My husband and I met both working in the hotel industry and I still work in the industry so our views of customer service are very critical and we expect good value for money. As you would be, after reading all the harsh reviews on here, I was not sure what to expect when I booked this holiday. The main things my husband and I were looking for is a quiet out of season resort, with good weather, a good standard and a place that represented great value for money.
We spent a week in the beautiful small town of Kemer in Turkey. The transfer we took was ran by Resort Hoppa which were very good and met us on arrival. We were one of 3 couples using this service on our flight and yes we did have to go to another hotel first and drop off another couple which made our hour journey slightly longer but there is nothing like having a little patience! The ride was clean and comfortable which was the main thing.
The hotel is very clean, the Turkish obviously pride themselves on cleanliness and there are beautiful stone floors inside and outside this hotel. Like the other reviews said, the entrance is beautiful and very grand. The decor in terms of seating and the restaurant is slightly dated but this is no eye-sore and did not distract from the great ambience and more then sufficient seating area available.
We did have an upgraded room with a seaview which I would highly recommend. The room was spacious and the view of the mountains and the sea from our 4th floor bedroom was breathtaking. We would sit every night on the balcony looking at all of the lights and palm trees overlooking the marina, appreciating the beauty of Turkey. We also had a brilliant view of the main swimming pool so we could check how busy it got and put our towels out to "book" our sunloungers early! The bathroom was a good standard too. You have a mini fridge in the room and you are provided with a large bottle of water daily. We also did have toiletries provided in the room.
The Restaurant was immaculate, the floors are all so clean! The food was all buffet style as you would expect with lots of mouths to feed! Salad and fruit are fresh and plentiful. You have a couple of hot dishes available, but it is mainly salads. Soup is available for both lunch and dinner and there are always fresh bread and breadrolls to look forward to at every meal. I would suggest trying out the soups, they are yummy even though they do have funny names! The desserts are very different but we tried everything and found our favourite which was a chocolate cake and cream covered sponge. The juice in Turkey is also different but you will soon learn that it is very refreshing and you will get used to it! The same goes for the tea, I would take my own because the tea is served without milk and is very bitter.The alcohol is fine, beer tastes great in our opnion! One more thing about the food, dont expect English food when you are in Turkey, it is very different but a part of the whole experience!
The staff were amazing! They are all so friendly and helpful. They were quick to engage in conversation and all didnt speak a great deal of English but they tried! Going to such a remote part of a country like Turkey you can't expect everyone to speak fluent English. If this is important to you I suggest you go to major English Tourist areas. If you make an effort to smile, and take an interest in the staff they will make your entire stay enjoyable!
Yes its true that most guests at this hotel are German or Russian but they generally keep to themselves anyway and should really be no bother to you. If you smile at them and greet them they are quite polite and friendly back to you. Infact it was the few British people that were staying there that were the least friendly!
Turkey has not give in to the smoking ban so if you are a non smoker like we are, then just try to stick to the non smoking areas because most people smoked and the smell did stick to you, but I would think this would be the case in most places in Turkey and not just this hotel.
Kemer is really small and we did not really spend much time away from the hotel as we had everything we needed there. The bars and restaurants in the town do look quite nice. If you look at a map of Turkey, Kemer is a town right at the tip of an inlet off the South Coast of Turkey, so there arent any waves to speak of! The beach is also only partially sandy and not the main attraction although sufficient for a day away from the hotel.
Remember this is a 5* Resort in Turkey and will not have the same 5* Hotel standards we have in Britain. I am certain that this hotel has been judged on its facilities and not solely decor and a-la-carte food! Also, dont forget what price you are paying for your stay especially when you are on all-inclusive! We loved this hotel and would definitely go back, I can't believe what a bargain it was. Our advice would be to not look for fault in everything and enjoy your well deserved break in this fantastic resort!
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC