As you approach the center of Platres, you will pass by an historic building that is now hidden behind the wild foliage that has practically overrun the entirety of its façade. Beyond its central role in shaping the internationally-renowned tourist resort of Platres, Pausilipo remained known for its unique name, which suggests that anyone who visits it will forget their troubles.
Pausilipo was one of the first hotels created in the area, following the arrival of the British on the island in 1878, which turned Platres into the first tourist resort of Cyprus. Initially, it was merely the holiday home of Heracles Skyrianides, an active Limassol businessman who operated one of the city’s first seaside recreation centers.
When the number of holidaymakers in Platres began to increase, the family’s holiday home evolved into lodgings, expanding its space so as to accommodate all who made their way to Platres for their holiday. Additional rooms were added to the building, while the other hotel facilities (bar, restaurant, reception) were all housed in a single space. In order to announce the operation of the hotel, popular advertising practices of the time were utilized, and a rhythmic, headline text was published.
And so, in 1900, the Skyrianides family operated their first hotel, followed soon after by the Forest Park Hotel in 1930. In fact, Pausilipo was the catalyst for the creation of the grand hotel which is still a main attraction in Platres.
Photo: Andreas Droushiotis
Photo: Poly Gioti
Photo: Poly Gioti
Pausilipo during its peak years.
Thanks to the audience Pausilipo attracted, Heracles Skyrianides developed close ties with the Middle East, and his acquaintance with a family of Greek hoteliers in Egypt became crucial. They convinced Skyrianides to send his son, Georgios, to study at Ecole Hotelier in Lausanne, and upon his return to Platres, Georgios Skyrianides became inspired to create a modern hotel of international standards, the Forest Park.
Photo: Andreas Droushiotis
Pafsilypo after the fire.
Pafsilypo after the fire. Photo: Andreas Droushiotis
Pafsilypo after the fire. Photo: George Skyrianides
Pausilipo remained closed from the 1980s up until recently. In May of 2019, the fire which broke out inside the closed building early in the morning resulted in it being almost completely destroyed. Even though it wasn’t in operation, the hotel was a landmark for Platres, and many had come across the strange word of its name, ‘Pausilipon’ for the first time thanks to the inscription that stood at its entrance. The disaster caused by the fire was, inevitably, the end of an era.
* 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.
0.14 km
0.14 km
2.21 km
2.40 km
2.21 km
5.82 km
5.25 km
6.30 km
6.71 km
6.78 km
7.72 km
8.78 km
8.12 km
8.92 km
8.34 km
9.04 km
