Minthis
Nature-nurturing wellness retreat
Above-par country idyll
The Goddess of Love would approve of the level of self-care at Minthis hotel – the serious spa puts wellness as a priority, drawing on thousands of years of holistic know-how in bespoke treatments, invigorating you with hot-cold thermal suites and offering Troodos mountain range panoramas as you swim. And, you may find yourself asking: do pro-golfers go to heaven, or do they just book in for an eternity here? On Cyprus’s west coast, where you’ll find olive groves, seemingly untouched hillsides and a well-groomed golf course, this sizeable resort looks like something taken from an ancient myth, only one in which Aphrodite (born in the island’s waters) has form with a seven iron. Interiors match their locale in elegance with glass walls that let the sun-baked scenery do the talking, and you can tee up candlelit Mediterranean dining, or swing for an adventure – mountain biking, nature trails – in the local countryside.
Facilities
Rooms
42 suites.
Checkout
Noon; earliest check-in, 2pm: both are flexible, subject to availability, but can only be confirmed the day before and may incur a fee.
More Details
Rates include a buffet breakfast, and, unless occupancies are low, there are à la carte Med classics – we plumped for the sourdough bread with grilled lountza and halloumi, pistachio pesto and scrambled eggs.
Also
Unfortunately, Minthis’s rustic location doesn’t lend itself to wheelchair-accessible stays.
Fitness Center
Free Internet Access
Golf
Laundry
Pet Friendly
Pool
On-Site Restaurant
Spa
At the Hotel
Golf course, spa, hair salon, nail salon, gym, yoga studio, restaurant, bar, bar/café, paid laundry service, free WiFi. In rooms: cable-satellite TV, fully equipped kitchen, air-conditioning, Nespresso coffee machine, and Molton Brown bath products
Our Favourite Rooms
Although all options at Minthis are flush with space, we’re particularly drawn to the Mountain Executive Suites, for their vantage points of the Troodos mountains and Ezousa valley, sites that make dragging yourself from the pure-cotton bedding a little easier. For a hideaway-within-a-hideaway option, any one of the private detached villas will feel as though you’ve got a key to your own pad – and comes with an enticing private plunge pool, outdoor dining space, a terrace and courtyard.
Poolside
At Minthis there are dips indoors and out: the lounger-flanked outdoor infinity pool is poised for breathtaking views over the countryside, and is accompanied by a shallow children’s pool (open during summer, 9am to 6pm). The indoor spa pool, which looks as though it has come straight out of an Architectural Digest centrefold, has stepped entry and a vast window-wall at one end; for over 16s only (open 7am to 8pm during summer, and 7am to 7pm during the winter season).
Spa
The spa’s pared-down look belies its comprehensive approach to wellbeing. The treatment menu brings together Cypriot herbal traditions and Ancient Greek healing methods (lotions and infusions make use of locally grown herbs, such as mint, oregano, sage and chamomile) with modern science, and therapies, such as the detox drainage massage, will make you as smooth as a sip of zivania. There are also thermal suites featuring a tepidarium, caldarium, Finnish sauna, sanarium, ice fountain and fridigarium to take you from hot to cold, wet to dry. Any remaining knots can be eased in the hydrotherapy pool; specialist practitioners – osteopaths and physiotherapists among them – are also at hand; and, if your chakras need realigning, there’s a yoga studio.
Packing Tips
A breathable pair of Mr Marvis shorts should easily take you from the putting green to the vineyards, and back to the hotel restaurant.
Also
After the masseuse has worked you like a potter moulding clay, add a finishing touch with a Greek-yoghurt facial, which is said to help rebalance your microbiome.
Children
Very welcome. Minthis’s two-bedroom suites and villas are family friendly; babysitting is available from €20 an hour, and you’ll need to book before your stay. Extra beds are free on room only rates; please contact our Smith travel team to book.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
If you can beat the crowds to it, plump for a terrace table, where your dinner will have a backdrop of orchards and olive groves.
Dress Code
Minthis’s dining spots are contemporary in design and back-to-nature in hue, so keep your threads similarly neutral and unembellished, focusing on simple linens and loose tailoring.
Hotel Restaurant
The hotel’s main dining spot is Clubhouse Restaurant, where chef Marios Efstathiou celebrates Med cuisine from dawn till dusk, starting with shakshuka (oven-baked eggs, pepper-and-red-onion ragù, melted mozzarella, pork chiromeri with feta crumble, and toasted pine nuts); and lunchtime heavyweights such as giagia’s pie, made with a crust of mastic and lemon thyme, and filled with seasonal produce; and you’d be a fool to let the flame-torched octopus slip past you. For dinner, try the braised lamb shank with halloumi, yellow-pepper coulis and orzo, followed by a Minthis nest – a chocolate shell with carob ice- cream and warm caramel sauce. Plateia is the hotel’s outlying social hub, inspired by typical Cypriot village squares, it’s home to boutiques and galleries, as well as Bar-M, and a second restaurant, Amaracus, where executive chef Dimitris Katrivesis (of Mavro on Santorini and a couple of Tinos eateries) whips-up seasonal, Mediterranean dishes inspired by the local area and home-grown produce from the resort’s gardens, orchards, bee hives and vineyards. Start with the pistachio hummus served with kale, raisins and burnt butter; lead with the black Angus short rib with orzo, goat cheese, fresh herbs and
yellow pepper coulis and round it off with a tahini miso crème brûlée.
Hotel Bar
Looking beyond island clichés, Bar-M, beside Plateia, with its refined, dark interiors, is a sophisticated drinking spot. Despite its brooding name, the Nero Ambrato – a medley of rum blend, cachaça, pistachio-and-honey orgeat, Pedro Ximénez and clarified pineapple – is a spirited concoction in more than one way.
Last Orders
Clubhouse is an all-day spot, where breakfast is served 7.30am–10.30am; brunch, 10.30am–noon; lunch, noon–3pm; and dinner, 6.30pm–9.30pm. Or catch dinner at Amaracus from 5pm to 11pm Tuesday to Sunday
Planes
There are two airports in Cyprus: Paphos International Airport, a 30-minute drive away from Minthis; and Larnaca International Airport, which is 90 minutes away by road. The hotel can arrange private transfers (price on request).
Automobiles
Indie souls intent on exploring beyond the hotel’s bucolic acres can hire wheels at either of Cyprus’s airports, and the hotel has a private car park with free valet parking.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
If you manage to peel yourself away from the massage table, you’ll find that Minthis’s location – among acres of countryside but in close proximity to culture – makes for an experience as rich as a traditional stifado. Brush up on your sommelier-speak by paying a visit to the family-operated Makarounas Winery, where you can sit on the veranda and while away the afternoon sampling Xynisteri, Spourtiko and a pale-pink ‘Minthy’ vintage. To burn off the flights of red and white, try the hotel’s 5km nature trail, which winds its way up vertiginous paths and past a waterfall, against a backdrop of mountain vistas; or saddle up and ask the hotel to help arrange horse riding. Green-fingered travellers may prefer the tamed beauty of the botanical gardens at the Episkopi Environmental Centre. If you want to go into full Indiana Jones mode, lead your travelling cadre to the Archaeological Park of Kato Pafos, which is home to unearthed ruins, restored columns and decorative details spanning the island’s history from the 4th century BCE to the Middle Ages; then head to the one-time Byzantine fort of Pafos Castle, before making a beeline south to ogle at Aphrodite’s Rock, where, it is claimed, the goddess was born from sea foam.
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. .
