Europe's largest land-based casino The City of Dreams Mediterranean has gone down as a big hit with visitors since opening its doors last month, but the resort is earning plaudits away from the casino floor.
Based in the coastal city of Limassol, the new development boasts 7,500 square meters of gaming space that includes 1,000 slot machines and 100 table games as well as a plethora of other facilities including restaurants, rooms, swimming pools and an arena holding exclusive shows.
Initial reviews from visitors have been extremely positive, with both facilities and customer service at the resort lauded and it's evident the establishment is much more than just a casino, instead offering the full package for a family trip.
"All the staff super friendly, the food delicious, and a lot of facilities for families and couples", said one visitor. "The best resort in Europe! Really recommend it for unforgettable vocations."
Another visitor, Chris, added that the "City of Dreams Mediterranean is truly a game changer for Cyprus. It's Europe's largest integrated casino resort and it's by far better than any other hotel the island has to offer currently. Definitely, a place to check out."
Hong-based gambling firm Melco is the developer of the casino and is sure to be delighted with its success so far. It's the firm's first casino to be opened outside of Asia, with the hope to capitalize on the Russian market which makes up a substantial portion of the tourism in Cyprus.
However, it's not all glowing. While many visitors are extremely impressed with the complex as a whole, one patron has noticed a glaring issue with the casino section itself and urged the resort to concentrate on improving service here.
Steve said: "The feeling of excitement and awe is quickly replaced with disappointment as you go through the truly sad experience of being a gambler in the City Of Dreams. You will quickly realize that the only gambling that takes place is when it comes to the service simply because the level of service is nonexistent. If you're on the tables or slots and you want a drink, the odds are truly in your favor to win a jackpot rather than get a drink.
"We asked about Poker and Cash games and nobody knew, even the person they had standing at the cash game area had no clue not only about when it will start, but even what cash games were. He did not know what poker is.
"(The City of Dreams Mediterranean) should have been and could have been a player-centered experience to match the high-quality facilities. An optimist would say that there's a lot of room for improvement."
But while casino service might be lacking, the facilities are indeed top-notch confirmed a separate visitor named Chris. "It's Europe's largest integrated casino resort and it's by far better than any other hotel the island has to offer currently. "
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Around 300,000 tourists are expected to flock to Cyprus every year thanks to the addition of the City of Dreams, with 2,000 more jobs created also.
It's a huge economic boost for the country after casinos were legalised in 2015. Prior to that, the Greek Orthodox church had strongly lobbied against them with fears of corruption also prevalent. Casino sites remain mostly illegal in the country.
Colm Phelan has spent several years working in the iGaming industry and has plenty of experience when it comes to writing, researching and rigorously testing online casinos and sportsbooks. While Colm has invested a lot of his time into the digital marketing world but his other passions include poker and a variety of sports including golf, NFL and football.
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