The Forest Park Hotel, a family run business by 4 consecutive generations, was founded by George Skyrianides, son of the owner of one of the first beach bars in Limassol. The construction started in 1932 in Pano Platres designed by Samuel Barkai, supervised by the Civil Engineer Benzian Ginsburg, and it officially opened in July 1936.
It was then the only hotel in Cyprus with international standards, such as individual bathrooms, large ballroom, dinning rooms, bar, library, lounge, billiards room, and tennis court. Originally the hotel had 70 bedrooms and then, between 1946 and 1948, a further 30 were added, totaling 100 rooms. Now the hotel has 137 comfortable, relaxing rooms, including 7 chalet suites, which were built after the 1980 to host Arab Sheikhs.
During the Second World War (1941 – 1943) the hotel was commandeered as an Army Hospital. It had a similar fate during the Suez Canal Operation in 1956. In 1960s with the declaration of the Cyprus Republic independence, the hotel was registered, as Forest Park Hotel. Standing amidst its own forest and gardens, it acquired its own outdoor half Olympic size and a small children’s swimming pool were built in the grounds in 1963. The next major renovation took place at the 80's and early 90's. During all of these decades it has hosted important visitors, such as politicians, writers and actors.
The hotel under construction (source: Tales of Cyprus)
In 1972 the ownership was transferred to George Skyrianides children, Hercules, Anthony and Daphne. George H. Skyrianides passed away in June 2001, at the age of 94. In 2002 the eldest son of Antony Skyrianides, George, and in 2005 the youngest son, Marios, after finishing their studies, joined the hotel. During the winter months of 2003, the hotel went through a major renovation and reopened its doors in the March of 2004. Then more family members, like Sofianna and Polina Demetriadou (daughters of Dafni) and Gisselle Skyrianidou (wife of George), joined the hotel to assist in many various positions.
* 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.
The hotel around the '30s (source: Tales of Cyprus)
The open area around the '30s (source: Tales of Cyprus)
1936: When the hotel when first opened (source: Tales of Cyprus)
The lounge of the hotel when it first opened (source: Tales of Cyprus)
The interior of the hotel when it first opened (source: Tales of Cyprus)
1941: The hotel as a Military Hospital (source: Tales of Cyprus)
The hotel during the 1960s (source: Tales of Cyprus)
The pool during the 1960s (source: αρχείο Φώτη Κολακίδη)
The visit of Princess of Greece, Irene, with Archbishop Makarios
The hotel as it is now
The hotel's construction plans (source: Tales of Cyprus)
