An abandoned hotel in Berengaria, located in Troodos, is considered ‘cursed’. Once again, plans to revive the hotel are failing. However, let’s take it in order.

The hotel is located in a paradisiacal place on the top of the mountain, among pine forests, its windows offer magnificent views of the mountains and sea. It is an hour’s drive from Nicosia and 40 minutes – from Limassol.

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The air, filled with the smell of herbs and pines, birds singing, blackberries around, and absolute peace…
I think that people would come here not only to try their luck at the casino. This place is really charming.

Opened in 1930, the Hotel Berengaria was at that time the best hotel in Cyprus. It was named after Queen Berengaria, wife of Richard the Lionheart, who married her in the Limassol castle.
Locals considered it an honor to supply products for the hotel kitchen, and winemakers competed for the right to sell their wines to the hotel. For several decades, royalty and leaders of European and Middle Eastern states stayed at the hotel.

The hotel was owned by a resident of the village of Prodromos. Berengaria was the first major hotel in Cyprus. The middle of the last century (50-70’s) was the golden time for the hotel.
Even in the desolation and destruction of the present “Berengaria” can be felt the former greatness. It seems to be imbued with ghostly pictures of the past: a leisurely breakfast on a shady terrace with a magnificent view of the Troodos, midday rest in the shade by the pool, leisurely conversations at the traditional five o’clock tea, dinner to the sound of a grand piano…

According to local residents, the hotel owner had three sons. Before his death, he bequeathed to them to divide the inheritance, including the hotel, into three equal parts. The father believed that the sons would conduct business together. This was the case for several years. However, soon a disagreement began over the division of profits from the hotel. After these disputes, the hotel was forgotten. Nobody wanted to invest money in the reconstruction, to deal with current affairs.

Within a few years, all three brothers died in mysterious circumstances.
The eldest of the brothers committed suicide – as legend has it, he rushed into the river from a bridge when he faced financial difficulties. According to another legend, he drowned himself in the pool. The middle one hanged himself in a restaurant – allegedly because of undivided love.
The body of the younger one with gunshot wounds was found by the fireplace.
The hotel ceased its operation in 1984.

The hotel has been inactive for about 40 years. During this time, local residents have taken out of it everything that is of any value in the farm.

The hotel does not want to find new owners.
We do not believe in superstitions and metaphysical phenomena, but how not to think when you learn that the next plans to revive the hotel failed.
In 2007, the sinister hotel was acquired by a Cypriot businessman Michalis Ioannidis – he himself comes from these places. In 2015, he announced plans to turn the hotel into a casino resort with a restaurant, swimming pool and modern infrastructure. But these plans were not destined to come true, as the government refused to issue a casino work permit.
Instead, the building turned out to be owned by the Bank of Cyprus, as the owner could not sell it. The Bank unsuccessfully tried to sell Berengaria with a hammer for a quite adequate price of €2,360,000 – given the location and size of the land plot, it is even cheap.
However, nobody was interested in this lot.
The bank hung in a “bad” portfolio, having received the status of unattended loan Helix, along with the remaining debts of its former owners – the company Ocean Tankers.
In the summer of 2018, the Cypriot media wrote that the hotel was interested in a promising investor, an American of Russian origin. He planned to convert the hotel into a luxury casino. The preparation of documents for obtaining a license and work on the redevelopment of the hotel began.
However, the investor’s plans were not destined to come true: his son, a track and field athlete, died in an accident a few days before signing the deal. The grief-stricken father had cancelled all his affairs and plans.
In January 2020, the Cypriot media reported that “Berengaria” finally bought. “Hotel with History” was bought by the investment company Gordian Holdings. However, in April this year, the hotel was put up for sale again on the company’s website. Wasn’t it the fault of the hotel?

Neofitos Neofitou, the head of the municipality of the village Prodromos, where “Berengaria” is located, stresses that he does not believe in mysticism and does not consider this place “cursed”.
He insists that these rumors are groundless and complicate the search for investors, as people are afraid to deal with a hotel with a complicated background.
In any case, unforeseen circumstances always interfere with the purchase process, the hotel remains in its status quo.
Maybe the other forces are really involved here? What do you think?