Paphinia Sea View Apartments

Paphinia Sea View Apartments is a mid-range apartment hotel that attracts a primarily British clientele (the owner is British-Cypriote). A lot of the people who stay here are repeat visitors, and units are geared toward people who want self-catering digs and don't mind limited facilities and amenities. Rooms are spread out over a U-shaped formation of three-story white buildings around a courtyard area that faces toward the sea. There is a lobby, but at the time of our visit its primary purpose appeared to be storing piles of old paperbacks that guests can borrow and exchange. Check-in and all other hotel business takes place in the administration offices, which occupy one of the apartments, but it's not open 24/7 so guests with early/late/weekend arrivals should make special arrangements for key collection ahead of time.

Paphinia Sea View Apartments are located right off the main tourist strip in Paphos above a branch of the popular UK chain Pizza Express. It's a three-minute walk to the Municipal Baths, the closest area for swimming and sunbathing and just a couple of blocks away from the main tourist strip in Paphos. It's about a five-minute drive or 20-minute walk to the Paphos Archaeological Park, home to ancient attractions such as the Paphos Mosaics. The UNESCO World Heritage listed Tomb of the Kings takes eight minutes to reach by car.The Adonis Baths waterfalls are a 40-minute drive from the hotel and it takes about 90 minutes to reach Mount Olympos. Nicosia is also a two-hour drive away. Paphos International Airport is just under 20 minutes from the hotel. The larger Larnaca International Airport takes a 90 minutes to reach.

Paphinia Sea View offers three types of apartments, all with either full or partial views of the sea. All have a similar decor scheme, with off-white marble floors, bright-blue chairs, tables for four, and nautical watercolor prints on the walls. Most apartments have two bedrooms and measure 80 square meters (730 square feet), though there are also a couple of 60 square meter (540 square foot) one-bedroom apartments and eight 42 square meter (385 square foot) studios. All units have fully equipped kitchens with microwaves, flat-top four-burner stoves, ovens, toasters, kettles, washing machines, and dryers. Living areas feature sofa beds and flat-screen TVs, while bedrooms are furnished with blue vanities, large wardrobes, and two twin beds or one double bed. Bathrooms are pleasant, with cream-colored tiles and vessel sinks, and all feature glass scales, wall-mounted hairdryers, and shower/tub combos. Other standard amenities include irons and ironing boards, plus huge balconies with lounge chairs. Air-conditioning and Wi-Fi are both available, albeit for a small extra fee. Rooms are cleaned five times a week, and linens (including towels) are changed twice weekly, unless otherwise requested.

Amenities at Paphinia Sea View Apartments are few and far between as this property more closely mimics an apartment complex than a hotel. Parking is available on-site (for a one-time fee) and while rooms lack safes, there is a safe deposit box in the main office where guests can store valuables. Unfortunately, it's only available Monday through Friday. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel for a fee. There are plenty of books in the lobby that guests can borrow during their stay. Most guests cook in their apartments, though the Pizza Express downstairs does offer discounts for those staying at the hotel. Note that credit cards are not accepted at Paphinia.