"We stayed at the Cynthiana Beach Hotel through Jet2 Holidays and overall had a pleasant experience as a family of five. Room 407 is highly recommended. It offers a dual sea view and a separate bedroom, which is ideal if you want some privacy while the kids sleep in the other room.
We stayed between 1st Apr and 10th Apr, the hotel’s opening day for the season, and it didn’t seem fully prepared. There were noticeable issues with cleanliness and general upkeep, particularly around outdoor areas like footpaths and steps leading to the beach and grass, tiny bits of litter everywhere could have been cleared to give a generally tidy appearance. Showers/taps near the beach didn't work! The one beside the stairs leading to the hotel worked, but the spot wasn't well maintained.
A number of small but frustrating details stood out. For example, the second bedroom had a TV but no remote control. Something that should have been checked beforehand. Balcony doors wouldn't lock! This raised safety concerns as it was accessible from outside. This became more worrying after hearing another guest reported a theft of cash from their room. The lock issue was fixed. But we had spent three days not knowing this! And it worries me that we slept with kids at night with a balcony door which was accessible from the outside, and the balcony could also be easily climbed into. We also accept responsibility that we should have also double checked this and feel guilty that we did not for the first three nights.
Food was average at best and often quite bland, giving the impression that the kitchen wasn’t fully ready for the season. I get the feeling, this may improve later in the month, but during our stay it felt underwhelming.
The location has its pros and cons. Beach is rocky in places, but that is the charm here and there are some nice spots for swimming, including a sheltered sea area surrounded by rocks where it gets nice and warm. This helped as the sea was still cold in the first week of April! The views and sunsets are beautiful. The hotel is some distance from Paphos, and accessing public transport requires a walk to the main road, which can potentially be tiring in the heat. We privately searched online and rented a car for the duration of our stay and this made things much easier for us.
Noise could also be an issue for some guests. Evening karaoke from the bar was quite loud and could be heard at nights after 10pm, even from our room which was furthest away, so it’s worth requesting a quieter location if that’s a concern.
The biggest area for improvement is service and staff engagement. While staff were not rude, they just seemed distant and lost in their own world. There was a clear lack of warmth and attentiveness, what I call "Basic Hospitality", such as greeting guests, offering guidance, simply genuine smiles when eye contact is made or indeed the very basic, being approachable, was often missing. I hasten to add this didn't mean they were not interested in guest welfare. It just felt this wasn't the type of hotel for pleasantries, niceties or exuding genuine warmth. It was a no-nonsense, practical hotel. For instance, upon entering the restaurant, there was no clear direction, and a lady sat there every single evening, showing little initiative in assisting guests. We often had to walk in and manage things ourselves, including finding a highchair for our toddler.
Facilities advertised in the Jet2 description, such as the heated indoor pool, jacuzzi, and sauna, were unavailable during our stay as they were still under construction, which apparently was delayed by the builder. Why advertise something if it was still being built?
One standout member of staff was Yvon, who managed entertainment and activities. He was friendly, engaging, and genuinely enhanced our experience. Unfortunately, after losing his contact details, we reached out to the hotel via email but received no response, which was disappointing and reflective of the broader communication issues we face with this hotel! In fact, the lack of an email reply is what prompted this review. Compare this with another hotel in Rhodes last Oct, when we sent an email, within half a day, we received an absolutely splendid response which felt like the hotel really cared.
In summary, we enjoyed several aspects of our stay, the hotel would benefit greatly from better preparation at the start of the season and improved staff training in customer service and guest engagement."
