This article from The Telegraph reflects some of the topics Heather talked about during our client seminar evening last night, such as our future partnership with the Anassa Hotel and the unique location of the Sandy Beach development. Written in 2001, just after the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, this article demonstrates the timeless appeal of both the Anassa and the beautiful area surrounding it.
Cyprus: Clouded Judgment
He was a hunched 5ft 6in with a face like a smudged oil painting; she was 6ft 1in and fabulous in her Gucci heels. He liked to pile his tiger prawns sky-high from the lavish buffet; she loved the fact that Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones stayed in the same suite. The Russian Mafioso and his mistress were enjoying dinner on the terrace of the Anassa Hotel in Cyprus.
So was I. On September 13, I left a nervy Heathrow on a half-empty scheduled flight to Larnaca. Six hours later, I was eating seafood meze at this gorgeous retreat, built in traditional Cypriot village style with whitewashed walls, clay roof tiles, local stone and wooden doors and shutters. Looking across the landscaped gardens of olive, carob and cypress as fragrant jasmine and lavender wafted on the sea breeze, I was not about to fret about being so close to the Middle East.
Nor were the Russians. While the Anassa has attracted some stellar names (Rod Stewart, Leonardo DiCaprio and the Beckhams), a senior member of staff confided to me that it is Russian guests that flaunt it. A £15,000 room bill is not unusual. And, she added discreetly, it's common practice for Russian "businessmen" to have a mistress accompany them for the first week and their wife flown in for the second.
The town of Paphos is unrivalled in Cyprus for its archaeological remains - and is now recognised as a Unesco World Heritage site. The Paphos Roman Mosaics, first discovered by a ploughing farmer in 1962, are among the finest in the Mediterranean. Excavations continue across a wide area for more buried treasures.
A few miles away, the Tombs of the Kings is an elaborate complex of necropoli that do not contain royalty but the remains of Cypriot aristocrats from the third century. Influenced by the Ancient Egyptians, the tombs are carved from solid rock and decorated with Doric pillars. Entering these regal burial sites is an eerie experience.
Returning to Paphos along the coastal highway, I was seduced by the sight of Petra tou Romiou, more popularly known as Aphrodite's Rock. According to legend, it was here that the ancient patron goddess of Cyprus first emerged. Couples hoping to guarantee eternal love are obliged to swim around the imposing outcrop - one place in Cyprus you can be sure you won't spot a Mafioso and his floozy.
Telegraph.co.uk, 2001
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