This hotel is a little gem and the Turkish people are all so friendly if you make the effort to get to know them. Estoy and Ferde at the bar were particularly helpful as was Adam the manager and Ahmed in the restaurant and we had a great time. Hope I got the names right.

The hotel is right on the beach with plenty of sun beds (even if they are close together) and we had no problem getting a bed at about 9am and they were available around the pool even later although we did travel in October.

Side is 20 mins stroll along a flat promenade and not to be missed with its roman ruins and criss crossing streets with a host of shops and bars to spoil yourselves in.
Rooms are small but more than adequate (with a kettle fab but wife said hairdryer useless so take your own) and kept very clean. Try and get one overlooking the pool as the back and front of the hotel overlook other hotels.

Food is fab lots of choice even for the fussy eater and lots of it breakfast, mid morning waffles, ice cream, lunch (try the beachside bar for this) afternoon tea and if you are still hungry dinner.

The food on gala Turkish night and the way it was presented for me resembled cruise ship standard. Loads of effort went into decorating the patio area with bunting, candles and table decorations with real attention to detail – don’t miss this.

We did try the Turkish speciality restaurant but found the food in the main restaurant as good

Don’t miss the Turkish bath and massage, 30 euros when we were there, and worth every penny. Wife used the hairdressers and found it to be very reasonable and was please with the results

Yes if you are British there are lot of Germans at the hotel but also Dutch and Scandinavian If you want to holiday with other brits go to Benidorm. I found the staff will try to speak English and many Germans and Scandinavians speak English to so no problem for us.

The shops opposite the hotel as cheap as anywhere so get you gifts here. Pay in euros or lira they take both.

Couple of niggles which are meant as constructive for the hotel mgt.

Ending the all inclusive at 4pm for guests leaving that day is bit mean as many brits miss the first night anyway as their flights arrive too late for the evening meal.

Cold pool - brrrrrrr - does not get a lot of sun due to shade from hotels and trees anything you can do to improve would be great

In summary a fab hotel with staff who will make you feel special if you make the effort to get to know them. Come on brits give it a go. Turkey is still much cheaper that Spain of the rest of the med and lots to see and do.

We stayed one week in this hotell Side star Beach in September 2011. We had booked our room almost one year ago, so we thought that we could have a good room. Unfortunately it wasn't good at all.
We came there very late in the evening. The room was very small and there were only a little place where we could put our clothes and all things what we supposed to have in our holiday. Well we tried to change our room to a bigger one, but there were only family rooms available and we should have to wait 3 nights to get it. At first we thought that we'll take it, but then we heard that "family room" meant only 2 bedrooms. So it doesn't help us at all. There were no suites available and I think that in this hotell are not any suites at all - so was told to me. How our travell agency could give 4+ for this hotell which don't have any bigger rooms for couples or suites? I was very disappointed to it and I told it to our travell quide. We had only one bed in our room, about 150 cm length. We met one couple there and they did have two beds. Of course I like to sleep with my husband in the same bed, but why it was so small - a king size bed? Oh no!! The room was terrible, old, and not clean.
There were many Germans in that hotell. That is ok, but I don't understand if the staff are German too - I mean that they were turkish but talked or understood only Germany!! Well I can talk a little bit German but if I think those other tourists who were there - how any one could understand them. I think that 80 % of the guests were from Germany. All the shows were talked in German- mostly. I'll never go in that hotell anymore.
The staff - well some of them were very nice but some - they even noticed us. Room was cleaned so poorly - dust were on the floors when you came to your "cleaned" room. The toilett was very tiny - two persons couldn't be there at the same time. We gave tip to our house keeper (who cleans the rooms) but nothing happened. For our friends they had make some decorations - for us nothing. The best was the wiev - it was direct to the sea. So we could see the sunset every evening. Our room number was 432.
Pool was good but the guests reserved the sunbeds early in the morning from the pool and from the beach, too. So if you tried to get a good place you should wake up at 5 o'clock in the morning to get it. Is it holiday? Of course it is not the hotell's fault, it's because of the stupid guests of the hotell. No respect at all. I noticed that the same people were at the pool every day - I hope that they enjoyed it.
Food was average- Tomato soup was good. Other were average and almost every evening the same - so we thank God, that we stayed there only one week.It was enough. The beach was good too, but crowded. Very hard to find a good place if you really didn't wake up early in the morning to have it.
Reception, restaurants and all other public places were clean and ok. In All Inclusive - well, we have to drink only beer because you have to pay 5 euro of cocktails, because they were made from imported alcohol. Raky and beer - oh no! I don't like Raky so I drink beer or coke. Juices were terrible - watered - for example apple juice was like water. Where was the apple? If you wanted to have fresh orange juice - you have to pay for it - well 1 euro, but...? I have been in hotells for average 4 to 5 and I'll give this 4 stars hotell only 2 stars. Sorry. Without that nice couple we met there, our holiday could be the worst one. With them we had nice time. But if we laughed a lot - people were staring us like a fools. Thank you - it was enough!
But I must thank the staff of the nice decorations for the dinner. I respect their work - the really use time for the decoration - thank you!!

We have just returned from our third annual trip to the Side Star Beach Hotel, and I hope we will go again next year. It is a classy yet comfortable hotel, clean, perfectly adequate if not strictly up to 5* standard. The staff are brilliant, including the reception staff. The waiters and bar are ultra professional and never stop working. We were actually welcomed back by several of the hotel staff which is always pleasing.
The British visitors are definitely in the minority, and the Turkish people do speak German as their second language, but that has never spoilt our enjoyment. Most of the Germans spend the day on the Beach sunbeds, so it's really not hard to get poolside beds if you get up early enough!! The Swedish and Dutch folk can be great fun especially if you get involved in the pool games.
As others have said the food is great, a wide selection and nicely prepared and presented, except of course there's no pork! Every lunch time food is freshly Bar B Q'd and every week there is a gala night where everyone eats outside the hotel.
See Ufo Vaetelinen ( I think that's his surname) for trips and excursions. His shop is right outside the hotel, and he took £ notes from us this year to discount our trip with Baba Boats. A great day out just like last year. Also the Kingfisher pub just outside the hotel is a good meeting place. 'Mike' behind the bar must be the best cocktail maker in Side.
Side is just a great place to go for a holiday, and the Side Star Hotel is an ideal place to stay to make your holiday brilliant.

We have just returned from The Side Star Beach Hotel and we had a fantastic time! The staff are friendly and in particular a waiter by the name of Ersoy, he looks after you well and is very chatty and friendly. There is a good choice of food and is of excellent quality and very well presented. My partner and daughter felt that it was a bit repetitive by the end of the week but if you are willing to try everything on offer you will not be bored! They have a ‘Speciality’ night which when we were there was a Mediterranean theme, you sit outside and the place is set up with ribbons and the pool with floating candles, the tables are all set up nicely and had a lovely atmosphere, get there early (before 7) though as you may need to queue! We had a standard double room to sleep 3 and it was a bit small but it was very clean and comfortable. The air conditioning was great and no steam in the bathroom when having a shower!! Your room is cleaned every day to a high standard.
Sun beds……well you need to be up with the larks to get one at the pool but there is an area away from the pool which is where we spent most of our sun bathing and it was quiet and relaxing as a lot goes on around the pool. There is always the beach of course which is a stone’s throw away from the hotel.
The snacks that go on throughout the day are fantastic! So be careful if you are watching your waistline! But if you do over indulge there is always the Animation team to keep you going! The team is amazing and so friendly. Mustava (not sure how to spell it but it sounds just like that) is the team leader and motivator he has a way with all the guests no matter what your nationality or age. There is Maria on the step class in the afternoon, try her class it’s great and wipes off the calories built up after the waffles, then there’s my favourite Gisi, a Turkish lady who is very small in body but large and strong in mind! She does the aqua fit and the ‘Morning Gym’ you will hear her in the morning trying very hard to entice the guests to some keep fit, please try it she is very funny and it’s a great way to start your day. She was on Ramadan and therefore couldn’t eat or drink ANYTHING all day but she still got on with her job, she is very inspirational  the rest of the team are also very good and will keep you going no matter what activities you fancy.
Side itself is a beautiful place and the walk along to the harbour is very nice. The Manavgat Market is very hot and busy and unless you want to haggle for bargains just don’t bother the shops in Side are equally as good for a bargain.
Try the Kingfisher for something to eat if you want something a bit different it’s just across from the main entrance of the hotel ask for the clay pot it is delicious! 60 TL for 2 its good value for money.