Marlita Beach Apartments Review

Overall Rating

Room was large and pleasantly furnished. Air conditioning was free! Never any queues for the lift. Very handy for the beach and local supermarket.

Disappointing selection of cooking equipment. We were awakened by the cleaner who knocked gently then walked in each morning at 9.30. Local supermarket is a rip-off. Drinks in hotel are pricey and didn't find the staff particularly friendly. The ladies loos in the hotel were a health hazard.

My boyfriend and I visited Cyprus- marlita beach apartments for the first time ever in august 2004, having read glowing reports of the place. Initial impressions of the area were positive but having arrived the first morning at 4am, we were a little 'upset' to have a rude awakening from the cleaner 5 hours later who knocked gently then walked straight in! Our room was on the 4th floor and we had very nice sea views and well enough away from the hustle and bustle. The hotel of course is geared towards families and I'm sure loved by kids but certainly not ideal for a 'couples' holiday. Entertainment in the evening catered for kids and was a bit repetitive. We found the drinks pricey in the hotel so mainly ventured out in the evenings. We did not find staff in the hotel particularly friendly (in fact we rarely saw anyone smile!) And much could be said for the local bars. The only exceptions to this were the 'waikiki bar' where we were warmly received and the bar where jimmy spender appears (the name escapes me but it's close to the Anastasia hotel).
warning! You will receive in your welcome pack a special offer from the nearby 'Ionis' supermarket. This proved to be a bit of a scam. Basically you were told that if you spend £30 there and took your till receipt back, along with an entry form you had the chance to win a holiday in Cyprus. The draw we were told took place every 1st and 15th of each month. We arrived on the 8th and duly submitted our entry form on the 15th. However the so-called 'winning entry' drawn on the 1st of that month remained pinned up on the wall; and this person had gone home on the previous 29th July! This 'winning' entry remained pinned to the board for the duration of our stay, and although I queried the fact that the '15th' winner had failed to be pinned up I was fobbed off with excuses. Be warned. Save your money and shop at the much nicer supermarket across the road.
the ladies loo floor was always swimming in urine and lacking in loo paper and for some reason always felt like a sauna?
there was always a smell of sewers in the air and over a couple of days our bathroom smelt of the same. This same smell seemed to be in the air almost everywhere and it clung to your clothing and hair. (even when we got home our clothes reeked of it!)
I don't know what cooking oil is used in Cyprus- and I have a fairly adventurous palate but everything seems to be cooked in it and it tastes rancid. You can smell it everywhere.
hire a car if you can and drive into famagusta. It is possible, not well-signposted and you will need your passport but well worth the effort. At the border you will need to be issued with a visa and pay £8 extra insurance for your vehicle but then you can drive straight in.
we headed for the beach which is right next to the deserted hotels- very impressive and the best view you'll get of the city.
this being our first visit to Cyprus- I feel that we have seen as much as we can but don't think I will return.

Members' Comments onLOUISE F's Review

• xallyx on 11th Sep 2004

  well i also visited marlia beach in agaust 2004 i traveled between 16-30. I found the staff very friendly and I agree with all those glowing reports out there

• private001 on 25th Oct 2004

  Well I also strongly disagree