Eleni Holiday Village, Paphos, Cyprus
Hotel Information
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Hotel Description:
The Eleni Holiday Village in Paphos Cyprus is set in an attractive location at the western end of Paphos, the Eleni Holiday Village Apartments are positioned in ideal surroundings. These pleasant apartments are perfect for a relaxing holiday yet with plenty of facilities for all the family. The centre of Paphos is 8kms away where you will find a variety of shops, restaurants and bars but there is also a small selection to be found closer to the accommodation, 700m away. loading...
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Eleni Holiday Village Reviews
" Just got back from a week’s holiday... "
Submitted By: Mr D Chinnock
Just got back from a week’s holiday in Cyprus & the Eleni. What a great place.
Food was excellent with a very wide choice each day.
The room (1402) was large & spacious & very clean. The staff was so friendly, well done to Barbara & Mohammad, they kept us laughing throughout the week.
We really could not find anything to dislike about the Eleni, we go all inclusive most holidays & this ranks as one of the really good ones.
Every guest at the hotel was so friendly (especially Del & Wendy), & most joined in with the fun & games.
So if you get a chance to stay there, go, enjoy, we will be going back for more.
Food was excellent with a very wide choice each day.
The room (1402) was large & spacious & very clean. The staff was so friendly, well done to Barbara & Mohammad, they kept us laughing throughout the week.
We really could not find anything to dislike about the Eleni, we go all inclusive most holidays & this ranks as one of the really good ones.
Every guest at the hotel was so friendly (especially Del & Wendy), & most joined in with the fun & games.
So if you get a chance to stay there, go, enjoy, we will be going back for more.
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- Date of Holiday:May 2007
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" We stayed for 14 nights.
We stayed for 14 nights.
Apartments were cleaned regular but still had a few ants. My mum had a cockroach in her apartment which attracted more ants.
Beds were slightly uncomfortable but apartment was spacious and clean.
The food was less impressive, too many green leaves or herbs which put me off.
Entertainment was excellent, lots to watch, bingo was good. Be warned if you win you have to do shaky shaky but it’s all part of the fun and Mohammed and Barbra kept us entertained.
All inclusive is good value for money, weather was excellent and my son loved the pool.
All staff were friendly Mohammed was good with my son, kept him smiling. My brother loved the drink and entertainment too.
Would go back to Cyprus but maybe some where different.
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- Date of Holiday:Apr 2007
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Fleetway Travel Thomas Cook
" Again, we were slightly concerned... "
Submitted By: Mr M Olden
Again, we were slightly concerned about the Eleni; however as soon as we walked through the main doors late at night, it was clear we had made a good choice.
Our room was very spacious, clean and comfortable and our 15 month old daughter certainly seemed very happy to be there!
We went all inclusive and we found the food to very good with plenty of choice and variety, and the waiting staff were friendly and helpful. Our fellow guests were very friendly as well.
It was just what we wanted as a 1st holiday abroad for our daughter and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone wanting a family location.
Our room was very spacious, clean and comfortable and our 15 month old daughter certainly seemed very happy to be there!
We went all inclusive and we found the food to very good with plenty of choice and variety, and the waiting staff were friendly and helpful. Our fellow guests were very friendly as well.
It was just what we wanted as a 1st holiday abroad for our daughter and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone wanting a family location.
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- Date of Holiday:Apr 2007
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" We had 10 days stay and can I say the... "
Submitted By: Mr K Bown
We had 10 days stay and can I say the staff were fantastic.
The hotel was clean, we stayed in room 3114 overlooking the sea, it was clean.
The food was excellent, but too much for us as we were fully inc which yes we booked, but it was great to see the other guests over filling their plates as if they were not going get another meal.
My only complaint was that we were told that the kids club was active all year long, but it was not true. We were told it was the winter season so my 11 yr old son soon got fed up, so did the other kids, but the Adults seemed to be well cared for.
It was a shame that more effort had not been put in for the little ones. I guess it was the draw of the beer and the so called kids club entertainer, but after my moan the holiday was great and we did enjoy it.
But we would not book full inc again, as you need to be able to eat and drink like a king and end up like Henry the 8th.
Can I just say it was our first fully inc and it was a real eye opener.
The hotel was clean, we stayed in room 3114 overlooking the sea, it was clean.
The food was excellent, but too much for us as we were fully inc which yes we booked, but it was great to see the other guests over filling their plates as if they were not going get another meal.
My only complaint was that we were told that the kids club was active all year long, but it was not true. We were told it was the winter season so my 11 yr old son soon got fed up, so did the other kids, but the Adults seemed to be well cared for.
It was a shame that more effort had not been put in for the little ones. I guess it was the draw of the beer and the so called kids club entertainer, but after my moan the holiday was great and we did enjoy it.
But we would not book full inc again, as you need to be able to eat and drink like a king and end up like Henry the 8th.
Can I just say it was our first fully inc and it was a real eye opener.
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- Date of Holiday:Apr 2007
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Med Hotels
" Like many others, I read plenty of... "
Submitted By: Ms C Hossell
Like many others, I read plenty of reviews of the Eleni before travelling with my partner and three year old daughter and so was a little concerned.
This holiday was however, thoroughly enjoyable and we would definitely return to this hotel. Perhaps not in the busiest season though - partly because of the heat.
We returned yesterday after a fab week here on an all inclusive basis. Didn't want to come home!
We arrived close to midnight after a short transfer time of around 30 minutes, which included two drop offs in the centre of Paphos. In the dark its' difficult to get a feel for a place, but the apartment we stayed in was close to reception and situated handily above the onsite mini market.
The room was really clean, spacious and comfortable. Bring some tea or coffee things if you're arriving late at night!
Our first day, expecting to feel stranded in the middle of nowhere after reading some of these reviews - but this was far from the case, we had a bit of a wander.
The complex is really lovely with 2 excellent pools, and a grassed area (fantastic views from here), small children’s climbing thing (seemed very safe).
The small beach in to the side of the hotel was too gravelly with quite a rough, rocky sea for us. A few bars and restaurants, chemist and bigger supermarket were all a short walk up toward the main road. Perfect.
The bus service is excellent, no real need to hire a car. A short walk up to the main road gets you to the bus stops. Simple - go right for Paphos harbour and the daily Market in old Paphos OR left for the brilliant Coral bay Beach.
Stay on the bus until the end for the best bit of beach - ideal for families with little ones and you can hire a couple of loungers for £3 per day. The buses are frequent and cost 80cents per adult.
If you have a pushchair, be prepared to fold it and store it in the luggage compartments under the coach as some are quite old.
We spent most of our days at Coral Bay Beach, one day in Paphos and two days by the pool. One day was rained off! but the rest of the week was hot, with a bit of a breeze.
This was our first time all inclusive, and to be honest we used the hotel as a base but many families spent the full week within the complex. You can practically eat ALL day if you choose to.
The food is very good; always a very wide selection and the kids are well catered for.
One possible niggle would be that no one tells you exactly what you can or can't have, we found out on the plane home that you can order a picnic the day before if you are going to be out of the hotel all day - as we were!
The entertainment was good, ideal for families with small children. I never saw anything suggesting a 'kids club' during the daytimes - but I wouldn't have used one anyway as we were on holiday as a family!
Early evenings there would be a mini disco followed by a quick game of bingo before things like, parrot shows, fire eating shows, magicians, Greek dancing or karaoke/quizzes.
We found ourselves staying for most of these, and they were good - especially for the kids.
The hotel was full of British people who were all pretty friendly. It might have gotten too much though if we'd stayed all day everyday by the pool and every night in the bar! We agreed that at the height of the summer season things might be less bearable as we don't tend to go on holiday and wake up with a hangover every morning!
Overall, the three of us would definitely recommend this hotel. The flight times were good, arriving late at night and flying back to East Midlands at midnight also meant that we had 7 full days!
There is a charge of £20 Cyp to keep your room until 6 on the last day as regular check out time is noon - but if you are all inclusive you can keep your band until the coach comes to pick you up for the airport allowing you to have a meal before you depart. We didn't bother with in-flight meals.
Take some insect repellent! They were just coming into force as we were leaving! We had only a few ants in our room - as we killed a larger bug which attracted them!
If you want to stay by the pool, put your towel out! - We didn't!
This holiday was however, thoroughly enjoyable and we would definitely return to this hotel. Perhaps not in the busiest season though - partly because of the heat.
We returned yesterday after a fab week here on an all inclusive basis. Didn't want to come home!
We arrived close to midnight after a short transfer time of around 30 minutes, which included two drop offs in the centre of Paphos. In the dark its' difficult to get a feel for a place, but the apartment we stayed in was close to reception and situated handily above the onsite mini market.
The room was really clean, spacious and comfortable. Bring some tea or coffee things if you're arriving late at night!
Our first day, expecting to feel stranded in the middle of nowhere after reading some of these reviews - but this was far from the case, we had a bit of a wander.
The complex is really lovely with 2 excellent pools, and a grassed area (fantastic views from here), small children’s climbing thing (seemed very safe).
The small beach in to the side of the hotel was too gravelly with quite a rough, rocky sea for us. A few bars and restaurants, chemist and bigger supermarket were all a short walk up toward the main road. Perfect.
The bus service is excellent, no real need to hire a car. A short walk up to the main road gets you to the bus stops. Simple - go right for Paphos harbour and the daily Market in old Paphos OR left for the brilliant Coral bay Beach.
Stay on the bus until the end for the best bit of beach - ideal for families with little ones and you can hire a couple of loungers for £3 per day. The buses are frequent and cost 80cents per adult.
If you have a pushchair, be prepared to fold it and store it in the luggage compartments under the coach as some are quite old.
We spent most of our days at Coral Bay Beach, one day in Paphos and two days by the pool. One day was rained off! but the rest of the week was hot, with a bit of a breeze.
This was our first time all inclusive, and to be honest we used the hotel as a base but many families spent the full week within the complex. You can practically eat ALL day if you choose to.
The food is very good; always a very wide selection and the kids are well catered for.
One possible niggle would be that no one tells you exactly what you can or can't have, we found out on the plane home that you can order a picnic the day before if you are going to be out of the hotel all day - as we were!
The entertainment was good, ideal for families with small children. I never saw anything suggesting a 'kids club' during the daytimes - but I wouldn't have used one anyway as we were on holiday as a family!
Early evenings there would be a mini disco followed by a quick game of bingo before things like, parrot shows, fire eating shows, magicians, Greek dancing or karaoke/quizzes.
We found ourselves staying for most of these, and they were good - especially for the kids.
The hotel was full of British people who were all pretty friendly. It might have gotten too much though if we'd stayed all day everyday by the pool and every night in the bar! We agreed that at the height of the summer season things might be less bearable as we don't tend to go on holiday and wake up with a hangover every morning!
Overall, the three of us would definitely recommend this hotel. The flight times were good, arriving late at night and flying back to East Midlands at midnight also meant that we had 7 full days!
There is a charge of £20 Cyp to keep your room until 6 on the last day as regular check out time is noon - but if you are all inclusive you can keep your band until the coach comes to pick you up for the airport allowing you to have a meal before you depart. We didn't bother with in-flight meals.
Take some insect repellent! They were just coming into force as we were leaving! We had only a few ants in our room - as we killed a larger bug which attracted them!
If you want to stay by the pool, put your towel out! - We didn't!
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- Date of Holiday:Apr 2007
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" Just returned from two weeks at Eleni... "
Submitted By: Mrs L M Newton
Just returned from two weeks at Eleni Village, very pleasant lovely large room and very clean. The staff were very friendly and helpful.
We didn’t have any extra visitors (ants) maybe that was because we kept all the food in the fridge.
We didn’t find anything to complain about and would definitely recommend to others.
As our children are grown up we don’t go in school holidays, so it was mainly adults just a couple of small kiddies and was fairly quiet.
Overall a lovely holiday.
We didn’t have any extra visitors (ants) maybe that was because we kept all the food in the fridge.
We didn’t find anything to complain about and would definitely recommend to others.
As our children are grown up we don’t go in school holidays, so it was mainly adults just a couple of small kiddies and was fairly quiet.
Overall a lovely holiday.
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- Date of Holiday:Mar 2007
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" The eleni is a great place to go if... "
Submitted By: Miss S Hudnott
The eleni is a great place to go if you have children or not. There is everything there from kids club to darts. The food is lovley, so is the people. When you're there try the waterpark or the castle. There is tons to do.
There is four pools to choose from, One is a baby pool, One is the activity pool,
One is the main pool and last is the indoor pool for adults, (beware the pools are cold when you get in but it wear's out).
The night life can go on for ever weather it's karaoke or bingo. You will love it.
Since I went last year I want to back again, I recommend it to anyone.
There is four pools to choose from, One is a baby pool, One is the activity pool,
One is the main pool and last is the indoor pool for adults, (beware the pools are cold when you get in but it wear's out).
The night life can go on for ever weather it's karaoke or bingo. You will love it.
Since I went last year I want to back again, I recommend it to anyone.
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- Date of Holiday:Oct 2006
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" Just back from the Eleni and must say... "
Submitted By: Mr S Sim
Just back from the Eleni and must say we were happy with our holiday there. In this life you normally get what you pay for, and as we had booked a budget holiday, we were not expecting anything more than what we got.
As previous comments have said, the Eleni is a nice clean and welcoming place. The room we had (2002) was perfect for our needs. We had a perfect sea view, a balcony and peace and quiet as it was as far away from the bars and reception as you could get.
The room facilities were basic, you could not do any more cooking than a breakfast, but that did not bother us as we like to go out and sample the local restaurants wherever we are at. We tried the Eleni's restaurant on a couple of occasions, and were happy enough with what we got. At £6.95 (Cyprus pounds) for a 3 course, it was value for money.
The entertainment was very basic, and to be honest we did not partake of any of the daily or evening events. The chap doing the quizzes was very difficult to understand.
The Eleni is about 5 / 6 km out of Kato Pafos, and a car is almost essential for getting about. There are car hire sites just about everywhere you look, but my advice is book your vehicle before you leave Britain, it is cheaper. I booked a 4 door family car costing £60 for 5 days through moneysupermarket.com When I went to pick it up, I was upgraded to a 4x4 Nissan Terrano free of charge.
The only downside we had about the Eleni is, the towels/bedding are not changed often enough, and we had to share our apartment for a couple of days with a family of ants, but a tin of insect repellant from the local supermarket sorted them out.
I would recommend the Eleni if you want a hotel away from the busy tourist area, and you are looking to have a peaceful relaxing time. If we go back to Cyprus, we will definitely consider going back to the Eleni.
As previous comments have said, the Eleni is a nice clean and welcoming place. The room we had (2002) was perfect for our needs. We had a perfect sea view, a balcony and peace and quiet as it was as far away from the bars and reception as you could get.
The room facilities were basic, you could not do any more cooking than a breakfast, but that did not bother us as we like to go out and sample the local restaurants wherever we are at. We tried the Eleni's restaurant on a couple of occasions, and were happy enough with what we got. At £6.95 (Cyprus pounds) for a 3 course, it was value for money.
The entertainment was very basic, and to be honest we did not partake of any of the daily or evening events. The chap doing the quizzes was very difficult to understand.
The Eleni is about 5 / 6 km out of Kato Pafos, and a car is almost essential for getting about. There are car hire sites just about everywhere you look, but my advice is book your vehicle before you leave Britain, it is cheaper. I booked a 4 door family car costing £60 for 5 days through moneysupermarket.com When I went to pick it up, I was upgraded to a 4x4 Nissan Terrano free of charge.
The only downside we had about the Eleni is, the towels/bedding are not changed often enough, and we had to share our apartment for a couple of days with a family of ants, but a tin of insect repellant from the local supermarket sorted them out.
I would recommend the Eleni if you want a hotel away from the busy tourist area, and you are looking to have a peaceful relaxing time. If we go back to Cyprus, we will definitely consider going back to the Eleni.
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- Date of Holiday:Mar 2007
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" OUR ARRIVAL: After a relatively short... "
Submitted By: Mr RS Whitehead
OUR ARRIVAL: After a relatively short and pain-free transfer from Paphos airport, we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived at the Eleni.
It looked clean, quite modern and generally very pleasant. After a quick and simple check-in we headed up to our room.
ACCOMMODATION: On opening the door to our apartment (No. 1019) we were taken aback by how large it was.
It was an enormous improvement on the apartment we were stuck with on our last holiday (in Corfu) which had been similar to the prison cell/apartment that Victor Meldrew was given in One Foot in the Algarve.
Like the first impressions of the hotel itself, our apartment also appeared clean, relatively modern and, apart from a bit of a pong in the bathroom, not bad at all.
However, after just a couple of hours we noticed the odour coming from the bathroom was getting worse. By next morning it was apparent that there was a serious problem with the plumbing and by the evening, when we returned from the bar, the whole apartment was absolutely stinking of raw sewage and we had to keep the bathroom door firmly closed.
Andy, the First Choice Rep, sorted this out the next day, we were moved to the room next door and all seemed well and good.
Unfortunately, it turned out that the occupants of the next room over (which was connected to ours via a door, presumably for families needing two apartments) had somehow managed to burn out their apartment a few weeks before we arrived (I wonder if the occupants had been staying ‘all inclusive’ and taken too much advantage of the free bar).
We were reminded of the fire every time the cleaners turned up as the acrid smell of smoke wafted through the gaps in the door when they attempted to 'air' the gutted apartment.
Being British, we didn't ask to me moved a second time as we’d already made our point. Anyway, after a couple of days in our ‘new’ apartment an entire battalion of ants turned up to eat a few crisps that we had inadvertently dropped by one of the beds.
Someone from housekeeping quickly arrived and sprayed all around the room with a can of ant killer. On her way out she handed us a canary and advised us in broken English to keep the patio door open. Okay, I may have dreamt the bit about the canary.
Despite the amount of chemicals deposited in the apartment, the ants did turn up again, but at least they were wheezing a bit now and kept having to put down their crumbs every now and then to have a rest.
COOKING FACILITIES: As is usual with self catering accommodation in the Med, the Eleni apartments are 'equipped' with one of those horrendously temperamental/fundamentally flawed portable all-in-one oven and hob thingies.
Typically, you turn on both hobs and one of them will heat up relatively quickly while the other seems to take an eternity to catch up. If you have the audacity to turn on both hobs AND the oven then one of the hobs simply refuses to heat up.
How I actually managed to knock together even one half-decent meal on that horrible thing still amazes me. In my last attempt, I was so frustrated I just chopped up all the ingredients and chucked them in the casserole dish to make a stew (or casserole, I suppose).
Anyway, if you want to cook a meal in your apartment at the Eleni, then you will need to bear in mind the following:
1) An extra hour will need to be added to your preparation/cooking time to make up for the temperamental oven/hob thing.
2) No matter how small or simple your proposed meal is (apart from the previously mentioned stew), you will have to use every single pot and pan provided (a tiny frying pan, one boiling pan and two large casserole pans) if you want to get the job done.
3) When buying your ingredients from the local supermarket (the best one being about half a mile up a VERY steep hill) make sure you also remember to buy luxurious catering equipment not provided by the Eleni (a sieve, a spatula etc.).
HOTEL ENTERTAINMENT: If you like a game of bingo every night, a game of ‘Killer’ darts in the afternoon and are into quizzes, then you will be well catered for at the Eleni.
The ‘proper’ entertainment wasn’t too bad, but after two weeks it started to get on our nerves. The club style singers and the geriatric magician (who obviously loved what he did, bless him) weren’t really our cup of tea, but I must say that the Greek dancing show was good fun.
The best entertainment was provided by the very friendly Mohammed, who when he isn’t doing the bingo, quizzes or the occasional karaoke night performs his fire breathing, lying on a bed of broken glass and feats of strength routine.
I think Mohammed is from Tunisia, but he sounds a lot like Borat which can be very amusing.
As we stayed off-peak in February, I really hope that the entertainment at the Eleni improves as the season begins and the weather gets nicer (the weather was appalling during our stay, by the way).
If any managers from the Eleni are reading this, please make sure you hang on to Mohammed, he’s the best thing about the place.
THE BAR: The drinks prices at the indoor ‘Paris’ bar (where a lot of the entertainment takes place out of season) aren’t horrifically expensive, but they aren’t cheap either. If you want a quick ride to oblivion, I recommend you get a shot of the relatively cheap local fire water ‘Sivania’ and add it to a glass of Pepsi.
A couple of those and you’ll gradually begin to think that karaoke is the best thing ever invented and was created just to showcase your hidden talents.
As with the rest of the hotel, the bar staff at the Eleni pretty much turn up and do their job. There isn’t a lot of banter between guests and staff which is a shame. Maybe they hate their jobs, are badly paid or simply hate the British. Maybe it’s all three!
Anyway, the tall gangly bloke who was behind the bar when we were there got on my nerves with his lack of social skills and was very moody. Mind you, people probably say that about me, so there you go.
THE HOTEL RESTAURANT: As someone mentioned elsewhere, you should not book to stay at the Eleni expecting a Four Star Hotel when you get there. I’d give it three stars at a push.
Despite going self catering, we decided to try the hotel restaurant when I couldn’t face the cooker/hob thing anymore.
From our experience, the restaurant meals tended to be good every other day and were excellent only when genuine Cypriot dishes were on the menu. Having said that, the fresh fruit and salads were consistently good.
A word of warning about the breakfasts; the bacon tends to be barely cooked and swimming in grease, the fried eggs are a bit rubbery and the sausages are the worst I have ever had in my entire life. I cannot even begin to describe how horrible those tiny sausages were.
Even if you don’t take on board any of my other comments here, please take heed and keep away from those sausages. The breakfast sausage rolls were marginally better.
Yes, breakfast sausage rolls. Sausage rolls served at breakfast. Don’t ask me. Oh, before I forget, I have to mention that there is a note on the menu as you walk into the restaurant requesting ‘smart dress’ for dinner.
The shell-suited guests at the next table obviously had there own opinions about what ‘smart dress’ means.
HOTEL SERVICE: The maids didn’t turn up very often during our two week stay and when they did it was usually only to make the bed. Not change the linen, just remake the bed.
One morning, the maid arrived to change the bathroom towels and just chucked new ones on top of the old ones leaving the old ones there. Bizarre.
Most niggles were sorted out quite quickly, but we’re still waiting for the light bulb above the bed to be changed.
On the eve of our last day we asked for the bill for our room (as we had made a handful of short, local calls). We were shocked when they told us we owed 14 Cypriot pounds.
It turned out that we had been mistakenly charged for an evening meal which we had paid for at the time and so the amount for this was returned to us. However, at checkout time the money for this meal was mentioned again, this time by the girl who had been taking the money in the restaurant on the night in question.
She was very firmly implying that we had left the restaurant without paying for the meal. We very firmly informed her that we hadn’t because we never charge meals or drinks to our room when we are on holiday and we would never even think of just walking out of somewhere without paying.
Anyway, nothing else was said and we left the Eleni with numerous items of cutlery stuffed in our cases. Only joking.
NIGHTLIFE: Not applicable. Due to its location, there are very few places to tempt you outside the Eleni, bar the odd restaurant or two.
Go up to the traffic lights and follow the main road to the left and you will find a handful of bars and restaurants clumped together, one of which has rooftop bar.
However, if you are reasonably fit you may wish to climb the hill I mentioned earlier (turn left as you come out of the Eleni, walk up to the traffic lights just up from St George’s chapel and follow the road up the hill opposite) where, presuming you haven’t suffered a cardiac arrest, you will eventually find ‘The Railway Inn’.
The owner of The Railway has done her best to create a pleasant, traditional-looking British pub which is usually frequented by ex-pats and is a reasonable enough place to enjoy an occasional drink. If you can handle the guilt of going all the way to Cyprus to spend time in a British pub then give it a go.
CHILDREN: I’ll get straight to the point. I don’t like children. More specifically, I don’t like British children. I especially don’t like them when they are abroad.
I realise it’s their parents I should have it in for, but they’re not usually the ones screeching and wailing and causing a rumpus.
Anyway, the dozen or so kids who were at the Eleni when we stayed (February, half term) were enough for me (how can two kids make enough racket to wake the dead just playing table tennis?). I can only imagine what the place is like when it’s teeming with them during the summer holidays (cold shiver).
By the end of a typical two-week holiday in July, I bet the Eleni resembles something out of ‘Escape From New York’ or ‘The Warriors’ with gangs of feral British kids taking control of different areas of the hotel. Frightening.
The point is, don’t stay here out of term time if you don’t like kids.
RESORT RESTAURANTS: As it is a bit of a trek into Paphos town itself, we only really frequented one restaurant in the quiet area that surrounds the Eleni and that was ‘Pepperoni Pizza’ , which you can see on the other side of the road as you walk up to the traffic lights.
The pizza, pasta and salads here are simply superb and it’s definitely a good place to try when you tire of the chef’s delights at the Eleni.
Jasper’s restaurant always seemed popular, but we simply never got round to giving it a go. In Paphos itself, you absolutely MUST try out the ‘Brasilero Restaurant’ which is on Poseidon Avenue not far from the waterfront.
Basically, the Brasilero is a Brazilian restaurant where throughout your meal various cuts of meat (lamb, pork, chicken portions, sausages etc.) on skewers are brought to your table.
The waiter then cuts off as much meat as you want and then comes back about five minutes later with another one. I don’t know what herbs or spices Brazilians use when cooking meat, but I promise you will want to go back to the Brasilero again and again.
Oh, and don’t worry if you are a veggie as the Brasilero has a fantastic vegetarian buffet as well. Superb! 10 out of 10!
OTHER GUESTS: After reading some of the comments here, we were half expecting the Eleni to be full of tattooed idiots drinking all day and pining for the pit bull terrier they’d had to leave at home.
Apart from one woman who seemed permanently pickled and who actually wet herself in the lift one night, there were thankfully very few ‘undesirables’ present and generally the hotel seemed to be mainly full of respectable retired couples.
Surprisingly for us, this was the first holiday where we didn’t make any new friends. We had conversations with a lot of people and spent the odd night sharing tables with other couples, but there just wasn’t that good a mix of people.
Just in case you’re wondering, we’re not swingers or anything like that. Just in case.
OVERALL VIEW: Overall, I would say the Eleni was just about okay. The place was functional but not particularly welcoming. Contrary to what others have said here, we got the impression that most of the staff didn’t really care if you had a good time or not.
Perhaps it was because we went out of season. Perhaps the lot of the staff wasn’t a happy one. Anyway, Mohammed saved the day for the Eleni. Cheers, Mohammed!
It looked clean, quite modern and generally very pleasant. After a quick and simple check-in we headed up to our room.
ACCOMMODATION: On opening the door to our apartment (No. 1019) we were taken aback by how large it was.
It was an enormous improvement on the apartment we were stuck with on our last holiday (in Corfu) which had been similar to the prison cell/apartment that Victor Meldrew was given in One Foot in the Algarve.
Like the first impressions of the hotel itself, our apartment also appeared clean, relatively modern and, apart from a bit of a pong in the bathroom, not bad at all.
However, after just a couple of hours we noticed the odour coming from the bathroom was getting worse. By next morning it was apparent that there was a serious problem with the plumbing and by the evening, when we returned from the bar, the whole apartment was absolutely stinking of raw sewage and we had to keep the bathroom door firmly closed.
Andy, the First Choice Rep, sorted this out the next day, we were moved to the room next door and all seemed well and good.
Unfortunately, it turned out that the occupants of the next room over (which was connected to ours via a door, presumably for families needing two apartments) had somehow managed to burn out their apartment a few weeks before we arrived (I wonder if the occupants had been staying ‘all inclusive’ and taken too much advantage of the free bar).
We were reminded of the fire every time the cleaners turned up as the acrid smell of smoke wafted through the gaps in the door when they attempted to 'air' the gutted apartment.
Being British, we didn't ask to me moved a second time as we’d already made our point. Anyway, after a couple of days in our ‘new’ apartment an entire battalion of ants turned up to eat a few crisps that we had inadvertently dropped by one of the beds.
Someone from housekeeping quickly arrived and sprayed all around the room with a can of ant killer. On her way out she handed us a canary and advised us in broken English to keep the patio door open. Okay, I may have dreamt the bit about the canary.
Despite the amount of chemicals deposited in the apartment, the ants did turn up again, but at least they were wheezing a bit now and kept having to put down their crumbs every now and then to have a rest.
COOKING FACILITIES: As is usual with self catering accommodation in the Med, the Eleni apartments are 'equipped' with one of those horrendously temperamental/fundamentally flawed portable all-in-one oven and hob thingies.
Typically, you turn on both hobs and one of them will heat up relatively quickly while the other seems to take an eternity to catch up. If you have the audacity to turn on both hobs AND the oven then one of the hobs simply refuses to heat up.
How I actually managed to knock together even one half-decent meal on that horrible thing still amazes me. In my last attempt, I was so frustrated I just chopped up all the ingredients and chucked them in the casserole dish to make a stew (or casserole, I suppose).
Anyway, if you want to cook a meal in your apartment at the Eleni, then you will need to bear in mind the following:
1) An extra hour will need to be added to your preparation/cooking time to make up for the temperamental oven/hob thing.
2) No matter how small or simple your proposed meal is (apart from the previously mentioned stew), you will have to use every single pot and pan provided (a tiny frying pan, one boiling pan and two large casserole pans) if you want to get the job done.
3) When buying your ingredients from the local supermarket (the best one being about half a mile up a VERY steep hill) make sure you also remember to buy luxurious catering equipment not provided by the Eleni (a sieve, a spatula etc.).
HOTEL ENTERTAINMENT: If you like a game of bingo every night, a game of ‘Killer’ darts in the afternoon and are into quizzes, then you will be well catered for at the Eleni.
The ‘proper’ entertainment wasn’t too bad, but after two weeks it started to get on our nerves. The club style singers and the geriatric magician (who obviously loved what he did, bless him) weren’t really our cup of tea, but I must say that the Greek dancing show was good fun.
The best entertainment was provided by the very friendly Mohammed, who when he isn’t doing the bingo, quizzes or the occasional karaoke night performs his fire breathing, lying on a bed of broken glass and feats of strength routine.
I think Mohammed is from Tunisia, but he sounds a lot like Borat which can be very amusing.
As we stayed off-peak in February, I really hope that the entertainment at the Eleni improves as the season begins and the weather gets nicer (the weather was appalling during our stay, by the way).
If any managers from the Eleni are reading this, please make sure you hang on to Mohammed, he’s the best thing about the place.
THE BAR: The drinks prices at the indoor ‘Paris’ bar (where a lot of the entertainment takes place out of season) aren’t horrifically expensive, but they aren’t cheap either. If you want a quick ride to oblivion, I recommend you get a shot of the relatively cheap local fire water ‘Sivania’ and add it to a glass of Pepsi.
A couple of those and you’ll gradually begin to think that karaoke is the best thing ever invented and was created just to showcase your hidden talents.
As with the rest of the hotel, the bar staff at the Eleni pretty much turn up and do their job. There isn’t a lot of banter between guests and staff which is a shame. Maybe they hate their jobs, are badly paid or simply hate the British. Maybe it’s all three!
Anyway, the tall gangly bloke who was behind the bar when we were there got on my nerves with his lack of social skills and was very moody. Mind you, people probably say that about me, so there you go.
THE HOTEL RESTAURANT: As someone mentioned elsewhere, you should not book to stay at the Eleni expecting a Four Star Hotel when you get there. I’d give it three stars at a push.
Despite going self catering, we decided to try the hotel restaurant when I couldn’t face the cooker/hob thing anymore.
From our experience, the restaurant meals tended to be good every other day and were excellent only when genuine Cypriot dishes were on the menu. Having said that, the fresh fruit and salads were consistently good.
A word of warning about the breakfasts; the bacon tends to be barely cooked and swimming in grease, the fried eggs are a bit rubbery and the sausages are the worst I have ever had in my entire life. I cannot even begin to describe how horrible those tiny sausages were.
Even if you don’t take on board any of my other comments here, please take heed and keep away from those sausages. The breakfast sausage rolls were marginally better.
Yes, breakfast sausage rolls. Sausage rolls served at breakfast. Don’t ask me. Oh, before I forget, I have to mention that there is a note on the menu as you walk into the restaurant requesting ‘smart dress’ for dinner.
The shell-suited guests at the next table obviously had there own opinions about what ‘smart dress’ means.
HOTEL SERVICE: The maids didn’t turn up very often during our two week stay and when they did it was usually only to make the bed. Not change the linen, just remake the bed.
One morning, the maid arrived to change the bathroom towels and just chucked new ones on top of the old ones leaving the old ones there. Bizarre.
Most niggles were sorted out quite quickly, but we’re still waiting for the light bulb above the bed to be changed.
On the eve of our last day we asked for the bill for our room (as we had made a handful of short, local calls). We were shocked when they told us we owed 14 Cypriot pounds.
It turned out that we had been mistakenly charged for an evening meal which we had paid for at the time and so the amount for this was returned to us. However, at checkout time the money for this meal was mentioned again, this time by the girl who had been taking the money in the restaurant on the night in question.
She was very firmly implying that we had left the restaurant without paying for the meal. We very firmly informed her that we hadn’t because we never charge meals or drinks to our room when we are on holiday and we would never even think of just walking out of somewhere without paying.
Anyway, nothing else was said and we left the Eleni with numerous items of cutlery stuffed in our cases. Only joking.
NIGHTLIFE: Not applicable. Due to its location, there are very few places to tempt you outside the Eleni, bar the odd restaurant or two.
Go up to the traffic lights and follow the main road to the left and you will find a handful of bars and restaurants clumped together, one of which has rooftop bar.
However, if you are reasonably fit you may wish to climb the hill I mentioned earlier (turn left as you come out of the Eleni, walk up to the traffic lights just up from St George’s chapel and follow the road up the hill opposite) where, presuming you haven’t suffered a cardiac arrest, you will eventually find ‘The Railway Inn’.
The owner of The Railway has done her best to create a pleasant, traditional-looking British pub which is usually frequented by ex-pats and is a reasonable enough place to enjoy an occasional drink. If you can handle the guilt of going all the way to Cyprus to spend time in a British pub then give it a go.
CHILDREN: I’ll get straight to the point. I don’t like children. More specifically, I don’t like British children. I especially don’t like them when they are abroad.
I realise it’s their parents I should have it in for, but they’re not usually the ones screeching and wailing and causing a rumpus.
Anyway, the dozen or so kids who were at the Eleni when we stayed (February, half term) were enough for me (how can two kids make enough racket to wake the dead just playing table tennis?). I can only imagine what the place is like when it’s teeming with them during the summer holidays (cold shiver).
By the end of a typical two-week holiday in July, I bet the Eleni resembles something out of ‘Escape From New York’ or ‘The Warriors’ with gangs of feral British kids taking control of different areas of the hotel. Frightening.
The point is, don’t stay here out of term time if you don’t like kids.
RESORT RESTAURANTS: As it is a bit of a trek into Paphos town itself, we only really frequented one restaurant in the quiet area that surrounds the Eleni and that was ‘Pepperoni Pizza’ , which you can see on the other side of the road as you walk up to the traffic lights.
The pizza, pasta and salads here are simply superb and it’s definitely a good place to try when you tire of the chef’s delights at the Eleni.
Jasper’s restaurant always seemed popular, but we simply never got round to giving it a go. In Paphos itself, you absolutely MUST try out the ‘Brasilero Restaurant’ which is on Poseidon Avenue not far from the waterfront.
Basically, the Brasilero is a Brazilian restaurant where throughout your meal various cuts of meat (lamb, pork, chicken portions, sausages etc.) on skewers are brought to your table.
The waiter then cuts off as much meat as you want and then comes back about five minutes later with another one. I don’t know what herbs or spices Brazilians use when cooking meat, but I promise you will want to go back to the Brasilero again and again.
Oh, and don’t worry if you are a veggie as the Brasilero has a fantastic vegetarian buffet as well. Superb! 10 out of 10!
OTHER GUESTS: After reading some of the comments here, we were half expecting the Eleni to be full of tattooed idiots drinking all day and pining for the pit bull terrier they’d had to leave at home.
Apart from one woman who seemed permanently pickled and who actually wet herself in the lift one night, there were thankfully very few ‘undesirables’ present and generally the hotel seemed to be mainly full of respectable retired couples.
Surprisingly for us, this was the first holiday where we didn’t make any new friends. We had conversations with a lot of people and spent the odd night sharing tables with other couples, but there just wasn’t that good a mix of people.
Just in case you’re wondering, we’re not swingers or anything like that. Just in case.
OVERALL VIEW: Overall, I would say the Eleni was just about okay. The place was functional but not particularly welcoming. Contrary to what others have said here, we got the impression that most of the staff didn’t really care if you had a good time or not.
Perhaps it was because we went out of season. Perhaps the lot of the staff wasn’t a happy one. Anyway, Mohammed saved the day for the Eleni. Cheers, Mohammed!
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- Date of Holiday:Feb 2007
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" Well I must say we did enjoy our stay... "
Submitted By: Mrs J Giles
Well I must say we did enjoy our stay here.
The rooms were clean and very spacious! Accommodation overall was very clean and was big. The beach was beautiful you just couldn’t fault it.
Food was ok, nice but mainly the same to be honest. Staff was very friendly and chatty and always put on a smile on my children’s faces.
There isn’t that much for children to do. My children just played in the pool but depending on what age your are will depend on what they do. Swimming pool was clean and fun. There are 2, a small one up the top and big one down the bottom!
There were two accidents from children in the pool and it took an hour to sort out, that got very frustrating.
Arrival and departing from the hotel was good no problems there! Entertainment was ok done a good variety!
Well we had a good and enjoyable time here and I would recommend this hotel to people! Also you must visit the waterpark that was brilliant!
The rooms were clean and very spacious! Accommodation overall was very clean and was big. The beach was beautiful you just couldn’t fault it.
Food was ok, nice but mainly the same to be honest. Staff was very friendly and chatty and always put on a smile on my children’s faces.
There isn’t that much for children to do. My children just played in the pool but depending on what age your are will depend on what they do. Swimming pool was clean and fun. There are 2, a small one up the top and big one down the bottom!
There were two accidents from children in the pool and it took an hour to sort out, that got very frustrating.
Arrival and departing from the hotel was good no problems there! Entertainment was ok done a good variety!
Well we had a good and enjoyable time here and I would recommend this hotel to people! Also you must visit the waterpark that was brilliant!
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- Date of Holiday:Jul 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" I stayed here with my husband and my... "
Submitted By: Mrs T Tomlinson
I stayed here with my husband and my four year old son, there were also 15 more others included in my party staying here. Myself, my husband and son have stayed at the Eleni before and decided to go back and stay there during our wedding in Cyprus.
The rooms are very spacious and very clean. The only problem being is the ants, but whenever I have been abroad before there are ants, and as long as you tidy up after yourself the ants tend to keep away.
The pool was big enough and there is plenty of space to swim, there are a lot of children, but it is a family resort so if you don't have children, its probably not ideal to stay here. The entertainment is good, both in the day and evening, which include water polo, water aerobics, darts, bingo, Greek night... The entertainment staff were lovely.
The food in the restaurant was very nice, and there was plenty to choose from, the children's selection wasn't that varied but then they could eat from the main buffet.
Pathos is quite far you do need to get a bus or taxi to the harbour, but it is very reasonable priced and buses are very regular.
Coral Bay beach is again a bus ride or taxi away, but the advantage is that you are in the middle of both Coral Bay and Paphos, the is also a little cove about two a minute walk away, although do be careful, the sea is rough!
Cyprus is beautiful, the people are very friendly and lovely, and there is lots to do and see.
Overall our holiday was wonderful, and our wedding was perfect, the weather was perfect, and the wedding coordinator, photographer and the restaurant owner were brilliant and couldn't do enough to help.
I would recommend these apartments to families and a wedding in Cyprus.
The rooms are very spacious and very clean. The only problem being is the ants, but whenever I have been abroad before there are ants, and as long as you tidy up after yourself the ants tend to keep away.
The pool was big enough and there is plenty of space to swim, there are a lot of children, but it is a family resort so if you don't have children, its probably not ideal to stay here. The entertainment is good, both in the day and evening, which include water polo, water aerobics, darts, bingo, Greek night... The entertainment staff were lovely.
The food in the restaurant was very nice, and there was plenty to choose from, the children's selection wasn't that varied but then they could eat from the main buffet.
Pathos is quite far you do need to get a bus or taxi to the harbour, but it is very reasonable priced and buses are very regular.
Coral Bay beach is again a bus ride or taxi away, but the advantage is that you are in the middle of both Coral Bay and Paphos, the is also a little cove about two a minute walk away, although do be careful, the sea is rough!
Cyprus is beautiful, the people are very friendly and lovely, and there is lots to do and see.
Overall our holiday was wonderful, and our wedding was perfect, the weather was perfect, and the wedding coordinator, photographer and the restaurant owner were brilliant and couldn't do enough to help.
I would recommend these apartments to families and a wedding in Cyprus.
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" We arrived in Cyprus not knowing what... "
Submitted By: Mr R Collins
We arrived in Cyprus not knowing what to expect but then we got to Eleni village, I was surprised how nice the entire complex was including the rooms.
The harbour, which is in Paphos is a must see and if you want a day trip and you like excellent scenery, you should go up the Trodos mountains and visit the monastery.
Either with a hired car but for more trill seekers, you should book a jeep safari with the tour reps and both are all day affairs.
Eleni Village was also excellent as my mother had to be admitted to hospital and the ambulance arrived within in five minutes (all arranged by the staff on duty) and took us to a private hospital.
Laura the entertainment organiser visited my mum every day after I came back home, after my weeks holiday.
I cannot fault the complex, other than to praise them for the care and attention that was offered to both myself and my Mother during our 1 weeks stay.
I will be going back to Eleni Village whenever I am in Cyprus, as it was good fun for the week.
The harbour, which is in Paphos is a must see and if you want a day trip and you like excellent scenery, you should go up the Trodos mountains and visit the monastery.
Either with a hired car but for more trill seekers, you should book a jeep safari with the tour reps and both are all day affairs.
Eleni Village was also excellent as my mother had to be admitted to hospital and the ambulance arrived within in five minutes (all arranged by the staff on duty) and took us to a private hospital.
Laura the entertainment organiser visited my mum every day after I came back home, after my weeks holiday.
I cannot fault the complex, other than to praise them for the care and attention that was offered to both myself and my Mother during our 1 weeks stay.
I will be going back to Eleni Village whenever I am in Cyprus, as it was good fun for the week.
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- Date of Holiday:Nov 2006
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" Myself, Husband and five year old son... "
Submitted By: Mrs J E Elliott
Myself, Husband and five year old son recently returned from the Eleni Holiday village after a 7 night stay. We mainly went to Paphos for a friends wedding but enjoyed every part of the holiday.
We flew with First Choice for the first time ever and I must say I was very surprised at how good the experience was. The plane journey was good and all the staff on board were friendly. The food on the plane was also very good and my five year old even got kids pack with colouring stuff to keep him busy.
When we arrived at Paphos airport we were met by a first Choice Rep who directed us to our coach. The journey did not seem too long and there were loads of drop offs before us, we were the last one. But then you expect a lot of drop off's if being picked up by a coach when booking a package through a tour operator don’t you.
The Eleni Holiday village was very clean and our room was nice and big. We paid an extra £20 to upgrade our room which meant we had a balcony that over looked the pool and a spa bath in the bathroom. The spa bath was nothing too fancy but well worth the extra £20!
In our room we had everything we needed including all the things you would need whilst going Self Catering. No tea bags, coffee, milk or sugar is provided in the room (which I did not expect anyway) so if you are due to arrive in the early hours, pack some dry milk powder and tea bags as room service is not on offer at the hotel.
The maids came to clean our room and change our beds daily so everything is kept very clean! I was surprised at how thorough they are, as every day they even cleaned our balcony and patio door windows.
In the brochure it says there is no beach at the Eleni but if you walk down to the sea and to the right (about a 2 minute walk if that) there is a lovely little sandy bay! We were pleasantly surprised to find it there as everything we read said the nearest beach was Coral Bay. It was a lovely little place to sun bath in peace, swim or snorkel.
The swimming pool is very big with a shallow area for little ones and a deep end with water fall. There are not many sun loungers but the hotel was not full so it was not a problem.
We went self catering with the intention of eating out most nights. We ended up buying and cooking our own breakfast and lunch in our room and eating it on our balcony then having dinner in the restaurant every night. For the three of us to have a three course meal (as much as you can eat) with drinks cost 20 Cypriot pounds! Excellent value for money!
The food is buffet style and a different theme every night. The food was always lovely, very hot and the selection always catered for all different types of tastes. They even had a separate section for children which was chips, mash, sandwiches, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, burgers and healthy options too. My five year old always ended up eating the adult pasta dishes though.
All the staff at the hotel were very friendly and happy help. Entertainment was available throughout the day and evening and catered for all ages. They had aqua aerobics in the pool everyday followed by darts at the outside bar area. They also had water polo and volley ball which was held in the sports pool.
The games they did were separated into ones for adults only and then ones for children at separate times. In the evenings they always had bingo followed by a mini disco for the small children which was run by the First Choice Kids club Reps. This only lasted for about 20 minutes so did not disrupt couples without children too much.
After the mini disco they then had adult games such as quizzes, Karaoke etc. Some nights they even had Greek Dancers. It was very good and not too tacky.
There is a small arcade next to the bar area which did not have many machines and they did break down a few times but to be honest I was glad that they did as that was a good excuse not to keep forking out money for my five year to press buttons!
The indoor pool looked very nice but I never went in it or used the gym so can’t really comment. The hotel is not near the centre of Paphos but is near other hotels along with some bars and restaurants and shops within a five minutes walk.
We had every intention of hiring a car but in the end only got taxi's a few times as we liked staying around the hotel. We visited the harbour which was lovely with loads of little shops to buy bits and bobs. We Also went on a glass bottom boat which took us to see a ship wreak under the sea. That was nice as went round some of the island and got to see how lovely it looks. I felt very sick on the boat though!
Overall our holiday was very enjoyable and we went away feeling that we would def go back to Eleni Holiday Village. I must say that I have read some of the other reviews and get sick of people moaning about there being too many kids around. If you go to a hotel that has a kids club, don't go to it as this is a big indication that family's with children will be there!
Kids can be a pain, so go to a hotel that does not have a kids club or says it's only suitable for couples. Also don't especially go to a hotel in the school summer holiday's, that has a kids club, if you don’t like loads of kids.
We have a five year old but even so we would never choose to go on our yearly holiday in the summer holidays because most hotels that cater for children are rammed with people and kids.
So if you don't like loads of screaming kids then either go outside of school holidays or choose a different hotel. We went to Eleni in September and found it peaceful, friendly, and free from any undesirable characters and a fantastic holiday experience.
Would always recommend it! Outside of school holidays!
We flew with First Choice for the first time ever and I must say I was very surprised at how good the experience was. The plane journey was good and all the staff on board were friendly. The food on the plane was also very good and my five year old even got kids pack with colouring stuff to keep him busy.
When we arrived at Paphos airport we were met by a first Choice Rep who directed us to our coach. The journey did not seem too long and there were loads of drop offs before us, we were the last one. But then you expect a lot of drop off's if being picked up by a coach when booking a package through a tour operator don’t you.
The Eleni Holiday village was very clean and our room was nice and big. We paid an extra £20 to upgrade our room which meant we had a balcony that over looked the pool and a spa bath in the bathroom. The spa bath was nothing too fancy but well worth the extra £20!
In our room we had everything we needed including all the things you would need whilst going Self Catering. No tea bags, coffee, milk or sugar is provided in the room (which I did not expect anyway) so if you are due to arrive in the early hours, pack some dry milk powder and tea bags as room service is not on offer at the hotel.
The maids came to clean our room and change our beds daily so everything is kept very clean! I was surprised at how thorough they are, as every day they even cleaned our balcony and patio door windows.
In the brochure it says there is no beach at the Eleni but if you walk down to the sea and to the right (about a 2 minute walk if that) there is a lovely little sandy bay! We were pleasantly surprised to find it there as everything we read said the nearest beach was Coral Bay. It was a lovely little place to sun bath in peace, swim or snorkel.
The swimming pool is very big with a shallow area for little ones and a deep end with water fall. There are not many sun loungers but the hotel was not full so it was not a problem.
We went self catering with the intention of eating out most nights. We ended up buying and cooking our own breakfast and lunch in our room and eating it on our balcony then having dinner in the restaurant every night. For the three of us to have a three course meal (as much as you can eat) with drinks cost 20 Cypriot pounds! Excellent value for money!
The food is buffet style and a different theme every night. The food was always lovely, very hot and the selection always catered for all different types of tastes. They even had a separate section for children which was chips, mash, sandwiches, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, burgers and healthy options too. My five year old always ended up eating the adult pasta dishes though.
All the staff at the hotel were very friendly and happy help. Entertainment was available throughout the day and evening and catered for all ages. They had aqua aerobics in the pool everyday followed by darts at the outside bar area. They also had water polo and volley ball which was held in the sports pool.
The games they did were separated into ones for adults only and then ones for children at separate times. In the evenings they always had bingo followed by a mini disco for the small children which was run by the First Choice Kids club Reps. This only lasted for about 20 minutes so did not disrupt couples without children too much.
After the mini disco they then had adult games such as quizzes, Karaoke etc. Some nights they even had Greek Dancers. It was very good and not too tacky.
There is a small arcade next to the bar area which did not have many machines and they did break down a few times but to be honest I was glad that they did as that was a good excuse not to keep forking out money for my five year to press buttons!
The indoor pool looked very nice but I never went in it or used the gym so can’t really comment. The hotel is not near the centre of Paphos but is near other hotels along with some bars and restaurants and shops within a five minutes walk.
We had every intention of hiring a car but in the end only got taxi's a few times as we liked staying around the hotel. We visited the harbour which was lovely with loads of little shops to buy bits and bobs. We Also went on a glass bottom boat which took us to see a ship wreak under the sea. That was nice as went round some of the island and got to see how lovely it looks. I felt very sick on the boat though!
Overall our holiday was very enjoyable and we went away feeling that we would def go back to Eleni Holiday Village. I must say that I have read some of the other reviews and get sick of people moaning about there being too many kids around. If you go to a hotel that has a kids club, don't go to it as this is a big indication that family's with children will be there!
Kids can be a pain, so go to a hotel that does not have a kids club or says it's only suitable for couples. Also don't especially go to a hotel in the school summer holiday's, that has a kids club, if you don’t like loads of kids.
We have a five year old but even so we would never choose to go on our yearly holiday in the summer holidays because most hotels that cater for children are rammed with people and kids.
So if you don't like loads of screaming kids then either go outside of school holidays or choose a different hotel. We went to Eleni in September and found it peaceful, friendly, and free from any undesirable characters and a fantastic holiday experience.
Would always recommend it! Outside of school holidays!
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- Date of Holiday:Sep 2006
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" Just come back from 2 weeks stay at... "
Submitted By: Mr M Busby
Just come back from 2 weeks stay at the Eleni village and must say don't expect it to be 4 star if your about to go more like 3 star. I thought the food was ok but my wife and lad didn't like it much plus it's very repetitive.
There is nothing to eat after your evening meal except a stale sandwich and you only have a choice of 1 thing. The pool is excellent if not a bit crowded but if you like it a bit quieter try the parasols by the pool bar. The food by the pool bar isn't up to much either unless your 10 years old and like burgers or chicken nuggets. The staff are excellent and very friendly and make you very welcome. The rooms are spacious and very clean the cleaners working all day long to keep it that way. Day time entertainment is aimed more for the kids with bowls, water polo, water volleyball, pool and darts.
Night time entertainment on the other hand is pretty boring so i would suggest going out but be prepared to order a taxi as the hotel is in the middle of nowhere no bars nearby to speak of and only a couple of restaurants. Good for snorkeling in the bay at the back of the hotel and safe to take the kids if you keep your eyes on them. Overall we had a good holiday probably because we went to a wedding whilst we where there.
The harbour is a must to see with some excellent restaurants as well as coral bay. Won't be traveling with first choice again as felt let down by them in organising of the wedding we went to and in particular the description the brochure gives of the Eleni village hotel not accurate at all.
There is nothing to eat after your evening meal except a stale sandwich and you only have a choice of 1 thing. The pool is excellent if not a bit crowded but if you like it a bit quieter try the parasols by the pool bar. The food by the pool bar isn't up to much either unless your 10 years old and like burgers or chicken nuggets. The staff are excellent and very friendly and make you very welcome. The rooms are spacious and very clean the cleaners working all day long to keep it that way. Day time entertainment is aimed more for the kids with bowls, water polo, water volleyball, pool and darts.
Night time entertainment on the other hand is pretty boring so i would suggest going out but be prepared to order a taxi as the hotel is in the middle of nowhere no bars nearby to speak of and only a couple of restaurants. Good for snorkeling in the bay at the back of the hotel and safe to take the kids if you keep your eyes on them. Overall we had a good holiday probably because we went to a wedding whilst we where there.
The harbour is a must to see with some excellent restaurants as well as coral bay. Won't be traveling with first choice again as felt let down by them in organising of the wedding we went to and in particular the description the brochure gives of the Eleni village hotel not accurate at all.
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- Date of Holiday:Oct 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:First Choice
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It is a great place for families with a very large pool in the centre, but is equally as good for couples such as ourselves who like to explore.
The nearest bus stop is just a few minutes’ walk away and it’s a flat rate of 80c whether you go all the way to Coral bay or up to the market.
A special thanks to the staff at the Paris bar, who kept us supplied with drinks and great conversation.