Villa Handbook

Your Villa Handbook

All the information you’ll need in one place.

Dear Guest

We are looking forward to welcoming you to stay at your villa in Cyprus. In this welcome package, you’ll find essential information about the villa like check-in and check-out procedure, best practices, and important contact details.

You will have to refer to your “Welcome Information” email however for location, directions, access information and important phone numbers and emails. And while reading please bear in mind that this material is intended to help you have an absolutely amazing holiday. We don’t mean to lecture you in any way, but only want the best for you as our guest.

Please take the time to read this information carefully, to guarantee yourself a relaxing start to your holiday.

Thank you very much for your cooperation and for keeping our home a place for many more guests to enjoy in future.

We hope you have a truly amazing holiday and that you will enjoy both this lovely villa and the island of Cyprus!

With sunny regards
Cyprus Villa Retreats

DIRECTIONS TO THE PROPERTY

Please be advised that road and street signs are almost non-existent in Cyprus. Most addresses are not in the satnav and most European satnavs don’t include maps of Cyprus. Moreover, local taxi drivers will find it very difficult to find your villa with just the street address.

The most accurate and effective way to find your villa is to use the unique Google Maps link and/or the Google Maps coordinates for the location of your villa, provided in the “Welcome Information” email you received from us.

PROPERTY MANAGERS

Our amazing property managers will do everything to make your holiday an absolutely unforgettable one. Please refer to your “Welcome Information” email to find the important names, numbers and email addresses covering everything from minor repairs to 24/7 emergencies.

HOSPITALITY MANAGER

To kick-start your holiday and ensure you make the most of your villa and what Cyprus have to offer, your Hospitality Manager will pay a special visit at the time chosen during your guest registration for your Meet & Greet. The Hospitality Manager will run through all the facilities the villa has to offer. And will give you an overview of insider tips, restaurant recommendations, information for  boat hire, quad rentals, excursions, spa treatments at the villa and so much more.

ARRIVAL ACCESS

When you arrive at the property, you will find a lock box next to the front door with the keys to the villa. Your access code can be found in the “Welcome Information” email. Please be very careful when closing the lock box to make sure the access code is still set to the correct code. If you force it shut on the wrong code we will be unable to get it open again. It should close easily with a gentle push and a click. Once closed be sure never to leave the box set to the access code at any point. Even if there are no keys in it, always scramble the code. Many guests find it a good idea to leave the keys in the lock box of the villa whenever they go out during their stay, so they don’t lose the keys. Lost keys require a lock change and incur a charge .

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A NON-SMOKING VILLA!

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VILLA SPECIFICS

We have a range of ‘how to’ videos available to help you navigate your way during your stay. For specific information, see below:

AIR CONDITIONING
Use the air con units by activating the timer on the wall and using the AC remote to turn it on. Use the AC as necessary. We do, however, recommend that you use the powerful ceiling fans, where fitted, rather than the AC as much as possible. This will help to avoid any health issues associated with AC units. We’ve installed high-quality noise-free ceiling fans in many of our villas, most of them with a remote control. Run the AC at no lower than 22°C during the day. At night, turn the AC on in the bedrooms for one hour before you go to bed to allow the room to cool down. Then turn it off and turn on the ceiling fans. This will keep you cool at night. There are generally air-con units in the living room and bedrooms. We’ve installed extremely good ACs that cool any room within minutes. Make sure you close the doors & windows while in operation.

BREAKAGE
Accidents will happen, like a broken glass or cup. We would simply ask you to replace any broken items with the same or a similar one. Ask the CVR Team for assistance.

BBQ
BBQs are provided for your convenience. They use charcoal or gas. You can buy charcoal and firelighters at most supermarkets and kiosks. Please make sure you only use the BBQ in an open area, away from the villa. Please clean the BBQ & surroundings after usage to avoid attracting wildlife and insects.

BOOKS
Please feel free to read any books you find at the villa, and please feel free to leave any books you do not want behind.

CAR HIRE
Car hire is recommended to enable you to visit the many sites Cyprus has to offer.  Please reach out to one of the email addresses or phone numbers within the “Welcome Information” email if you require a car.

The Cypriots drive on the left-hand side of the road, as in the UK. It’s like driving in the UK, the only difference is the sun is always shining.

Please note that it is a legal requirement to keep your car hire paperwork with you at all times in Cyprus. Police checks are carried out on a regular basis and it is a legal requirement to produce your paperwork if stopped. The speed limit on the main road (A6) is 100 kph. You will be spot-fined if caught speeding. (Although police do tend to give tourists a warning, please do not count on it!)

CHECK-IN
Check-in time is 16.00 on the day of arrival (always necessary to prepare your 5* villa).

CHECK-OUT
Check-out time is 10.00 and this should be adhered to since the next guests arrive at 16.00 and our team need to prepare the villa for the next guests. Unless a late check-out has been agreed during your reservation. Please refer to your “Welcome Information” email if you’d like to arrange a late check-out but have not yet done so. All rubbish is to be removed and the kitchen/BBQ/oven left in a clean condition. A departure checklist can be found below.

CEILING FANS
Most of our villas are equipped with ceiling fans in all bedrooms. Most of them are remote controlled and some of them work by a pull chain. If the ceiling fan does not work, please make sure the power is on by switching on the main light switch in the room.

CLEANING
You will find your holiday home newly cleaned and ready upon arrival. The only caveat we have to this is that although the weather is almost always close to perfect, Cyprus can have strong winds and storms from time to time (most often in the winter months), with heavy rain, high winds and impressive lightening. This could mean that when you arrive at the villa the garden and pool are not as perfect as we left it that same morning/afternoon for you. When events such as this occur we endeavour to get everything cleaned up within 48 hours.

CUSHIONS (pool and veranda)
Please place all cushions under the covered verandas if it looks like rain, if you are going to be out for a long period of time, and at night. When it rains in Cyprus it is often a heavy subtropical rain and can take days for cushions to dry for use again.

DENTIST
Peyia has a combined Medical and Dental Centre (www.peyiamedical.com) in the middle of the village.
Opening hours: 08.30 – 18.30 (Monday to Friday), 09.00 – 14.00 (Saturday).
Tel: 00357 26 950026
Email: [email protected]

There is a very good pharmacy and a further medical centre (Evangelisimos Peyia Medical Centre) on the left as you go down the hill from the church.

DRINKING WATER
You can drink the tapwater in Cyprus (although we prefer mineral water ourselves). There is a two-tap system on the kitchen tap. The small tap at the bottom is the drinking water tap. The normal ‘taps’ give you water from the water tank on the roof (not recommended to drink).

ELECTRICITY
We ask that you please be mindful of electricity – Cyprus has the most expensive electricity in Europe by a significant margin. We have done our best to equip the property with the latest LED lighting, but we do ask that you consider electricity use. Please don’t leave the doors open when heating or cooling indoors, turn the lights off in the daytime, and the night lights when you go to bed etc. Basically the usual energy efficient things you would do in your own home. Electricity usage is monitored remotely and an email is generated to advise you if it gets unreasonable. Thank you for understanding and helping us to conserve energy.  Please note the electricity in Cyprus is the same as the UK, with 3 prong, 240 volts AC plug sockets.

ELECTRICS
Please call the Property Manager if you have any difficulty with the electrics. There is always a torch in the villa if for any reason there might be problems with the power supply.

EMERGENCY SERVICES
Please refer to the phone number in your “Welcome Information” email in the event of an emergency.

FIRST AID KIT
There is a first aid kit in the pantry/kitchen.

FIRE BLANKET
There is a fire blanket in the pantry/kitchen.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER
There is a fire extinguisher in the pantry/kitchen.

FRIDGE
There is a fridge-freezer available. When opened and closed you will hear the cooler run, which might make some noise for some minutes. After the fridge reaches the desired temperature this noise will stop.

GAMES (indoor)
Your holiday home (unless you have booked one of our basic range villas) is equipped with a PlayStation and/or a Wii game console, please make sure all games are left at the villa at the end of your stay as an additional charge will be levied if removed.

GAMES (outdoor)
Your villa is equipped with a ping-pong table and in some villas also with a snooker table. Please put the ping-pong table back after every use as the sun will cause it permanent damage. Please do not move the snooker table (if available at your villa), since the sun will permanently damage them and please make sure that all cues, paddles, balls etc. remain in an appropriate spot at the end of your stay.

GARDENER
To keep the gardens in top condition a gardener must come at least once a week to do a couple of hours of maintenance. They make every effort to respect your privacy and we apologise for any inconvenience.

GAS
If the hob in your kitchen runs on gas, please be extra vigilant to make sure that it is shut off after every use for you and your family’s safety.

HAIRDRYER
A hairdryer is provided for your convenience. Please make sure the hairdryer remains in the villa when you leave.

HEATING
If it gets a little chilly, the AC units can act as heaters. Please use sparingly as they are very expensive to run.

HOSPITAL
The nearest hospital is Paphos General Hospital. The number is 00357 26803100 . In the case of any EMERGENCIES please call our Property Managers for assistance on the number found in your “Welcome Information” email.

HOT TUB
If you have not reserved your hot tub then please do so at least 3 days before your arrival. It takes between 24–48 hours to heat up and our property managers need to access the electrical room to turn the power on. The hot tub is very straightforward to use. There is 1 button to increase or decrease the temperature, 1 button for the lights and 1 or 2 buttons for the jets.
Please make sure you keep the cover on the hot tub at all times when it is not in use (especially at nights) since the hot tub will not be able to maintain adequate temperature and when uncovered the warm water attracts insects as well. The temperature that most guests prefer is between 37 and 40°C.

HOT WATER
Please be advised that hot water in Cyprus is generated via solar panels and stored in a hot water tank on the roof. This means that the hot water supply is limited to the size of the hot water tank (approximately 200-250 liters) and is not unlimited like other countries. if you are a larger group using the shower in a short space of time, please be aware that short showers are advised. On a cloudy day, we advise you to turn the immersion heater on 30 minutes before you take a shower. You will find the immersion heater with a timer on the first floor.

IRRIGATION SYSTEM
The whole garden is equipped with an irrigation system. Please do not tamper with it or water plants yourself. However, we would be very grateful if you would let the Property Managers know if the irrigation system is not working.

IRON/IRONING BOARD
Your villa is equipped with an iron and ironing board either located in the utility room/kitchen or in one of the wardrobes in the bedrooms.

KEYS
Please look after the keys carefully and leave them in the lock box when you are not in the villa. The keys should always be placed in the lock box when you leave. Please note that there will be a charge of ÂŁ100 for keys not returned (since we have to change the locks for security reasons).

LIABILITY
Parasols/awning
Cushions
Breakage
Proper use of your holiday home and its contents
Ping ping table
Speakers
Pool rules
Kids unattended

MUSIC
The villa is equipped with a Bluetooth or WiFi speaker (unless you have booked one of our Classic range villas), which you can connect to your laptop or phone, via Bluetooth, and WiFi. Please make sure the speakers are not used outside and are not placed in direct sunlight since the sun will damage the speaker instantly.

OVEN
The oven is a hot air & grill oven. Please use aluminum paper and make sure the oven is left in a reasonable clean condition when you leave, otherwise an additional charge may be incurred.

PATIO DOORS
Please lock all the doors when you leave the house to protect all valuable items.

POOL/HOT TUB CLEANER
To keep the water quality in top condition our pool cleaner visits at least twice during your stay, with your health and safety in mind. He will try to come early in the morning if possible or at midday and will not ring the doorbell or knock on the door to let you enjoy your privacy as much as possible, and so as not to wake you up should you still be sleeping.

POOL USE
We do not want to really go into the whole ‘slippery when wet’ process with you, but nevertheless we want you to have an incident-free, pleasant and SAFE holiday. Therefore, we must inform you: Please do not run around the pool or up the stairs, since the surface can be EXTREMELY slippery when wet. Be very careful with jumping/diving into the pool. For safety reasons the pool is not very deep and a diver can easily injure their head. Obviously, when you have young children, there should ALWAYS be an adult watching for their safety
 Please also use PLASTIC cups around the pool area in case of breakage.
We would also ask you to shower before you use the pool. Sunscreen eliminates the chemicals in the pool that are needed to keep your pool water healthy and kill the bacteria that can cause illness.

POOL & HOT TUB NOISE
We recently had a problem with some noisy guests. Most people respect that we are in a residential area and that it’s courteous to be mindful of noise late at night. The guests were making significant noise after midnight and beyond, which led to the police being called by the neighbours and the guests paying a spot fine of 1600EUR (standard in Cyprus so we are told). Please be mindful of your neighbours, they are not all holidaymakers, and they too have rights. Please be mindful after 10PM to avoid repeat incidents and to keep the peace with the local authorities.

PROPERTY MANAGER
Our Property Managers are amazing and will do everything to make your holiday an absolutely unforgettable one. Please refer to your “Welcome Information” email to find the name numbers and email addresses important for you for everything from minor repairs to 24/7 emergencies.

RUBBISH
Green Refuse bins are located in convenient areas close by the villa. Please make sure all rubbish is placed in the bins when you vacate.

SAFETY
Please take great care on the steps down to the pool when it has been raining as it can get very slippery. The villa is equipped with a first aid kit, smoke detectors, fire blanket and a fire extinguisher for your safety.

SECURITY
Please make sure you lock the villa doors and windows securely when you are out. Please note that Cyprus Villa Retreats cannot take any responsibility for your belongings during your stay.

SMOKING
We strictly enforce a non-smoking policy in our properties. Please respect this for your own safety and the comfort of future guests who expect to rent a non-smoking property. As much as we dislike any sort of penalty clauses, a penalty fee of ÂŁ500 has to be charged for extra cleaning costs if any smoking inside is detected.

SMOKE DETECTORS
For your safety smoke detectors are installed in your holiday home.

SUPERMARKETS
Philippos supermarket is just behind the church in Peyia. You will find a larger Philippos supermarket in Coral Bay (drive down to the T-junction, turn right, go straight over the mini roundabout and you’ll find it on the right-hand side). Papantoniou is a very good supermarket, and you will find one in Chlorakas. Papantonniou bakery on the way up to Peyia is open until 11 pm every night.

FREE GROCERY DELIVERY
Philippos supermarket has an amazing service, bring you and the groceries BACK to your villa FOR FREE! You only pay normal prices for the groceries (!) Please call the ‘Free transport & delivery’ at +357 26 343115 to arrange this service.

SUNBEDS
Please ALWAYS use towels on the sun beds and on the outdoor sofas to preserve them and for hygiene purposes.

PARASOLS
Please make sure all parasols are left closed if the weather is windy or unsettled or when you leave the villa.

TAXIS
Are available in Coral Bay – the number is 00357 99 803459

TERMS & CONDITIONS
Your terms and conditions were sent to you when you placed the booking, by confirming your reservation you automatically agreed to these Terms & Conditions. Please reach out to us if you would like to receive an extra copy or have any additional questions.

TOWELS
For every guest a set of bath and pool towels are provided in the villa.

TV
There is a large flat-screen TV in the villa. This feeds TV via the Internet. This can all be accessed via the built-in smart TV functions. (Just remember the TV is fed via the Internet so if you try to download big files on your laptop it may cause issues with the TV).

WARDROBES
Some villa bedrooms have a wardrobe. If some of your wardrobe doors are locked it means that housekeeping has it in use for additional linen. We always ensure you’re left enough room for your belongings.

WASHING MACHINE
The washing machine is either in the utility room or kitchen, and a drying rack is included for your convenience.

WIRELESS INTERNET
The Internet will be active for your arrival. There is a wireless router in the property. The access codes are written on the router.

DEPARTURE CHECKLIST

Please leave the keys in the security box when you leave. Check out is at 10 AM unless you have pre-agreed a late checkout with us confirmed by email. Please be sure to have removed all bags and belongings from the property so that we can get it cleaned and ready for the next guests that check in at 16:00.

Rubbish – please make sure all rubbish is removed and put in the communal (green) bins outside the property.

Hairdryers/remotes/games/DVDs – please make sure they are back in their original positions for a cross-check by our Housekeeping.

Cushions – please make sure outdoor cushions are left under the covered veranda when you leave.

BBQ/oven/microwave – please make sure they are clean on departure.

Fridge – please make sure the fridge is left clean and empty on departure.

Dirty dishes – please make sure the dishwasher is emptied and all plates, cups, pans etc are clean and in the cupboard.

Keys – please lock all keys securely in the lock box when you leave.

You can also click here do download a printable PDF version of your Departure Checklist. Easy to print and just tick the boxes as you go.