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Continental Hotel: From Residence to a unique jewel for the city!

25/01/2018
* NOTE: All the tributes of All About Limassol (as the Official Guide of Limassol) aim to ONLY highlight the special advantages of this wonderful city, so that everyone can be aware of the unique Experiences it offers. Under no circumstances do they have any promotional or nominal value, nor do they serve the interests of Companies, Municipalities, Organizations or Individuals.

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At the beginning of the 20th century, the press of the time writes about a new and impressive building on the coastal front of the city. In that way Limassolians got to know Whitfield’s Residence, which later transformed into the legendary Continental Hotel. Although the building was designed by an unknown architect it was distinguished for its European standards, causing the admiration of the city’s citizens.

In 1917 the Whitfield Residence housed the Liberals Political Club on the ground floor, while in 1920 was sold to Kition Church. A few years later the building was rented to G. Ioannidis, who turned it into the great "Vienna" hotel. In fact, Ioannidis was proudly advertising the hotel as the venue with the unique view to the mountain and the sea, and the spacious rooms. The Vienna Hotel continued to attract more and more guests, while the city's coastal road was being upgraded at the same time.

The most well-known phase of the building dates back in the 30’s when it passed into the ownership of Christos Mylonas, who changed the hotel’s name into "Continental". The hotel became one of the most famous buildings in the city and the new owner was successfully operating the business until 1974. One of the most important alteration on the building was the addition of the second floor by the architect Charilaos Dikaios in 1965, who followed the aesthetics and the form of the original building.

Today the old Continental Hotel is one of the oldest and most impressive buildings in the city. It belongs to the Cyprus University of Technology — since it no longer operates as a hotel — housing the School of Economics and Management.

Source of information: Tasos Andreou, "Limassol – Memory Flashback", 2009
Photos: Pattichion Municipal Museum - Historical Archive - Limassol Study Center

* NOTE: The tributes of the Project "History of Limassol" present information that has emerged from historical research thus far. Any new data is embedded into the tributes, once it has been confirmed.