Lyda Horizons Apartments

Good points for the Lyda Horizons Apartments is the location and views. Bad points, the apartments and staff. The apartments very small and cramped, one pays enough, staff were a bit rude, alright 2.

The Lyda Horizons Apartments have great views of the Gulf of Stalis from the reception and pool bar areas. The pool area is very big with plenty of sun bathing space, and the rock bathing areas are nice for those who enjoy swimming in the sea and snorkeling.

My wife and I were extremely disappointed with our room for the many reasons I am about to list. Firstly, Budget Travel lists these studios/apartments in their brochure as being 'new' apartments. Well Budget Travel, you never mentioned that the Lyda complex consists of two separate buildings, the old 'Lyda Beach' block and the newly developed block. If you are unlucky, like my wife and I were, you will find yourself thrown into one of the old apartments in the old 'Lyda Beach' block. In saying that, you may be one of the few lucky ones with a pool and panoramic sea view, but good luck with those odds!

Our studio was much smaller than what we expected. It was also very dark and gloomy due to the fact that a tree had totally overgrown the balcony outside, obstructing any sunlight from getting through the balcony doors and the side window. The studio was very basic and somewhat impractical with regards to its layout; you may find yourself moving the furniture around a fair bit before getting settled. Budget Travel also claims that these studios/apartments will accommodate up to four persons, but I think they really mean two persons and two leprechauns!! They should really have sofa beds in these studios, as the double beds take up most of your space.

My wife and I usually prepare our lunches in our apartment when on holiday, but this year was an exception due to the lack of preparation and sitting space in the studio.

It states in the information booklet you find in your room that the apartments are cleaned by a maid every day, and the sheets/towels are changed every 3 days, well sadly this is not the case. Our maid did not enter our studio at one stage for 3 days! When she did show up, all she did was empty the bins and occasionally spray the bath and brush around. Also, make sure to go easy on the single toilet roll they supply, as they only replace this roll every time the sheets and towels are changed. They expect you to purchase toilet roll in their mini market.

The studios do come with air conditioning at a local charge of €60 per week or €10 per day, which is far to expensive if you ask me. The louvre doors and windows can be closed at night allowing the main sliding doors and windows behind them to remain open, so you can let the outside breeze circulate throughout your apartment whilst keeping out the mosquitoes.

Our studio, number 208, was situated right next to the entrance of the complex and also next to the main busy road. It was constantly noisy outside; the traffic on the main road was always busy - day and night. Also, because we were next to the entrance we were constantly kept awake by groups of late morning revellers returning to their apartments to continue their partying. Even though we both had ear plugs, the partying and music from other apartments could be heard pumping into the early hours of the morning, and that happened every morning! My wife and I do not have children and warn you that this is not a place for children or anyone seeking quiet accommodation!! We found the groups staying there to be very inconsiderate and disruptive, both during the day, and especially at night.

Lyda Horizon Staff:

Prior to heading off on our holiday I read some reviews about the reception staff at the Lyda Horizon, and all the negative reviews were 100% actuate. The reception staff were very unfriendly and extremely unhelpful.

Mosquitoes are a problem at night, so make sure you take spray mosquito repellent with you, and spray all exposed areas before heading out, and then reapply before hoping into bed later. Plug in mosquito killers don't really work in the apartments, as the electricity in your room will not work once you leave with your key. This is a clever power saving device installed into each of the studios and apartments. It works like this... You must insert your door key into a holder by the door, which will then turn on the power supply for lights and sockets. Once you leave with your key the power supply is knocked off again. If you need to charge anything make sure you do so while you are in your apartment.

Stalis Beach:

The main beach of Stalis is about a 10 to 15 minutes walk from the Lyda Horizon complex. When you reach it, don't settle at the beginning of the beach, walk another 2 minutes up the beach to where it gets a bit wider. Water sports and sun beds are also much cheaper further on up the beach. My wife and I went out on a jet ski, which cost €35 for 20 minutes and it was excellent fun. I totally recommend it. The beach is lined with plenty of snack bars and restaurants that are all very reasonably priced.

Stalis Beach Restaurants and Bars:

Many of the restaurants we visited along the beach road served really nice food, and each of them were very reasonably priced. I would recommend the Carpricciosa restaurant for their delicious pizzas and steaks, and the staff are also extremely welcoming. The 9 Muses restaurant is also another great place for an evening meal, with a menu to suit everyone. Who knows, the staff may even invite you to smash some plates. If you prefer a lighter snack then Akti Bar is a great place to visit, and they also do great cocktails for €5 each. Edem restaurant serves up a great full English breakfast for only €3.90.

One of our holiday highlights was Dwyer's Irish Bar. Most of our nights were spent their as the crack and banter was mighty, with nightly live music the human duke box and other various singers. Shout up any request to the lads on stage and they'll be sure to do your song request justice. They have various themed nights here, like Paddy's Day and Christmas, so dress up, join in the crack and you'll be sure to get yourself a free shot.