Crusader Beach Hotel

In a central position, well located as a base to enjoy the tourist centre of the resort and beyond with the benefit of being away from the noise. Both the interior and exterior of this property are a mish-mash of various styles that would appear tacky to some, creating no flow. The vast majority of rooms are contracted to Russian tour operators and all literature on display in reception is in Russian, although the friendly receptionist speaks excellent English and has a wealth of local knowledge. There is a children's section to the pool, but this is where kids facilities end, so it is not an ideal property for families, especially if they're in a non-balconied room due to the open windows.

Exterior

A grey, concrete build, eight storeys high. Half of the rooms have balconies but these had no furniture on them; the others have windows that slide open and have metal bars halfway up for safety. There is a mish-mash of style with sections of the property adopting a castle theme. The entrance from the spacious car park to the front also has a different style. Built with a pillared dome that takes you down the side of the property to a marbled main entrance, with the story of Richard the Lionheart on the wall opposite.

Property type: Hotel

Interior

The compact, deep-coloured marbled reception is open plan to the dark wood panelled main bar and lobby, which leads through to a further seating area with delightfully bright pastel colours and classier furnishings. The unelaborate main restaurant, also accessed from the lobby, features almost life-size pictures of the crusaders among the dark pink, brown and orange colour scheme. The snack bar towards the rear of this floor, with its plastic peach and white furnishings, is partly outside the main building but enclosed with plastic sheeting between the featured stone arches.

 

Grounds

Vegetation is limited to mature trees to one side of the property and a meagre amount of flower pots placed around, some empty. The pool area has a castle wall to one side and a circus tent themed pool bar to the other, which has a spacious seating area dominated by a large metal frame that presumably holds a parasol when attached. Concrete decking and a jetty provide access into the sea.

Location

Area Type: Located at the end of a small side street directly on the sea front, 50 metres from the main road and tourist strip. The busy main road has numerous bars, restaurants and tourist shops, and a bus stop for the old town, which is situated 4km towards the port. As of September 2009, building work was taking place on both sides of the property. There is a small, dark sandy cove adjacent to the hotel's beach that is rocky.

Nearest beach: Immediate (Limassol)

Facilities