Sun, spa and an ancient Cypriot ruin all to yourself.

Boutique hotel: a phrase that’s become so elastic in definition that if it were stitched into underwear we’d find our drawers round our ankles. The Thalassa, while not quite displaying utter bare-faced cheek, is not, by the original definition of the concept, boutique.

It’s not small or unique: it has 58 rooms and suites all decorated with identical colours and standard mid-range hotel furnishings. There are no special design features, save lilac-painted cornicing to ward off evil spirits (as Cypriot folklore goes) and you won’t be overwhelmed by its architectural beauty: from the outside it looks more like a car park than a hotel.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/stay-the-night-thalassa-paphos-913640.html