SENTIDO Thalassa Coral Bay

This quiet, upscale hotel exudes a calm ambience from the moment guests set foot in the spacious lobby, owing at least partially to the fact that travelers have to be at least 16 years of age to stay here. Common areas and rooms all feature beautiful views over the beach, which is just downhill from the main resort. The lobby features  a mix of marble and dark hardwood floors and soft furnishings and accents in hues of gray and beige. Quiet music typical to Sentido-branded properties plays in the background. At any given time, about half of the guests here are British; the rest are primarily German, Dutch, and Belgian. While the hotel takes direct bookings, the vast majority of stays are sold through Thomas Cook. Note that this property closes annually from November and reopens again in mid-March

Sentido Thalassa Coral Bay is located right on the beach on the UNESCO-protected Akamas Peninsula. It's situated just off the main road in the Coral Bay area of Cyprus, a lovely resort community, about a 20-minute drive from Paphos. It's within a short walk or drive to a handful of tourist-oriented shops and restaurants along Coral Bay Avenue. Coral Bay Beach is a two-minute walk from the hotel and Laourou Beach is eight minutes away on foot. Tombs Of the Kings takes around 20 minutes to reach by car, while the Paphos Archaeological Park (home to the city's famous mosaics) is a half-hour drive away. It takes around 20 minutes by car to get to the Adonis Baths waterfalls and about two hours to reach Mount Olympos. The capital city, Nicosia, is a two-hour drive away. Paphos Airport is 25 minutes' drive from the hotel, while Larnaca Airport is about 90 minutes away by car. 

This hotel offers 94 Standard Sea View Rooms (with either sunset or sunrise views depending on what side of peninsula they face) along with five One-Bedroom Suites and one Presidential Suite. Decor is consistent across room types, with polished dark-wood floors paired with light-wood furnishings and soft pastel accents including powder-blue upholstery and muted sea foam-green throw cushions. Standard amenities include coffee- and tea-making facilities, minibars, and safes. While rooms lack ironing facilities, there is a common-use ironing area for guests (common in Cyprus due to fire safety concerns). Bathrooms are compact but sleek, with marble tile floors and jetted shower/tub combos, plus simple toiletries, lighted magnifying mirrors, hairdryers, robes, slippers, and even rubber duckies. All units have balconies with either chairs and tables or lounge chairs, and some have dramatically beautiful ocean views. 

Amenities at Sentido Thalassa Coral Bay are geared toward relaxation, and the property's best feature is arguably it's lovely Anagenisis spa, featuring massages, rituals, and hydrotherapy treatments along with salon services such as haircare and manicures. Each changing room has a sauna and a steam room that are free for guests to use, irrespective of whether they are getting treatments. The spa overlooks a small indoor pool that gets lots of light through big windows, and there's a fitness center with a few treadmills and weight machines off to one side, plus an outdoor tennis court. Other features include a mid-sized outdoor lagoon pool and a smaller splash pool, located on an outdoor courtyard with views out over the sea. Guests can also head down a set of stairs to the main beach area, with shallow waters, a beach bar, and lots of sunbeds, but note that like all beaches in Cyprus, it's open to the general public.

Most guests who stay here are on all-inclusive packages. All three meals are served buffet style at the main Ambrosia Restaurant, which also features show cooking with made-to-order dishes. The restaurant hosts a rotation of themed nights that run the culinary gamut from Asian fare to Greek cuisine, with nightly entertainment including violin recitals and Cypriot folk music. There's also an a la carte dinner option at Psari (Greek for fish), which offers fine dining and indoor and outdoor seating. The lobby bar, Captain's Blue Bar, features drinks and cigars.

Event facilities include the Coral Suite, a boardroom for up to 30 guests, plus a garden area that's generally used for weddings. Welcome cocktails and feedback sessions are held with management on Mondays. There's lots of free on-site parking and Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.