Columbia Beach Resort

We stayed for a week in the height of the school summer holidays with our two sons aged 10 and 14. The hotel is genuinely very nice, and the bedrooms were faultless - not to mention the Molton Brown toilettries and the oversized baths. Although we found the housekeeping to be a little variable and the toilettries not quite as plentiful as others have found. I had a faulty bath plug which meant i couldnt empty the bath and this wasnt fixed all week - housekeeping somehow emptied it most days!! The outside areas are lovely - although as the hotel is terraced on at least 3 levels there are a lot of steps/slopes leading right down to beach level. The pool is glorious and at 80m long there is plenty of room for everybody. Sunloungers were occasionally at a premiun poolside but there are also the gardens and the beach if really full. The spa is gorgeous and I had a fantastic hot pebble massage for 90 minutes which was one of the best spa treatments I have ever had. The service in the hotel we did not find to be worthy of a 5 star hotel and the food also fairly average. We waited some time in the Apollo ouzerie on the 2 occasions we ate therefor some fairly average food. Being late risers in the morning we often had to wait for a table at breakfast. Our children didnt really have the energy to do anything other than swim and read, so we didn't make use of the squash and gym as we had intended - although these were excellent facilities. Watersports on the beach were good, and would recommend the waterskiing tuition and parasailing. The beach was disappointing, and we also found the immediate vicinity of Pissouri very uninspiring, with a few choices of taverna but nothing special. We really enjoyed lunch beachside at the Captains Bay for great mezzes, calamari etc, and it is breezy on really hot days. The evenings are DEAD in the hotel!! There are so few people in the bars of the hotel - we just couldnt understand where everyone got to! We went up to Pissouri village in the mountains 3 times (5£ in a taxi single) and would recommend the Bunch of Grapes food - although we had service problems on our first visit, and the Hideaway taverna for good greek food. Generally, its a nice hotel, and the accomodation very good, but we were unimpressed with the food, beach and village. Not sure we would return to Cyprus although is probably great off-season when the temperatures are in the 20s and not the late 30s!! Saying that I would definitely go back on a girls spa short break weekend, but not really with the kids. (We went to Sani resort last year in Halkidiki last year and liked that much better for chicness and quality of food and things to do for children!!)

This will sound like being a sourpuss, but we specifically booked two very nice rooms in the resort as we'd really wanted to stay there. I have just been phoned by the management who tell me THEY have overbooked, and although there was availability when I booked, they now have to cancel my reservation and send me to another hotel - one I don't particularly want to go to, even if it may be a bit 'nicer'. The lady on the phone was rude and abrupt. I was informed I had two options - take the alternative hotel, select different dates (?to be bumped again) or if neither of these were acceptable I could basically forget my booking. Probably the reason I was bumped is because I booked directly rather than with expedia or similar. I'm annoyed, but also disappointed by the lack of explanation, the rudeness and the arrogant manner in which I was dealt with. Shame as the place is gorgeous!

We have just come back from the Columbia Beach Resort (not Hotel), where we stayed for 10 days. We had an amazing time from start to end. The resort is gorgeous and the staff wonderful. We got off to a great start by being upgraded to a fantastic suite high up on the hill overlooking the resort. It was a killer climb every day (for me in my heels anyway) but worth the view and peace and quiet when you got there! That is not to say that the resort was noisy – far from it – but we don’t have children and love being away from the pool/beach activities when we are in our room. The pool was really fantastic, clean and the water was warm – you could swim 80 metres in one length! The beach was fine – certainly not the best you’ve ever been to since it was mixed pebble/sand but the sun loungers were great. Plus there was waiter service to the beach too so we had an ice cream and salad whilst watching Yiannos of Columbia Watersports brilliantly teach another person how to waterski and wakeboard. I would recommend Yiannos to anyone who wants to learn skiing – he has a way of teaching that is pretty much failsafe and he is really keen on safety (on one day he wouldn’t let us ski because he thought it was too choppy for us – even though that clearly hit him in the pocket). The rooms were lovely – big, clean, well appointed. Beware of one thing that has changed this year though – we were merrily helping ourselves to the soft drinks in the minibar since according to TripAdvisor clients they are complimentary. Well…not anymore! It changed this year as we found to our cost on checkout. Not wishing to repeat things said by others on TripAdvisor, suffice to say we agree with the comments that the rooms are gorgeous, luxurious and the toiletries and double bath were real treat! Stelios the hotel manager was great. He really wanted to make sure our holiday was perfect and whether he could do anything to make it better. On one evening after a particularly tiring game of tennis he even dropped me back to our room in the golf cart buggy so I didn’t have to walk back. Whilst in the buggy I mentioned that I had brought Starbucks from England but had no coffee plunger and within 10 minutes one was delivered to the room with his compliments. Now that is service! Thank you again Stelios. People have mentioned the impact of weddings at the resort. We had about 5 during the course of our 10 days and I must say it didn’t impact us at all. The staff maintained their high level of service and in fact, it was lovely to hear the laughter from the receptions held on the lawn – it was so romantic. The quality of the food, the poolside setting and, again, service was great. We dressed for dinner on a number of occasions and were pleased to find others did the same. It really made for a sense of occasion and the food quality justified it. The rest of the resort is beautifully appointed – all the hotel common areas are fantastic. The hotel and bar areas are full of little nooks and crannies with comfy sofas and chairs with great views yet the ability to be private in these public areas. Notwithstanding this, it is true to say that the resort is quiet in the evening and therefore teens could get bored. However for us that was perfect - we brought DVDs from London and sometimes just watched them in our suite. Not for everyone but a good tip for others! We didn’t try the spa but it looked incredibly luxurious. By the way, most of the pictures on TripAdvisor are from the hotel next door, which is great because the Resort is so much more fancier! It means when you arrive that you get a great surprise to see e.g. the size of the suites and the size of the pool! In summary then – fabulous and we’re going back! We loved every minute from start to end. Our only slight embarrassment is that, loving it so much, we didn’t leave the resort other than one evening for about 2 hours! We didn’t like Paphos at all!

We just got back from 2 weeks in the Columbia Beach Hotel in the magnificent Pissouri Bay in Cyprus. The hotel is situated right on the beach and has windsurfing, sailing and other watersports available right on the beach in front of the hotel. If you are looking for a quiet relaxing holiday this is definitely the place to go. Pissouri Bay itself has no more than ten restaurants and 3 or 4 small supermarket / shops so needless to say it is quiet (in a good way). The recently newly decorated hotel itself has a magnificent lobby and superb rooms with very comfortable large beds and flat screen tv etc. Hotel facilities include Sauna, Steamroom, Gym and Spa. The pool and pool area are fantastic. There were no problems getting sun loungers during the day and towels were provided in the pool area. The staff were all very friendly passing around complimentary cool facecloths and iced tea during the hot days. Each evening has a themed buffet or a set dinner (with A La Carte always available) with entertainment provided until around 9:30 / 10:00 approx. Breakfasts were excellent with a wide variety to choose from in the buffet. All in all we would highly recommend the Columbia Beach Hotel and are looking forward to going back again.

We stayed here for 5 days and were really sorry it wasn't longer! Having booked what we thought was a standard room on line, we were delighted to find we'd been given a suite at no extra cost. This really was a 5* experience. Two big rooms, the furniture and fittings were top quality, comfortable bed, everything spotlessly clean and the most effective and quietest air conditioning we've ever experienced. The whole hotel reflects the same standard and attention to detail. Staff were friendly, polite and there when you needed them. The buffet breakfast was a daily treat and, most days, at a table overlooking the sea. Excellent snacks or meals were available all day on the lovely terraces. We found it a peaceful, utterly relaxing experience. You could easily spend all your time in the hotel complex and the little village but if you have a chance, get up into the Troodos Mountains and explore. Lunch at The Old Mill in Kakopetria is an experience in itself and we can recommend the local trout! [--] The chaos at Larnaca Airport when we left rather spoilt the previous 5 days - make sure you allow plenty of time for queuing if you choose this route to fly.

Having been invited to a family wedding in Cyprus, we did some research and decided that the Columbia Beach resort looked like the ideal place to stay for a week, and on arrival we were not disappointed. The rooms are beautifully designed, and very large and spacious. The bathrooms are again very large, with a bath for 2, complete with cushions either end, and unlimited molton brown products provided. The whole resort oozes style and sophistication, and from what we heard from other guests many return year after year. The 2 restaurants are excellent, one a taverna style, which is informal and serves tradtional meals, the other a superb a la carte restaurant, where the food and service were just excellent, having eaten in many Michelin star restaurants previously, the food here was comparable, and beautifully presented. Most people (except us) dressed up to the nines for dinner in the a la carte restaurant, so you can really go to town if you choose to. The spa is also fantastic with a wide range of treatments at very conpetitive prices, in fact I was pleasantly surprised at the prices considering many 5* hotels seem to charge a high premium in their spas. The beach is ok, but no sand, and mainly stones and rocks, so dont have romantic ideas about paddling in the water, hand in hand. We stuck to the pool. The area of Pissouri is very traditional, although there are many housing developments in progress (where isnt there these days), but it didnt stop us from venturing into the village a few times, and we even ate dinner and lunch out on one occasion, the local bars and restaurants are very traditional and the food is cheap and good quality. Dont confuse the Columbia Beach Hotel, with the Columbia Beach Resort as although they are next to each other the quality is quite different, and this is reflected in the price. All in all Columbia Beach Resort is a true 5* hotel, with superb service, and decor and I wouldnt hesitate to recommend it to anyone seeking a quality and relaxing break.

If you like peaceful, relaxing breaks, then this is the hotel for you. We didn't do any sightseeing as we couldn't tear ourselves away from relaxing by the pool or seaside. Beach isn't golden sand - so bring rubber sandals as the rocks are hard on the soles. Dining under the stars in the hotel tavern and the meze were fabulous. Be hungry though. Quality was great. Breakfast by the pool is also lovely and plentiful. Nice walk along the beach (5 mins) to local cheap restaurants if you feel like something culturally different. There's even a curry house ! Rooms are lovely, spacious and comfortable and molton brown toiletries always win my vote. Wouldn't hesitate this place to anyone who wants to get away from it all, relax, and be spoiled by great staff. If anyone has a bad time here then they would have to be simply unlucky. P.S. Candid photos on this site dont all appear to be of the resort rooms - I suspect they are rooms at the sister hotel next door to the resort. Resort rooms are much bigger than the photo on Tripadvisor.

Spent a week there on honeymoon and couldn't have wished for better. Room in the hotel was spacious and spotless, staff were discrete and attentive, location was superb. It really was brilliant.

We went to the Columbia Beach Resort on 2nd October 2006 and we married in the chapel there on 7th October 2006. The resort is BEAUTIFUL, but not cheap! The actual cost of staying in the resort is high, but truly five star. The hotel is on the sand and pebble beach and smack bang in the middle of Limassol and Paphos, close to the village of Pissouri. However be aware that he resort and neighbouring hotel are NOT within walking distance to the village. Get a car / quad / moped, which are all relativelty inexpensive. However best not to book your car etc through the hotel as you pay much more to do so. You can get local hire companies to deliver the car to the resort for you. The hotel has a great Spa which offers a full range of treatments and is worth taking advantage of if you can. The hotel also offers free internet access 24/7 so you can make all your friends back home green with envy!!! The room which we had overlooked the chapel where we married and it was lovely. The room was spacious and the bathroon was amazing, with a lovely double ended bath, separate shower and double basin, all tastefully decorated. Other plus point was that the toileires were all Molton Brown and were restocked daily, even if you only used a smidge out of the bottle. The actual room had a mini bar which was contained in a little tea making / cooking/ bar station. All soft drinks in the mini bar were free, which was great. The bar was re-stocked daily., There is a nice swim up bar (which is quite expensive) which also serves snacks and there is a children's pool too. The pool is lovely and extends inside the hotel into the Spa (and makes for great photo opportunities) This resort isnt pretentious at all, however it does lack life in the evening. We chose to eat out around the resort. There is an EXCELLENT little restaurant near the Columbia Hotel, i cant remember the name but its next door to the 'corner shop'. Also worth a try is the FANTASTIC Indian restaurant. We dont usually eat Indian on holiday, but this place is the business! Another nice place is the Vine Leaf Taverna, which does a mean meze. The village is cheaper than eating around the hotel, as the hotel and resort seem to set the precedent for higher pices and its nice to have a change by going into the village for a bite to eat. The neighbouring hotel is also very nice, but doesnt have the super duper touches that the resort has. Having said that, for half the price the hotel is probably the better option. The hotel is also a bit more lively, although if you are looking for a rocking holiday, this is NOT the place for you. If however you want a nice holiday with good food and a relaxed atmosphere, its a definite thumbs up. If you are thinking of getting married at the resort, I recommend it. Its a great location for your photos and I can recommend a good photographer! We had our reception on the Oval Terrace,which was lovely, but the meal, which was in the Oval Room wasnt quite so nice. I did see a wedding on the grass area, which looked like a nice option, although you would need a big do to fill the space. Make sure that you get your candlelit meal, as we missed out on ours and that was a real shame because the restaurant is fab. The other downside about having your reception at the resort is the price of the champagne. We decided to source ours locally and pay the corkage fee and it saved literally hundreds of pounds. We had a florist in Paphos who did our flowers and she did a wonderful job...her name is Reya...be aware though that many of the flowers are imported and cost a lot more than you would expect. Overall we really enjoyed ourselves and would recommend this litle slice of luxury to anyone.

Stayed at this hotel July this year for one week with my wife and two sons, aged 11 and 5 . Rooms were of a good standard with a nice modern feel. Breakfasts were buffet style with lots of choice. We stayed half board - so most evenings we were at the dining area outside near pool - again buffet - ok standard - though started to look very samey during week - very nice atmosphere though with low key entertainment - always a clear sky and full moon - very nice. Staff very protective of tables with good view of entertaiment - dont know why? The pool area was great for my 5 year old as he could play safely in the small pool with our loungers nearby. Became busy at weekends with locals who would use the pool bar and then use the pool/loungers. Pissouri itself (beach area and hill top village) were a little boring and a bit scruffy to be honest. The hotel is linked to the resort area and which is more upmarket i.e has a spa, posher - rooms , pool and menu - no atmosphere though, so not really worth the extra money we felt. Childcare - there is a childrens club/room at the resort which guest at the hotel can use - it was run by a teenaged girl who was polite and kind but not in control - kids could easily have left the room and play area without being spotted - in the end we used the one to one babysitting service for a couple of ours a day - about £8 per hour. The beach was nice infront of the hotel/resort with a watersport facility - fairly expensive -avoid the trip offered to aphrodites rock 30 mins boat trip there and back - not value for money £60+ for four. All in all this hotel is a great place to stay for around 3 days, a week was too long here given that there nothing really to do in pissouri. Tips: take a small travel kettle with you no tea or coffee facilities in rooms - tea approx £2.50 with room service.