August 15, 2014 - Cyprus Mail
Water can be costlier than petrol
By Evie Andreou
THE cost of a cool beer and a burger at some of the island’s five star hotels could set you back a good €50 per couple, while water in a small bottle seems to be more expensive than a litre of petrol, a government study has shown.
The Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) has said it is ready to respond and investigate all holiday complaints as it published its survey of food and drink items at main resorts.
The CTO said that the organisation’s inspectors were at the service of the public and were ready to investigate any complaints on site.
In 2013, CTO received 153 complaints for poor sanitation, bad behaviour, hotel establishments and profiteering.
The tourism authority said that in serious cases where the complaint concerns one of the establishments registered with the CTO, the organisation may proceed with legal action.
The organisation said it could not interfere if there were complaints regarding reservations made online through a company registered in another country.
The CTO’s pricelist list – the Greek version of which was published last month – reveals prices for food, water and coffee in 157 coastal bars, restaurants and hotels.
As may be expected, four and five-star hotels are the most expensive, although some are pricier than others.
A bottle of water is usually the most basic item purchased. The cheapest price for a small bottle of local mineral water, 500 ml, can be found at Melanda Beach restaurant in Avdimou Limassol for 75c, followed by Limni Family restaurant in Ayios Theodoros, Larnaca with 80c. The Four Seasons Hotel in Limassol is the most expensive with €4.75, but on average prices for a small bottle of water range between €1 and €2.
Orange juice (250ml) on average is sold €1.50 to €3 with the cheapest at Goody’s restaurant Limassol No2 where 400ml of juice can be bought for only €1.80 and at Limni Family restaurant for €1.40. For those who want to splurge, Limassol hotels Four Seasons and the Le Meridien offer orange juice at €6 and €5, respectively.
The cheapest frappe iced coffee is sold at Goody’s restaurant Limassol for €1.80 and the prices rise to €5 and €6 in various five star hotels in Limassol. The average price of frappe in coastal establishments is between €2 and €4. The list, however, doesn’t indicate quantity.
Several beach restaurants in all the coastal towns sell Cyprus coffee for €1, which is the lowest price. The most expensive cup of coffee in the list can be found at H.H. Grand Resort in Limassol for €4.50. Most establishments sell it between €1.50 and €3.
A can of soft drinks – 330ml – on average is been sold between €1.50 to €3 with the most expensive being at the Four Seasons hotel for €4 per 200 ml, and Amathus Beach hotel for €4 per 250 ml, followed by a few other hotels at €4.
Akroyialli Beach Restaurant in Mazotos has the cheapest price for soft drinks on the list with €1.30.
The cheapest can of local beer, 330ml, is sold at Argakiko Restaurant in Argaka, near Polis, for €1.80, followed by several other restaurants at €2. H.H. Grand Resort in Limassol is the most expensive on the list with €6, followed by Le Meridien, Amathus Beach and the Four Seasons with €5.50. On average, local beer is sold between €2.50 and €3.50.
Burger with fries can be found on average between €5 and €7.50. At €1.80, Goody’s Restaurant in Limassol is the cheapest, although it doesn’t specify if the price is just for a burger or with fries. A beef burger with chips costs €4 at Nissi Bay restaurant in Ayia Napa and burger and fries at the kiosk of the Paralimni fishing shelter costs €4.15. The most expensive burger and fries are served at Almyra and Annabelle hotels in Paphos for €16.50.
The list in English can be found at www.visitcyprus.com, under Cyprus Facts. The list is called ‘Prices for popular food and drink items in beachfront catering establishments – 2014’.
With regards to the investigation of complaints, the tourism authority is urging the public to call their offices if they have any complaints they want to report on 22691100.