Tofinis Hotel

“4-Star Hotel, 5-Star Experience ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”

We booked Tofinis very last minute for four nights as a family of four — two adults, a 10-year-old and a 2-year-old — and overall we had a fantastic experience. There are a couple of areas that could definitely be improved, particularly the evening entertainment, but the staff alone took this from… more

We booked Tofinis very last minute for four nights as a family of four — two adults, a 10-year-old and a 2-year-old — and overall we had a fantastic experience. There are a couple of areas that could definitely be improved, particularly the evening entertainment, but the staff alone took this from a good hotel to a genuinely memorable stay. The Room We had one of the more basic rooms with a standard balcony, and for four of us it was surprisingly spacious. We had a double bed, bunk beds and the hotel provided a travel cot for our 2-year-old. Even with all of that in the room, it never felt cluttered and we could all move around comfortably. There was plenty of cupboard space for clothes, the bathroom was clean, the shower was decent and both the room and bathroom were cleaned every day. The air conditioning deserves a special mention — absolutely fantastic and a complete godsend in the Cyprus heat! Coming back into that room after being outside in the sun was glorious. Our balcony view was probably the weakest part of the room. It overlooked the bus stops outside, although we could see some of the sea. Considering this was a last-minute booking, though, we really couldn’t complain. There are clearly other rooms available with much better views. Overall, a great family room. The Staff – Absolutely Outstanding 👏 This is where Tofinis really stood out. Hands down, the best hotel staff I’ve experienced anywhere, and by a country mile. The reception staff were excellent. We ended up going to reception quite a few times for various things and every single time they were helpful and accommodating. They didn’t let us down once. The evening bar staff were also a great bunch of guys and somehow managed to make simply going to get a drink entertaining. One of the barmen decided I looked like Adam from BeardMeatsFood, so I became known as “BeardMeatsFood” whenever I went to the bar. The best part was that the same barman looked remarkably like Mr Bean — and even had a little Mr Bean figure behind the bar to demonstrate the resemblance. 😂 So apparently we had BeardMeatsFood being served drinks by Mr Bean for four days. It’s exactly the sort of silly interaction that makes a holiday memorable, and the bar staff were always good fun. Then there are the dining staff… Just wow. These are possibly the hardest-working people in the hotel. Walk into the restaurant with a toddler and a high chair seemingly materialises before you’ve even thought about asking for one. Tables are cleared and cleaned incredibly quickly and, when our 2-year-old inevitably redecorated the floor with her dinner, somebody was there cleaning it almost immediately. They were constantly moving, constantly cleaning and always ready to help. They made eating with young children considerably easier than it normally is. The cleaning staff were equally lovely. Friendly and pleasant whenever we saw them and constantly keeping everything spotless. The hotel should be incredibly proud of its staff because they are its biggest asset. Pools & Waterpark 💦 The main swimming pool looked excellent and was a decent size, although strangely we never actually used it because the onsite waterpark was too good! The waterpark was brilliant for our family. There’s a dedicated toddler/younger children’s splash area with small slides and water features, and the water was beautifully warm — around 32°C when we were there. Our 2-year-old absolutely loved it. For older children and adults there are several larger waterslides — I believe around five different types — but the unexpected winner for us was the lazy river. Absolutely brilliant. The water was incredibly warm (my Apple Watch recorded around 35°C at one point) and you could happily spend ages just floating around either on a rubber ring or without one. It can get busy later in the day, but get there early and it’s incredibly relaxing when it’s almost empty. There is also a spa and gym at the hotel, although we didn’t use either so can’t really comment on them. Great for Kids During the Day… Not So Much at Night Both of our children loved the holiday. Our 2-year-old loved the splash park, swimming and generally having food and drinks readily available, while our 10-year-old loved the pools, slides, food, beach and exploring the surrounding area. During the daytime it’s excellent for families. Unfortunately, the evenings are probably the hotel’s biggest weakness. There simply wasn’t enough going on for older children once the pools closed. There is a small arcade, but it’s fairly dated, and there were some small shows/entertainment, but overall it felt very lacklustre. Our 10-year-old definitely got bored in the evenings and we ended up finding our own ways to keep him entertained. This is probably the single biggest thing I’d improve. Considering how good the hotel is for children during the daytime, some decent evening entertainment and activities for different age groups would make a huge difference. Food – All Inclusive 🍽️ We stayed all-inclusive and were really impressed with the food. They have themed evenings which rotate over a two-week schedule (displayed on an information board at the restaurant entrance), which helps stop dinner becoming repetitive. There was a brilliant variety and more than enough choice for both adults and children. The food was good quality, plentiful and constantly replenished. The food areas were also kept extremely clean — again, credit to the dining staff because they were constantly on the ball. Having food and drinks readily available throughout the holiday was also fantastic when travelling with children. Location, Beach & Getting Around 🏖️ The location turned out to be another big positive. The beach is just down/across the road from the hotel and easily accessible. Some of the nearby paths aren’t brilliant, but if you walk roughly a quarter of a mile towards town there’s a much better route down to a very popular beach. And the beach itself was incredible. There were plenty of sunbeds available when we went and they were reasonably priced to hire, although I’d recommend getting there fairly early. The sea was ridiculously warm — around 33°C when we were there — and absolutely perfect for swimming. I genuinely didn’t want to get out. Just remember you’re still under the Cyprus sun! I was enjoying myself so much that I didn’t realise how many hours I’d spent swimming and ended up rather burnt. 😂 Ayia Napa town itself is just down the road and very easy to get to. The buses are regular and very reasonably priced, so you’re definitely not restricted to staying around the hotel. Taxis are also readily available, although obviously you’re paying taxi prices. We paid around €25 for roughly a 15-minute journey on one occasion. That wasn’t actually into Ayia Napa and it saved us a considerably longer bus journey to another area, so for us it was worth paying for the convenience. There’s also a supermarket underneath the hotel which I believe is part of Tofinis. It’s surprisingly well stocked, reasonably priced and incredibly convenient for grabbing anything you’ve forgotten or need during the holiday. Overall, accessibility is excellent and there’s plenty within easy reach. Plenty to Do Outside the Hotel 🚤 This obviously isn’t something I can credit the hotel for, but it’s worth mentioning for anyone considering staying here — there’s loads to do around Ayia Napa and within a relatively short journey of Tofinis. One of the highlights of our entire holiday was a boat trip we took. The boat had underwater seating/windows where you could sit below deck and actually look out into the sea, as well as a bar onboard. We stopped twice during the trip so everyone could jump into the sea and swim. We were lucky enough to swim with a turtle, which was an incredible experience. There were also slides from the boat directly into the sea and, if you were feeling brave enough, you could jump from the upper deck. For a family holiday it was brilliant, and it’s another reason why I’d recommend getting out and exploring rather than spending the entire holiday inside the resort. The Other Weak Point – Evenings Alongside the lack of children’s entertainment, the general evening atmosphere at the hotel could be improved. The main bar area wasn’t particularly appealing as somewhere we’d want to spend the whole evening. We’d normally grab our drinks and move into the lobby, where there is some really nice comfortable seating. We noticed quite a few other guests doing exactly the same thing. We actually enjoyed sitting there together in the evenings, but it does feel like a missed opportunity. A better evening area and stronger entertainment programme would really elevate the hotel. Would We Return? Normally I’m someone who doesn’t return to the same holiday destination or hotel. There are too many places in the world I haven’t seen yet and I’d rather experience somewhere new. But if I were going to return to Ayia Napa? I’d stay at Tofinis again 100%. The rooms were clean and comfortable, the air conditioning was brilliant, the waterpark was fantastic, the food was varied and plentiful, the location worked really well for us and both our 2-year-old and 10-year-old had a great holiday. There are definitely improvements to be made around the evening entertainment and atmosphere, particularly for older children. But the staff completely made this hotel for us. From reception, to the bar and restaurant teams, to the cleaners, they were exceptional throughout our stay and turned what could simply have been a good last-minute family holiday into one we’ll genuinely remember. A 4-star hotel that gave us a 5-star experience. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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