Amara
Marble maze
To infinity and beyond
Infinity looks pretty good from where we’re standing at Amara hotel in Cyprus, a majestic marble palace along the Limassol coast. Named for the ancient Greek word for everlasting, the beachfront bolthole has an endless expanse of horizon to be admired from every sea-facing suite. Also never-ending are the masterful meals that keep on coming, thanks to famous chefs Nobu Matsuhisa and Giorgio Locatelli and Ricardo Giraudi’s Beefbar all setting up shop on Cypriot shores. And with nine treatment rooms across 3,000 square metres, the spa is fittingly all-cosseting, too.
Facilities
Rooms
207, including 32 suites.
Checkout
Noon, but flexible subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm, also flexible if your room’s ready.
More Details
Rates usually include breakfast.
Also
The communal areas are accessible for wheelchair users and there are specially adapted rooms.
Fitness Center
Free Internet Access
Laundry
Pool
Room Service
Spa
At the Hotel
Free WiFi throughout, gym, beach, tennis court, valet parking, laundry service. In rooms: TV, sound system, air-conditioning, free bottled water, tea-making facilities, Nespresso machine, minibar with complimentary soft drinks, Balmain bath products.
Our Favourite Rooms
Each and every room has a view of the Med, so there’s no deliberating on that front. Couples will love the secluded Rooftop Duplex Suites, which have a private pool, sunloungers and an adults-only dining area up on the roof. For families, there are multi-roomed options, such as the Seafront Bungalows. Every room is also equipped with a Smart TV, so you can keep on streaming those box sets straight from your phone.
Poolside
There are four pools, the heated indoor pool (open November to May) and the adults-only, sea-facing, saltwater pool reserved for guests using the spa. The main, mosaic-lined infinity pool overlooks the gardens and sea, with a separate children’s section.
Spa
The Romans would love Amara’s spa, which has nine treatment rooms that each use native Cypriot ingredients in full body massages, detoxifying rituals and facials. It also has a hair salon, barbershop and fully equipped gym.
Packing Tips
Bring billowy, breezy clothing to take the edge off the scorching Cyprus heat, stacks of sunscreen and ancient-ruin-friendly footwear.
Also
Fitness fans, take note: there’s a public beach as part of the grounds, for early morning jogs, and personal trainers and yoga classes are also on offer.
Children
All ages are welcome. Extra beds and baby cots can be added to all rooms (for 50 per cent of the room rate for the first child, 25 per cent for the second). Babysitting is available with a day’s notice, and there's a kids club for four to 12 year olds.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
In Locatelli, ask for a table next to the glass balustrade out on the terrace for the best look at the coast, or if there’s a group of you, go for the 10-seater private dining room. In Matsuhisa, sit up at the sushi bar to watch the wizardry.
Dress Code
Matsuhisa is the smartest, but feel free to bust out the glad rags at Locatelli, too.
Hotel Restaurant
There are four restaurants at the hotel by some big-name chefs, including Locatelli from Giorgio Locatelli and Matsuhisa from Nobu Matsuhisa. The former, unsurprisingly, is unashamedly all-Italian (even down to the Carrara marble), with dishes such as cooked-for-48-hours goat ragu and deconstructed tiramisu, along with a lovingly patriotic wine list and, less explicably, a jellyfish tank at the entrance. At Matsuhisa, the decor is reassuringly dark, with flecks of gold and black marble bars for the mixology and sushi show. The chef’s cherished Nobu classics are present and correct (miso black cod, rock shrimp tempura), and there are elaborate tasting-menu options for the uninitiated. Down by the beach, Nerea Seafood Restaurant serves up freshly-caught crab, crispy calamari, creamy red prawn or lobster pasta, and grilled catch of the day. And there's also Beefbar where Riccardo Giraudi and Thierry Paludetto offer an elevated street food experience. Breakfast is served in the breakfast room.
Hotel Bar
This isn’t somewhere you’re going to go thirsty: the main bar is next to Locatelli, with a terrace overlooking the pool, as well as indoor seating – and there’s also the open-air lobby bar and a rooftop bar with signature cocktails, small bites and a DJ.
Last Orders
Breakfast is served between 7am and 10.30am.
Room Service
There’s an all-day room-service menu of sandwiches and salads. Breakfast can also be served in-room.
Planes
Larnaca airport is closest; the 60-kilometre trip should take about an hour. Hotel transfers start from €60. It’s a 75-minute drive to Paphos airport; transfers to and from this option start at €65.
Automobiles
The hotel is a 10-minute drive from the centre of Limassol. Limassol’s restaurants and bars are a quick cab ride away, but if you want to see more of Cyprus, it’s worth renting a car. There’s free valet parking when you arrive.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
There’s plenty to keep you active at Amara, whether you fancy brushing up your backhand on the clay tennis court, joining a yoga class, paragliding, windsurfing or waterskiing. Or you can do the exact opposite and stay motionless at the spa or on the beach. Fans of antiquity should head to the ruins of the kingdom Kourion, the highlight of which is the 2nd-century amphitheatre. It’s a bit of a trek to get there, but that just makes Zapalo Bay all the more wild and worthwhile: the drive from the hotel takes half an hour and then it’s a 20-minute walk from where you can park your car, but this beautiful bay, backed by steep cliffs, is totally unspoilt (which means no beach bars, so come prepared). Don’t miss the 2,000-metre-high Troodos Mountains just outside of Limassol, where you can find the famous Painted Churches: a World Heritage Site of decorated Byzantine churches and monasteries.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
