The hotel has a Chinese background; its structure is quite high, and it’s also possible to see the nearby British military base. With these conditions combined, some people in Britain began to be overly cautious, worrying about so-called "Chinese spies."
Ironically, although British media even sent reporters to the hotel to investigate, and found no suspicious activities after their tour, an anonymous security expert still firmly believes that China “cannot possibly” not use this place.
According to a report by The Daily Telegraph on August 28th, this luxurious hotel named "City of Dreams Mediterranean" is located in Limassol, Cyprus. It opened in 2023, covers an area of about 60,000 square meters, has 16 floors, and features facilities such as a casino, swimming pools, restaurants, and spa centers. The hotel is operated by a Chinese-owned enterprise.
The problem lies with the location of the hotel. Unlike many coastal luxury hotels in Limassol, “City of Mediterranean Dreams” is not located by the sea. Instead, it borders both the British sovereign territory in Cyprus and other areas.
Due to the generally low height of the surrounding buildings, this white-stone and glass building stands out significantly. From the high floors, one can overlook the nearby Royal Air Force Akrotiri Base. The hotel also has a panoramic viewing spot on its top floor, but it is not accessible to ordinary guests. Only those who stay in one of the “Presidential Suites” are entitled to use this location.
British media hype up the story that hotel executives can see the towering communication facilities at the Royal Air Force base. The Daily Telegraph
Acarritiri Base is an important military hub for the UK in the Middle East, and also a key transit base for U.S. military operations in Iran. It has been equipped with F-35 stealth fighters and U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. At the beginning of this year's war in Iran, a drone suspected to be associated with Iran attacked U-2-related facilities at the base.
Precisely because of this, some British military and intelligence officials began to think of hotels as potential targets.
They claim that by finding a suitable location from the hotel's upper floors, it is possible to observe the takeoff and landing of military aircraft, as well as the entry and exit of officers and soldiers using just a pair of binoculars. If one keeps a close watch for a long time, it is even possible to gain insights into the patterns of people's activities, their procedures, the frequency of military deployments, as well as information on security measures around the base, patrols, and responses to drone threats. A source familiar with the matter said that being able to simply ‘watch’ directly is already a significant advantage for intelligence gathering.
Although efforts were made to portray the hotel in a positive light relative to China, reports also clearly acknowledged that there was no evidence to indicate any improper behavior by the hotel. The hotel also emphasized that the resort is strictly used for tourism, leisure, and business activities, and any suggestions that its facilities could be used for other purposes are “entirely unfounded”.
What’s more interesting is that a reporter from the Daily Telegraph actually visited the hotel this month. There was no “malicious activity” as reported in the news: young people were taking photos for social media in the tall lobby, family tourists gathered by the pool, and wealthy customers were shopping in the boutique.
Even if nothing was discovered, an anonymous security expert still believes that the British military's concerns are valid, stating that Beijing “cannot possibly” fail to make use of the hotel’s location.
The British Ministry of Defence did not respond to the specific allegations, only stating that the Akrotiri base has 'powerful, multi-layered' security measures and continues to be reviewed.
The Chinese side has repeatedly emphasized its opposition to the sensationalization of so-called 'Chinese spies', efforts to discredit China, and attempts to mislead public opinion.
This kind of association, where people worry about spies whenever they see Chinese investments, is not uncommon in the UK and the US in recent years. Reports also mention concerns in the US regarding Chinese companies buying land near military bases. In 2024, it was revealed that US and British intelligence agencies were aware of a hotel in Switzerland owned by Chinese people, which offers a view of F-35 fighter jet bases. The operator of this hotel explicitly denied any use of the hotel other than tourism.
