I got back from the Atlantica Sungarden last week and here's my review. It's a little long winded (to say the least!) but I hope it's of use to anyone going soon!

*****

Flight: Arrived at Gatwick and everything on schedule. However, two people were late and that meant nearly an hour sitting on the plane waiting for them. The airline were in the middle of offloading their bags when they turned up at check in. The Captain said it would be quicker to wait for them to come through, than to continue the search for their bags. They got a loud boo when they finally arrived on board! Baggage reclaim was a challenge at Larnaca! Be prepared to wait around!!

Transfer: Very smooth. Rep friendly enough. We were the last stop, so we got a good nose around the resort while dropping everyone else off. I'd say, and I'm not being biased, our hotel looked the best when we first arrived.

Room: Checked in easily at reception and were shown to our room by a member of staff. The poor man carried my case, and I can only assume he is off work sick now with a hernia! He was very professional, showed us how to use the keycard and work the air conditioning system. He was happy to answer any questions and spoke very good English.

The room was very modern: laminate flooring, huge wardrobe with lots of hangers, shower over the bath, TV with Sky News and BBC World, fridge, hairdryer, a double bed and another part of the room which can be closed off with double doors; containing two sofas and a table. We had room 304 which was on the 3rd floor and had a glorious view overlooking both the pool and the sea. We couldn't have asked for a better view!

Hotel: First and foremost, I would like to say that contrary to previous reviews - the hotel is not at the top of a slope, it's at the top of a HILL! A steep and long one! We are both in our early 20's and fairly fit, but when it's 35 degrees outside, we found it a real struggle to get up the hill. I would hate to have to push a pram up it, and I can't imagine how the older folk got up it! We dreaded the walk back so much that we never went out the hotel during the day. On the few occasions we did, we got a taxi back (from the main strip of Ayia Napa this cost £5). We were coming home from our nights out between 2am-4am, and as it was cooler, the hill was that bit easier to handle. As much as we loved the hotel, this really would put us off going back there. Most people we spoke to had no intention of going outside the hotel anyway as it was all inclusive, but we like to go out exploring and hate just sitting around, so it was a big deal for us. To look at, it doesn't seem very steep (we were fooled by the appearance of a gentle slope) but it's worse when you actually have to walk up it! Just beware, it's not a SLOPE!

Moving on to the food. Every night is a "themed" night, although I would suggest that is pushing it somewhat. I didn't notice much difference. Basically the same stuff every night. Although it was nice, I didn't have one hot meal the whole week we were there. Don't get me wrong, it was never cold, just 'warm'. It was quite adequate for one week, but if you were to stay for a fortnight then you may find it a bit repetitive. You do get one A la Carte meal in a separate restaurant and this is very good. And hot! The waiter is very attentive and nothing is too much trouble. The snacks available throughout the day were, in my opinion, better than the meals in the restaurant! You could get sausage rolls, pizza, pasties, ice creams, milkshakes, and sandwiches.

Now the staff. One in particular stands out. Michael, the night shift receptionist. What an amazing man, and one who could chat for England (or should that be Cyprus!) In general the staff are all friendly and professional. Maids do a good job, sheets and towels changed everyday.

Swimming pools. There are 4 altogether. An indoor one. The main one by the restaurant and the infinity pool next to it. And also the pool set in amongst the bungalows. The main pool and the infinity pool are outstanding, the setting and views are excellent. There was a really nice atmosphere while sunbathing around these pools. There were always sunbeds available, no matter what time of day, and the pool never seemed to be busy. The biggest pool is the one by the bungalows, this has it's own pool bar and nicer sunbeds.

Talking of the pool by the bungalows brings me on to the topic of Entertainment. This pool didn't have the same feel as the others. Mainly because it's where all the German speaking guests seem to go. The radio playing on loud speakers around the pool is a German station and all the activities in the pool are spoken in German. I really noticed the divide between the two areas of the hotel, and this is a shame. It was a "them and us" situation - German speakers around one pool, and the English at the other. This isn't helped by the fact that all the pool activities are run by the German reps. There didn't seem to be much for the English. They had an International Team based in the hotel, which is supposed to cater for the English guests, but if you call that entertainment you are very much mistaken. The German reps had it sorted - lots of fun and games (for adults and children alike) but the International Team thought that the same 3 songs for the kids disco every night was sufficient. I'm not even kidding! It was the same 3 songs EVERY night - Piano Man, Superman and a Scissor Sisters song. I don't have kids so this wasn't a big issue for me, but if I did, then I wouldn't be happy! It drove me nuts having to listen to it while having dinner, so I can't imagine what the parents having to sit there with their children thought!

Resort: We loved Ayia Napa. It had everything a couple in their 20's could want. Plenty of shops, bars and restaurants. Not to mention the clubs! It was about a 20 minute walk into the centre from the hotel and there was always some shop to stop in, or a bar for a drink along the way. It was clean, tidy and we felt safe walking back at 4am, something we can't do here in Kent! We didn't eat out as we were all inclusive, but we could tell there would have been some lovely places to try! Best bars/clubs we went to were Castle Club, Carwash, Bedrock, Senior Frogs (get on one of the swings!) and Lineker's. Top tip for when you get collared by one of the PRs: wait to see which bar they are trying to pull you into, when they ask where you are going, say you're going to a different one next door. They will beg and plead with you to go in their one. Stand firm and say no. Now they will offer you a voucher for their bar - either offering some free shots, buy one get one free, or tickets for free entry to a club later on (and sometimes all 3!) Bingo! Now you can have your free drinks and then carry on your merry way to the next silly PR person and get your new round of free drinks from them!

Day Trips: We took the organised trip to Famagusta. Apart from the rep writing all our information down wrong and causing problems with passport control (you need a one day visa because you enter Northern Cyprus) which meant we were nearly left behind at the boarder, we had a lovely day. They take you to see ancient ruins, a typical Turkish town and of course the ghost town. It was spooky, and quite sad, but was well worth the £23pp.

We also went to the waterpark in Ayia Napa - WaterWorld. This was brilliant. Reasonable entry price, and then you only had to pay for your locker and food and drink once inside. None of the silly paying for sunbeds, rubber rings etc that you get in some parks. The rides were really good and it was thoroughly enjoyable. We got a taxi there and back, costing only £5 each way.

Going home: What an experience Larnaca airport is! I can see why they made a television programme about it! If you get a chance, watch 'Holiday Airport - Cyprus'. They are simply not equipped for the number of passengers they have to deal with. The queues were TERRIBLE. One good thing about the English is that we queue, and we queue well! It's a shame that other nationalities can't manage it. We queued for about an hour for security, only for a group of Greeks to push right in as we were about to go through. This was causing the queues to go even slower. If they'd got in line like everybody else, it would have run smoother. Mind you, don't think once you're through you are safe! And don't believe the screens when they tell you what gate to go to! They change this as often as they change their socks! And sometimes forget to actually put it on the screen! We queued in gate 5, then gate 1 and then finally gate 6. With other airlines all moving gates too, in a very small space, you can imagine the mayhem that ensued! After nearly 2 hours delay in the terminal, and a further 1 and a half hour delay once on the plane, we finally took off! Because we missed our slot, we had to take a detour, which meant our airtime journey became 5 hours instead of the normal 4 hour flight to the UK.

In conclusion, although I didn't go to the hotel for it's entertainment (come on, we were in Ayia Napa, I didn't want to sit around watching magicians!) I did feel a little ripped off. This is meant to be a 4 star hotel, and therefore I expected there to be decent entertainment should I need it. It's a real shame because other than that, it's a fantastic hotel and I reckon it's losing a lot of customers because of the entertainment issue.

At the end of the day, a holiday is what YOU make of it. So, will I return to Cyprus? Definitely! (once the new airport is built!)

Jayne

Hi jayne, nice to read your review.What was the split of brits to germans, how may do you estimate with there?were there many families with kids ie , did the tui animation team invite the british to join in or did you have to base yourself by a particular pool?? re the rooms we have booked a family room like you secribed with the sliding doors, you mention large wardrobes, was there sufficeint storage space ie drawers, cupboards, there are 4 of us going!! i take it the partitioned area are 2 sofa beds one on each side, this is where our kids will sleep.
were the brits moaning about the entertainment whilst there and are there any plans that you know to address this.i have made enquiries with frist choice who inform me that when we go on aug 19 thee are 37 guest booked to arrive on this day, Thomson are the other sole tour operator that use this hotel.i have no issue with mixing with our european counterparts but do not want to be excluded from matter sespecially at the expense of the germans.Was there a kids club that catered for the children mine are 11&12, your views are greatly appreciated.

Hey, I've tried to answer your questions as best as I can... here goes...

"What was the split of brits to germans, how may do you estimate with there?"

Well, they are not all German - most are actually Swiss. But obviously German speaking. There were definitely more of them in the hotel, perhaps the week I was there I'd say a 70/30 split.

"were there many families with kids"

Despite it not being any school holidays at the time, there were lots of families with children.

"did the tui animation team invite the british to join in"

In the evening the Tui team only spoke in German, so it would have been hard to invite the British children in, unless they could understand German!

"or did you have to base yourself by a particular pool??"

During the day, the International Team invited all adults and kids to take part in the water games, but these were in the 'German' pool and therefore mostly spoken in German. Some British people we spoke to wanted to try the Aqua Fit, but soon came back to the 'British' pool because they couldn't understand any of the instructions being given.

"re the rooms we have booked a family room like you secribed with the sliding doors, you mention large wardrobes, was there sufficeint storage space ie drawers, cupboards, there are 4 of us going!!"

Well, they are not huge but it was ample for the two of us. I think there were about 4 drawers built into the wardrobe, and 2 drawers in the desk which my boyfriend used to keep his socks and pants in! I didn't really take much notice to be honest because I only took bikinis/shorts/t-shirts and these didn't need hanging up so I kept them in my suitcase on the floor!

"i take it the partitioned area are 2 sofa beds one on each side, this is where our kids will sleep."

Although we didn't pull the beds down, I do believe they were sofa beds, yes.

"were the brits moaning about the entertainment whilst there"

Not really, not that that I heard anyway. Everyone just seemed to get on with it.

"and are there any plans that you know to address this."

Nothing was mentioned, but I'd assume that in high season they'd have to do something better, otherwise they are going to have lots of complaints!

"i have made enquiries with frist choice who inform me that when we go on aug 19 thee are 37 guest booked to arrive on this day, Thomson are the other sole tour operator that use this hotel.i have no issue with mixing with our european counterparts but do not want to be excluded from matter sespecially at the expense of the germans."

Like I said in my review, we didn't go for the entertainment, we just wanted a base, but if - like you - I was taking a family with children, then I would have felt left out. Some of the German reps spoke good English and chatted to us, one day inviting my boyfriend to a table tennis competition. And I'm sure they'd do the same for children too. But the organised activities and evening entertainment was all geared up for the German speakers.

"Was there a kids club that catered for the children mine are 11&12, your views are greatly appreciated."

There are two children's clubs, a purely German speaking one and then the International Team's kids club. I don't know what ages they were for, but I'm sure if you ring up your tour operator they'd be able to tell you.

I hope this helps. Anymore questions fire away and I'll try my best to answer!
Jayne

Hi all. can anyone help me with an email address for the sungarden. My friend is going here in a couple of weeks and is trying to enquire about upgrading but we can only find the main Atlantica email address.

lyn

Hi All,

New here, we have just booked 2 weeks at the Sungarden in July with 2 children - anyone know it or been there? Would appreciate some feedback. Many thanks. Great site !!

Hi panteleimon and welcome to HT!

I have merged your post with an existing topic on this hotel which includes a review. You can also read reviews by clicking on Hotel Reviews at the top of the page.

luci