Country House: March 2008

The Globetrotter

Hotel Doctor

Question I am after some off-season sunshine – I don't need to sunbathe, but I like nice weather. A friend suggested Cyprus but I thought that was all tacky package holiday. I'd like a more upmarket mini-break.

Answer There's never been a grey area whether Cyprus is a summer hotspot weather-wise, but it's less well-known that it's a sunny and stylish mini-break candidate at a time when Blighty is still in woollies. Sure, Cyprus is a long-standing love on the Brits-abroad trail thanks to great beaches and year-round sunshine. But Cyprus is worthy of the ever-roving eye of the more independent on-the-go urbanite. Boasting 360 days of sunshine a year, the mercury regularly hits 20C in winter, when it's also wonderfully tourist-free. The Londa hotel gives any designer digs in a style capital a run for their money at €225 to €900 a night (including breakfast and taxes), and while the resort of Limassol does have a few chips-with-everything eateries, it also boasts the excellent contemporary destination restaurant, Beige at 238 Ayiou Andreou (+357 25 818 860). There are lots of World Heritage archeological sites to explore and mountains to go for walks in. British Airways (ba.com) flies from most major UK airports to Larnaca, from £412.60 return.

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