Blue Marlin Deluxe Spa & Resort - All Inclusive

We had a lovely week here, and the food was good. The bar had a big range of drinks, including lots of cocktails and signature drinks. Murat, one of the servers, took great care of us and was really helpful. He works so hard. There were eight of us, and we recommend this hotel.

There’s just one pool, it’s 1.4 metres deep, and it’s much smaller than the photos make it look. It gets overcrowded, with too little space around it for all the guests, so often there wasn’t any room to use it. After dinner, you’re left going back to your room or getting drunk at the bar, because there’s nowhere to sit properly.

The private beach setup was our favorite part, with loungers and a free bar and food right there. We also had a lovely room, a great view and a roomy balcony. The staff were so friendly and attentive, and the all-inclusive food and service were incredible. Fun creative classes ran during the day, with beach parties in the evenings. A great place to relax and have fun. 10/10, we'd recommend it. We were a 24-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man.

The staff were friendly and fairly attentive, and the beach bar area had plenty of loungers. Renting a cabana for the day was an option for €40. The sea looked blue, though by late afternoon it was full of rubbish and pretty unpleasant. We didn't use the steam room, sauna, salt room, indoor pool or Turkish Hammam much. There were lots of massage choices, but they were expensive. Evening events were mostly DJs by the beach bar, started late, usually around 10 PM, and didn't interest us much. The arts and crafts weren't our thing either. Yoga was held by the beach bar while people were eating lunch, which felt odd. The games room wasn't much better: the pool table slanted, the cues were worn down, there was no chalk, and the air hockey table stayed broken all week. The area around the hotel wasn't especially pleasant, with a motorway and lots of other hotels nearby. There were a few restaurants, but getting around was awkward because the motorway runs through the middle of things. We went into central Alanya one evening to get away from the hotel and its food. Alanya's beach was nice, but the meal we had there was underwhelming. I've had much better Turkish food in London. We stayed at Blue Marlin for a week, and it didn't feel like a five-star experience. Our double room was small, smaller than rooms I've had at Premier Inn, which costs much less. The balcony was pleasant, but the sea was barely visible, and it sat too high to see the pool. I got sick, and I think the unclean air conditioning unit may have been the cause. The main dining area was a buffet, which disappointed us. I've stayed at other all-inclusive places, even ones that weren't five-star, with several free a la carte restaurants. The buffet main courses weren't good quality, and I might have sent them back if served in a restaurant. The salad bar and desserts, though, were good. There was an a la carte restaurant, but the menu and prices didn't appeal to us. €35 for grilled chicken and vegetables is a joke. Room service was disappointing too, with only burgers and chips or spaghetti available for free. Unlimited drinks were nice, but the cocktails were rushed and badly made. It was my first Mojito with lemon and soda water. The wines were very average. We had no problem with the staff. Some spoke little English, but we were in Turkey, so that's understandable, even at an international hotel. I suspect many positive reviews come from people who haven't stayed in a genuinely nice hotel. We were disappointed with the holiday and won't return to Blue Marlin Resort.