Saray Hotel

North Nicosia (Lefkoşa)

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Fancy a trip back to the early '80s, when swirling patterned carpets, gold braid-trimmed lobby sofas and black lacquered bathroom sinks were all the rage in hotel decor? Saray has nailed it. To be fair, the rooms with their bland but serviceable pine and beige furnishings aren't that bad; but the gold-wallpapered corridors leading to them reek of stale cigarettes.

The central location is a bonus. Plus – or minus, depending on your outlook – there's a ’70s-style casino in the basement to add to the retro atmosphere. Breakfast is on the 8th floor, accompanied by stunning panoramic views.

Interestingly, the hotel was the first ever Turkish Cypriot hotel, built in 1962 by members of the Vakif, an ancient Ottoman religious order.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Zenobia ship wreck near Paphos, Cyprus ; Shutterstock ID 471124055; purchase_order: 65050; job: ; client: ; other: 471124055

    Zenobia

    25.17 MILES

    For divers, the one reason to come to Larnaka is to explore the Zenobia, a Swedish-built cargo ship that sank just off the coast of Larnaka in 1980…

  • St. Hilarion Castle in Kyrenia, North Cyprus.

    St Hilarion Castle

    10.41 MILES

    The full fairy-tale outline of St Hilarion Castle only becomes apparent once you’re directly beneath it. The stone walls and half-ruined buildings blend…

  • Selimiye Mosque in Nicosia, Northern Cyprus.

    Selimiye Mosque

    0.2 MILES

    North Nicosia’s most prominent landmark (also clearly visible from the southern half of the city), the Selimiye Mosque is a beautiful mongrel of a…

  • Interior view of Panagia Forviotissa (Asinou), a Christian church of the beginning of the 12th century.

    Panagia Forviotissa

    23.76 MILES

    This Unesco-listed church is in a stunning setting on the perimeter of the Adelfi Forest 4km southwest of Nikitari village. Dedicated to the Virgin of …

  • Bridge and Pond at the Troodos Botanical Gardens in the summer.

    Troödos Botanical Gardens

    28.91 MILES

    Part of the excellent Troödos Geopark, this is a small but well-laid-out botanical garden with a lily pond and other water features, including a tumbling…

  • North Cyprus, Kyrenia, Kyrenia Castle and Harbour

    Kyrenia Castle

    11.49 MILES

    If the grand fortifications of Kyrenia Castle could talk, they could sure tell some tales. The castle was first built by the Byzantines – possibly over…

  • Detail from the iconostasis (baroque wood carving), Church of St Lazarus (Agios Lazaros) (built in the 9th century and rebuilt in the 17th century), Larnaca, Cyprus.

    Agios Lazaros

    24.06 MILES

    This 9th-century church is dedicated to Lazarus of Bethany, whom Jesus is said to have resurrected four days after his death. The church itself is an…

  • 16th century Venetian walls of Nicosia, Cyprus; Shutterstock ID 132634124; Your name (First / Last): Brana V; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Nicosia destination page

    Venetian Walls

    0.65 MILES

    The Venetian walls form a border around the Old City and are so unusual that, once seen on a map, you’ll never forget the odd snowflake-like shape.

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Nearby North Nicosia (Lefkoşa) attractions

1. Colonial Law Courts

0.06 MILES

This finely preserved example of colonial architecture was built during British rule in 1901. Today it carries on with its original function as the North…

2. Kumarcılar Han

0.12 MILES

This caravanserai is a smaller version of the neighbouring Büyük Han and was built in the early 18th century. Today its courtyard hosts cafes, and the…

3. Samanbahçe Quarter

0.13 MILES

This neighbourhood of whitewashed terraced cottages, tucked off Girne Caddesi, was Cyprus' first social housing project. Built in the early 20th century,…

4. Büyük Han

0.15 MILES

The Büyük Han is Cyprus' best-preserved example of Ottoman caravanserai architecture. Built in 1572 by the first Ottoman governor of Cyprus, Lala Mustafa…

5. Dr Fazil Küçük Museum

0.15 MILES

Doctor, newspaper publisher and politician Fazil Küçük was the Turkish Cypriot community's leader from the 1940s to '60s; when the Republic of Cyprus was…

6. Dervish Pasha Mansion

0.18 MILES

This small ethnographic museum is housed in a 19th-century mansion. Built in 1807, it belonged to wealthy a Turkish Cypriot, Derviş Paşa, who published…

7. Selimiye Mosque

0.2 MILES

North Nicosia’s most prominent landmark (also clearly visible from the southern half of the city), the Selimiye Mosque is a beautiful mongrel of a…

8. Mevlevi Tekke Museum

0.22 MILES

This 17th-century former tekke (dervish house) was once Cyprus' central meeting place for the island's followers of the Mevlevi Order. Made famous by the…