Michell Hotel & Spa

We were generally happy with the room and daily service. Towels were replaced each day, though they were a bit worn, and the bottled water and juice were replenished. The bathroom was cleaned daily, while the floor could have been mopped better. We had to ask for extra bedding because the only cover was a thin, hard sheet. We were told their summer bedding was considered suitable and they didn’t operate during winter, so they didn’t need heavier covers. The steep hill the hotel sits on could be difficult for anyone with limited mobility. Taxis to the shops were easy to find and cost €10-15. We also found a nice place to eat about a ten-minute walk away and went back three evenings. On a hotel shop staff member’s trip into Alanya, we’d been told there’d be no pressure to buy, but that wasn’t our experience. We did want to buy a few things, though the prices made us wary. One shop tried to charge €480 for a “designer” handbag. The taxi was accompanied by hotel shop staff, even though the shopping itself was outside the hotel. The views of the sea and mountains were spectacular, and the hotel looks attractive, has a good layout and amenities, and was very clean. But the food was a letdown for an international five-star hotel. It looked appealing, yet was bland, very salty, or pickled. The fresh bread was good, but meals felt repetitive, with plain rice, meatballs, mixed roasted vegetables, and fries. As far as we knew, there were only three English couples, and we felt like outsiders, perhaps even unwelcome. Ultra all-inclusive drinks were mostly vodka or gin, neither top quality. There were only a few cocktails, and they tasted like paint stripper. Other choices cost an extra €10. Wi-Fi also cost extra, nearly £30 for two devices for the week. With no English-language TV channels, we depended on Wi-Fi to watch our iPad. Two rainy days also limited what we could do outside. After a week here, my husband and I wouldn’t return or recommend it.

The lift incident on 30 July around 11 a.m. is what ruined my holiday. I stepped into the basement lift at level -1 beside the restaurant. Its door hit my arm and shoulder and pushed me inside. Then the power went out, leaving me trapped in complete darkness without emergency lights. A technician helped me get out. I understand Turkish lift safety rules require emergency lighting in passenger lifts, so operating it that way seemed unlawful and dangerous. Reception offered no help afterward. They laughed, and one person said, “You are not the first, and you won’t be the last.” Nobody apologized or offered any support. When I kept raising the issue, a staff member threatened to call security. I was left with bruises on my right arm and shoulder, pain when lifting my arm, and ongoing anxiety, trouble sleeping, and unease. The reception staff’s attitude spoiled the good work of the restaurant and beach bar teams and, to me, shamed the idea of Turkish hospitality. Even on arrival at 4 a.m., when guests are exhausted, they start pushing hard for a pool-view room upgrade. The quoted price begins at $20 a night and can fall to $4 if you hesitate. If you won’t hand over cash, they lose interest. We got no welcome or basic information about restaurant hours, à la carte reservations, or directions to the other pool. Hotel from hell.

We had a lovely two-week holiday in room 1108. The room was lovely, and when we phoned reception for help on two occasions, things were sorted within ten minutes. The bar team and beach bar staff were amazing, including the chef, who worked so hard. There was always plenty to choose from in the restaurant and at the beach bar, so we never went hungry. The water was very good too. All the staff were brilliant with customers, from management right down to the cleaners. Management were often in the restaurant checking that everything was okay and always spoke with us. Well done, Michell hotel, for an amazing holiday 🎈

The friendly service staff and working air conditioning were the only real positives. I asked twice to move rooms, but nothing changed. First they said there was no room available. The next day they still had none, but promised to deal with the smell. I never heard back. My bathroom had a strong urine stink that reached the bed, and after every shower water ran into the hallway and soaked my socks. The room was at ground level directly above the daily barbecue, where they grilled meat and sometimes fish. Going onto the balcony meant being covered in smoke, and my clothes ended up smelling like fish. Food choices were a bit disappointing too, and there was no shrimp anywhere. Cabbies told me the hotel used to be better in previous years, and that lots of other guests had complained this year as well. Maybe give this place a miss for now.