The Arkin Iskele Hotel

The pools were amazing, and the beach is right beside the Arkin Iskele Hotel, with lovely fine sand and a gently sloping way into the sea. The rooms are spacious and clean. It wasn't crowded during our stay, so we had a peaceful holiday, and the food was tasty with plenty of variety. I’d definitely recommend the hotel.

The water park and slides were a huge hit with the kids, and the hotel itself is stunning. The buffet had plenty to choose from, though I wish the food had tasted better and there had been more chicken breast dishes. For a place costing 500-600 per night, having only the buffet every evening and no included restaurants felt ridiculous. What really put us off were the cockroaches. We found them in the bathroom at night and in our room on the 3rd floor. It’s a very new hotel, so this seems like a serious drain issue. Guest services had the room sanitised after I reported it, but we saw another one. They were small, thankfully, but still made our skin crawl and left us scared to go into the bathroom each night. Staff brushed us off and didn’t try to make things right. The only offer was a move to a slightly bigger room, which didn’t seem worth it, especially since I still wouldn’t have felt comfortable using the bath with the drain issue. We wouldn’t return, though it is the best hotel in the area. While doing IVF in Famagusta, its location was convenient.

I went to an anniversary event for a construction company at Arkin Hotel and used the casino, though I didn’t stay overnight. The corporate celebration was very well organised, and the hospitality felt professional. The hotel is newly built and well equipped. You can use some facilities for the day without booking a stay, including the private beach, outdoor party spaces, pool and sauna. The casino also has a luxurious feel and high-quality service. It seems like a good choice for events, leisure visits and casino entertainment.

There were a couple of small inconveniences. The kids’ club and slides are a bit of a distance away, though shuttle buggies make getting there manageable. Snack choices at the pool and beach were somewhat limited, but that barely mattered given the quality and range of the main meals. The rooms were spacious, the minibar was refilled each day, and staff brought drinks around the main areas, pool and beach. We never had trouble finding sunbeds. The food had a great variety each day, and I liked every dish I tried. The desserts were especially good. Cleanliness was outstanding throughout, and the staff were kind, helpful and keen to meet requests, which made the whole place feel welcoming. I can definitely recommend Arkin Resort Iskele for its service, food, cleanliness and care. Another big plus for us was not having the usual “cultural enrichment” from a certain nationality, known for arrogance and inappropriate behaviour and, in recent years, occupying many Turkish hotels.