Cyprus, Europe

Hotel Review: The Annabelle Hotel, Cyprus

The five star Annabelle Hotel in Cyprus is a truly beautiful hotel. I would previously never have put the words ‘elegant’ and ‘Paphos’ in the same sentence, but the Annabelle is stunning and the city of Paphos really surprised me.

I flew to Cyprus at the height of Summer for a friend’s wedding, but found myself stuck in the awkward position of needing an extra nights stay. My AirBnB and all of the nearby hotels (minus the particularly party-looking places), were completely full.

Enter: The Annabelle.

A lot of my fellow wedding attendees were staying either here or at it’s sister hotel The Almyra Hotel where the wedding took place, so I’d already had a couple of days of occasionally visiting for wedding-based activities. Considering that my final night in Cyprus was also my final night of freedom before I started my next six months of solid work (true story), I decided that for one night I might as well just treat myself for goodness sake.

the beautiful staircase of the Annabelle Hotel Cyprus a wedding at the Almyra Hotel Cyprus

Location of the Annabelle Hotel 

Paphos itself (at least, the part of it where the Annabelle is located), is known as more of a Brits-abroad kind of a place. The seafront where the hotel is located is full of other hotels and bars catering to a whole load of (mainly English) customers.

And although I’m pretty sure that most people who come to stay at the Annabelle Hotel are there just to relax in the surroundings of the hotel (which I don’t entirely blame them for), the town of Paphos is actually a right interesting one once you look past the few touristy strips of pubs and nightclubs. The town is on the UNESCO World Heritage List due to the massive amount of Ancient Greek ruins that can be found here, especially those to do with the cult of Aphrodite (this is the place that the Greeks decided Aphrodite rose from the sea, so it’s a full on sacred location you see). And all of these can be found just a short walk away from the Annabelle Hotel’s glorious confines.

Find out here: Is Paphos Worth Visiting?

The hotel backs right on to the beach which is just beaut, and therefore a whole load of the rooms have a stunner of a view (or side view) of the sea. Call me old fashioned but who doesn’t love a good sea view, ya know!?

palm trees on the beach in Paphos, Cyprus

the UNESCO world heritage town in Cyprus

Sleeping Arrangements 

I stayed in a side sea view room with a balcony, which was AWESOME. Also I’ll just add that the five star experience is in my opinion always more down to the staff and the small touches than the actual hotel itself. In this case the fact that the nice lass from reception gave me a guided tour after my welcome drink, delivered me to my room where a plate of fruit was waiting and then another guy delivered my luggage to me. I know this is totes the normal for this style of hotel but still. I’m a true fan.

When I arrived back from dinner to discover that someone had come in to turn down the bed and put a casual poem on the pillow (all part of the service, it wasn’t a creepy thing I promise), I was altogether sold.

The room was beaut, the balcony was beaut. It was all round beaut.

view from a side balcony room at the Annabelle Hotel Cyprus Olympus PEN EPL-8 camera selfie in Cyprus

Food at the Annabelle Hotel Cyprus

Although I technically could’ve eaten at one of the several a la carte restaurants at the Annabelle Hotel, I decided to go buffet-style for my evening meal. By that point my pals had left and I would therefore be dining solo. On my tod. Billy-no-mates style. (Not sure why I’m making such a big deal out of it as actually that’s pretty much my normal way of life. I just appreciate the many different ways there are of saying ‘by yourself.’ Anyway.)

THE FOOD AT THE ANNABELLE HOTEL DID NOT DISAPPOINT. The selection and quality of that stuff was amazing, and as an added bonus, the waiter gave me a second glass of wine on the house. Good lad.

I ate breakfast the next morning next to the pool, and to be honest breakfast was even better than the stuff I’d eaten the night before, if that’s at all possible. I just bloody love food ok, you guys?

the outdoor pool at the Annabelle Hotel Cyprus

Facilities and Activities 

Granted, I didn’t get a chance to make the most of things like the treatments in the spa or the yoga classes available, but I’ll tell you this for free: the facilities this hotel has to offer are just downright grand.

The several pools outside include a secret-but-not-secret cave pool with swim-up bar, bringing a James Bond vibe to mind, whilst also making me see why the hotel claims to be synonymous with ‘classic Mediterranean glamour.’ It absolutely is. Highly Classically Mediterraneanly Glamorous.

Thanks to its recent refurbishment there is now a rooftop spa area at the Annabelle Hotel including an indoor pool surrounded with windows. These show off the stunning view of the sea complete with palm trees swaying below in the breeze. Plus there’s a sauna which I made full use of also. Bloody good times.

On top of that is the Ouranos rooftop bar which I especially appreciated at night-time and with pals and cocktails for company. If you’re looking for classier bars in Paphos, this place is perfect. 

the rooftop spa at the Annabelle Hotel Cyprusfive star hotels in Paphos Cyprus

In conclusion, my very brief stay at The Annabelle was an all round joyous experience. The surroundings were amazing but what really made it worth it for me was the absolute gems of staff members that work there. I left the hotel at the same time as a family with a small boy who was very upset about the cats who hang around the place, in case there was no one looking after them (people totally do, as you regularly walk past piles of dried cat food sitting around Paphos as a whole including the beachfront part of the hotel). The receptionist assured the small lad that she’d email him to let him know how the cats are getting on once he got home. Now if that’s not service I don’t know what is.

For a five star luxury hotel in Paphos, look no further than this absolute stunner. 

Check out the hotel here: Head on over to the Annabelle

 

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