"Location:
The hotel has a great location, 20 minutes transfer from the airport and 10 minutes to Paphos Harbour. It is on the main promenade along the coastline, so you can easily ditch the hotel pools should you wish and set up on part of the beach reserved for hotel guests. There's also a watersports center adjacent to the section of the beach for hotel guests if you fancy some parasailing or jet ski experiences.
Atmosphere:
The hotel has a relaxed atmosphere throughout. Whether you're in the quiet adults only pool, the main pool or in the hotel lobby bar, the atmosphere is calm and we felt very comfortable throughout the resort. Music is only played around the main pool for a few hours in the morning and again mid-afternoon.
Rooms:
We had a family room with sliding doors on the third floor, which was comfortable and had views of the main pool. There's a smart TV which lets you sign into Prime Video and Netflix and a Philips L'OR drinks machine in every room for tea/coffee. The Wi-Fi coverage in the room was also excellent. As a family of 4, I will say we found the room to be a little bit of a squeeze, it could just have done with a few extra sq.ft to give it that more spacious element. Our fridge in the room was stocked with 2 pepsi cans, an orange juice, 2 local 300ml beers, water and 7up on arrival. Only the water is replaced daily, the other drinks once used aren't replaced. We didn't find that an issue as you can take drinks back to the room from any of the bars on site.
Value/Food & Drinks:
As expected for a 5 star resort travelling as a family of 4 at the peak of the summer holidays. Yes, it's expensive to travel in season, but we felt we got value for money from our stay. The all inclusive package is great value, with the restaurant on site offering a range of local and worldwide dishes 7 days a week. Head chef George and his team cater for all dietary needs and at breakfast service, omelettes can be requested made to order. The drinks available range from branded Coca Cola/Diet CC/Fanta/Fanta Lemon all the way through to cocktails and spirits. There's also a Japanese Fusion restaurant and a Burger restaurant on site, which you have to book tables for via the hotel app or at reception.
Staff:
First class. Working so hard in the sweltering August heat, everyone from housekeeping, reception, bar staff and waiters, the customer service is first rate. As you're sat around the resort or even on the beach, staff come round to keep you topped up with whatever drinks you want. Our special shout outs go to David and Youssif - looked after us the whole time we were there.
Entertainment:
There's a kids club daily from 10-12 and 3-5 (which we didn't use), but you can see all the details of the daily activities planned if you download the hotel app by scanning the QR code in your welcome pack. The entertainment team were very enthusiastic for the main part, hosting daily activities around the main pool and resort including water polo, french boules, darts and 2 daily quizzes. The evening entertainment doesn't start until 9pm (a daily quiz) with the main show at 9.30, which is too late in my opinion for young children, but there is the option of a mini disco at 8.15. We found the lobby bar offers a far more relaxed evening with local performers playing daily.
Pools:
A good sized main pool, though it did feel slightly packed at peak times, especially with the size of some of the inflatables in use. It's also not helped as there is only a small section of the pool which is 'shallow' enough for young children. The kids pool is fun for 5 minutes, but it's just one single water slide, our kids are 8 and 5 and it wasn't really enough. The adults only (quiet) pool catered for kids during the entire stay, due to the volume of families staying. This will be addressed next year as the hotel is about to start the build of an on site waterpark which will also include a new 'snackeria', something to be aware of if visiting between now and 30th May 2027 which is the date the works should be completed. There's also an indoor pool available and it's great that the hotel employs multiple lifeguards stationed at every pool during the pool opening hours which are 09:30 - 18:30. There's no pool use allowed outside of these hours and children have to be supervised by an adult at all times.
The sunbeds are so comfortable and were newly installed as part of the refurb. If you want one around the main pool or quiet pool though, then you'll need to set your alarms for 6.30 or before as after 7.00 the only beds available were further back. We noticed many beds with towels on from this time but people didn't turn up to use them until 3/4pm, which could probably be addressed or managed better.
Overall:
A 5 star stay at Imperial Island Resort. I would definitely recommend to families with young children, it's worth the price and will be even more value for money with the addition of the waterpark and snackeria from next June onwards."
