| Holiday-Truth Readers Reports |
Gill from Hook,Hants travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
Thomson
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2007 |
Gill rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness |  | | Location |  | | Staff | | | Food |  | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Hotel nice and clean and the food fairly good with a varied seletion.
I would not reomened the location,although there was abus stop across the road to Limasol it was not worth a trip unless you ee going out for lunch.
The beach across the road is very tatty and the walk in to the touist area takes a good 45 mins and very dissapointing,just tatty touistshops.The rep advised us not to buy anything in Limasol main chain shops as dearer than the UK.
Hotel staff very polite and friendly.
The cost of drinks and snacks are extortionet even the packages that the hotel are offering,go all inclusive on booking.Alot of people were saying the same re the prices
Nice hotel but would not visit again re location and prices,trips on offer very exspensive as well.
If you do go take plenty of money
ocation and prices
Click here for more information on this hotel, resort and region
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bob,jean &ken,jill from northamptonshire travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
Thomson Gold
on a friends holiday.
There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2007 |
bob,jean &ken,jill rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location |  | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: First impressions very good, good flight, only one drop off at our hotel Thomson Gold.
Straight in no cases to carry took to room,
Room very big lots of room,TV, Tea making stuff, hair dryer,Safe {extra charge} £ 1.50 a day a bit steep.
We did not pay for a sea view as to expensive.
so looked at waste ground on front of hotel ,mountains on side.
board basis allways go all inclusive, we do
ice creams,wine everything included.
drinks very expensive,
Hotel cleanliness Very good
Hotel Food Very good something for everyone
roast every day,could be a bit warmer,
but plenty of choice.
Hotel Location its out of limassol,but dont complain
you should have looked at a map where your hotel is situated.before booking, bus outside 80cents into limassol, or car hire.
Hotel staff very good, they come to you and ask if you want a drink.
Entertainment Rosco still there, very mediocre.rest ok.
Visit again we never go to the same hotel twice,
Thomson Gold no Kids was excellent, quiet no running around, a couple of german children very well behaved, never new they were there .not like english kids screaming and shouting.
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Mr & Mrs Harris from Southampton travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
Portland Holidays
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2007 |
Mr & Mrs Harris rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said:
Arrival :
This holiday was for our honeymoon and we wanted to go somewhere special.
We arrived at Paphos airport and jumped on a minibus which took us to the hotel - this was on time and well organised , the driver was also friendly.
On arrival we were taken straight to the welcome meeting while our cases were delivered to our room.We were sat down with a drink and lots of important information was given to us by the PR manager.
After the meeting we were informed that they upgraded us to the honeymoon suite! This was a large room with 4 poster bed, large balcony and hot tub. The room it self was good size but a little shabby with few stains on carpet and ants nest next to patio doors.
Food :
Lots of food at anytime but not very hot and not a great selection of vegetables or traditional food. Waiter system was frustrating as one waiter sat you down, another took drink order, another brought drink over and you had to wait for someone else to notice the bottle and open it ! one night we finished our starter before the wine arrived ! another night our table was cleared while we were getting desert !
Bar:
A bit slow, didnt like the fact you had to sign for every drink, they were not eager to top up your glass.
Entertainment:
Got bored of their resident band 'Roscoe' after 5 nights of it, too much of the same. The reps show was good and particlury Jo Slow the main entertainer who is mad and full of infectous energy! Disco Dave was ok but not as funny. There were many activities during the day for a bit of fun.
Overall the hotel is not 4 star as its a bit shabby around the edges, we had a good honeymoon and enjoyed most parts of our holiday but wont return to this hotel was expecting more for our money- we cannot fault Thomson service, the Reps were spot on.
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Graham from Biggleswade travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
Thompsons
on a family holiday.
There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2006 |
Graham rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness |  | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Thought I'd get this done quickly as I personally have found the reviews to be
extremely helpful when choosing hotels / resorts. So hope this helps.
Quick summary. A great hotel & facilities but only if your in your late 70s
Rooms:
Good sized room, key cards are used. The bedroom itself was fine with twin beds. Air con only worked when in the room, and could take a short while to cool down. Decent sized bathroom with bath/ shower, and plenty of space for all your toiletries, and marble tops. A hair drier is also supplied. Plenty of wardrobe space, not many hangers, so take your own. There are lots of drawers so space is not an issue. A colour TV which only included Sky news/Sky Spots (some of the time) in English.
A fridge with complimentary bottle of water, and ice department. We payed the extra for a sea view which gave us a lovely view of the sea if you stood on a box, as the trees and buildings blocked out the view unless you are on the upper floors.
Restaurant
Main restaurant, meals are buffet style and you can either sit inside or out (although the outside is very limited). There is something for everyone the restaurant had several main course choices + “show cooking “ of meat and fish + carvery meats, loads of salads and lots of vegetables, incl Brussels sprouts! Sweets but always fresh fruit on offer + cheeses.
The bad news is the hot food was NEVER hot, one night some Greek was probing the food with a thermometer, and the manager and chefs were all getting a grilling over the temperature, but next day it was cold again).
The very good news is that you also help yourself to hot drinks (Dow Egbert's Coffee!!), and cold drinks (incl wine, beer etc) were delivered to your table
in super quick time by the fantastic table staff, who cleared your table as fast as you finished each course. One of the waiters is English (Dean) and even takes part in the evenings entertainment.
There are 3 main bars (1 is pool side), during the entertainment period the waiters will keep coming over to you at your table as soon as they think your glass is looking empty, but don’t expect to get much service as it gets busy, they just cant cope and don’t expect to go to the bar to order a drink, you have to even then give the order to a the waiter, who then STILL insists on delivering it, so you could end up waiting ages, a real STUPID system.
The pool bar also functions on the stupid order your drinks from the waiter system, along with ice creams and milk shakes.
Pools
There are 2 main pools that are well looked after with free sun beds (the hotel also give you free towels for use at the pool, but don’t leave these on your sun bed overnight as they are collected each night for cleaning.
The down side is both pools are freezing, not heated, they are even colder when the sun has been shining on them all day, so hardly anyone goes in, if they do you soon hear the shouts and moans, the sea over the road was warmer.
Entertainment
The entertainment was excellent, the hotel has an English duo (Rosco) who provide most of the music, but other groups/singers and comedians also provide additional entertainment.
reception -
Always available and willing to help, even showed you to your room on first
registration to demo the safe and air con, etc.
Location:
This seems to be what most people have complained about as the hotel is about 7kms out of the centre of Limassol, however the local bus service (80 cents) runs 3 times an hour.
Gripes :
This hotel is NOT for the young, the average age seems to be about 70~75, and as such come 10pm at night 85% of the guests get up and go to bed, so the entertainment is geared around this, and also stops early.
Due to the age thing (I suspect), the bars in the hotel close at 11:30pm !!!!!!! So be warned.
Food was great but NEVER warm, or hot.
The pools are useless as they are way too cold to be practical, the sun was shining with temperatures of 29c, but the pool NEVER got warm, in fact they got colder.
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Richardson from Derby travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
Thomson GOLD
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2006 |
Richardson rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Do NOT visit this hotel if you are hoping for a child free holiday. This is supposed to be a Thomson GOLD hotel but the week we stayed there must have been 20 to 30 children there!! This is not on, Why on earth do Thomsons allow children in ANY of their Gold hotels ? It is their main selling point, " no families, no children just good value holidays for couples " Apart from the sreaming round the pool area, pressing every button in the lifts as they came out ( so that the lift stops at every floor) running into the toilets at night when ther were a couple of elderly guests in and turning the lights off and the taps on , we hardly noticed they were there .Even the so called length pool to the side of the hotel was invaded, there is no where in this hotel that is adult only.
The hotel is however fabulous, nothing is too much trouble for any of the staff. We paid extra for a pool view room, that was a waste of time as we couldn't sit out on the balcony due to the formentioned noise and disturbance. The beach bar over the road that also belongs to the hotel is a lovely haven away from some of the noise, come out of the hotel, turn right and use the under pass, its far safer , lit at night than trying to cross the busy road . Its hard to judge the speed of the traffic at night and there are no pavements to speak of. There is a promenade of sorts and a raised boardwalk , we walked out most nights about 45mins gets you to a few bars and shops. We ate out at Just Georges one night, pretty good too.
The food in hotel was out of this world. WE were never stuck for choice, roasts, salads, Cypriot food, fresh fruit, pancakes, honey ( with the comb) ginger, too much to list.
We went for the drinks only package, I think most people did, not many paid cash, it was well worth it, included water, tea coffee, wine, iced coffee, milk shakes etc
We tried to hire a car from Europcar in the hotel but even with 4 days notice we couldn't get an automatic. We were told there weren't many on the island. Rubbish. WE went down the road, ( left out of the hotel, past the traffic lights ) to V.H. Michael, the man who runs it is the bar manager at the hotel, ask for Valentino in the main bar area if you don't fancy the walk. We got an excellant deal and an automatic, it was parked on the forecourt.
The entertainment at night was a mixed bag. Think the main man Rick would be better suited to 18 -30's rather than Thomson Gold. Some of the stuff offered was very childish. Putting a silly hat hat on before you answered the quetions in the competition, etc
We had Cliff Richard impersonator one night who was really good, a clssical guitarist another and a 4 girl band a couple of nights, quite good they were too. The last night was the worst, Rick whipped the mainly younger element of the crowd into a frenzy. They were standing on the chairs and tables shouting " you're not singing anymore " to the other half of the audience and behaving like hooligans. It was a bit intimidating , a lot of the older guests walked off to sit inside.This was not Thomson Gold at is best, more like its worst.
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Dennis from London travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
booked own
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2006 |
Dennis rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location |  | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Not the best hotel I'm afraid.
Food edible.
Location of hotel was terrible, not much to do on a night.
Staff were friendly though and hotel clean but building work going on very close
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mary from lincolnshire travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
thomson
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2006 |
mary rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We stayed in the Atlantica bay hotel 15 July 2007.
The hotel it self looked great, although there is building work going on next to this hotel we were told it would not be excessive we were woken a few times with the noise but it was no more noisy than the main road and the deliveries that was going on on a day to day basis, maid service was of a high standard.
The food itself was near enough the same every day, and it could have been a lot hotter, on one day the breakfast sausage was still stone cold in the middle.
Hotel staff in genral was friendly and helpful although if you ordered drinks by the pool sometimes they did not arrive at all or took a long time to be brought to you.
Entertainment was pretty good.
Would we return no as we have been to other gold hotels and the standard is a lot higher.
Also beings it was a gold hotel we were hopeing for a child free holiday but we had been warned that there may be some from other countries, we will try to find a hotel next year which will not except children.
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tony and Sharon from cheltenham travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
Thomson
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2006 |
tony and Sharon rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Nice hotel. Staff very friendly.
Food not bad.
Shame about building site on two sides of hotel which can be dusty no good for asthmatics.
You can upgrade to inclusive or just drinks better deal can be had out there.
Did not see any water sports.
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John Riley from Dewsbury travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
Thomson
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 02 2006 |
John Riley rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: On first impression of the hotel was one of being spotless in the public areas and the staff also very friendly. Our room on being allocated (310) was in a not too bad location, not facing the building site and also not facing the sea which would have meant we would also be facing the busy main road into Limassol which was like a test track for motorbikes.
Our room was fairly clean although a vacuum clean would have made the carpet look better and a wipe with duster on the glass surfaces would have stopped it looking shabby. Towels were changed everyday but on a couple of occasions we had to ring down for more towels as the maid kept on leaving us only one set (could have explained the room size which might have been a single but converted to double but forgot to tell the maid), saying that though the reception were prompt in sending up what was missing.
We stayed at the Atlantic Bay on Half Board basis, and thought for the first couple of evenings that the food was quite good although limited in choice, but as the days progressed, we realised that was as good as it was going to get, which then became very repetitive. Often being re-cycled meals with extra bits added from the evening before, you could predict with great accuracy what was on the menu before you walked into the dining room.
The Breakfast was the best of the meals but even that had no variations but plenty of choice so you could really eat something different on most mornings.
We found the location of the hotel to be in a reasonable location and we knew to expect this as we have seen it on previous visits to this area. There is a excellent bus service which stops directly in front of the hotel which you can catch into Limassol for 80 cents for the journey of around 10 kilometres, there are a few local bars nearby, Nelsons which is great if you want to keep up with all things football and a Irish/Cypriot bar called Molly Malones which had live entertainment on the evening we called in.
The hotel staff all seemed to be very hard working especially in the bar and reception, and were also quite friendly and always smiling.
Entertainment during the day consisted of a couple of the reps playing a few poolside games, and on a evening a resident band called Roscoe. The Ballroom where the evening entertainment was held was by enlarge empty, except for a few people who took up the all-inclusive offer and where trying to get value for money.
A gala evening was offered but this turned out to be the same fayre that was offered on all other evenings but just that you had to queue longer as everyone was eating at the same time. The drinks service then also suffered as everyone who ordered a bottle of wine or any other drink had to wait longer due to the volume of people ordering, a few on our table had actually finished all their meal before the wine waiter came round to open the bottle that they had ordered. The food Hygiene also suffered on that night as well as the food was left out in a corridor which normally was a walkway into the main dining room and was not protected by the glass counter for anyone who sneezed or coughed directly over the food.
Before you could finish your meal the entertainment started which was unfortunate if you happened to be sat next to the large amplifier of the stage, I saw a few wince when that started.
Taking all things into consideration we do not think we would visit this hotel again as most things that you take for granted such as fridge and tea/coffee making facilities were all charged as extras and mounted up massively over a week a two week period, the only way to escape those charges were to "Buy" All Inclusive when you arrived.
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alex &jean from hull travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
thomson
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2005 |
alex &jean rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Food was always cold even when it was brought straight from the kitchen and not very well cooked.Had to ask staff to replenish food on a number of occasions.
First room we were allocated we could not sleep for the noise of machinery that went on from 23.00hrs to 8.00hrs, this was room 424 which also overlooked a building site which started work at 07.00hrs to 16.00hrs each day. Second room we were inundated with ants in the bathroom even found 2 in one of the beds.
We were here in this hotel for xmas and the gala dinner on xmas eve was a complete disaster. Done as a buffet with the tables set up in the ballroom and the food in the lobby. There were people trying to get soup, salad. main course and sweet all at the same time with insufficient room in the lobby to accomodate them (packed like sardines in a tin)
Xmas programme stated boxing day lunch would served in the Leda restaurant implying this was for all guests, but on arrival at restaurant you were told it was for all inclusive only. Management did not put up notices to this effect even though they had realised their mistake and were indifferent to complaints.
It cost me £24 stirling for the lunch because we were too embarrased to turn away.
There is a steep hill to go down to reach what they call a beach but it is covered mainly in large stones. You also have to cross a busy main road to get to it.
We were very pleased to get away from this hotel.
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Graham & Sally Albone from Biggleswade travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
Thomson Gold
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2005 |
Graham & Sally Albone rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said:
Just come back from a fantastic 7 day break at this hotel. This was our first visit to Atlantica Bay and hopefully will not be the last. From the moment we arrived at check-in in the early hours of the morning to the final hours of departure, we experienced one of the best holidays we have taken. The superior room, with fruit / wine on arrival overlooking the pool/sea was delightfully furnished and most comfortable.
As we went all inclusive, we stocked up well on the culinary delights offered to us. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all first class, although the choice of vegetables could have been more varied. Both lunch and dinner were complemented by a bottle of the house wine - the white being particularly a favourite.
Some days, the meals were taken on the terrace, others in the main dining room. The waiters were very efficient, although they were sometimes too efficient and would take away your plate whilst downing the last mouthful.
The entertainment was good and varied and hosted by John & Jo , two very talented members of the Thomson's staff. Each night there was a different
" top spot" and we particularly liked Jinx and Sax & Brass.
The beach across the road was stony and poor and could do with some re- developing . However,as we spent most of our day relaxing by the pool sipping
our all inclusive drinks this did not worry us.
All in all the staff were very helpfull and attended to one's needs with extreme efficiency.
A good holiday in a first class hotel. We will be back.
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ian nevins from berwick travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
thomson
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2005 |
ian nevins rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Our first time all inclusive but if this is the standard of service you receive we will not be doing it again.
The food was only average. Bar service was very slow when you got the drink you had ordered. We got the impression it was nearing the end of the season and the staff were only going through the motions.
Without a doubt this is the worst gold hotel we have stayed in and would recommend people to try any other gold hotel than this one.
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Dawn & Marion from Manchester travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
Thomsons
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2005 |
Dawn & Marion rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Just got back from two wonderful weeks at this hotel. Where can I start the hotel is absolutely fabulous. I have never been to Cyprus before but now I have I don’t think I will ever want to go anywhere else again.
The airport in Pafos is a little on the small side but we were on the coach on our way to the hotel in next to no time. It took about one and a half hours to get there and as it was a Gold we were dropped off first.
When we entered the hotel we were greeted by the staff and given glasses of cold orange juice (which was most welcome as it was very hot) and handed envelopes with all the information we needed and led to seats while the porters took our cases off to our rooms. Very efficient. We arrived at about 5.30pm so we had chance to have a look around before dinner.
Our room was facing the back of the hotel as we had not opted for a sea-view. There were views of the mountains in the distance but mostly of barren land closer to the hotel and towards the side the building works that were being carried out. It didn’t really affect us when we were in the room but when we were around the pool they were quite noisy but having said that on their day off on Sunday it wasn’t until about lunch time that we realised there was silence as we had got used to it as part of the background noise. The room itself was lovely and spacious with two single beds a table and chairs and a sofa. Plenty of wardrobe space with a few hangers. Plenty of mirrors. All very clean and stayed that when during our stay. The bathroom was a good size with a very good shower very powerful. Unfortunately it was a case of putting the paper into the bin instead of down the loo but you soon got used to that. The balcony was a very good size with table and chairs. There was also a fridge that you could use for 1.50CP per day (which we didn’t need as we were AI) and a safety deposit box which I think was 10.50CP per week. There was also tea and coffee making facilities in the room.
The restaurant where you eat most of your meals is the Leda restaurant located on the last floor of the hotel. It serves breakfast 7.00am to 10am, lunch 12.00pm to 3.00pm and dinner 7.00 to 10.00pm. If you are AI the snacks are served 10am to 12pm and then again at 2.30pm to 5.00pm. As you enter the restaurant you have to wait to be seated and then you are led to your table (no set tables).
Breakfast:- you help yourself to drinks which include tea and coffee and juices and the breakfast is buffet with lots of choice from the usual English breakfast to freshly made pancakes and omlettes.
Lunch/Dinner:- At lunch as with dinner they take your drinks order straight away so that when we returned minutes later with our starter our wine/water/soft drink was waiting for us. Very good system. The food at this hotel is the best we have ever tasted there is so much choice from typical Cypriot cuisine to English dishes including a carvery every night. There were also theme evenings every Monday and Friday which were Chinese, Italian, Caribbean and Mexican. The deserts were also delicious so much to choose from and there was also always a hot pudding served with custard (optional) every night, also different cheeses and biscuits.
You can also choose to eat out on the terrace if you wish. Also you could eat lunch and snacks down at the beach taverna. We never tried this as we always stayed around the pool.
The waiters/waitresses are absolutely brilliant they take your plates away almost as soon as you have finished so that if you do want seconds the plates do not start to pile up giving you way. They are all so very friendly and polite, they will always have a little chat with you. We never had to wait to be seated or served and we were never made to feel rushed to finish and leave.
A la Carte:- We were given two vouchers one per week to use this restaurant for free. We never tried it the first week as the food in the restaurant was so good. But the second week we gave it a go and it was absolutely delicious. We had Filo mushrooms for starters followed by chicken fantasia, followed by crème caramel it was all melt in the mouth and cooked to perfection and beautifully presented. We were sorry we hadn’t gone the previous week. It was also nice to be waited on instead of having to go up to the buffet. Thoroughly recommend trying it.
Drinks:- As we were AI we were allowed the house wines red/white-sweet or dry/rose. You could have either glasses, half bottles or full size bottles. They were all very nice indeed. The other alcohol that was included was every drink you could think of that you get at home but there own local versions instead and lots of cocktails also soft drinks, milkshakes and bottles of water were included. Also make sure you try the Irish coffee delicious and will blow your head off. In fact all the alcoholic drinks we tried were very large measures of alcohol with small measures of mixers.
Every Tuesday they host a gala night it takes all day to set it up outside the staff put a lot of time and effort into to it and it shows, brilliant.
The entertainment was really good as well. I have never holidayed Gold before and was used to the usual rubbish every night, this was like a breath of fresh air. The entertainment was all hosted by the Thomson’s hosts John Bennien and Jo Slow they are brilliant John has such a dry wit he really cracks you up, he even managed to get us up to take part in the show – we were his bond girls. We normally hide when they ask for volunteers. He is very persuasive without you realising it. Jo is also very good I can still hear her infectious laugh now. She has such energy. Also Mike and Sarah also join in with some of the shows and are very good as well. But for me it is John that keeps it all running smoothly and really made us want to stay in nearly every night at the hotel so as not to miss anything. John and Jo do all the daytime activities taking it in turns daily. There is water aerobics, water polo, different games throughout the day like bean bag bowels and giant Jenga and lots more and a daily quiz in the afternoon. Then at night John gets us all in the mood with a selection of his favourite tracks with lots of add ins. Then we move on to the first show of the evening which was usually either Sax and Brass (who were great) or Tom Easby (not to bad) then the main show would start at 10pm. Sometimes John, Jo and the team put on a show sometimes the production team. But they also brought in outside acts like Jinx they are a family affair and are brilliant. There was also a comedian by the name of Barry Cheese he had us laughing from start to finish and asking for more. There were Abba tributes, Queen, and lots more. I never saw one bad show and that has never happened when I have been on my hols before. The only night we were not happy was when a Cypriot wedding was taking place in the ballroom which is behind the outside terrace where all the entertainment took place. We were all herded into a tiny room near the pool room as the wedding obviously took priority. But as they were not using the terrace we could not understand why. On speaking to one of the reps she told us that they had three weddings scheduled for next week all English all of which are hosted in the ballroom but causing no disruption to other guests as the terrace area is still used for our entertainment. Also they do not usually mind guests having a quick peep as they really go to town on decorating the room it looked beautiful and took two days but once the guests for this wedding started arriving we were not allowed anywhere near it. It would have been nice to see the bride and groom.
There was also cocktail demonstrations with lots of free samples and wine and cheese tasting again lots of free samples.
We went on a couple of trips one to the Troodos mountains and Kylos monastery really enjoyed it. Also we were taken by the rep to a free tour around the local Keo brewery this was really good as when the tour ended we were allowed to sample lots of the local wines and they were not mean with the servings very merry when we left. Also visited the wine festival I would definitely recommend a trip if you are visiting in September as it is on every year. The atmosphere is great, you buy a bottle or glass and people keep filling it up for you all for free. There are also lots of stalls selling all sorts, and lots of local music filling the air also you can have a go a stamping on the grapes with the locals. Really good night.
Something which I thought was really sweet was when we were all on the coach ready to go home the manager boarded shook hands with all of us wished us all well and gave us all little boxes with handmade sweets inside a really lovely end to the holiday.
I would really recommend this hotel to all who are thinking of booking we will definitely be returning.
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priess from Scunthorpe travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
Thomson
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2005 |
priess rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Generally clean. Food certainly not gold standard. Bar staff slow - entertainment good but clearly Thomsons have cut the entertainment budget. We have visited Several gold hotels over the years but this is the poorest - unused food is clearly recycled into other dishes - most of the food has no taste which is unusual. I have to agree with another poster tis is not gold quality.
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Dave and Pat from Blackheath, London travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
Thomson Gold
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2005 |
Dave and Pat rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Although we have stayed in several Gold hotels this was our first visit to Cyprus. Having read some recent reviews (I am sure that the date on the September 2005 one is inaccurate as this has been there for a couple of months at least) I feel that we must have stayed in different hotels.
The Atlantica Bay was all you would want a hotel to be with the possible exception of its location. The hotel is situated on the far side of the ancient ruins of Amathus and about 8 kms from Limassol's port area. On one side of the hotel is a small development of houses and on the other a new development which is just in the process of being built. When this is complete this will 'connect' the hotel to the houses, bars, shops and hotels that make up the remaining part of this stretch of coastline.
Basically if you are looking for shops you need to go further into Limassol which means either the No.30 bus
which runs every 10 minutes during the day and costs 70c however far you go, or a taxi at night. The two nearest bars to the hotel are Nelsons (good for football) and Molly Malones (an Irish pub) which are both Cypriot owned.
Despite the location the hotel is ideally placed for visiting other parts of the island. The excellent motorway runs just behind the hotel (don't worry you can't hear it) and the coastal road is just in front of the hotel with the bus stop right outside. Across the road is the beach which is a bit disappointing. Having said that there are no decent beaches in Limassol as far as I could see. A small strip of pebble and stone although once you get out about 12 feet the bottom is sandy. The waters were pleasant enough though and very safe for swimming.
As regards the hotel, it has a large cool reception area stuffed full of sofas and comfortable armchairs with a bar to one end. Lots of marble and running water but very effective. Outside is a large terrace with seating and covered areas overlooking the pool area. There is a large free format pool with 'jacuzzi' separated from a more formal smaller pool by the pool bar. The larger pool has a grassy area behind it and the smaller terrace area has awnings to provide some shade. Although people did pinch the best spots early in the morning there were always free sunbeds whatever time of the day you turned up. Quite a few people also used the Sands Beach club that the hotel had across the road (also accessed by subway to the right of the hotel). Again lots of sunbeds on the grassy area or on the lower man made sandy beach. This also had a bar with a large deck overlooking the sea and a restaurant. Very pleasant in the afternoon when the sea breezes tended to pick up a bit.
We had a double room overlooking the sea which was reasonably spacious. Our only complaint was that the hotel charged C£1.50 a day to use the mini fridge and you only got tea and coffee making facilities if you were all inclusive or took up their drinks band offer.
The drinks upgrade is C£9.75 a day and all inclusive C£14.75 a day. We did the drinks upgrade even though my wife is teetotal. Even so I still think it was very good value particularly as we tended to stay in the hotel given the paucity of nearby bars. My wife did enjoy her coffees though. The ones served in the reception bar were just like being at the Ritz (not that we've ever been there but you will get my drift if you visit the hotel).
As regards the food it was some of the best we have ever had in a Gold hotel. The choice was varied and well presented. At breakfast a cook produced omlettes and pancakes. At dinner there were always two carveries on the go. They also had theme nights chosen by the guests; Italian, Caribbean and Chinese, which were in addition to the normal dishes. Given that each night there was lamb, chicken, beef, pork and fish with the occasional turkey thrown in it is difficult to think what else they could have offered us. You could also sit outside if you wanted to.
Once a week you could book 'a la carte'. I know this can be a bit hit and miss but we felt that they made it just that extra bit special to warrant a return visit. They also have a gala dinner once a week which is outside and linked to the Thomson Gold showtime presentation. It was all very different and clearly the hotel put in a lot of effort. Again our only complaint would be that they could have had more lighting nearer the food so that you could see it more clearly when serving up.
Overall we thought the service was excellent throughout the hotel. The cosmopolitan staff were all very friendly and attentive. We also liked the small little touches; slices of orange and apple brought around the pool during the day, small biscuits served with the tea and coffee in the main bar, also nuts and crisps served with drinks in the main bar in the evening.
Entertainment wise the Thomson team were spot on. John and Jo really put in a great effort and they were ably supported by the rest of the team; Karen, Sarah and Mike. Again you either love it or hate it. If you have been before you know what to expect.
Our one other complaint was that despite this being a Gold hotel there were children there from other non-UK tour companies. OK they were foreign, mainly German and Russian, so they were well behaved but it only takes one. I suppose at any one time there were upwards of 20 there. I'm not sure whether this is an issue with many other travellers but it would be a shame if it put people of using a hotel such as this.
As I said earlier having read the earlier mixed reviews I did wonder. We were however invited to a Thomson focus group meeting of about 15 people. A couple had people had used the hotel several years running and they felt that standards had risen this year. So clearly there had been some previous lapses that the hotel had addressed. I undertood from one of the reps that the hotel actively encouraged these regular meetings as they found the feedback very useful.
In conclusion we loved Cyprus and we would definitely return to this hotel.
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Sherwood from Scunthorpe travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
Thomson
on a singles holiday.
There were 5 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2005 |
Sherwood rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Our first visit to this hotel. First impression very good and remained that way throughout our stay.
The all inclusive package is a very good deal. Getting whatever you wanted until midnight.
Could not fault the cleanliness of this hotel at all, and we wasn’t even in a refurbished room.
Food was of a good choice.
Location was poor Hotel on its own but it does explain this is the brochure.
Hotel staff most friendly and very helpful at all times.
Entertaiment very poor for a Thomson Gold Hotel. No outside acts just two Thomson entertainment girls singing and quiz shows every night.
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Graham Thomas from Oxford travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
Thomson
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2004 |
Graham Thomas rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: As soon as you enter the reception area you are aware of the high standard of cleanliness. The check in is quick and efficient carried out by friendly staff.
This was the 9th time I have wisited this hotel, but on this occasion the food was not up to its normal high standard. I hope this was a one off.
If you require a peaceful and relaxing time this is the hotel for you. The hotel has its own private grounds by the beach with a bar and restraunt onsite.
The staff are always very courtious and make you welcome. The service in the evening for drinks on the all inclusive basis can be very slow.
The entertainment is normally very good comprising of a resident band and other entertainers from the U.K.
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Street (Mr & Mrs) from Norwich travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
Thomson
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2004 |
Street (Mr & Mrs) rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: I have to agree with the previous post. This was our fifth vistit to the hotel and some standards and service have dropped markedly. The room was damp from the leaking mini bar, there were large pink cherryade stains all up one wall and cigarette burns in the carpet of a supposedly on-smoking room. The air conditioning unit was so noisey that we had to turn it off to sleep.
We had long waits for drinks and some orders had to be repeated because of missed items. The waiter service was appalling, with plates frequently not being cleared after courses.
The food was ok but the menu was much the same from one day to the next especially for lunch.
Perhaps thats what happens when you are too familiar with the staff!
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DENISE & BILL WHITSED from MANSFIELD travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
THOMSON
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2004 |
DENISE & BILL WHITSED rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Visited this hotel 5 times as many other guests have.
Food choice is excellent even on All Inclusive basis.
All staff very friendly and professional. Thomson gold team work very hard day and night
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chris and gill gaster from wigan travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
thomson
on a singles holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2004 |
chris and gill gaster rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Return guests to this hotel. Standard of food and service has dropped drastically since our last visit.
Service in both bars and restaurants was poor.
At the moment this hotel does not merit the thomson gold medals it has won in the past.
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mandy & dave from noots travelled to Atlantica Bay Hotel with
thomson
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2004 |
mandy & dave rated the Atlantica Bay Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Revisited this hotel 7 times we meet old friends back here every year to be repeated.
Food varied every evening a la carte fantastic service.
Reception area very comfortable to relax in.
Bedrooms of a good standard.
Eevening entertainment varied good gold shows.
Can't wait to meet up again end July
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