Buzzin Travel

Aphrodite Hills 5* Golf & Spa Resort

Aphrodite Hills is an integrated 5-star luxury sports, leisure and real estate resort near Paphos, south west of Cyprus.  It is the first resort of its kind on this very friendly Mediterranean island.

Larnaca Airport is situated on the south east of the island and though it is approximately a one hour 112km (70 miles) car journey to the resort, it is a simple route to drive along the A1/A6 motorway.  The closest airport is Paphos International, only 17km (11 miles) away which does mean incoming planes fly pretty low across the resort.

There was obviously a reason why my flight was booked from Heathrow to Larnaca, but if possible I would recommend flying to Paphos International, as the last thing you want to do after a three-and-a-half hour flight is a one hour car trip.

Cyprus
Cyprus is the third largest Mediterranean island and is situated between three continents – Europe, Africa and Asia; all of which can be seen and tasted on this beautiful island.  The landscape ranges from dry arid pine tree covered mountains to beautiful sandy beaches.  It effortlessly blends its historical myth and tradition with a contemporary European lifestyle; and as a member of the EU, Cyprus is a prospering independent republic which has become a welcome retreat for UK citizens as a holiday, business or retirement resort. The currency of Cyprus is Euros.

I was informed 30°C plus was exceptionally warm for the last week in September (expect 23-25°C); while July and August can reach a staggering 45°C, be very humid and for many, pretty unbearable.  Too hot to sunbathe, let alone play golf for most people.

English was spoken by everyone I met and the island lived up to its reputation as being a friendly, warm, relaxed place with very friendly people.

Aphrodite Hills Resort
The Aphrodite Hills Resort is situated on the south west coast, 20km (12 miles) from the main town of Paphos.  Aphrodite Hills is built on higher ground, on the coast, which helps with less humidity on very hot days.

Aphrodite Hills InterContinental Hotel
As you turn into the resort you are greeted with lush green banks either side of the steep, long driveway up to the InterContinental Hotel.  Smiling faces and beautiful architecture offer a warm invite, something that I witnessed throughout my stay. Check-in was quick and easy and included a complimentary cold drink before I was escorted to my room; a spacious double room by the side of the main pool, looking out past wild olive trees, over the lush green ninth fairway and the beautiful, calm blue Mediterranean Sea.

Aphrodite Hills Resort, Cyprus - InterContinental Hotel

The room had a king size bed, writing desk complete with internet dial-up connection point, four plug sockets (including two UK three-pin style), television with several cable channels including Sky News, MTV and Radio Five Live.  There was also room for a comfortable two-seater settee.  The large bathroom included a large bath and a walk-in shower with a very powerful jet stream (showers that trickle rather than blast water is a real bugbear of mine!).

The room was serviced twice a day with replenishing of towels, complimentary bathroom products, emptying of bins and not only making the bed, but laying my pyjamas out and folding back the sheet. Attention to detail, especially the UK plug sockets was a very nice touch.

The hotel itself boasts seven restaurants and bars.  We were invited to a reception drink from the hotel and golf management in the Carob Lounge bar followed by dinner at The Eleonas Restaurant.

The Carob Lounge Bar & Terrace is a beautiful way to end the day, or start the evening, with its beautiful panoramic view across the Mediterranean Sea watching the sun set before very quickly leaving a cloudless sky full of bright stars.

The food in the Eleonas Restaurant was absolutely mouth-wateringly beautiful.  The spread was amazing, delicious and left me having to shed several pounds by the time I returned to the UK.  Each night the main hotel restaurant prepared cuisine from around the world.  The first evening was Asian – a selection of Indian, Chinese and sushi.  The food looked as good as it tasted, and that is why I could not help but to sample all three cuisines together. Each night offered a different style and plenty of it.  A favourite was Italian night, where a chef was ready to cook a pasta dish to order.  All ingredients laid out before me I chose king prawns and mussels in a tomato and white wine sauce.  I even got to choose the type of pasta!

Breakfast was a similar affair.  Cereal, fresh fruit, a selection of juices and nuts, full English breakfast all laid out for everyone to help themselves, while omelettes were cooked to order.

Other restaurants in the InterContinental Hotel complex including the Leander Restaurant – a Euro-Asian restaurant combining flavours and ingredients of the two in a contemporary setting, the pool side Ifestos Bar and the Mesogios Restaurant – the hotel’s family restaurant featuring Grill and A la Carte menus and between May and October, Ithaki Fish Taverna – a fish restaurant by the pool side.  Unfortunately the latter wasn’t open in the evenings during my stay.

Aphrodite Hills Resort includes several restaurants

Between the hotel and the Golf Clubhouse is the Village Square with a bar, shop, art gallery, Costa coffee shop and more restaurants.

The service was excellent and the food was delicious.

Aphrodite Hills Golf Resort
I was here not only to eat everything in sight but to cover the first PGA Golf Tournament to be staged in Cyprus.  As you can imagine, this was a prestigious event and something the Aphrodite Hills Resort needed to get right.

As a golf resort, Aphrodite Hills is a wonderful location.  Set in the hills, the beautiful 18-hole golf course surrounds the resort.  The course includes picturesque holes like the 8th hole which looks straight out into the Mediterranean Sea and the challenging 7th hole that needs the correct club selection and swing to combat the ravine between the tee and the green.

Aphrodite Hills Golf Couse: 7th Tee & Green

The golf course winds its way through beautiful holiday villas, both for rent and sale.  They vary in size and luxury. Some looking directly out out the Mediterranean Sea, while others line the various fairways.

In a Gala Dinner speech following a Pro Am Competition preceding the PGA EuroPro Tour Tournament, Matchroom Sports’ Barry Hearn praised the Aphrodite Hills golf management for the exceptional condition of the course; and he wasn’t wrong.  This is one of the best looking courses I have seen, let alone played on. Something the EuroPro Tour Tournament winner, James Heath reiterated in his acceptance speech.

The whole golf complex is stunning and everyone was ready to help and serve you with a warm smile.  The clubhouse includes a restaurant that looks out over the beautiful 18th hole, while downstairs there is a large golf pro shop selling everything from gloves to clubs and golf balls to golf bags.

A word of warning to those who like to mix their golf with a leisurely walk; buggies are strongly recommended, especially on the front nine between the sixth and the eighth.  I believe PGA rules state golfers in competition must walk the course but they were using a shuttle service up and down the steep mountainous climbs between the sixth, seventh and eighth during the EuroPro Tour competition.

As well as the superb course itself there is a driving range and a well maintained three-hole Golf Academy Course with one Par 3 and two Par 4 holes.  Great for a practise, though a touch too near the main road for someone I played with!

Aphrodite Hills Tennis Academy
Aphrodite Hills offers more than just a first class golf resort.   I enjoyed a very good & interesting tennis lesson with Wyn Lewis the Tennis Academy Head Pro. The European Tennis Academy at Aphrodite Hills is the largest of its kind in Cyprus.  As well as getting someone to help sort out my pathetic serve, I was intrigued to know more about the much discussed Mental Match Play training method, whereby you learn to play tennis to music.

Aphrodite Hills Tennis Academy in Cyprus

Wyn (great name for a tennis player) took time to watch how I played, good shots and bad shots before giving me some drills to follow counting one to four in time with the ball bouncing either side of the net and being hit back and forth.  This made me keep my eyes firmly fixed on the ball and not my opponent. The result was I relaxed, giving myself more time to position myself and strike the ball in a much more methodical way.  Donning headphones, we then put this to music. The heat was pretty intense for tennis even at four in the afternoon.  So I was pleased we weren’t going to be playing in time with Metallica!

The Mental Match Play training is simple but very effective.  I only wish I had received this lesson in spring rather than autumn as returning to the UK, I desperately want to play tennis again.

Aphrodite Hills also includes a Retreat Spa offering a range of massages, facials, body exfoliation and wrap treatments plus one hour personal training sessions specifically designed to suit your needs. You can indulge yourself in spa packages ranging from one to five days.

There was more to see and do.  Small, intimate live music productions of We Will Rock You, Mamma Mia and Saturday Night Fever were staged every night at 10pm, there’s an adjacent horse riding stable, a playground and clubs for kids, two private beaches and did I mention the food?

The Aphrodite Hills Resort reminded me of the cult television show, The Prisoner.  Everything was spotless, perfect and left you wanting for nothing.  For a brief second I wondered if a large suffocating white ball would appear from nowhere if I tried to escape this 5 star luxury resort.  But instead I went up for more food.

I would expect good service and great food from every 5 star resort I visit, but what I felt was a real warmth and true sincerity behind the smiles and service from everyone working at Aphrodite Hills.  The cleaners, the waiters, the managers and directors – all were very friendly and gave the impression they were happy to be part of the team.

Aphrodite Hills Resort is a perfect place to holiday, especially for golfers.  And because of the first class preparation and organisation that went into holding this year’s EuroPro PGA Championship Finale, I have no doubt more PGA tournaments will follow.  So, one last piece of advice, if you are looking to book a holiday at Aphrodite Hills check to see if there is a golf tournament on at the same time, leaving you watching and not playing one of the most beautiful golf courses in Europe.