploring so there’s plenty to do if you don’t want to just laze about soaking up the rays. For those of you enjoy shopping there are lots of little boutique type shops, some fantastic shoe shops (it's a woman thing!) and loads of jewellers with some pretty amazing pieces. The Hotel itself is in a fantastic location right in the middle of everything and it made a nice change to be able to walk everywhere. The hotel has been refurbished but it still seems very ‘jaded’. The hotel was kept very clean and tidy, and the staff were helpful and very friendly. The pool area is a definite bonus as you have the benefit of the pool but you’re surrounded by the sea. On arriving at the hotel (at 5.30 am as our flights were delayed!) we were allocated a room which faced onto the street, we had in fact booked a sea view room and paid extra for the privilege. We were told to go to the room allocated and they’d sort it out later. (This appears to happen quite often apparently). We decided against this as we wanted to get unpacked and get settled and didn’t want the hassle of having to change our room later that day. Eventually a room was found for us and it was much larger than the original room with lovely views over the sea and the promenade. We booked bed and breakfast but our holiday was upgraded to half board at no extra cost. As we wanted to get out and about and try different restaurants we only ate in the hotel on two evenings but both times the food was plentiful. We booked through Jewels of the World and they were brilliant right from the initial booking to the Rep in resort. Esat (our rep) really looked after us and if he didn’t see us around the hotel on his visits he would give us a quick ring in the early evening to see if we were OK! When our flight was delayed the day before departure they rang us up and told us not to go to the airport so early which saved us hanging around the airport for hours on end. As we only had 6 days there we booked just a few trips (all very reasonably priced) so we could make the most of our stay. On the Monday we went to Nicosia for half a day which was quite an eye opener. We also went to the Cyprus night which was good fun and gave us the opportunity to make new friends. We were due to go out on a boat trip but the weather turned very windy and we were unable to go however staying on land and watching the waves crashing over the harbour walls was quite spectacular. The weather was really hot in the daytime but the wind tended to get up around 4 ish, an ideal time to abandon the pool and go exploring, with the cool sea breeze it’s easy to forget just how hot the sun can be so make sure you use plenty of high factor sun cream. The pool area was very quiet and ideal for really chilling out with a good book or even having a nice snooze to catch up on missed sleep! Now the bad bits! The flight out was a nightmare! Onur Airlines were just awful. We were advised of an initial delay of 2 ½ hours the day before. However, when we got to Manchester, the flight was delayed by a further 1 ¾ hours. We checked in and were allocated our seats, we were then called over the tannoy and had to go to the information desk where we were told our seats had been changed – no explanation was given! Once on board the seat I was allocated was impossible – in fact there was a good 5 inches less leg room than on the row directly opposite, I couldn’t even open a book in front of me! If the lady in front had tilted her seat back it would have been resting on my chin!!!! When we touched down in Turkey we were supposed to be on the ground for just 50 minutes – this ended up being 1 hr 50 minutes. There is no in-flight entertainment so take a good book or better still take an mp3 player so at least you can have music! Also take some water as we were only offered refreshments once during the 8 hours we were on the plane! I must say though the flight home was much better (although still delayed by 4 hours!).

We stayed at the Dome for 5 nights, having left the Rocks where we'd booked after the first night: no balcony, no sea-view. The Dome is a bit older no doubt but very charming. Every evening was spent sitting on the balcony right by the sea. Friendly staff, good food, we'd go there again any time!

We stayed at the DOME Hotel in Kyrenia in October 2004on B&B and what a wondreful place it is. Even though the hotel was undergoing a make over, it is about 70 years old we a the most wonderful relaxing chill out. With three swiming pools (2 fresh, 1 sea) only the very rare child or 18-30's, with a huge area to lounge around you can have a totally quiet relaxing time. Ask for a Sea view as the front is on a fairly busy street. They do themed diners most nights, but it is the variety of great eaterys very close by that is wonderful. Out of town you have wonderful countryside, empty roads, empty beeches, Castles stuck to the sumits of mountains as if by magic, ancient ruined towns, this place is just great. Car hire £20 a day for a new Ford Feista withac and for those of us from the UK they drive on the left. As with the hotel the town is undergoing extensive refurbishment with grants from the EU but it is the genuine, freindly, hospitable, honest people of North Cyprus that is so welcoming. You can wander the back streets of the old town of Kyrenia late at night with no fear of crime, No drunks, it is trully wonderful place. The harbour area is full of great places to eat and you can have a really good meal with wine for under£10. wonder the back streets and you find lots of really good resturants. If you are tired of over commercialised hoiday resorts, British drunks, 18-30's, and you want to have a truly relaxing care free holiday then try North Cyprus, you will love it

Have just returned from a weeks holiday,in Kyrenia. Loved it,cant wait to go back,next year. We stayed at THe Dome Hotel,excellent hotel, excellent staff,excellent food,excellent location. Nothing to much trouble,everyone so friendly. Right on the Harbour,so near restaurants and shops. Highly recommend this hotel.