![Room balcony view [hotel garden]](http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/9a/4c/64/room-balcony-view-hotel.jpg)
DON"T BE TAKEN IN BY THE PICTURES AND FIVE STAR RATING.
During a transformational vacation to Turkey, this was the one false note. First, however, let me qualify...I made the reservations via Priceline and chose a bargain basement rate of 90 Euro per night - amazing in Bodrum in high summer. I therefore expected that the rooms might be of lesser quality. However, I was completely unprepared for...
-poor directions to the hotel on the website, mapquest and google. our fault as we had no local cellphone but.... we drove in a rental car from Ephesus that day. we tried the approach to the hotel multiple times and spent nearly two hours trying to find it before going to a local taxi rank and asking for an escort. 20 lira for the escort.
-The hotel is pretty high on a hill, about a 15 minute walk to the waterfront action. you need to be careful to mark your surroundings to find it if you plan to walk back after dinner and drinks in the dark - the way is unmarked through many alleys.
-The website implied a central location in the town with a view of the harbor and the medieval castle. not the case at all.
-It is large and the grounds were beautifully kept, but, eerily, there appeared to be NOONE else staying there. There may have been five other guests in the hotel. Some locals were using the tennis courts, which are clay and very lovely.
-When the bellhop reviewed my reservation, he shot me a warning look and said - you are in the Olive Garden. There was a reason for the warning - this turned out to be a full cross country hike away, across the street from the main hotel, in what appeared to be a set of old apartment buildings. It was at least a quarter mile walk from the main reception area, through most of the hotel public spaces, across the pool area, past the tennis courts and across the street. Our room was on the second floor - thank god for the young men willing to haul our luggage to the top floor. We gave them 5 lira.
-The room - AC unit over the door only works when you put the room key in the slot. so you walk into a hot room and wait for it to cool.
-There were holes in the walls in the room from fixtures that had been removed.
-The king bed was two twins pushed together with two meager pillows and an old bedspread.
-Furniture other than the bed was minimal.
-Light fixtures did not work.
-The door knob did not work.
-The phone did not work. No room service, natch.
-No internet access although the rate from Priceline had promised complementary internet access.
-When i went to the lobby to inquire about phone service and internet, I was told by the lady in charge that "our phone and internet service is interrupted because of a dispute with the local authorities...they are putting in a new line and we are not sure when this will be restored" She motioned to the laptop in the lobby and said this would be available anytime for our use.
-No ice...my husband bravely searched through the bowels of the darkened main buidling for it...discovered an open bar with lots of nice wine that was standing around unguarded and abandoned.
We thought Bodrum was picturesque and a nice alternative to Ibiza, but we likely won't be back...too weird an experience. Run fast before Tony Perkins comes.
- Karia Princess Hotel
