Our review of the luxury family hotel – Amathus.
From the minute we arrived from our late night flight and were offered hot towels and a welcome drink, I knew we were going to be well looked after at the Amathus Hotel in Cyprus. I personally think the island does family friendly luxury incredibly well and the Amathus is no exception.
The Room
We kept saying to each other throughout our stay ‘I think this is one of the better rooms we have stayed in you know”. Our luxury sea-view room was cavernous. The children’s bed option was a pull out sofa bed but it was a large double and there was still more than ample room for the three of us to co-exist in the space. The bathroom ran the length of the room, so not only was there a double-sink-massive-waterfall-shower situation but also a tub with a view.
The real crowning glory though was the walk in wardrobe – any fellow Type A parents out there will understand the absolute joy of being able to hide all our stuff (and cases!) and keep our room tidy. As is quite standard now, but also necessary in my opinion, you can cast from apps on your device to the TV so we were able to play our own streaming services straight to the big screen and have family movie nights.
The Food
The hotel has three restaurants and three bars that also serve food, so you are spoilt for choice. Staying in February meant that not all of the restaurants were open but we sampled the Kalypso restaurant, which is the one included in you are on a half board package. Quite unlike some other half board options in large luxury hotels, the vast majority of the meals on offer were à la carte. You can choose three courses from menus in the Kalypso restaurant and this only changed once for us on Valentines Day when it was a gala buffet. Given that this included a three meat carvery, sushi and full kids meal station we did not feel hard done by! À la carte on half board is no scrimp and it includes steak, fresh fish and vast range of pastas, pizzas and traditional dishes.
On top of this, you have the prime sunset position, ocean-side fish restaurant Limanaki and aptly named Grill Room to choose from. The Grill Room offered elevated dining and one of the best steaks we have ever eaten, but what was brilliant is there was also a really thoughtful and appropriately pitched children’s menu. We found this kind of inclusivity synonymous throughout the resort. We also found two gorgeous restaurants just a stroll along the promenade towards Limassol town: Petite Plage (which though specialising in sushi also offers a full children’s menu and adventure playground) and Oyster Bar.
Amenities
The hotel has four pools in total: a large main family pool, splash park and two heated saltwater pools in the indoor spa pool (where kids are welcome) and adults only pool. The splash pool stands in a barely there 0.3 metre safe space while older swimmers can enjoy two water park slides. This is sandwiched between the Pelican kids club (with soft play) and then brand new refurbed outdoor playground.
In addition to soft play, the Pelican Club runs a full kids club service for 4-12 year olds, although younger guests can enjoy the facilities if supervised. I stayed for a while with my son and I was particularly taken with how quickly they got to know him and made him feel included and even taught him to play UNO – which will now be a family holiday game staple!! The Pelican club runs a high volume of activities throughout the day which you can dip in to – activities rotate every 1.5 hours or so and culminate before dinner in the movie club and entertainment shows.
For parents, if you need something a little extra outside the aesthetic adults pool and great food – there is a spa with Aromatherapy Associates treatments and an ultra-well equipped gym.
How to get there
Limassol is perfectly placed between both Paphos and Larnaca airports, with a similar transfer time between both. We hired a car to drive the 45 mins from Larnaca airport because that gave us the option to explore more of the islands best beaches while we are here. Amathus offers ample parking.
When to go
I am sat writing this from my sun lounger on February 15th, in a bikini! The great thing about Cyprus is it is kissed by the sun for most of the year. However, having been before weather gets consistently good from April onwards and peters off in October.
Length of stay
You could easily fill a week here and rarely leave the resort. If you wanted to stay longer I would recommend hiring a car and getting out to explore more of the island. We particularly love the beaches in Ayia Napa with white sand and crystal clear water!
Overall
A family of four can grab a week here at May Half term from around £3000. Based on what I have heard, rooms at the sea view side are the ones to aim for (I can certainly vouch for ours!) and that can increase the price. What really set Amathus apart was that home away from home feeling – we felt immediately welcome and well looked after throughout our stay and that sealed the deal for us.
Looking for a comparison? Read our review of the ultra-luxury family hotel Park Lane Cyprus, which is just 5 minutes from the Amathus hotel!
[Hosted Stay – all views my own]
That Holiday Mum x