The Landmark Nicosia, Autograph Collection

Rooms and decor

Picture a building that had been the Hilton Cyprus since 1968, carrying more than half a century of the island's history and known to everyone in Nicosia as a landmark. One day it closed, everything inside was stripped out and the whole structure was rebuilt, before reopening in late 2025 under the Marriott Autograph Collection brand as The Landmark Nicosia. That is the backstory of this icon. All 313 rooms and suites are brand new, done in a modern, understated luxury that holds onto a Mediterranean feel — warm parquet floors, heavy curtains that soak up noise, soft beds, and bright, spotless bathrooms. Many rooms have a private balcony opening toward the distant Troodos Mountains and a Nicosia skyline that mixes old and new. Guests who stayed during the reopening agree everything still feels crisp and new, with no signs of wear, and the design is sharp without being flashy. Anyone who remembers the old Hilton will get a kick out of seeing the place in a genuinely all-new version.

Food and amenities

What sets the Landmark apart from the usual capital-city hotel is the scale of its facilities. Start with the large outdoor pool in the hotel garden — that garden is something people keep coming back to, because it gives you an oasis in the middle of the capital that you will not find elsewhere in Nicosia. Loungers ring the pool, and on a soft afternoon it is a quiet spot to read with a cold drink. Next is the modern fitness and wellness floor, more spacious and complete than the usual 5-star gym in town, with a cardio area, a weights section and a spa corner. Reviewers say it is full enough that business travelers on long stays never have to find a gym outside. Best of all are the 4 restaurants on site, running from an international breakfast buffet loaded with ham, cheese, pastries, fruit and eggs cooked to order, through a contemporary Mediterranean-Cypriot spot where the chef works a local accent into the menu, to a cocktail bar for an evening drink. Check in and you can happily spend the whole day inside.

Location and getting there

The Landmark's location is another strong card. It stands on Archbishop Makarios III Avenue, in the heart of Nicosia's business and shopping district — the main street lined with brand stores, cafes and restaurants, so you step out into a lively capital straight away. From here it is about a 10-minute walk to Eleftheria Square, the famous freedom square designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid, which is the gateway into the Old City inside the Venetian Walls — an 11-pointed star packed with lanes, museums, a market, a mosque and old churches. The highlight you will not see elsewhere in Europe is the UN buffer zone (the Green Line) that splits the city into Greek and Turkish sides; you can walk through the Ledra Street crossing to the north in a few minutes — an experience you cannot get anywhere else in the world. For getting in and out, Nicosia has no working airport in the city, so you fly into Larnaca Airport (LCA) and take the A1 highway about 45 minutes to the hotel. The hotel can arrange a transfer.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. Since the hotel only reopened in late 2025, a few small things are still being fine-tuned — some early reviews complained about response at busy check-in and a couple of in-room devices, like the remote and the coffee machine, that could use clearer instructions. Small stuff, but worth knowing so you do not expect the seamless polish of a hotel that has been running for years. The second point is getting around Nicosia itself, because the city has no subway or tram at all — only buses and taxis. To travel further afield, say to the Larnaca, Limassol or Paphos coast, you will need a rental car or a long taxi ride; anyone used to European cities with metros may need to adjust. The last point is that rooms facing Makarios Avenue can catch traffic noise during the morning and evening rush. If you sleep lightly, ask at booking or check-in for an inward-facing room over the pool or garden, which is much quieter.

Our take

From the real reviews we gathered during its reopening, The Landmark Nicosia, Autograph Collection is a city icon's return done impressively well — brand-new rooms, a spacious pool and gym, 4 good restaurants, a central spot on Makarios Avenue within walking distance of the Old City, and most importantly the warm, genuine Cypriot service you rarely get from the big chains. If your mental image of the trip is visiting a capital with a history unlike anywhere else in Europe — a UN buffer zone to walk across, ancient Venetian walls, paired with a freshly reopened luxury hotel where everything still feels crisp — this is the best-fitting choice in Nicosia right now. But if you expect the full public-transit network of Western Europe, or want a seaside feel all trip, Nicosia may not be the right base, and you should look at the Larnaca or Limassol coast alongside it. Overall we give it 8.9/10, best suited to business travelers flying in for meetings in the capital, couples who want the Old City side of Cyprus more than the beach, and families after a freshly reopened downtown luxury hotel with a pool and full dining all in one place.