Windmills Hotel Apartments

5 readers found this review helpful

We arrived early evening and were immediately impressed by the reception area - we thought we'd got the wrong place and gone to a 5 star hotel! Check in was quick and easy and the staff were really helpful in explaining how to find our apartment and asked if there was anything else we needed. The hot water wasn't working but when I told reception about it, they fixed it immediately.
I booked a studio apartment which was surprisingly spacious and it was spotlessly clean and had a nice balcony to sit out on. The maid came nearly every day and even tidied our room!
The entertainment in the hotel bar was excellent with live shows every night and the bar staff as well as the family who own the hotel were really friendly and made us feel really welcome.
The food in the restaurant was first class and we tried their speciality Meze which was a real feast and one of the best nights out of our holiday.
Thank you Windmills for a really great holiday

5 readers found this review helpful

When we got here we realised that during in drop offs my partners suitcase had been swopped with someone at another hotel the driver was very good and went straight back to get it for him so not a good start but nothing to do with the hotel!
When we got to reception there was a old lady sat there that could not speak a word of english so she hollard in greek to another man who saunteered as slow as he could over to reception he then proceeded to abruptly ask me to hand over our passports not something i've ever had to do before but went with it! he walked us to back of hotel and pointed out some directions to where our room was didnt bother to show us so we spent half and hour on a very hot night looking for this room!
when we got to the room we got a call to say that my partners suitcase had arrived so he went straight down to get it and found it standing alone in the middle of reception for any1 to grab!!
The hotel room was very basic but we werent expecting much from a 2.5 hotel we just wanted somewhere to sleep as my family were stoppin in the area to so we would be spending alot of time with them! Well the room 3 floors up no view what so ever other than looking at other people on balconies, beds very uncomfortable, in room was a fridge a kettle plates cutlery glasses etc enough for the amount in the room, when you had a shower it was ok except the fact that due to some fault the floor looked like a swimming pool everytime you had one. Balcony railings very iffy beware with children neva leave unattended!!!!
Cleaners came in everyday apart from sunday and beds changed 2/3 times a week which was brilliant and cleaners friendly enough only problem was our lock was broken so if you dint drop latch from inside upon leaving your door was unlocked so evry time they went in the door was left open not that we had anything go missing or anything!!!
Their take away was run by a really nice polish lad the most friendly member of staff there was and treated his regulars how they deserved to be treated the food had its ups and downs but if you stick to the special greek pizza or hallumi n luntza pittas you will be fine!!!
We went to the bach every day so never used the pool but from what we could see there always seemed to be rubbish laying about and pool had a green tinge!
Staff in bar where ok not the friendlist and really not the cheapeast night and if you there 4 2 weeks by the 1st week you seen all the entertainment the place has to offer as same stuff over and over again the singer who sang every night and dj'd was lovely and had a brill voice but after hearing it from like 7pm 2 2am every day of the week it was jus too much!!!
Only ate in the restaurant once put it this way never again!!!
On our last night there a manager spoke to my partner about his stay and my partner being the more approachable of the 2 of us said well it ok but very basic he was asked what he thought it needed being a typical bloke he said a tv in the room and according to the part owner or whatever he was he said that they had plans to update during the closedown season 2009 so this summer it could be oh so differnt but with everything in cyprus cigar cigar (slowly slowly).

6 readers found this review helpful

Having just returned from the Windmills apts i think we must have booked into the wrong apts acording to the following reviews it was nothing like they discibed
the new revampt resturant and reception area is some of the best i have seen as for the maid service it was perfect clean sheets and towels every other day yes cooking facilities are very basic but who wants to cook a 3 course dinner when on holiday The rest of the management and staff well they were perfect
Tony Eleni Maria Andraos THEY MADE YOU FEEL VERY WELCOME
Hoping to return later this year for a longer stay
Ken & Brenda

8 readers found this review helpful

Just returned from the Windmills apartments in Panera, we booked late just fancied a week away its the seventh year we have visited Panera and unfortunetly we couldn't get in the hotel we normally go to. We did check the reviews before we left and as usual they were very mixed. If onl we had taken notice of the reviews that dont go, we arrived at 07.00am very tired and in need of a couple of hours sleep no such luck, The apartment was dirty the smell from the bathroom was stomach churning the pillows where dirty and stained. The fully equipped kitchen had two gas rings two dirty pans and a set of camping cutlery oh yes i forgot enough Silver Fish to have a fish supper with. We went onto the dirty balcony and were horrified when the maid walked up with a bucket of dirty mop water and threw it inches from our balcony making it a perfect breading groung for mosquitos and my God we were eaten alive when we sparayed the rooms it was like a mortuary when we came back.In the brochure it states maid service 5 times a week what a joke they came in once and put a clean bottom sheet on the beds.

5 readers found this review helpful

If you want a hassle free relaxing, quiet holiday then don't go here. We arrived at 11pm and were shown to a studio room (we paid for a 1 bed apartment) the door of the room would not lock and we were told they would fix it in the morning so to keep us safe that night we had to move the sofa in front of the door. We complained about the room the next morning and were then shown a room up 6 flights of stairs when we explained that i have a disability they just said they were trying to help and we were not being helpful. We agreed to keep this room as it was big and were promised compensation, that took 3 days to get and only ended up being a 20 Euro meal voucher which we were shouted at when we did use.
The bar staff were very friendly and helpful but as for the management they were both intimidating and rude. The disco can be heard from most of the rooms and this does not finish until 2am so dont expect a good nights sleep. The supermarket was expensive.
On the last day we read the visitors book and this was full of complaints, while in reception we witnessed the manager shouting at a young lady who was just trying to complain.
All in all dont go would be my advise.

5 readers found this review helpful

Upon arrival at 11pm we were greeted by staff that weren't really clear on what they were doing and the realisation that we were in a very lively and very LOUD bar that was out for all they could get!(Charging for each air con unit and for safety deposit and overcharging on simple items in their shop!) the self catering facilities were poor. Not enough glasses or even cutlery and only one burner worked!!. The disco was so loud that we didn't sleep for 2 nights... we're no prudes but with 2 children we wanted to get them asleep by at least 1am!! Upon request we were moved room up 3 flights of stairs! The staff seemed friendly enough but all throughout the stay it seemed that if you weren't spending every penny in their shop or restaurant or bar you were snubbed!! The rooms were cleaned most days and the cleaners were nice enough but the towels were not changed enough in our case. The swimming pool had far too much chlorine in it, I think this was to over compensate the fact it wasn't cleaned regularly enough! We loved Protaras and the water park in Ayia Napa is a definate must but as for Windmills...... never again!...Oh and to top it off we had a resident pigeon on our balcony that cooed early in the morning and crapped on our towel on the balcony! Room 306... just to warn you!! lol!

4 readers found this review helpful

I have just returned from a 2 weeks stay and want to go straight back. The hotel was very clean and we saw no insect problems at all the room had lots of space and toewels and bedding were changed frequently we never got bitten which is a first. The entertainment at night was very good we saw Robbie Williams Michael Jackson(the night before he died) Freddie Mercury Abba Rock Chicks Blues Brothers and Tony the hypnotist and many more all at no extra cost. Tony was fantastic and managed to put 3 of our party under which was even better. The staff were all exceptionally friendly especially Honza Emily and Emma (where did she get all that energy from). Nothing was to much trouble for anyone if they could help they did. Whilst we were there a diving school opened up as part of the hotel Simon was fantastic with my daughter when she went diving with him twice.
If you want an affordable holiday with friendly staff great entertainment then choose this hotel we are so happy we did.

2 readers found this review helpful

weve just returned back from windmills after a 7 day stay and can say after reading revues here we where quietly surprised,we were give apt 227 which overlooks the pool area and it was ok big enough a fridge 2 ring stove and kettle we only had b/fast there and slept so it was ok,we had a small ant problem in bathroom and for 2 days we had giant roaches in apt but cleaner cleaned up and must of sprayed stuff around as we never saw any more creepies,pool area small but ok nice and clean friendly bar staff 2 euros for a pint and music was never overly loud,the entertainment was hit and miss abba,drag queen fredie mercury all ok but robbie williams and michael jackson very average never got to see the hypnotist, we had 1 meal at windmills which was average,knights bar across the road has fantastic food and good atmosphere,italian ressie 5 min walk away also wonderful food with great waiting staff and a mexican one just across the road also great food with the fastest serving staff we have ever seen (well it was called speedy gonzales)a 20 min walk away on the new boardwalk is flamengo beach and fig tree bay which were just brilliant crystal clear waters white sands loads of watersports if you want,dont eat at the very expensive beach cafe though walk to the top of the road where the is lots of nice and cheaper places to grab a sandwich and a cool beer,a trip on the yellow boat with capt andreas and his wife laura and 2 kids well worth it for just 10 euros they take you on a four hour cruise with two breath taking swimming stops in crystal clear waters,also had a day at ayia napa waterpark which at 30 euros each is expensive but a great day make sure to arrive there before the 10am opening and take towels as they dont hire them out.overall i good holiday at a not too bad price although you do spend a bit during week we spent 650 euros.

My partner and I decided to book a 2 week vacation in Cyprus last year and knowing nothing about the island or the areas, left it all in the hands of a travel agent, who chose Windmills (we got half board for 660 euros per person). His reason for choosing Protaras and the east of the Island - it was "for the younger crowd". Since we are both in our 30's, we didn't fancy the pensioner blue-rinse set type holiday.
Accommodation:
Reasonably clean but slightly shabby rooms. We had an apartment with bedroom and living room with small kitchenette. The kitchenette was only really useful for making tea, coffee and sandwiches - forget making any large meals here (2 ring camping stove). Before we arrived we did read online reports of hanging wires, dead bugs, etc- but happy to report it was not as bad as we feared. There was an ant problem in the kitchen, but we just made sure we didn't leave any food out to attract them.
No TV or radio, so bring something with you. We did not pay for the aircon, since it was a cheek to charge for it - but at that time of year we didnt really need it (temperatures of about 24°C). The bathroom was a bit dingy but reasonably clean (shower curtain and bath surround was mould-free, which is a good indicator). Bedding changed once a week and towels every other day.
Facilities:
Nothing really exciting - just a pool (unfortunately the music during the day was a bit loud for our tastes - I think I heard "Mr. Loverman" played about 25 times during our stay). Pool was clean - except for 4 days where it was out of action due to a huge tropical storm that had rained desert sand into it. The pool was cleaned up within a few days though.
There are very basic laundry facilities (2 top loader machines and dryer) which cost money to use (I forget how much though).
The bar was ok, nice, friendly staff. We are not really big "bar" people so we only went in there a few times.
Entertainment: Consists of "tribute acts", hypnotists and karaoke. We didn't see the hypnotists but some of the tribute acts we did see (Abba, Kylie Minogue and Freddy Mercury) were pretty dire (sub-karaoke talent). All was free though, so take it or leave it.
Food: We had booked half board. The breakfast is terrible - the continental breakfast "buffet" consisted of 4 tupperware containers, containing sliced processed ham, sliced processed cheese, cucumber slices and tomato slices. There is toast available but you have to toast it yourself and the jam is disgusting (I think the only time it saw fruit was when someone ran past the factory and blew a raspberry). There were also cold boiled eggs on some days. There was an option to order "full english" breakfast, but even that was pretty poor - one small sausage, one small rasher of bacon, one fried egg and a splat of baked beans.
Dinner was ok - our half board consisted of a set daily meal which was on a week rotation. Nothing special - dessert was a choice of icecream or coffee (Nescafe), but you also had the option of ordering from the "proper" menu if you wanted (at cost). It was nice to be guaranteed to get something to eat (through the half board) but after 5 days the food all looks and tastes the same, so it was good to get out and eat dinner elsewhere.
Staff: Generally friendly and helpful. Found some of the younger male staff's small talk about 'pussy' tiresome (since my partner and I appeared to be 2 single males).
Beaches: nothing really in the immediate vicinity - a 20 minute walk takes you to the main beach in Protaras, with watersports and nice swimming possibilities (no rocks or seaweed like on the other smaller beaches - urgh). We found the beaches to be somewhat dirty, full of litter and discarded cigarette butts, despite provided litter bins. While lying on a sunlounger, I dangled my hand in the sand and dug about and came up with someone's improvised ashtray (12 ciggie butts, buried there).
General comments: The nearby shops for buying daily purchases are extremely expensive, since there are no other shops or supermarkets around. The small towns are built ONLY for tourism - you won't find any culture here (unless it's the Culture Club tribute act).
Cyprus is a very expensive place and if you are not careful, you will find that your money runs through your fingers very quickly. Agia Napa is full of souvenir shops stocking fake Gucci/Louis Vuitton/Burberry(of course)/Versace/Brand Perfumes, etc.
Conclusion: No frills apartment, reasonably clean, average food. Nights loud (due to bars all competing with each other for volume) - but gets quieter at around 2am. Expensive to buy supplies. Not really geared up for people who don't want to go boozing every night.
Go with low expectations and a full wallet and you won't be disappointed :)
TIPS: Rent a Street Buggy or scooter from the guy across the road - great fun and you get to see a bit more of the island (head south west to the corner of the island for great views).
Do not buy souvenirs or gifts in the nearby shops. Walk to Protaras or drive to Agia Napa where they are better quality and slightly cheaper.
Take earplugs with you!

1 reader found this review helpful

Having just arrived back from a weeks holiday in Cyprus i just had to right and congradulate the staff and owners for a great time at the Windmill Apts.
The apartments are a little dated but very clean we dont go on holiday to cook or watch tv. Food in the resterant was fantastic and reasonably priced the only complaint was there was to much lol The staff were all very friendly espesialy Fish and Danny behind the bar. The evenings entertainments was very good.looking forward to returning next year