LONDA HOTEL
Sleek Cyprus resort hotel packed with chill-out cool
Review by Sue Bryant
THE LOBBY IS AN OASIS OF WHITE MARBLE, curvy pillars lit from within and a sheer glass wall through which the Mediterranean glints tantalisingly in the distance.
In winter, the whiteness is warmed by a flickering open fire and hip lounge music. In summer, beautiful people recline on squashy day beds around a deep blue pool, or drift off into a blissful haze under the touch of a therapist in an outdoor, tented massage pavilion.
The Londa is so cool it’s like nothing Cyprus has ever seen. Transformed in 2005 from an uninspiring business hotel into an award-winning temple to urban chic-on-the-beach, it has become a reason in itself to visit Limassol, a buzzing, year-round city of markets, mosques and hammams, designer shops and a chunky crusader castle.
Beyond the gorgeous Italian design, the hotel has a wonderful sense of whimsy, with oversized cushions in the shape of Mediterranean fruit adorning the bedrooms, splashes of vibrant colour against the stripped floors and crisp white linen.
Hit the spot
On the beach and close to Limassol’s nightlife.
Bedtime
Try the honeymoon suite, with its huge circular bed, jacuzzi and wall of sea-facing windows, or a balconied Sea View suite.
Be savvy
You can’t beat those gorgeous, velvet fruit cushions as a memento to take home – buy them at reception.
Be smitten
Chic-on-the-beach in Cyprus.
Rainforest showers
The minimalist look is further softened by gauzy silver curtains and touches of Cyprus; antique lace and filigree silver work. Bathrooms are fabulously decadent with huge rainforest showers, deep baths for two (some with jets) and oodles of Molton Brown goodies. Book one of the romance packages and a personal butler will run you an aromatherapy bath for two, or serve champagne dinner by candlelight on your balcony.
Once (or if) you emerge from your room, the pool is the place to be. Stretch out on a double day bed under an oversized cream canvas umbrella, or set up camp under one of the shady cabanas, with views straight out to sea. Waft between the pool and the spa, which features delicious Payot products from Paris and offers a seemingly endless list of pampering treatments for men and women.
After sunset, the pool bar – evocatively lit with candles and flaming torches – becomes a gathering point for style-conscious locals as well as guests. Canoodle over Martinis and nibbles before heading into Caprice at Londa, the hotel’s signature restaurant, which adopts the same serene, white-and-cream decor as the lobby lounge next door and has dreamy, uninterrupted sea views.
If you do venture outside, switched-on manager Jochen Niemann is only too happy to recommend smart chill-out bars and some great restaurants nearby which, like the Londa, are all playing their role in making Limassol the most happening city in the southern Med.
THE LOBBY IS AN OASIS OF WHITE MARBLE, curvy pillars lit from within and a sheer glass wall through which the Mediterranean glints tantalisingly in the distance.
In winter, the whiteness is warmed by a flickering open fire and hip lounge music. In summer, beautiful people recline on squashy day beds around a deep blue pool, or drift off into a blissful haze under the touch of a therapist in an outdoor, tented massage pavilion.
The Londa is so cool it’s like nothing Cyprus has ever seen. Transformed in 2005 from an uninspiring business hotel into an award-winning temple to urban chic-on-the-beach, it has become a reason in itself to visit Limassol, a buzzing, year-round city of markets, mosques and hammams, designer shops and a chunky crusader castle.
Beyond the gorgeous Italian design, the hotel has a wonderful sense of whimsy, with oversized cushions in the shape of Mediterranean fruit adorning the bedrooms, splashes of vibrant colour against the stripped floors and crisp white linen.
Hit the spot
On the beach and close to Limassol’s nightlife.
Bedtime
Try the honeymoon suite, with its huge circular bed, jacuzzi and wall of sea-facing windows, or a balconied Sea View suite.
Be savvy
You can’t beat those gorgeous, velvet fruit cushions as a memento to take home – buy them at reception.
Be smitten
Chic-on-the-beach in Cyprus.
Rainforest showers
The minimalist look is further softened by gauzy silver curtains and touches of Cyprus; antique lace and filigree silver work. Bathrooms are fabulously decadent with huge rainforest showers, deep baths for two (some with jets) and oodles of Molton Brown goodies. Book one of the romance packages and a personal butler will run you an aromatherapy bath for two, or serve champagne dinner by candlelight on your balcony.
Once (or if) you emerge from your room, the pool is the place to be. Stretch out on a double day bed under an oversized cream canvas umbrella, or set up camp under one of the shady cabanas, with views straight out to sea. Waft between the pool and the spa, which features delicious Payot products from Paris and offers a seemingly endless list of pampering treatments for men and women.
After sunset, the pool bar – evocatively lit with candles and flaming torches – becomes a gathering point for style-conscious locals as well as guests. Canoodle over Martinis and nibbles before heading into Caprice at Londa, the hotel’s signature restaurant, which adopts the same serene, white-and-cream decor as the lobby lounge next door and has dreamy, uninterrupted sea views.
If you do venture outside, switched-on manager Jochen Niemann is only too happy to recommend smart chill-out bars and some great restaurants nearby which, like the Londa, are all playing their role in making Limassol the most happening city in the southern Med.
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Dining in
Caprice at Londa is one of Limassol’s top see-and-be-seen dining spots, where the drinks are chilled and the buzz is hot. Minimalist interiors make a great setting for Mediterranean cooking with a distinctly contemporary twist.
Go for the signature lobster salad with glazed scallops and risoni pasta, or the filletini with rucola and Parmesan flakes. Finish off with the disgracefully more-ish chocolate doughnuts served with walnut and vanilla ice-cream. There’s an extensive wine list, too.
Dining out
Limassol has plenty of good eateries. La Maison Fleurie and Pagoda (a great Chinese) are just around the corner, while other good choices include Beige and Karatello.
Where?
Caprice at Londa
What’s cooking?
Contemporary Mediterranean cuisine: freshly caught fish and delicious salads, tuna carpaccio and favourites like buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes.
Top table?
Huge windows ensure everyone gets a sweep of those Mediterranean views, though window tables have the edge.
See & Do
There’s every kind of watersport on offer here – you can go scuba diving, kite surfing, water skiing or windsurfing in Limassol’s waters.
Richard the Lion Heart not only planned the Crusades but held his wedding at Limassol’s 14th century medieval castle. Antiquity buffs should head for the Archaeological museum, while the Folk Art Museum has some pleasing Cypriot folk art. Within easy reach of the town are Byzantine churches and the ancient Greek theatre of Kourion. See our Cyprus guide for more ideas.
Shop
You’ll find everything from designer boutiques to traditional arts and crafts in Limassol. Check out Cypriot designer Pantelis Mitsu’s fashions and designer wedding gowns, or pop into Sabrina for bespoke shoes.
Spa
Londa’s swishy spa has just about everything for a feel-good experience: sauna, steam bath, plunge pool, jacuzzi and jet shower, plus gym and treatment rooms. Choose from over 50 treatments, including hot stone massage, reflexology, micro-dermabrasion, pedicures and every kind of facial. Join a yoga or Pilates class if you’re feeling virtuous.
After dark
You can’t beat sipping a late-night chaser in the Caprice bar, where the resident DJ keeps the tempo turned up into the early hours. Limassol’s neon-lit strip of shops and bars means you’ll never be short of nightlife outside, either.
Dates
June
Expect a riot of music, dancing, parades and good food at the Limassol Festival.
August-September
Cyprus celebrates the grape harvest with a week of wine-fuelled revelry. Expect feasting, music, and dancing.
Caprice at Londa is one of Limassol’s top see-and-be-seen dining spots, where the drinks are chilled and the buzz is hot. Minimalist interiors make a great setting for Mediterranean cooking with a distinctly contemporary twist.
Go for the signature lobster salad with glazed scallops and risoni pasta, or the filletini with rucola and Parmesan flakes. Finish off with the disgracefully more-ish chocolate doughnuts served with walnut and vanilla ice-cream. There’s an extensive wine list, too.
Dining out
Limassol has plenty of good eateries. La Maison Fleurie and Pagoda (a great Chinese) are just around the corner, while other good choices include Beige and Karatello.
Where?
Caprice at Londa
What’s cooking?
Contemporary Mediterranean cuisine: freshly caught fish and delicious salads, tuna carpaccio and favourites like buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes.
Top table?
Huge windows ensure everyone gets a sweep of those Mediterranean views, though window tables have the edge.
See & Do
There’s every kind of watersport on offer here – you can go scuba diving, kite surfing, water skiing or windsurfing in Limassol’s waters.
Richard the Lion Heart not only planned the Crusades but held his wedding at Limassol’s 14th century medieval castle. Antiquity buffs should head for the Archaeological museum, while the Folk Art Museum has some pleasing Cypriot folk art. Within easy reach of the town are Byzantine churches and the ancient Greek theatre of Kourion. See our Cyprus guide for more ideas.
Shop
You’ll find everything from designer boutiques to traditional arts and crafts in Limassol. Check out Cypriot designer Pantelis Mitsu’s fashions and designer wedding gowns, or pop into Sabrina for bespoke shoes.
Spa
Londa’s swishy spa has just about everything for a feel-good experience: sauna, steam bath, plunge pool, jacuzzi and jet shower, plus gym and treatment rooms. Choose from over 50 treatments, including hot stone massage, reflexology, micro-dermabrasion, pedicures and every kind of facial. Join a yoga or Pilates class if you’re feeling virtuous.
After dark
You can’t beat sipping a late-night chaser in the Caprice bar, where the resident DJ keeps the tempo turned up into the early hours. Limassol’s neon-lit strip of shops and bars means you’ll never be short of nightlife outside, either.
Dates
June
Expect a riot of music, dancing, parades and good food at the Limassol Festival.
August-September
Cyprus celebrates the grape harvest with a week of wine-fuelled revelry. Expect feasting, music, and dancing.
GETTING THERE
Location
George A Street, Potamos Yermasoyias, 4048 Limassol
Parking
There is free guest parking.
Trains
Sorry – there are no trains on Cyprus.
Taxis
EUR 60 from the airport.
Airport
Larnaca – 67km
Rooms and suites
39 rooms and 29 suites.
Special features
Expect chic décor, free wi-fi and satellite TV, a coffee making machine, cordless phone with messaging, safe and loads of Molton Brown smellies.
Also…
There’s a gorgeous infinity pool, a full-service spa with treatments rooms and all the trimmings, and a sheltered beach. You can also call on a Londa personal butler to run your bath and book your excursions.
ESSENTIAL INFO
Rates guide
EUR 160 – 900
Open/closed
Open all year
Check-in
2pm
Check-out
Officially midday, but later by arrangement.
Minimum night stay?
No
Breakfast
Continental breakfast is served until 11am, so no need for early starts.
Room service
Available 24 hours a day.
Children
Welcome
Pets
No
Air conditioning
Yes – all rooms
Languages
Greek, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Russian
Wedding license?
Yes. Receptions can be held for up to 250 guests.
Eco conscience
Recycling and energy saving are king here, so no worries about your carbon footprint.
Your contact
Jochen Niemann – General manager
Location
George A Street, Potamos Yermasoyias, 4048 Limassol
Parking
There is free guest parking.
Trains
Sorry – there are no trains on Cyprus.
Taxis
EUR 60 from the airport.
Airport
Larnaca – 67km
Rooms and suites
39 rooms and 29 suites.
Special features
Expect chic décor, free wi-fi and satellite TV, a coffee making machine, cordless phone with messaging, safe and loads of Molton Brown smellies.
Also…
There’s a gorgeous infinity pool, a full-service spa with treatments rooms and all the trimmings, and a sheltered beach. You can also call on a Londa personal butler to run your bath and book your excursions.
ESSENTIAL INFO
Rates guide
EUR 160 – 900
Open/closed
Open all year
Check-in
2pm
Check-out
Officially midday, but later by arrangement.
Minimum night stay?
No
Breakfast
Continental breakfast is served until 11am, so no need for early starts.
Room service
Available 24 hours a day.
Children
Welcome
Pets
No
Air conditioning
Yes – all rooms
Languages
Greek, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Russian
Wedding license?
Yes. Receptions can be held for up to 250 guests.
Eco conscience
Recycling and energy saving are king here, so no worries about your carbon footprint.
Your contact
Jochen Niemann – General manager