I was the first time Ive been to Turkey and had heard mixed reviews, don't think I would go back to Gumbet / Bodrum area again EVER! Have heard Icmelar is much nicer so maybe I will go there next time. I booked a cheapy off Teletext for The Royal Marin it was the best of a bad bunch when doing my research for turkey and deals offered on teletext. The holiday was advertised as 5* all inc flying from newcastle for £278 but when I booked it I ended up having to pay extra for coach transfer which bumped the cost upto £312 per person. My boyfriend and I took Turkish Lira with us and to be fair we needn't have bothered as everywhere we went the locals offered prices in £'s or Euro's and thats all they seemed to be interested in, I was mainly interested in aquiring some cheap fake designer stuff and ended up paying about £60 for a cheaply made Adidas Jacket for me and a Hello Kitty dress, jacket and T-shirt for my neice back in UK - my boyfriend went mad when he realised how much I spent as i paid in Lira whe we worked out the conversion as the man had originally offered me the lot for £40 so I got well and truely ripped off. So please be aware when doing your shopping - theres lots of tat and stuff to choose from but the prices are ridiciulos as soon as they know you are english everything even a small purse was £10 at least! Now where do I start with the Royal Marin ha ha - first of all there is nothing ROYAL about it! It might have been a top hotel back in the 70's the main lobby area gives a good impression but thats where it ends......The communal corridors are badly lit and some rooms have upvc alliuminium windows that look out into the dark hall ways how strange, luckily our room wasnt too bad we had a balcony that over looked another building and no view but it was ok, wasnt minging but wasnt the sort of room you would want to take pics off the show off your holiday. The bathroom was clean but had some mold and mildew and leaked very badly, I ended up using all the towels just to stop the puddles of water that came from nowhere everytime I used the shower! We did not have anything go missing but I would advise if youhave got a fair amount of cash to hide it or take it with you if you are going anywhere, dont bother with the safe which has to be paid for and anyone can access it. The bar lads where not interested in making small talk with me or my partner and mainly geared towards the younger girls so lassess watch out for this and make sure you watch your drinks. Drinks lol - well watery lager and vinegar water wine is whats on offer in crappy plastic half pint cups, the lager could be suitable for a child as it is mainly water! The pop like fanta was nice and it was canny that we could just drink as much as we wanted but sometimes you would need to wait untiil 1 of the bar men could be bothered to serve you. Bar snacks on an afternoon ok if you on a budget - chips pizza bread burgers and salad, smae stuff everyday but edible. Breaksfast was a bit strange as there was salad and cakes! There was bolied eggs, bread fruit and cereals. Lunch and evening food very much the same all week, soup, bread, some sort of chicken or meat stew, rice salad etc. The dining room was clean and waiters attentive if you give them a tip they will keep the wine flowing. Watch out for the holiday reps selling boat trip we went on 1 and it was rubbish we were bored no atmosphere we were meant to be able to have all snorkling equipemtn included and there was only 3 sets to go round a boat of 25 people, meant to be all inclusive drinks and we ended up having 2 glasses of 2% lager from a plastic container, we visited 'Gull island' and 'Camel Beach' the clue is in the title lol - 3 scabby camels on a beach and a load of bloody sea gulls sitting on a rock, it was a long day. Turkish bath was something else we got picked up and where taken to like a holistic retreat it was out of this world, we paid extra for an aromatherapy massage and it was devine and the people there were really lovely, we didnt have enough cash on us for the massage and they said it was no problem and we could pay when we returned to the hotel. This hotel is a good enough base if you have enough cash to go out and about or want to spend a lazy day in the sun drinking pop, The sunshade pods are lovely but could do with a wash and there was a lack of loungers unless you got up at 6.30am to put your towel down. The view from the bar area was awsome, pool ok wasnt dirty but nothing special, the private beach was just a jetty that is frequented by locals on an evening so dont go alone and probably not advisable unless theres a few of you, also not worth the treck down the steep hill cos its a killer going back up. If you have a spare bit of cash and are a good barterer the deffo go to 1 of the jewlers some of the craftman ship is unreal and you can get a lovely 14ct gold dress ring for 60-100 pounds which would be worth double here. All in all it was an ok holiday I didnt have any problems with food poisioning or bites of any kind, The locals do take the mick though and think we are made of money which is a shame as it gets to the point where you dont want to go to town cos you cant be chewed with the hassle. I would go back to Turkey but not Gumbet, as for the hotel it was ok but would warn anyone going to be aware that it is more a 2 star and there is no entertainment at all of an evening so can work out an expensive holiday if you want decent food and drink and something to do on a night.

i am 19 and my boyfriend is 20 we got this as a last min deal for £400 so it was worth the money.

when we arrived at the hotel, everything looked very nice. We waited about 5 mins to be allocated to our room. the bell boy took us down the lift. the, and it was very dark through the corridor and then down another 2 flights of stairs....however when we arrived to our room it was very light and spacious, it had two windows, a double bed and a single bed. we were lucky to get this room as we heard from other guests that they did not have any out side windows!!!!
the room was noisy and hot at night as they charged a lot for the air con which other guests claimed that it did not work.

the lift was a little bit dodgy and kept breaking throughout our stay... but not while we was in it.

the pool was lovely and clean. they had a stall next to the pool where you can buy gifts. 5 t-shirts for a tenner if you barter.

the location was good as it was near to the shops and nightclubs. however it was hilly. we got the bus most days as it was very cheep and you just stick out your arm and they stop for you and will drop you off right outside the hotel.

the private beach was a bit disappointing as it was mainly concrete and was very busy. there was meant to be a beach bar... however after many attempts we still never found it ... a shuttle bus takes you on the hour down to the beach.

the food at the hotel was nice. they cook some food outside near the pool, and made fresh omelets and pancakes for breakfast ... you can get drinks from reception, in the restaurant or at the pool ...cocktails not included!!

there was an indoor pool and a gym, which were in the dark!! and you was not allowed to have fun in the pool without being stared at!!

when going into gumbet... barter untill you walk away .. and then they will follow you and give you closer price to what you wanted. usually about 70% off what they originally asked for.

book trips with Margaret travel, these were cheeper than the travel agents and very reliable. they take you to an english lady with big blond hair who calls you 'darlin' all the time... but shes nice enough :)

we went on a boat trip for £12 for two of us... all day including a meal...and a cup of tea... but the tea was so bad we chucked ours off the side of the boat. however you can buy cold drinks.

water park £24 for two of us including transport... loads of fun... life guards are a laugh...they go down the slides with you...however not much health and safety.

internet was 60p for an hour..good speed in local cafe's.

if you have booked it dont worry.. because gumbet is lovely and so is bodrum which is only ten mins on the bus.

Rude staff

rooms with no windows in the bacement

dirty pool- could not use

same food every night -was ill all week

lack of sun beds -even in october

lift out of order for months

no beach -just stone which took us days to find as its down a steep hill through a deserted hotel

After reading some of the awful reviews on travel advisor we were very scared of going to this hotel after being "upgraded" to be honest.
When we got there the hotel lobby was spotless and sparkling and we went down to our room.
It was simple, basic and clean.The bathroon wasnt amazing but how many hotels have you been to in Britain where the bathroom is pristine??
The cleaners were in EVERY day to give clean sheets, towels, toilet paper and give the room a good going-over.

The food was great! Dont go to Turkey expecting English food! YOUR NOT GOING TO ENGLAND!

Breakfast: Pancakes, freshly fried eggs, boiled eggs, fried potatoes, turkish sausages, toast, corn flakes, and the traditional turkish salad and cheese.

Lunch: Salads, pasta, soup, breads, coleslaw etc basically a light meal

Snack time: A brilliant BBQ by the pool...Chips, burgers, lettuce, tomato, onion, pitta bread pizza.

Tea time: Cups of tea and turkish cakes

Main meal: Chips, meat, fish, bread, soups, salads, many turkish cakes (lovely), melon.

I loved the food and was very full every day. Even my boyfriend was very happy and he is quite a fussy eater.

The pool was clean although cold as it is circulated constantly to keep it clean (which i dont see as a bad thing at all!)
The bar by the pool is great LOVELY staff all spoke english and kept us entertained juggling vodka bottles, inventing new cocktails for us etc.

Allowed us to check out at 2 in the morning! Thought this was very good as stopped us from having to check out 16 hours before our flight!

Definately recomend the hotels turkish bath and GO TO CHINA TOWN restaraunt! Amazing food, large portions and if u book in with the guy by the pool you will get 15% off, free garlic bread and free cocktails! worked out cheap and gorgeous!! kitchens even open for you to inspect yourself to ensure all is clean etc.

My boyfriend and I had a lovely holiday and are considering returning next year definately. I dont see what people complain about.. we paid £350 for the week (incl. flights, transfers etc) with that price are you seriously expecting the Ritz or the Hilton??? I mean be realistic!
There were many people moaning at the poolside about nothing to be honest we loved our stay. Staff very helpful and very appreciative of a tip which we thought the restaraunt and bar staff more than deserved.
Take the bad reviews with a pinch of salt and remember how much you paid and you WONT be disappointed.