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Myth
about
The Berengaria Hotel
The Berengaria hotel spreads stupendously
across the Troodos Mountains with great
scenery of Prodromos village and surroundings
in Cyprus, but it’s now a shadow of it's past
glory. You would get some insights relating to
why the hotel was left to rot, and the reasons
it’s a tourist attraction even with the stories and
myths that besiege the building.
T
HE HOTEL was established years
ago in 1931 and played host to the
high and mighty including royalties
and other upper class individuals, by
providing excellent entertainment
services for the crème de ’la crème.
However, the hotel was shut down in 1984 after 53
years of operation.
Although the hotel stood the test of time for
over five decades, its present state is a sorry sight
to behold as the once grand edifice lies in waste
and depreciation due to environmental factors. Be-
rengaria Hotel is a tourist attraction no doubt but
quite unsafe especially for people who aren’t famil-
iar with the terrain. Local residents are inquisitive
to know more about the hotel that served several
reputable guests and see things for themselves
first-hand; tourists also wish to get a glimpse of the
magnificent building.
The hotel has a reputation that precedes it as a
haunted house and the myth has spread down family
lines. Several stories about ghosts can be traced to
the hotel all with a similar trait of the victims being
killed there, and as such their ghosts lurk around the
building seeking for vengeance.
INTERESTING FACTS
ABOUT BERENGARIA HOTEL
The hotel got its name in honor of Queen Berengar-
ia of Navarre, wife of King Richard1 of England. With
such a colorful history that attracted diverse people
from all walks of life, it’s difficult to keep people away.
The present owner of the hotel ‘Michalis Ioan-
nides’, is worried about safety especially for children
since he stated that some parts of the building are
dangerous. Precautionary measures were put in
8
place to forestall
any unfortunate incidents but some
visitors do not regard such warning signs.
Do you wonder why a magnificent highly rated ho-
tel came to a grinding halt? Well, it’s quite a mess. Ac-
cording to the story making the rounds, the owner of
the Berengaria Hotel had three sons who inherited the
property from their father. However, greed, and jeal-
ousy led to financial issues which tore them apart and
it subsequently affected the business. None of the sons
made good effort to ensure maintenance and proper
management, so the hotel gradually went downhill.
It’s not certain if the Berengaria hotel will rise again
from its troubled past, but the locals in Prodromos
village really miss the music from the dancing hall and
other activities that made it a prestigious hotel in Cy-
prus. So, Berengaria Hotel is regarded as a tourist at-
traction by many due to its rich and conflicting history,
and people desire to walk in the same halls and climb
up the stairs where eminent royalties once stood.
x If you plan to visit
the hotel, stick to the
precautionary signs
because some parts
of the building are not
safe to walk through
particularly at night. You
may get the services
of a tour guide who is
familiar with the building
to assist you or better still
don’t wander there alone
without company.
• 2018 EDITION