Eftalia Ocean

I came with my family and we’re very happy here. The rooms are clean, the staff are helpful, and the food is halal. There’s food available 24 hours, though you can’t expect to eat the same dishes every day, and even kids get bored. Still, there’s always something to eat. The water parks are lovely. I saw bad reviews with photos claiming the hotel was dirty and in poor condition, and I don’t think that’s true. I was stressed before arriving after reading them, but my family is happy now. There’s no screaming or music noise. It is a family hotel, though, so kids are on vacation and happy. If you need a quiet environment, please don’t come.

We were a large family group of 20 at Eftalia Ocean, with several small children, including two babies. This was one of our most disappointing experiences in Türkiye. We’ve stayed in at least ten different hotels here over many visits, and have never been treated with such rigidity and unfriendliness. We understood that some of the hotel’s services cost extra and actively used the paid options. The issue wasn’t paying for extras, but the lack of flexibility or care. We only wanted to extend one room until 6 p.m. so the children could shower, rest and get ready comfortably before our transfer. We offered a reasonable €50, but Guest Relations refused to compromise and insisted on €20 per hour, €120 in total. That felt completely unreasonable for this category of hotel in Türkiye. What upset us most was the way the conversation went. There was no effort to help families with small children, understand our situation or find a middle ground. Other hotels have usually tried to make some reasonable arrangement when families have a late transfer. The hotel’s attitude toward guests mattered more than the money itself. This experience completely changed how we feel about the place. We won’t return, and can’t recommend it to families who expect hospitality, flexibility and guest-oriented service.

I’ve just returned from Eftalia Ocean, and unfortunately the bad reviews seem right. The walls are thin enough that you hear everything from the corridor and neighbouring rooms. In the bathroom, you can hear other rooms flushing constantly. Food gets monotonous, and the all-inclusive package barely covers non-alcoholic drinks. There are no included mocktails except a cheap pineapple and cherry mix. A virgin mojito or non-alcoholic piña colada costs an obscene amount. Drinks are heavily upsold around the pool, with prices at €20. The cleaners and staff were the saving grace. Without them, the hotel would be empty.

My husband, children and I wanted to go home after just a couple of days at this overpriced hotel. The food all tasted the same and upset our stomachs. The only decent option was fruit. The pools also closed for a few days each time because people were defecating in them. I believe two Jet2 staff members had a side business with the hotel reception staff and split the money with the reception manager. They arranged excursions separately and took advantage of people. I didn’t book my holiday through Jet2, but they worked together to persuade me, and I fell for it. I paid for an excursion, but when we arrived it had only been booked under our name and not paid for. They dropped us off in the transfer, but didn’t collect us afterwards. When I called the hotel, they told us to get a taxi, which cost £110. I called three more times while in the taxi and put it on speaker, asking the driver to translate. He told me the Jet2 staff and reception manager had been laughing at us. The taxi driver advised us to report it to the hotel’s customer service manager, but he was useless. All he said was to go home and complain to Jet2, and that he’d deal with the reception manager. One night, a male waiter argued with a woman staying at the hotel. I heard him shouting while she said “wowwwww”. When I checked on her, she said he had taken her husband’s plate before he’d finished eating. She asked for it back and he got embarrassed. I could go on. The staff seemed like con artists. The way the hotel treated our family was horrible, even though they knew my son was disabled. My husband and I had a terrible argument because of the holiday, which spoiled things further. When we got home, we felt relieved. Despite going abroad every year, we’ve decided to stay in the UK for next summer. This holiday traumatized me, and I no longer trust foreign policies and laws. Still, I’m grateful to be in the UK. God is good 👍