Sunrise Beach Hotel

You come here for a proper seaside hotel rather than a place that merely happens to be near the water. Sunrise Beach Hotel sits on Protaras’s sandy beachfront, with balconies facing the pool and the Mediterranean Sea, a lagoon-style pool, and five bars spread around the property. There is enough going on for a family holiday, while couples have the beach, the bars and the sea view to themselves when the day slows down.

The practical side is just as clear. Air conditioning, soundproofing, a minibar and free Wi-Fi make the return to your room straightforward, whether you have spent the afternoon in the water or simply under the Cyprus sun. Add a spa, indoor heated pool, sauna and several places to eat, and you have a resort built for staying on site without feeling obliged to do so.

The hotel is directly on the sandy beach in Protaras, on the south-east coast of Cyprus. Vryssi Beach is about 50 metres away, while Fig Tree Beach is around 700 metres from the property. That gives you a choice between stepping straight onto the nearby sand or walking a little further for another familiar stretch of coast.

You are also in the useful part of town, with shops and cafés within walking distance. Coffee Island is about 250 metres away, and Only Friends Pub is around 300 metres from the hotel. For a change of scenery, Cavo Greco National Forest Park is about 6 km away, Protaras Ocean Aquarium around 6 km, and Thalassa Municipal Museum roughly 6 km. Paralimni is about 10 km away.

The room choice is mainly about how much sea you want and how much space you need. For two people, the Inland View Room keeps things simple, while the Sea View Room and Superior Front Sea View Room put the Mediterranean into the evening routine. If the view is part of the holiday rather than a nice extra, the Panoramic Sea View Suite is the obvious direction.

Families have room categories arranged around sofa beds, bunk beds or separate sleeping space, with family rooms and suites available. For four people, the One Bedroom Suite with sea view is the useful option in the line-up; couples wanting more room can look towards the Junior Suite or the Royal Suite, which has two bathrooms. Choose the Family Side Sea View room if bunk beds make the sleeping arrangements easier, or the Family Suite Sea View if sofa beds suit your group better.

All rooms have a balcony, air conditioning, satellite TV, a safe, minibar and coffee and tea facilities. A private bathroom includes a bath or shower, slippers, toiletries and a hairdryer. There is also a seating area and desk, so you can sort out the next day’s plans without balancing a laptop on the bed. The rooms are bright and modern, with soundproofing for a better chance of an undisturbed night.

Breakfast is served as a buffet at Levanda Restaurant, which covers Mediterranean and international cooking across breakfast, lunch and dinner. Panorama Restaurant also serves international dishes throughout the day. The Reef Bar & Grill adds another option when you want food without turning dinner into a formal expedition from the pool.

The wider restaurant line-up gives you considerably more choice than the standard hotel buffet routine: Lemongrass for Pan-Asian food, Kyklos Mezedopoleio for Greek dishes, Reef American Grill, Braseiro Rodizio Brazilian Steakhouse, Fishbone Seafood Restaurant and Marcello’s Italian Restaurant. The names do most of the explaining, which is useful when you are hungry and not in the mood for a culinary guessing game.

Five bars are available on site, including Othello Bar, Oasis Pool Bar, Sunrise Beach Bar and Adults Pool Bar. There is also a lounge bar, a beach bar and a snack bar, with the Oasis Pool Bar giving you the swim-up option. Half-board and full-board arrangements can also include meals at two restaurants off site, around a five-minute walk away.

The lagoon-style outdoor pool comes with a hot tub and swim-up bar, while the indoor heated pool gives you somewhere else to stretch out when the weather or your mood turns less poolside. Sun terraces, gardens, loungers and umbrellas keep the basic business of doing very little properly organised. There is also a children’s pool and a programme of activities for younger guests.

If sitting still is not your strongest skill, the hotel has a fitness centre, two floodlit tennis courts, a squash court, table tennis, billiards and a games room. Tennis equipment is available, bicycle hire is offered, and water sports facilities are on site. For the more restorative version of an afternoon, Pearl Spa includes massage, while the sauna and indoor pool handle the simpler recovery plan: heat, water, and no timetable.

Families have a children’s playground as well as the games and sports facilities. Entertainment staff are also part of the hotel’s offering, so evenings do not depend entirely on finding a reason to leave the property.

Larnaca International Airport is about 33 miles from the hotel by road. An airport shuttle is available, and car hire can be arranged through the property; private parking is available on site. The hotel is also close enough to local shops, cafés and bars that you can manage a few essentials without getting back into a car.

Check-in starts at 14:00 and check-out is by 12:00. The front desk operates around the clock, with luggage storage and currency exchange available, which helps if your flight times refuse to cooperate with hotel hours. You need photo identification and a credit card at check-in, and the hotel asks you to provide your expected arrival time.

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property. Room service, laundry, dry cleaning, a safety deposit box and a lift are also available. Children of all ages are welcome, with cots available for children aged up to two; the minimum age for check-in is 18.