The 58-room Thalassa hotel opened in 2004 on a headland overlooking Coral Bay, 15 minutes' drive north of Paphos. The isolated, five-storey block looks a little brutal, but once inside it is very welcoming: the lobby is shady and cool, and the bar opens onto a large terrace furnished with sofas. Beyond that are the swimming pool and sun deck, from which there are gorgeous views of beaches to the left and the open Mediterranean Sea to the right.
There are superb views from the bedrooms, too, some of which are named after Greek deities: for example, a suite for cigar smokers takes its name from Hephaestus, the god of smoke and fire. The
rooms are simply furnished with sofas, armchairs and glass-topped tables, and sun loungers on the spacious balconies. Thalassa has two restaurants: the alfresco Seafood Grill, and Ambrosia, which serves contemporary Cypriot food.
A personal butler is included in the price of the room. He or she will pick you up from the airport, unpack and pack your suitcases, chauffeur you around the island, present you with a chilled white flannel and a cocktail about every 15 minutes
when you are by the pool, and wait on you at breakfast, lunch
and dinner. He or she will also arrange spa treatments, candle-
lit dinners in remote settings (white tablecloths, chilled wine,
three courses, the lot), picnics, or guided tours with the hotel's
resident archaeologist. The holistic spa was designed by Barry Warrington, who was once Princess Diana's personal trainer and the spa manager at Chiva Som in Thailand. It takes up the entire lower-ground floor and has five treatment rooms. The products are by an Australian company, Sodashi; the treatments include Thai massage, Swedish aromatherapy and various body wraps and scrubs, yoga and Reiki. There is also a fitness studio and a juice bar.
CONTACT
Thalassa, Coral Bay, Paphos (00 357 2662 3222; fax: 2688 1700; www.thalassa.com.cy). Doubles from about £365
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