Andy Mossack explores City of Dreams Mediterranean . A fusion of gaming, fine dining and luxury recreation in Cyprus.
It may well look like an ancient Incan pyramid, but there’s nothing archaic about City of Dreams Mediterranean. Squatting proudly on a prime slice of Cypriot soil close to Limassol’s 7-kilometre Lady’s Mile beach, this is Europe’s very first integrated luxury resort.
The flagship brand of Melco Resorts, a Hong Kong based hotel and gaming group, City of Dreams Mediterranean, opened in July 2023, is the brand’s latest development following the successful launches of City of Dreams Macau and City of Dreams Manilla.
Built from the ground up this striking 14-storey property is something of a marquee statement for Cyprus, a country that was in the grip of a major banking crisis just 11 years ago. Since those desperate times the island has undergone an extraordinary recovery, mainly through favourable rates to property developers. A fact clearly noticeable by the prolific expansion of new skyscrapers on Limassol’s horizon now known locally as ‘little Miami.’
Cue Melco, who know a thing or two about attracting visitors with deep pockets, identifying Cyprus as its first European outpost. Not just with this hotel but also three satellite casinos in Nicosia, Ayia Napa and Paphos. City of Dreams Mediterranean, like its two Asian siblings, is clearly Casino centric with a vast 24-hour gaming hall and a special VIP Platinum Club for high rollers.
But it is much more than that.
With its dining, leisure and family-oriented facilities it is looking to attract the year-round holiday market too.
With its sheer size it’s bound to be compared to Vegas hotel casinos, but there’s no sign of Vegas bling here. The interiors are classy, elegant and chic, and there’s no doubting its beating heart is Cypriot. Just take a walk around the manicured gardens, the carob trees and orange orchards and smell the citrus in the air.
There are 500 luxurious guestrooms and suites, three fine dining destination restaurants, a main buffet restaurant, an impressive spa, wellness and fitness centre, a huge aquatic complex with 4 pools and a waverider attraction. There’s also an enormous adventure park with a cool zipline coaster, a climbing wall and a giant air trampoline amongst others. inside, kids are catered for with Kids City, a supervised club for 4–12-year-olds with arts and crafts, pool tables, TVs and PlayStations. There’s also an impressive tennis academy with 12 tennis courts run by Cypriot tennis legend and Grand Slam finalist Marcos Baghdatis.
My 12th floor junior suite is a huge comfortable space. Lovely pastel colours, queen bed, sleek wooden floor, separate lounging area with a settee and table, a walk-in wardrobe with vanity table and mirror, and a very impressive bathroom with two sinks, a big bathtub and separate shower. The free mini bar is replenished every day, together with the box of Nespresso pods and tea bags. Floor to ceiling glass doors lead out to an equally spacious balcony with another two couches, a table, chairs and sun lounger and bird’s eye view of the pool cluster, the coast and nearby Akrotiri Salt Lake with its pink flamingos.
Back downstairs I take a stroll around the cavernous lobby. Plenty going on here in readiness for the Christmas and New Year celebrations; sparkly fairy lit Christmas trees, miniature Christmas market stalls, and even a sleigh. All roads lead to here. The gaming hall lies ahead of me, always open for business but a little light on action right now as its early. An elegant musical trio are playing light lounge numbers. Speaking of lounges, off to one side the Lounge Café awaits, a quiet comfortable place for coffee and pastries or light bites at mealtimes. And on the opposite side is the shopping arcade, plenty of high-end retailers eager to relieve lucky winners of their hard-won euros
Down below the lobby lies the fitness centre and Renu spa where Angelina is waiting to pamper me with her 50-minute signature well-living massage. A choice of oils is the only decision I need to make before surrendering myself to holistic wellness designed to alleviate stress and enhance my well-being. There is of course, a full menu of treatment rituals performed by an inhouse team of specialists and if my experience of Angelina’s skills are anything to go by it won’t be long before your body and mind are perfectly aligned.
Dining Options at the City of Dreams Mediterranean
Prime Steakhouse
This is a fine example of an old school New York style steakhouse where the emphasis is on top tier cuts from the USA, Canada and Argentina. Everything from tomahawks to wagyu all grilled over charcoal on a Mibrasa oven and an eyewatering eight different sauce and side options. For non-carnivores there’s surf options too of course, plus surf and turf. My own experience is one of total gluttony. A delicious tableside-made beef tartare with capers, chives, shallots, truffle oil and 12-year-old Macallan Whisky no less (£28), followed by a shared melt in your mouth tomahawk with all the trimmings (12kg at £18 per 100 gm). Excellent service and wines. Carnivore heaven.
Amber Dragon
There are Dragons in all three City of Dreams properties. There is the Crystal Dragon in Manila, while the Jade Dragon in Macau has three Michelin stars and three Black Pearl Diamonds. After my visit at Amber Dragon, I suspect a star or two will not be far away here either. Quite the Pan-Asian culinary journey. The open kitchen and traditional wood fired barbeque oven is the theatre, but there is pure gastronomic magic at work here. From the sashimi to the dim sum to the chef-delivered-and-plated signature roasted Beijing Duck (£92 whole duck). It was all extraordinary.
Anaïs
A distinctly French accent here, the Anaïs Gastro Club is only open from Thursday to Sunday but packs an awful lot into those four days and nights. There’s a sun terrace and cocktail bar with loungers, while inside there’s a chic laid back south of France vibe. A DJ plays sets beginning with mellow sounds and as the night draws on raises the temperature to club level by the close at 3am. Come summer I can see this would be the place where the beautiful people party.
The food is an excellent blend of French favourites. My cured fresh salmon starter (£24) is excellent, and there is no denying the quality of the chateaubriand sharing plate (£150 600g).
Aura
This is the all-day dining heart of City of Dreams Mediterranean. Breakfast and dinner buffets and an a la carte lunch service. Plenty of food stations at both ends of the huge restaurant – pastries and salads at one end and hot dishes at the other and you can work off the calories walking between them! All palates are catered for including Asian and Middle Eastern specialties. It is quite the bewildering array of choices. My favourite? Who can resist fresh crusty local bread and dips!
Daily excursions around Cyprus
City of Dreams Mediterranean may be a little out in the Limassol countryside, but the old city and marina is just a 5-minute drive away with regular shuttles available. Plus, there are daily free and paid excursions to see various scenic and cultural sights from walking, hiking and biking in the fabulous Troodos Mountains, to immersing yourself in local Cypriot heritage. Exploring the tiny mountain village of Omodos is always a favourite outing of mine.
City of Dreams Mediterranean has certainly caught the attention of well-heeled Cypriots and visiting tourists looking to exploit this bold approach to integrated resort living. If you enjoy playing the tables and slots and still crave some seriously luxurious resort fun and relaxation, City of Dreams Mediterranean will tick all the boxes there are to tick.
Tell me more about City of Dreams Mediterranean.
City of Dreams Mediterranean, Nikou Kavvadia, Limassol 3150, Cyprus
T: +357 25088888 E: reservations@melco-resorts.com.cy
Rooms at City of Dreams Mediterranean start from £280 for a superior king room on a bed and breakfast basis.
Nearest airports: Paphos International Airport (45-minute transfer) and Larnaca International Airport (50-minute transfer).
City of Dreams Mediterranean Sunshine Guarantee Offer
City of Dreams Mediterranean invites you to enjoy the perfect weather for your vacation, with sunshine guaranteed. Warm weather and clear sunny skies are present almost all year round on the island of Cyprus. Escape to the sunshine and enjoy 15% off your stay when you book for a minimum of 4 nights. Additionally, receive a complimentary stay on your next visit for each day the sun doesn’t shine during your stay.*
*Please visit here for definition of ‘Sunshine Guaranteed’.
Staying at London Gatwick
Holiday Extras is the market leader in UK airport parking, hotels, lounges, and transfers – and last year most of their customers saved at least £100 on their airport parking vs the price they’d have paid on the gate. Booking an airport hotel means you can enjoy more holiday with less hassle. Plus with Flextras, if you need to cancel or amend you can without charge. One night at Sofitel London Gatwick is available from £157.50.
Getting to London Gatwick
Fast, frequent train services are provided to Gatwick Airport by Gatwick Express and Southern from London Victoria, and by Thameslink from London St Pancras, through central London via Blackfriars and London Bridge. Single fares start at £11.90 (weekends on Thameslink); a Thameslink Anytime Return is £25.70.
