LONDA HOTEL

Sleek Cyprus resort hotel packed with chill-out cool

Review by Sue Bryant
THE LOBBY IS AN OASIS OF WHITE MARBLE, curvy pillars lit from within and a sheer glass wall through which the Mediterranean glints tantalisingly in the distance.

In winter, the whiteness is warmed by a flickering open fire and hip lounge music. In summer, beautiful people recline on squashy day beds around a deep blue pool, or drift off into a blissful haze under the touch of a therapist in an outdoor, tented massage pavilion.

The Londa is so cool it’s like nothing Cyprus has ever seen. Transformed from an uninspiring business hotel into an award-winning temple to urban chic-on-the-beach, it has become a reason in itself to visit Limassol, a buzzing, year-round city of markets, mosques and hammams, designer shops and a chunky crusader castle.

Rainforest showers

Beyond the gorgeous Italian design, the hotel has a wonderful sense of whimsy, with oversized cushions in the shape of Mediterranean fruit adorning the bedrooms, splashes of vibrant colour against the stripped floors and crisp white linen.

The minimalist look is further softened by gauzy silver curtains and touches of Cyprus; antique lace and filigree silver work. Bathrooms are fabulously decadent with huge rainforest showers, deep baths for two (some with jets) and oodles of Molton Brown goodies. Book one of the romance packages and a personal butler will run you an aromatherapy bath for two, or serve champagne dinner by candlelight on your balcony.

Once (or if) you emerge from your room, the pool is the place to be. Stretch out on a double day bed under an oversized cream canvas umbrella, or set up camp under one of the shady cabanas, with views straight out to sea. Waft between the pool and the spa, which features delicious Payot products from Paris and offers a seemingly endless list of pampering treatments for men and women.

After sunset, the pool bar – evocatively lit with candles and flaming torches – becomes a gathering point for style-conscious locals as well as guests. Canoodle over Martinis and nibbles before heading into Caprice at Londa, the hotel’s signature restaurant, which adopts the same serene, white-and-cream decor as the lobby lounge next door and has dreamy, uninterrupted sea views.

If you do venture outside, switched-on manager Jochen Niemann is only too happy to recommend smart chill-out bars and some great restaurants nearby which, like the Londa, are all playing their role in making Limassol the most happening city in the southern Med.


Londa Hotel was reviewed for Room for Romance

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Dining in
Caprice at Londa is one of Limassol’s top see-and-be-seen dining spots, where the drinks are chilled and the buzz is hot. Minimalist interiors make a great setting for Mediterranean cooking with a distinctly contemporary twist.

Go for the signature lobster salad with glazed scallops and risoni pasta, or the filletini with rucola and Parmesan flakes. Finish off with the  disgracefully more-ish chocolate doughnuts served with walnut and vanilla ice-cream. There’s an extensive wine list, too.

Breakfast
Continental breakfast is served until 11am, so no need for early starts.

Room service
Available 24 hours a day.




See & Do
There’s every kind of watersport on offer here – you can go scuba diving, kite surfing, water skiing or windsurfing in Limassol’s waters.

Richard the Lion Heart not only planned the Crusades but held his wedding at Limassol’s 14th century medieval castle. Antiquity buffs should head for the Archaeological museum, while the Folk Art Museum has some pleasing Cypriot folk art. Within easy reach of the town are Byzantine churches and the ancient Greek theatre of Kourion. See our Cyprus guide for more ideas.

Spa
Londa’s swishy spa has just about everything for a feel-good experience: sauna, steam bath, plunge pool, jacuzzi and jet shower, plus gym and treatment rooms. Choose from over 50 treatments, including hot stone massage, reflexology, micro-dermabrasion, pedicures and every kind of facial. Join a yoga or Pilates class if you’re feeling virtuous.

Diary Dates
June
Expect a riot of music, dancing, parades and good food at the Limassol Festival.

August-September
Cyprus celebrates the grape harvest with a week of wine-fuelled revelry. Expect feasting, music, and dancing.

GETTING THERE

Location
George A Street, Potamos Yermasoyias, 4048 Limassol

Parking
There is free guest parking.

Trains
Sorry – there are no trains on Cyprus.

Taxis
EUR 60 from the airport.

Airport
Larnaca – 67km

ESSENTIAL INFO

Rates guide
EUR 160 – 900

Open/closed
Open all year

Check-in
2pm

Check-out
Officially midday, but later by arrangement.

Minimum night stay?
No

Children
Welcome

Pets
No

Air conditioning
Yes – all rooms

Wedding license?
Yes. Receptions can be held for up to 250 guests.