Venus Beach, a five-star facing a public beach

Venus Beach plays an unusual card for a five-star, reminding you that its beach belongs to everyone. There’s no waterpark and no trio of kids’ clubs; it sells itself on calm, its restaurants and its spot beside the Tombs of the Kings. Here’s what’s on offer and who it suits. For the wider picture, see Paphos hotels.

The official entry

On the Paphos list the Deputy Ministry of Tourism dated August, it appears with five stars, 216 rooms and 432 beds on Tombs of the Kings Road. It carries the P, meaning the rating is under review with the new law and given as a guide. To see the twelve Paphos five-stars side by side, go to luxury hotels in Cyprus.

Eating well without leaving

The hotel lists five restaurants and two bars, and offers all-inclusive as an option. On that package you can book dinner at its à la carte venues, Nefeli for Mediterranean cooking for instance, from 19:00 to 22:00. Drinks outside the package are half price at the Bacchus bar and the pool bar. At dinner in the main restaurant the dress code is strict, so no shorts or flip-flops. The package kicks in at three in the afternoon on your arrival day and runs until you check out.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Venus Beach Hotel Paphos for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

Pools and sport

Here the water is geared towards grown-ups. The outdoor pool opens from 10:00 to 18:30 and the heated indoor pool is for over-16s. The sports centre adds a gym, tennis, padel and pickleball courts, a pool table and water sports, and the spa area offers a sauna and massages. Younger guests have a kids’ club, and the weekly programme adds live music, theme nights and a traditional band in the evenings. On the beach, towels are free but sunbeds and parasols carry a small charge.

The Tombs next door

Its website places it beside the Tombs of the Kings, one of the pieces of the Paphos site on the UNESCO list, which I cover in UNESCO sites in Cyprus. Cafés, restaurants, supermarkets and souvenir shops are within walking distance, the hotel says. I’d use that closeness to visit the necropolis as soon as it opens, while the sun is still gentle, and save the pool for the afternoon.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Pafos on GetYourGuide.

My take

I’d recommend it to couples and to anyone travelling with teenagers or calm younger children, more than to families after slides. On the same road, the Elysium hotel is grander and has its own cove, and Capital Coast Resort offers class A tourist apartments with a spa on the seafront. For self-catering with the family, look at Kefalos Beach. The harbour and the nightlife are in Kato Paphos, further south along the same road.

If you would rather go at your own pace, see the car hire deals in Paphos: the earlier you book, the more cars are left to choose from.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Venus Beach Hotel Paphos for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.