Souli Beach Hotel

English is spoken by the hotel team, so you can sort out the practicalities without resorting to underwater hand signals. Souli Beach Hotel is a family-run seafront address for a straightforward stay by the water, with the sea on one side and the foothills of the Akamas on the other.

The mood is easy-going rather than dressed-up. You can move from the beach to the outdoor pool, then settle on the terrace for dinner without turning the evening into a logistical exercise. Couples have the setting for a simple two-person break, while families have rooms and a children's pool to make the arrangement work without pretending that everyone wants the same holiday.

The hotel is in Polis Chrysochous, Cyprus, in the seafront village of Latchi. It is not in Paphos itself, despite the wider Paphos address sometimes used for the area. That distinction matters: you are choosing a smaller coastal base between the sea and the Akamas, not an urban hotel with a beach somewhere down the road.

The beach access is direct, with sun loungers and parasols available by the shore. Latsi Beach is around 0.2 miles away, while Polis Municipal Beach is about 0.9 miles away. For a change of scenery, Akamas Peninsula National Park is roughly 3.6 miles from the hotel, and the surrounding area lends itself to boat outings, walking and coastal exploring.

Paphos International Airport is roughly 25 to 30 miles away by road. The hotel has free private parking, which makes a hire car a practical option for reaching beaches, the national park and the wider peninsula.

The room choice comes down mainly to the view and who is sharing the space. For two, the sea-view double room is the obvious pick if you want the coast to remain part of the holiday even when you are indoors; the mountain-view version gives you the inland side of the setting instead. Both are compact doubles, so pack with a little discipline rather than bringing the entire contents of the dive bag upstairs.

Travelling with children, the family room is the useful option, with a double bed and two single beds. Triple rooms are also available, with either sea or mountain views. The room layout matters more here than decorative flourishes: choose the view you will actually enjoy looking at, and match the beds to the people who are meant to sleep in them.

Air conditioning helps when Cyprus has spent the day turning the shoreline into a radiator. Heating is also available, and balconies give you somewhere to sit with a drink or let the evening air in. Free WiFi runs throughout the hotel, while a television, telephone and radio cover the less ambitious moments. A lift takes some of the effort out of getting to your room, which is welcome when your day has involved more equipment than walking.

The Souli Seafront Restaurant keeps the sea in view from its terrace and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The kitchen leans into the location with fresh fish, local dishes and traditional meze, so the evening meal has more going for it than simply being close to the room. Dinner beneath the sun or stars is the sort of arrangement that works particularly well when the day has already been spent outdoors.

Breakfast is included in the half-board formula. That gives you a clear base for the day, while lunch remains available at the restaurant if you want to stay put rather than go looking for food elsewhere.

There is one bar: the Souli Outdoor Pool Bar. It serves cocktails, local drinks, snacks and desserts, and stays open from 11am until late. In practical terms, that puts cold drinks and something small to eat beside the pool instead of requiring a change of clothes and a reconnaissance mission.

Two outdoor pools give the non-diving part of the day an easy centre of gravity, including a separate children's pool. Add sun loungers, parasols and the direct beach access, and you can choose between salt water, fresh water and the horizontal position. Sometimes that is the full activity programme required.

If you still have energy to spend, there is a tennis court. Snorkelling and boat excursions are also available, while organised outings can take you to an island, a waterfall or a market. The hotel also lists hiking and cultural excursions, giving you ways to see more of the area without making every day another race to the shoreline.

The Akamas Peninsula is close enough to make a proper outing of it, at around 3.6 miles from the hotel. For couples, the appeal is the lack of ceremony: swim, walk, take a boat, sit by the pool, then let the seafront restaurant deal with the evening. For families, the children's pool and family room keep the basic arrangements sensibly close together.

Check-in runs from 2pm to midnight, and check-out is by noon. There is no age requirement for check-in, and children of any age are welcome. Children aged 12 and over are charged as adults; a cot is available for children aged up to one year on request, while extra beds are not available.

Free private parking is available on site and does not require a reservation. WiFi is free throughout the hotel. Laundry and dry-cleaning services are available, as is currency exchange, and a safety deposit box is held at reception. A doctor can be arranged on request, which is useful to know before you need one rather than while you are searching for the information with one hand on your forehead.

Cash, Visa and Mastercard are accepted. An accessible room is available on request. Pets are not allowed. The setting is best suited to travellers who want the coast, a car-friendly base and meals on site, rather than a large resort with a long list of formal facilities.