DESTINATIONS GREECE & CYPRUS |NEW RESORTS
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Coral Bay Beach; renovated family room at Imperial Island Resort by Louis Hotels; Pygmalion Burger Restaurant; Japanese fusion cuising at Fiki; one of the hotel’s four outdoor pools PICTURES: Alexandros Ioannidis; Shutterstock/aletheia25
FAMILY FORTUNES
About 80% of summer occupancy comes from families, says operations manager Matthaios Matthaiou, hence the focus on multigenerational groups. Plans are underway to open a new water park in 2027, overhauling the family pool zone with two new family pools and a kids’ pool. But I’m delighted to hear the ‘quiet’ pool will
remain unchanged, in all its palm-fringed glory. Guests will love the refreshed stripy loungers beside the pools and beachfront – which is lucky, given that a lack of sunbeds was a previous point of contention (reassure clients that there are now 550 of them, so there’s no need to sneak down before dawn to reserve a spot). That said, the sands nudging the hotel’s
grounds are compact, so for sandcastle- friendly shores, suggest clients head to the popular public beach at Coral Bay, a 30-minute drive north. Alternatively, they can hop aboard a boat to swim in the aquamarine waters of the Blue Lagoon, or even circumnavigate Aphrodite’s Rock three times to secure eternal youth – or so I’m told.
DINNER AND A SHOW Food and beverage formed a key component of the resort’s extensive makeover. The refurbished
Value for money remains key.
Repeat customers go back 20 years, but there are hopes of attracting a new audience too
main restaurant serves up Dionysus-pleasing buffets: think local delicacies such as honeyed fruits and peanut brittle, alongside fry-up classics at breakfast – the British market is the hotel’s main audience, after all. Japanese fusion restaurant Fiki has also been
revamped, while Pygmalion plates up such a tempting array of burgers, it’s nigh on impossible to pick just one (my favourites were the sticky pork-belly bun, and a Cypriot halloumi and fig combo). A poolside ‘Snackeria’ – yes, it’s a snack bar – will be added in 2027. The entertainment venue’s facelift has taken the former ballroom into the 21st century with snazzy equipment, a DJ booth and a bar, showcasing nightly shows and quizzes. Activities elsewhere include stretching sessions,
archery, water polo and boules, if clients fancy a change from having cool drinks ferried to their poolside lounger.
TO-DO LIST General manager Christakis Paraskeva says an external company has been brought in to help elevate service standards from four to five stars, but value for money remains key. Repeat customers go back 20 years, but there are hopes of attracting a new audience as well, as more people search for five-star all-inclusives without the price tag of a top-end luxury resort. If visitors do fancy a taste of opulence, the Unesco-listed Paphos Archaeological Park houses the ruins of plush ancient Greek and Roman villas, including some of the best-preserved mosaics in the world. The archaeological site also sits near Paphos harbour where, if clients can wrench themselves away from Imperial Island Resort’s all-inclusive cocktails, the fresh fish served up will be well worth the walk around the waterfront – perhaps that’s the real secret to eternal youth. Review by Harriet Mallinson
BOOK IT
EasyJet holidays offers seven nights from £1,295 per person, all-inclusive, based on two sharing. Includes 23kg of luggage per person, transfers and flights from Gatwick on August 31.
easyjet.com/holidays
48 30 JULY 2026
travelweekly.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
