Pia Bella Hotel Review - 123 of 149 Reviews

We returned recently from 14 days at the Pia Bella Hotel in Kyrenia (Girne) in North Cyprus, flying from Exeter to Larnaca in 4.5 hours and then by taxi to the hotel which took about 1 hr 20mins, all included when travelling with 'Go North Cyprus'.

We arrived at about 2am in the morning and were immediately asked if we would like something to eat and/or a complementary drink, which was most welcome. We had only booked B&B and so were most surprised to be given meal vouchers for evening meals – we later found out that it seemed the management had been giving a free upgrade to half board for a short period, although not all later arrivals seemed to be offered this, so perhaps we had just arrived at a lucky time.

We had asked in advance via 'Go North Cyprus' (+ an email to the hotel two weeks before we arrived) for a pool view room and were happy to find that was exactly what we had been allocated; we were in room 1110 in the original part of the hotel overlooking the small pool, with a nearby lift if needed. The room was large with a nice sized balcony and air conditioning at no extra charge. There was a safe, a mini-bar (relatively expensive if used) flat screen TV with limited Uk channels and plenty of wardrobe space. The bathroom was also large and although far more than just adequate, it would benefit from updating, although this was not a major issue for us; there was hot water available at most times. Bathroom Tip – take a one size fits all bath plug with you, as ours was a rather odd size and despite the hotel's best efforts, they were not able to supply a plug that actually fitted. The beds were probably the most comfortable I have ever slept in when on holiday, bar none. Sheets and towels were changed every day and the room was left spotless by the cleaning staff. Room Tip – make sure that well in advance you ask for a quiet room with a view of the pool areas or mountains, or you could end up with a room overlooking the main road or the car wash at the nearby garage which is in pretty constant use.

Breakfasts were plentiful with a very large variety of cold plates, vegetarian and cooked options – the fried, poached eggs and omelettes were cooked to order very quickly as you wait and were most excellent. The evening meals were also of a good hotel standard, with many and varied salad options as well as various cooked options; the hot meals did get repetitive by the second week and although not haute' cuisine, we ate very well indeed in the beautiful restaurant especially with the free Half Board upgrade. We mostly ate on the large terrace due to the heat, which in the middle two weeks of June was mostly in the mid to high 30's, sometimes peaking at 40c.

The two pools were lovely and kept immaculate, with free pool towels available from the garden bar area. As in most hotels these days, there were many of those inconsiderate guests up and about by 6am to claim sun loungers by placing their towels on them before breakfast, even though the hotel had a policy against this, which was never implemented – for us, however, it was more a sense of amusement than annoyance as there were always plenty of sun beds left. The small pool had a chair hoist to assist people with mobility difficulties to have a good swim.

The staff were all brilliant across the board, and mostly spoke English from a reasonable to a good standard; they were attentive without being overbearing and exceptionally good humoured and interactive with guests all of the time. There was always a discreet management presence to make sure things ran smoothly. The grounds were unexpectedly extensive with wooded and lawned areas, which were similarly kept immaculate by the ever attentive staff. There was evening entertainment up to 4 times a week in the gardens of a pretty good standard, with one exception, who I won't name as that would just be too petty.

Pool and Garden Bar service was very good most of the time and the prices are reasonable, although if you want red wine from the Garden Bar, make sure you are specific as the house red wine from cardboard cartons was a bit naff. Our favourite wine, both red and white was 'Angora', which was 35TL (about £8-75) a bottle at the hotel, or just under 12TL (under £3) a bottle from the local supermarkets – try the little supermarket just across from the hotel's car park, or the big Lemar supermarket about 5 mins walk away, turning right out the hotel and straight across the roundabout.

The currency exchange office more or less opposite the Lemar supermarket gave a good rates of exchange without commission, and, whilst we were there, the rate improved daily, from 4TL to nearly 4.3TL to the pound. The exchange offices are closed on Sunday although there are ATM's everywhere.

Transport: Car hire is £20 a day from the hotel with a minimum period of 3 days – all you needed was your driving licence and there were not any problems with the UK paper licence having just been phased out. There is a large car park at the rear of the hotel and a filling station a couple of doors away. Dolmus travel (shared air conditioned taxis) for longer journeys are ordered from reception and are ludicrously cheap – our return fare to Nicosia (Lefkosa) was just 10TL (less than £2-50) and takes you straight to the heart of the Nicosia historic centre. Tip - If you are thinking of taking taking the long drive or Full Day coach trip up the Eastern Kapaz 'panhandle' especially to see the monastery there, don't bother as it is closed for extensive prolonged restoration and all that is there is a street market, albeit a good one, after a 3 and a half hour drive by car. Top Tip – if you do decide to drive there however, take apples with you to feed the wild donkeys, which tend to stubbornly block the road if you don't feed them - throw bits of apple to the roadside which immediately shifts them to safety and out of your way.

I am not going to review many other restaurants here, other than to say they are many and varied and of course expect to pay more near the harbour, although do not miss that experience as it is wonderful. Having said that, I have to mention that our favourite place to eat was the Ista Ockabasi (sp?) which you get to by turning left out of the hotel car park; walk past The Blue Rose, and this wonderful Turkish restaurant is then just a few doors away on your right. Eat in the lovely lit garden, but away from the dog kennel. Just be aware that whatever you order, they will bring you a very full Meze FREE OF CHARGE whilst you wait for your cooked meal and a free large fruit plate afterwards – you will definitely not go hungry or need a deep wallet.

That's about it. The Pia Bella hotel is very highly recommended for a comfortable stay, whether like us you like roaming the area by foot or car, mainly just returning for the evening, or, if you are a pool dweller where you just want relaxing great surroundings and good service.

Liked —
Disliked — everything

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