Introduction

I’m staying in Nicosia in Cyprus, which is inland and about fifty minutes (about 45km) by car from the coast and Larnaca Airport. There is public transport from Larnaca, but it’s not particularly efficient or fast, and doesn’t drop you off anywhere even remotely close to the hotel. Being away from the sea, Nicosia is not very touristy. As such, the Hilton is the only big brand hotel in the area.

Location

The Hilton sits nestled in a generous, lush garden with tall palm trees all around. When I return to the hotel in the afternoons, my favourite pastime is to get myself a drink at the bar and then sit outside on the patio to do some work. It’s still quite warm at 32 degrees, but the breeze rustling through the trees is just so soothing and calming.

Check-In

I arrive at the hotel just after seven in the evening. I drove with my colleague, The Flying Dutchman, who joined me in Athens for the flight to Cyprus. The check-in formalities are quickly done, and then I’m already on my way to my room on the third floor.

The Service & Staff

The staff at the hotel are strange. On the one hand, they seem genuinely friendly and I have nothing at all to complain about. However, at the same time they’re also very formal and quite reserved, so that while the interactions with them are friendly enough, they’re oddly devoid of personality.

The Room

I’ve booked a standard King Guest Room. The room is interesting because it just looks like a typical Hilton room and I’m still trying to figure out what makes it so. It is remarkable only by how unremarkable it is as a room. Perhaps it’s just that it’s a rather bland space. Or perhaps I’m used to the AllAccor aesthetics at this stage.

Whatever the case may be, the important thing is that I have a large King bed that is very comfortable, with a firm mattress that offers excellent support.

My only criticism of the room is the air conditioner. I switch it to auto hoping that it will switch off once the room has cooled down to 24 degrees Celsius, which it does. But then a few minutes later it restarts at full blast and nearly gives me a heart attack with the fright. Eventually, I just switch it off completely because it’s just too noisy to sleep.

And that brings us to the bathroom with its walk-in shower and the infamous Knight of Malta shower test. I think it probably says it all that somebody felt compelled to stick instructions for how to operate the shower on the wall next to the faucets. And it really is an odd setup. In addition, the controls are quite stiff, making them even more difficult to operate when your hands are wet or covered in soap foam. The temperature control is okay, but the pressure is not so good. But at least there is only very little spillage.

Amenities

Even though this is a bog standard room, there are bathrobes and slippers in the bathroom. In addition, there’s a kettle with instant coffee sachets, tea, and little tubs of cream. The tap water is severely chlorinated and not very nice, which is why there are also three bottles of complimentary still water.

Dining

There are several dining options at the Hilton. Breakfast is served at the Olympia restaurant, which is also open in the evenings. Then there’s the Mint Bar, which opens at lunch and serves food and drinks all day long and into the evening. And then there’s the Sorrento pool bar, which serves drinks and snacks during the day. In addition, there’s is a Cypriot and a Japanese restaurant in the complex next to the Hilton.

The Mint Bar has a lovely patio overlooking the lush garden. It’s so nice to sit out here in the evenings when the temperature has cooled down slightly. The food is not bad either. On the evening I eat at the hotel, I have a Greek salad, which is rather nice.

Conclusion

The touristy places are all located along the coast, where the beaches are. Nicosia is fairly quiet because it’s inland and away from the sea. Most of the tourists here are day trippers who come up from the coastal towns to visit the divided Cypriot capital. As a result, there is a very limited choice of hotels in Nicosia. Previously, there used to be another Hilton, which, apparently, has been under reconstruction for the last few years in preparation for reopening in 2026 in time for the Cypriot presidency of the European Union.

The Hilton is getting on a bit. The building is old and dated and the room is showing obvious signs of wear and tear. I’m left wondering if perhaps this place will close for refurbishment once the other Hilton reopens. Even so, this has been a pleasant stay, and the lush garden in which the hotel sits is just lovely.