Elysium Hotel, Paphos
The Elysium Hotel is a five-star, palace-style beachfront hotel in Kato Paphos on the south-west coast of Cyprus, next to the Tombs of the Kings. Families come for its multi-level pool complex, a private sandy cove, a spread of à la carte restaurants and childcare from four months through Angel's Crèche and a free kids club.
On this page
Is it worth it?
Who it suits, how the board works and the facts to skim before the detail.
The Elysium is one of Paphos' long-standing five-star hotels, a palace-style property of 287 rooms and suites in terraced gardens above its own cove. Its draw for families is the mix of a large, multi-level pool complex, a spread of à la carte restaurants that reviewers rate highly and childcare that starts at four months, all a short drive from the airport and right next to the Tombs of the Kings.
What you're paying for is the dining and the personal service rather than a big all-inclusive with a waterpark. It runs on Half or Full Board rather than all-inclusive, the crèche for the youngest children is paid, and the site climbs over several levels, so it suits some families more than others. You'll get the most from it if you'd happily eat out most nights and want that folded into the stay, and you're comfortable with steps and slopes between the rooms, the pools and the beach.
Best for
You want five-star dining with a choice of à la carte restaurants, a big pool complex and a private cove, with a crèche from four months and an easy airport run.
Maybe not for
You'd find a multi-level site with steps hard work with a pram, you want a large all-inclusive with a waterpark and a big kids programme, or you're on a tight budget.
Best ages
Babies upwards. A paid crèche from four months to three years, a free club from three to twelve, plus babysitting for an evening out.
What stands out
The service families single out by name, a large pool complex that rarely feels crowded and a dining line-up guests rate as the strongest part of a stay.
What to check
The site is multi-level with steps, and the crèche is paid with limited spaces, so book it by email before you travel.
Where is it?
In Kato Paphos on the south-west coast of Cyprus, next to the Tombs of the Kings, a short drive from Paphos airport.
Quick facts for families
What the resort is like
Where it sits, how it's laid out over the levels and what that means for getting around.
The Elysium sits on Queen Verenikis Street in Kato Paphos, the beachfront quarter on the south-west coast of Cyprus. It's at the northern end of Kato Paphos, right beside the Tombs of the Kings, with Paphos Harbour and the Archaeological Park a little way to the south-east. It's owned by Stademos Hotels, a Cyprus family group of three hotels rather than an international chain, so you won't find an Elysium anywhere else; the wider group runs around 789 rooms across its three Cyprus properties.
Its rooms and suites spread across extensive landscaped grounds. Honey-coloured stone, arched corridors and terraced gardens step down towards the sea, with a multi-level outdoor pool complex at the heart of it and the Mediterraneo restaurant at pool and beach level below. A separate colonnaded courtyard, the Megaron, holds the adults-only Royal Pool and the Studio Suites.
The site works over several levels, the Lower Lobby, the pool level and the beach level, joined by steps and sloped paths. There are lifts in the main building, but the hotel doesn't publish step-free routes across the grounds and there's no confirmed buggy service, so if you're pushing a pram it's worth asking reservations about access and lift locations before you book. A carrier can be easier than a pushchair on a site like this.
A 2025 refurbishment reworked rooms and suites with natural oak, Limassol stone, terrazzo and travertine limestone in a calm, earthy palette, though the hotel doesn't confirm which room types have been done.
Every restaurant and bar
The board plans, each place to eat, the bars and how the à la carte booking works.
Dining is the part of a stay guests rate most, and it runs on board plans rather than all-inclusive. You book Half or Full Board, and both come with a credit towards the à la carte restaurants; bed and breakfast and room-only are also sold.
| Board | What it covers | À la carte dinners |
|---|---|---|
| Half Board | Breakfast at Lemonia Piazza and a buffet dinner at Epicurean. May to October you can swap the dinner for a Mediterraneo lunch | A €25 per-adult credit towards dinner at Bacco, O'Shin or Mediterraneo |
| Full Board | The above plus lunch, at Mediterraneo from May to October or Café Occidental from November to April | The same €25 per-adult dinner credit |
| Bed and breakfast | Breakfast only; room-only is also available | Paid in full, no credit |
There are six places to eat, plus two bars and 24-hour in-room dining from the restaurant menus. The table below is when each opens and whether you need to book; the notes after it are what each is like for a family.
| Venue | Food | When | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemonia Piazza | Breakfast buffet | 07:00 to 10:30 | No booking |
| Epicurean | International themed dinner buffet | 19:00 to 23:00, winter from 18:30 | No booking |
| Ristorante Bacco | Italian à la carte, Tuscan dishes | 19:30 to 23:30, winter from 19:00 | Book ahead |
| Mediterraneo | Mediterranean and Cypriot à la carte | Lunch 12:30 to 16:00, dinner 19:30 to 23:30, May to October | Lunch no booking, dinner ahead |
| O'Shin | Pan-Asian and a sushi counter | 19:30 to 23:30, winter from 19:00 | Book ahead |
| Café Occidental | All-day café and patisserie | 09:00 to 00:30 | No booking |
Lemonia Piazza, on the Lower Lobby, is the breakfast room, a wide buffet you walk into with high chairs on request, described in one first-hand review as among the more indulgent breakfasts on the island. From November to March it can switch to an à la carte breakfast instead of the buffet. Epicurean is the main dinner venue for Half and Full Board, an international buffet that changes theme each night, with its own children's menu and no need to book; in winter it may run à la carte or table d'hôte rather than the buffet.
Three of the à la carte restaurants need booking ahead. Ristorante Bacco is the Italian, with Tuscan dishes, homemade pasta and an Italian cellar; it has a dedicated children's menu and takes families happily, one visiting family calling it luxurious but entirely unpretentious. Mediterraneo serves Mediterranean and Cypriot cooking at pool and beach level right by the sea, open May to October; its lunch is walk-in and the easy, casual option with children, while dinner needs booking. O'Shin is pan-Asian with a sushi counter and just 34 seats indoors, more of an adult room with no separate children's menu, and it runs a poolside version in summer.
Café Occidental, on the lobby level, is the all-day café and patisserie for sandwiches, salads, pastries and cakes; from November to April it serves the Full Board lunch while Mediterraneo is closed. It also does a three-tiered afternoon tea, booked ahead, with Prosecco if you want it.
Of the two bars, Astria Bar is the evening cocktail bar on the lobby level, themed around the night sky's constellations, open 19:00 to 00:30 with live music most nights and a view over the lit Lethe Spring, so it's more of an adult setting after dark. Mare Nostrum Pool Bar, at pool level from April to November, does light bites like pizzas, sandwiches and ice cream, which is handy for lunch without leaving the pool. High chairs are available in every venue. Every à la carte restaurant asks for smart casual dress, with no vests or sandals. Indoors is non-smoking everywhere, and Ristorante Bacco and O'Shin stay non-smoking outdoors too; it's the terraces at Epicurean and Café Occidental, all of Mediterraneo's outdoor seating, Mare Nostrum and the Astria Bar terrace where smoking is allowed.
How restaurant booking works
Half and Full Board include a credit of €25 per adult towards dinner at Ristorante Bacco, O'Shin or Mediterraneo (last checked June 2026). It applies once per visit to your final bill, doesn't cover drinks, and can't be saved up or passed to another guest. Bacco, O'Shin, Mediterraneo at dinner and the afternoon tea need booking through reception; Lemonia Piazza, Epicurean, Café Occidental, the pool bar and Astria don't. Not every venue opens every day, so a weekly schedule is posted when you arrive, and the line-up thins from November to March.
Rooms and suites
Every room type with its approximate size, the pool complex over the levels and the cove below.
The hotel has 287 rooms and suites, in four broad groups: the Deluxe Rooms, the Duplex Suites built for families, the villas and studios in the Megaron courtyard and a set of larger named suites. Room sizes aren't published by the hotel, so treat the figures below as a guide and confirm the exact size when you book.
| Room | Size (approx) | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Deluxe Room | around 34 m² | The standard room and most of the hotel, in an inland, partial or sea view. Connecting rooms available for families |
| Duplex Suite | around 53 m² | Split-level family suite: a mezzanine bedroom, bunk beds under the stairs and a hedged patio |
| Duplex Suite on Royal Garden | around 53 m² | The same split-level family layout, on the Royal Garden |
| Studio Suite | around 40 m² | Twelve adults-focused studios in the Megaron courtyard, sharing the adults-only Royal Pool. No private pool |
| Garden Villa Suite | around 60 m² | A standalone villa with its own garden and private plunge pool, plus adults-only Royal Pool access |
| Artemis Junior Suite | around 66 m² | A junior suite with sea views |
| Thalia / Deluxe Sea View Suite | around 67 m² | A sea-view suite with room for a larger family |
| Queen Verenikis Suite | around 86 m² | A larger named suite |
| Deluxe Sea View Two Bedroom Suite | around 102 m² | Two bedrooms, suited to a larger family |
| Royal Suite | around 128 m² | One of the top suites |
| Royal Suite Two Bedrooms | around 162 m² | The largest suite, with two bedrooms |
The Deluxe Rooms, at around 34 m², are the standard room and make up most of the hotel, in an inland, partial or sea view. For a family who wants separate sleeping space without moving up to a suite, they can be booked as connecting rooms, which is the main family option short of a suite.
The Duplex Suites, around 53 m², are the ones designed for families. They're split-level, with a mezzanine bedroom for parents, bunk beds tucked under the stairs for siblings and room for a child's bed in the living area below, opening onto a hedge-enclosed patio that's a safe spot for young children to play. Families who've stayed mention baby gates fitted at the top and bottom of the stairs, and cots go in on request.
The Garden Villa Suites, around 60 m², are standalone villas in the Megaron with their own secluded garden and a private plunge pool set with sunbeds and a shaded daybed, and their guests also have use of the adults-only Royal Pool. The Studio Suites, around 40 m², are twelve adults-focused studios in the same courtyard, each with a double rainfall shower; they share that same adults-only Royal Pool but don't have a private pool of their own. Above these, the named suites run larger, from the around 66 m² Artemis Junior Suite and the around 67 m² Thalia, or Deluxe Sea View, Suite that suits a larger family, up through the around 86 m² Queen Verenikis Suite and around 102 m² Deluxe Sea View Two Bedroom Suite to the Royal Suites at around 128 m² and around 162 m².
Across all types, check-in is from 15:00 and check-out is 12:00, with early check-in or late check-out possible for a surcharge. Every room is non-smoking, and walk-in shower rooms for guests with mobility difficulties are available on request.
Pools and water features
The heart of the resort is a large, multi-level outdoor pool with a hydro-massage rotunda at its centre. Families who've stayed recently describe it as big enough that it rarely feels crowded, and say the complex includes a waterslide pool and a shallow area for babies and toddlers to paddle, though the hotel doesn't list either of those separately. An indoor heated pool sits by the spa, open to children from 10:00 to 18:00 and heated through the winter. The third pool is the Royal Pool, a sunken pool in the Megaron courtyard for adults of sixteen and over, and only for guests staying in the Studio Suites or Garden Villa Suites, so it isn't open to everyone. Across the outdoor pools, inflatable toys, ball games and water toys aren't allowed, though approved flotation aids like life jackets, armbands and swim rings are fine.
The beach
Below the pool complex the hotel has its own small sandy cove, next to the Mediterraneo restaurant. Families who've stayed describe it as a spot for sandcastles and gentle sea swimming rather than a long resort beach. You reach it down through the grounds from the pool level, possibly by steps, and as with the rest of the site the hotel doesn't detail step-free routes, so confirm the way down if you're bringing a pram. The hotel doesn't advertise Blue Flag status for the beach, so check the current register yourself if that's something you look for.
Babies and toddlers
The crèche and free kids club, the baby kit, what fills a family day, the spa and the days out beyond the gate.
Two separate facilities cover the children, and it's worth keeping them apart. Angel's Crèche takes babies and toddlers from four months to three years, as a paid, drop-off service charged at €30 per session per child (last checked June 2026) rather than by the day, with no parent or guardian staying in the room. It's booked ahead by email with the kids club supervisor at [email protected], giving at least a day's notice. Spaces are limited, so it's worth arranging before you travel. It runs two sessions a day, roughly 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:30 to 17:30, from the start of April to the end of October, and by arrangement in the winter. The hotel describes the staff only as "trained professional staff members"; it doesn't publish staff-to-child ratios or specific qualifications, so ask the crèche direct by email if that detail would affect your decision. Angel's Kids Club is the free one, for three to twelve year olds, also drop-off with no parent or guardian in the room, and with no need to book; it runs two daily sessions, 10:00 to 13:15 and 14:30 to 17:45, from the start of April to the end of October and again over Christmas, New Year and Easter, with themed days, arts and crafts, Lego, interactive floor games and a two-level soft play area, and it's built around child-led free play.
For an evening to yourselves there's a 24-hour babysitting service with qualified staff, chargeable by the hour with a three-hour minimum, and pre-booking is essential. Before you arrive you can pre-order car seats, high chairs, pushchairs, sterilisers and bottle warmers, so there's little baby gear you need to pack. Cots go in the rooms on request, high chairs and children's menus are in every restaurant, and the kitchens cater for particular dietary needs. Beyond the soft play there's an outdoor playground and an entertainment room with video and billiards games for a hot or wet afternoon.
On and off the resortThings to do
On-site there are two floodlit tennis courts with private coaching from a resident coach, for beginners through to experienced players, and bikes for hire from the hotel. Scuba diving runs in partnership with the Cyprus Scuba Diving Centre, exploring Cyprus' shipwrecks, caves and volcanic formations, for beginners and experienced divers alike; the hotel states no age minimum, so a family with a keen older child should confirm the current policy with the dive centre.
There's no course on-site, but the hotel sells golf packages with transport included to four championship 18-hole courses around Paphos: Aphrodite Hills, at 6,289 metres with a gorge crossing at the seventh hole, Eléa Estate, a par-71 designed by Sir Nick Faldo, Minthis, designed by Donald Steel, and Secret Valley, a par-71 of 5,904 metres in a scenic valley. The packages come in three, five and seven-night tiers.
In the evening there's live music at the Astria Bar and Café Occidental most nights, one-off dining events through the season and special programmes at Easter, Christmas and New Year. The hotel has its own fashion and beauty boutiques for holiday bits and souvenirs, and the Treasure Rewards scheme, free to join, gives discounts on dining and the spa and room upgrades across the three Stademos hotels.
The Opium Health SpaSpa and wellness
The Opium Health Spa has nine treatment rooms and the full ESPA range of treatments and products, a hair salon, a Nail Studio for manicures and pedicures, a sauna, a steam room, a relaxation room and a private couples' suite with a jacuzzi and infrared sauna. Treatments carry a 24-hour cancellation policy, and the spa can be reached directly at [email protected] or +357 26 844 513.
The fitness centre has cardio and weights machines, a personal trainer and classes including aerobics, aqua aerobics and Pilates, with one complimentary training session for spa members. There's also a Lifestyle Vitality Programme, which sets up a personalised nutrition and meal plan for your stay with the nutritionist, executive chef and spa manager.
For families, the age rules matter. Children under sixteen can have treatments only with an adult present throughout, apart from the Nail Studio; the changing rooms, heat experiences and the gym are for over-sixteens, and children can use the indoor spa pool between 10:00 and 18:00.
Paphos beyond the hotelThe area and days out
Right next to the hotel are the Tombs of the Kings, a UNESCO site of rock-cut tombs about a five to ten minute walk away and free to wander around outside. Families who've stayed mention a complimentary hotel shuttle running twice a day to Paphos Old Town, for the market, and to Paphos Harbour, though the hotel doesn't publish the times, so check the current schedule with reception.
Paphos Harbour has boat trips, seafront tavernas and gelato, and the Archaeological Park nearby, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is known for its Roman floor mosaics, both reachable by the shuttle or a short taxi. Paphos Old Town holds the traditional Cypriot market, with stalls of crafts and local food. For a family day out, the Aphrodite Waterpark is the main waterpark in the area, and there's Paphos Zoo, both a taxi or hire-car ride away. Our Cyprus guide has more on the island and when to go.
Further afield, by taxi, hire car or organised trip, there's go-karting, horse riding, bowling, kayaking and boat safaris, a children's pirate-ship cruise, wine tours around the region's wineries and sights like the Adonis Baths, Paphos Pottery and the Byzantine Museum. Kato Paphos itself has shops and pharmacies within walking distance or a short taxi. The main hospital, Paphos General at Anavargos, is about 2 miles (3 km) north.
Loves and gripes
What families rate and what to weigh, how it compares nearby, the journey in and the weather by month.
What families love
- The service, singled out for staff remembering names and orders.
- The scale of the pool complex, big enough that it rarely feels crowded.
- The villas, with their own gardens and private plunge pools.
- Dining that treats children well without dumbing down.
- A short airport transfer for Cyprus.
- The Tombs of the Kings on the doorstep.
Worth weighing
- The multi-level site, with steps and slopes that are hard work with a pram.
- The crèche is paid and has limited spaces, so it needs booking ahead.
- The à la carte restaurants need booking, and the line-up thins in winter.
- It's Half or Full Board rather than all-inclusive, with drinks paid on top.
The write-ups we found are consistently positive, and dining comes up again and again as the strongest part of a stay, with the hotel described as a pick for a food-led trip and for luxury. There's no clear pattern of complaints in what we could read, so it's worth reading recent guest reviews close to your own dates for the fuller picture. For the record, the hotel was named in TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice Best of the Best as the nineteenth of the top twenty-five hotels in Europe for 2023, and in the TUI Global Hotel Awards 2026 top hundred worldwide.
Against the other Paphos five-starsHow it compares
Around Paphos there are a few five-star family hotels worth weighing against the Elysium. Almyra, its closest neighbour on the Kato Paphos seafront, also takes babies from four months but charges its crèche by the day with nappies and milk included, plus its own branded Baby Go Lightly pre-order service and a shallow splash pool for toddlers; the Elysium's crèche is charged per session rather than by the day, and it counters with a bigger-name dining scene and its 2023 European ranking. Anassa, up near Polis, has the most comprehensive crèche of the group but sits about an hour from the airport and costs more, so the Elysium wins on easy access to Paphos town and the airport. Olympic Lagoon, also near Paphos, has more pools, a lazy river and the largest kids programme, while the Elysium leans on its dining and quieter, more personal service rather than waterpark-style entertainment. Azia, slightly inland at Chloraka, includes a crèche from six months but doesn't have the Elysium's beach on-site. The big Limassol hotels, Amara and Parklane, offer strong five-star provision but sit around 45 minutes further from Paphos airport, which matters for most UK charter flights.
Getting there and the best monthsGetting there and when to go
Paphos International Airport is about 10 to 11 miles (16 to 18 km) from the hotel, a 25 to 35 minute drive. The hotel will arrange a transfer, but you need to ask for one in advance rather than expecting it to be laid on, so request it when you book. Direct flights reach Paphos from most major UK airports, roughly four hours from London. No minimum stay is published on the hotel's own pages, though the golf packages start at three nights, so if a short stay matters, confirm it at the time of booking.
The easiest months with little ones are May, June, September and October, warm enough to swim without the peak heat and prices of July and August. April is warming up but the sea is still cool, and from November to March Paphos is quieter and cooler. The hotel stays open all year, but Mediterraneo and the Mare Nostrum pool bar close from about November to March or April, the kids club runs a reduced timetable and the crèche is by arrangement, while the indoor heated pool keeps going.
For UK visitors, Cyprus isn't in the Schengen area, so your passport is stamped on the way in and out. It needs a date of issue less than ten years before you arrive, at least three months' validity after you leave and a blank page for the stamp. There's no visa for stays of up to ninety days. The emergency number is 112, a UK GHIC or EHIC covers medically necessary state healthcare, and travel insurance is worth having. No vaccinations are needed beyond the routine UK ones, and there's no FCDO travel warning for Cyprus.
Month by monthWeather
Kato Paphos has the classic south-west Cyprus climate: long, hot, dry summers and mild, wetter winters. July and August are the hottest, around 30 to 31°C, and the sea is at its warmest, 27 to 28°C, from July into September. Winters are mild, but this is when most of the year's rain falls. Over the year Paphos gets around 3,331 hours of sunshine and about 393 mm of rain, nearly all of it falling between November and March.
| Month | Daytime high | Overnight low | Rain | Wet days | Sea temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17.5° | 9.5° | 90 mm | 9 | 18° |
| February | 18° | 9° | 60 mm | 7 | 17° |
| March | 19.5° | 10.5° | 34 mm | 6 | 17° |
| April | 22° | 12.5° | 15 mm | 3 | 18° |
| May | 25° | 16° | 11 mm | 1 | 20° |
| June | 28° | 19.5° | 2 mm | 0 | 24° |
| July | 31° | 22° | 0 mm | 0 | 27° |
| August | 31.5° | 23° | 0 mm | 0 | 28° |
| September | 30° | 21° | 4 mm | 0 | 28° |
| October | 27° | 18° | 26 mm | 3 | 26° |
| November | 23° | 13.5° | 57 mm | 5 | 24° |
| December | 19.5° | 10.5° | 91 mm | 8 | 21° |
Typical monthly averages from weather-station records. Sea temperature is the open-water figure, so a sheltered bay can feel a degree or two warmer.
Questions
The things families ask most, and where to see the photos.
Is there daytime care for a baby or toddler?
Yes, through Angel's Crèche, which takes four months to three years. It's a paid, drop-off service charged at €30 per session per child (last checked June 2026), and you book ahead by email with the kids club supervisor at [email protected], with at least a day's notice, and spaces are limited, so arrange it before you travel. The free Angel's Kids Club is separate and only starts at age three.
Can we get a babysitter for an evening out?
Yes. The hotel runs a 24-hour babysitting service with qualified staff, chargeable by the hour with a three-hour minimum. Pre-booking is essential, so ask reception to set it up early in your stay rather than on the night.
Do we need to bring a pushchair, cot and steriliser?
Not usually. You can pre-order car seats, high chairs, pushchairs, sterilisers and bottle warmers before you arrive, and cots go in the room on request, so you can pack lighter. Confirm what you need at the time of booking.
Is the airport transfer included?
It isn't automatic. The hotel will arrange a transfer from Paphos airport, but only if you request it in advance, and no price is published, so ask when you book and check the cost then. It's about a 25 to 35 minute drive.
Is there anywhere shallow for a toddler to paddle?
Families who stayed recently describe a shallow paddling area within the main outdoor pool complex, and there's an indoor heated pool children can use between 10:00 and 18:00. The Royal Pool is adults-only, so it's the outdoor complex and the indoor pool you'll use with little ones.
Which board should we book for the restaurants?
Half Board gives you breakfast and a buffet dinner; Full Board adds lunch. Both come with a credit of €25 per adult towards dinner at the à la carte restaurants, and it doesn't cover drinks or roll over, so if you plan to eat à la carte most nights, budget for the difference on top.
Is there a proper beach?
Not a long beach, no. What the hotel has is a sheltered cove of its own beside the Mediterraneo restaurant, sandy and calm enough for paddling and castle-building rather than a wide strand. The way to it drops down from the pool terrace and can include steps, so ask the hotel about the flattest route if you've a pram to push.
Is it easy to get around with a pram?
It can be hard work. The hotel is built on several levels with steps and sloped paths, there are lifts in the main building but no confirmed buggy service, and the hotel doesn't publish step-free routes, so ask reservations about access before you book and consider a baby carrier.
See more Elysium Hotel photos
Open the Elysium Hotel photo gallery →Useful links
- Elysium Hotel: the hotel's own site for rooms, dining, the children's clubs and the spa.
- GOV.UK Cyprus travel advice: entry rules, health and safety updates before you travel.
- Cyprus with little ones: our guide to the island, its beaches and when to go.
Last updated 13 July 2026.
