Velvet season on the Turkish coast

Written: 25 october 2009
Travel time: 1 — 10 october 2009
Who does the author recommend the hotel to?: For families with children
Your rating of this hotel:
8.0
from 10
Hotel ratings by criteria:
Rooms: 9.0
Service: 9.0
Cleanliness: 9.0
Food: 9.0
Amenities: 9.0
The hotel was chosen based on reviews on this and other sites, I will describe my impressions in order:

Check in:
We arrived at the hotel at 9 am. At the reception they gave out a questionnaire, put on green bracelets. They said to wait until 14:00 for check-in, because they have such rules. But they did not offer to have lunch (lunch from 12-30 to 14-00), although it was our legal right. Things left in the luggage room and immediately went to the beach - sunbathing and swimming : ). The weather was clear, the sun was hot, and there were no free umbrellas (neither stationary nor portable). By 2 pm we came back to the reception, they told us that they would give us a room in the secondary building (annex building), citing the lack of free rooms in the main hotel building. They took me to a one-story well-type compartment, inside which was the entrance to the rooms. The compartment is located at the basement level of the main hotel building.

Instead of windows in the room, there are stained glass walls with sliding doors instead of windows with a window, so it is not safe to leave the window open while you are away. Instead of a bathroom - a tray with a shower and a curtain, instead of a carpet - a cold tile. Air conditioning did not work (probably was turned off on schedule). The bed linen is synthetic, to sleep under it parko. But it looks amazingly white. The minibar was full (Water, 200 ml soft drinks, Efes beer, a couple of small juice packs). The exit from the room is immersed in fragrant greenery and jasmine flowers.

Number:
We asked to change the room, for which they promised $20. The next morning, a room in the main building of the hotel was provided (corner, with a view of the sea and the forest, on the 2nd (3rd) floor).
Cleaning in the room leaves much to be desired (it would be better if it didn’t exist at all), the blanket tucked into the duvet cover turned out to have an indecent stain the size of a quarter of a blanket. This is no longer a 5*.
When they asked to change it, they changed it on the 3rd day for a blanket with an even more indecent stain. The third time they changed without a stain. But after replacing the blanket in the minibar, they ate sweets, which we brought as a gift to the hotel workers : ). It was not very comfortable to sleep, again on synthetic bedding. Pleased with a beautiful view of the sea from the room, very beautiful before dawn. Air conditioning in the room turns on only when the door to the balcony is closed, and of course when the key card is inserted into the slot in the hallway. There is a free safe in the room which is nice. As expected - carpet, adjoining bathroom with bathtub and excellent plumbing. However, with all the service, I did not have enough rags and brushes : ).

Beach: Large sand and pebble, spacious. You can jump from the pier during the day and relax on it at any time. In the morning we fed the fish from the pier. The sea is fantastic! The water is turquoise blue, visibility is 15 meters.

Once a day (as it turned out, for half an hour) you can go canoeing (free of charge). Nearby there are parasailing services behind a boat ($50! , you can bargain up to 45). One thing overshadowed - there are very few portable umbrellas on the beach, and there are not very many stationary ones. A place under an umbrella is taken, as if on command, until 7 am, and a hand umbrella must be taken even earlier. Mom woke up at night with the thought that she would not be able to take her favorite umbrella in the morning : ). For a hotel of this level, four hand-held umbrellas for the entire beach is a shame! I met sunrises on the beach, waking up through the force to admire the beauty.

Nutrition:
Lots of different dishes. Variety of stewed vegetables, but tasteless. At first, I was pleased with potatoes in different forms. There is chicken, veal, a lot of greens. They make baked fish very well (not every day). But what a cake! Cakes - the freshest, tender and at the same time not cloying, as well as a dozen types of buns, Turkish delight, breakfast cereals, milk, honey, jam.
And of course, Turkish tea, with the aroma of hot wood. Once we ordered a la carte fish - we kind of liked it, but then we "caught up" on the common tables. Fruits - watermelons (very tasty), melons (terrible), apples, black and white grapes, oranges, grapefruits. It is strange that there were no grenades. They grow there, like our apples. The only thing I didn't like was the first courses. Upon arrival home, I really wanted a plate of our borscht!

Environment: There are many Germans among the vacationers, who sometimes created a feeling of occupation. However, some Russians behaved disgustingly - the thicker the chain around the neck, the more rude. But in general, the audience is decent, but there are few young people.
Animation is great! I especially liked the evening show, sometimes interactive. The hotel staff is very friendly. Upon arrival, they gave the porter a dollar, he very kindly helped with the bags and always said hello.
When you walk around the hotel, the employee smiles at you, as if you are the main guest here.

Turkish bath (hamam):
Could have been better. There is a strong draft in the corridor, which does not help to relax. The hamam staff "unwinds" for a massage ($ 50) and it's not worth it at all, 5 minutes on each side. It's just a scam! Sauna as expected, visited once.


During the rest, I went on excursions in the Gonyuk canyon, on the Tahtali cable dog. For some reason, I went on a shopping tour to Antalya - nonsense, except that they looked at the waterfall in the national park. I also walked around the nearby hills on my own, and on the last day I went to the ancient city of Phaselis.
The rest was a success, but not in full, it was necessary to go for 14 days.
Translated automatically from Russian. View original