Salamis Bay Conti Hotel Review - 4 of 44 Reviews

We chose the Salamis Conti Hotel because it was a 5 star holiday hotel in the quieter east part of Cyprus. While I think it's not UK 5 star standard, we had a very nice time, and saw a lot of North Cyprus during our stay.

Our room in the main hotel was clean and tidy and the beds were comfortable. The bathroom was small and needed some maintenance work on the bath, but was OK for my husband and I. The hotel generally was kept very nicely, and the staff always smiled at us, even if I suspect they didn't understand much of what we actually said!

The hotel is quite big so has two pools, one indoor which was warm and one outdoor which could get breezy. The hotel beach was a bonus; while it was windy here too, it was lovely to sit beside the sea without the crowds or a long walk from the hotel.

My husband very much enjoyed the buffet breakfast, as he said having so much choice was a nice change from AllBran or toast! I wasn't so keen on cheese and salad for breakfast, so the hot eggs in various forms were very welcome. The evening menu was tasty if a little unimaginative, so we tried local restaurants on three evenings and had lovely meals of kebabs and fish.

We knew in advance that a car would be essential if we were to see anything beyond the hotel grounds, and I was pleased that the driving was easy in North Cyprus. We drove to Famagusta, which was busy but better once we'd parked. We walked into the old city, a fascinating area that reminded me of Valetta in Malta. We also walked around some of the ruined city of Salamis, just a few minutes from the hotel. It's a big area and we were glad we were visiting out of season - it must get very hot in the summer since there is not much shade.

We did take a day trip to the Karpas Peninsula, which was much more lush and green than we expected, and seemed almost deserted. We didn't drive all the way to the end as the roads become small and winding, but the scenery was lovely. We drove back via one of the restaurants in the fishing village of Bogaz, and had one of the best fish dinners I have ever eaten.

It was clear to us that if the building work continues around this area that soon the east coast will be as busy as the area in the north around Kyrenia, which would be a shame. We very much enjoyed the feeling of space and gentle pace of life in this area, and hope to return before it gets too popular.

Liked — quiet location
Disliked — tired bathroom fittings

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