Coral Beach Hotel and Resort

Coral Beach Hotel and Resort is a large seafront resort for divers who want the practical comforts of a full-service hotel once the mask and fins are back in the bag. You get a choice of restaurants, several bars, two outdoor pools, a spa and a proper gym, so the day does not have to revolve around one buffet and a plastic sun lounger.

The atmosphere is built around having plenty on site: a beach bar, evening entertainment, tennis, family facilities, shops and a concierge service. It is a place for a diving holiday with enough structure for companions who would rather swim, book a treatment or read in the library while you are underwater.

The hotel team speaks English, which makes the useful conversations straightforward, from arranging a taxi to asking about dinner or the spa.

The resort sits on the seafront in Peyia, Cyprus, around 3 km from the town centre. The setting is directly beside the coast rather than inland, with Coral Bay Beach and Hakuna Matata Beach among the nearby beaches.

The hotel has direct access to a 300-metre golden-sand beach, complete with sun loungers, parasols, showers, changing facilities and the Aphrodite Beach Bar. That gives you an easy choice after a dive: go straight for the sea, or stay put with something cold in reach.

A car is useful for exploring the area, and the resort has free parking and car hire. The hotel can also arrange a taxi and an airport shuttle, with the latter available as a paid service.

The room choice is broad, but the useful distinction is simple: decide whether you want a mountain outlook, a partial or full sea view, a balcony, or the extra space of a studio. Couples may prefer a double room or a sea-view superior room, while travelling companions who sleep separately can choose twin beds. The sea-view rooms with balconies make the most of the location; the mountain-facing options are the more restrained choice when the view matters less than the room itself.

Several categories include air conditioning, which is welcome in Cyprus after a hot day outside. Depending on the room, you may also have a balcony, fridge or minibar, tea and coffee facilities, Wi-Fi, a safe and television. Some categories add soundproofing, blackout blinds, bathrobes, slippers or both a bath and shower. The equipment varies considerably, so check the individual room card rather than assuming that every category arrives with the same kit.

Studios cover the more flexible end of the range, including garden studios, pool studios and duplex studios with sea views. The quadruple studios are the practical option for a family or group needing more room under one roof. Rooms are non-smoking, private bathrooms are standard in the listed categories, and room service runs around the clock for the evenings when changing out of dive gear feels like a project in itself.

Five restaurants give you more choice than the usual single dining room. Armonia Restaurant handles breakfast, lunch and dinner in air-conditioned surroundings, with an eight-night cycle of themed buffet evenings. Breakfast is a buffet from 07:00, and the same restaurant serves lunch from 12:30 to 15:00 and dinner from 19:00 to 22:00. Smart casual is the dress code, so the dining room is relaxed but not quite a place for wet neoprene and flip-flops.

Coral Restaurant focuses on Cyprus, with buffet evenings and traditional Cyprus meze nights. Calypso takes the Asian route, alternating buffet evenings with set-menu dishes, while Gusto d’ Italia keeps things familiar with Italian recipes, pizza and pasta. Romazzino is the adults-only option for an à la carte dinner when you want a quieter change of pace. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices are available.

There are four bars. Dionysos Lobby Bar serves signature cocktails and usually has live music in the evenings; Odyssey adds live music, DJs, karaoke and disco nights. The Pool Bar covers alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, freshly squeezed juices and coffee beside the main pool, while Aphrodite Beach Bar keeps drinks close to the sand. Half-board, full-board and all-inclusive arrangements are available, and room service operates 24 hours.

The two outdoor pools cover different moods. The lagoon-style pool is the obvious place to stretch out with a book, while the Activity Pool is aimed at children and has water slides that operate at set times under professional lifeguard supervision. Beach towels and pool facilities are available, so the post-dive routine can be as elaborate or as lazy as you choose.

Esthisis Spa is the serious recovery option, with massages, facial treatments, a hammam, sauna, jacuzzi, mud bath and body wraps. Treatments use Babor and Guinot products. For something more active, there is a fully equipped gym, a tennis court, table tennis, billiards, cycling and golf. Jet skiing is also available for those who prefer their surface interval with an engine.

The resort also works for a mixed group or a couple with different ideas about a holiday. Cultural excursions, evening entertainment, a library, a garden and a sun terrace provide alternatives to the water. Children aged 3 to 12 have a kids’ club, with children’s activities, a play area, a children’s pool and babysitting available.

The front desk is open 24 hours, with check-in from 15:00 and check-out by 12:00. Express check-out, private check-in and check-out, luggage storage, a concierge, wake-up calls and a safe at reception all make the practical side fairly easy to manage, particularly around an early departure or a late flight.

Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel at no extra charge. There is free parking, car hire, laundry and dry-cleaning, along with ironing services. A doctor can be called on request, and the resort has accessible facilities, including lift access and an accessible restaurant.

Breakfast begins at 07:00. The hotel serves breakfast in your room, and room service is available 24 hours, useful when a normal restaurant sitting does not fit around diving. Airport transfers are available as a paid shuttle service and should be arranged with the hotel. Early check-in and late check-out are also available as hotel services, subject to arrangement.