Oba Star Hotel & Spa

The food was the one thing that stopped me from giving the hotel its lowest rating. Everything else was a frustrating experience. We'd booked six weeks ahead and asked for a quiet room on a higher floor, but the man with glasses at check-in put us on the first floor in a terrible room. Its balcony was so tiny that there was only room to stand, not even enough space for chairs. The toilet was just as bad: flushing a piece of paper took around ten minutes and several flushes because the tank refilled very slowly. We were told every room was occupied, but the second manager, a woman, said the man could fix the issue and move us for $30-40. We were moved the following day only after we complained to the travel agency that sold us the package. The waiters were just as brazen about demanding tips. There are three dining areas, and as a large group we found the third one convenient. One day a waiter said it was closed, asked us to leave, and shut the door. Ten minutes later he opened it for three women who apparently paid him. I was also disappointed to find paid scales at reception in an all-inclusive hotel. That was a first for me.

The area worked well for us, with plenty of shops and restaurants nearby. We also liked the small, quiet pool, and the beach was about two minutes away. The hotel had a large section there with loungers for guests and an all-inclusive café behind it. There were some annoying rocks just under the sand, but walking about 50 meters to the right let us avoid them. Our room was spacious, clean and very nice, and the service was friendly and easygoing. The food was great, with traditional Turkish dishes, lots of salads and sides, and a different freshly grilled meat or seafood each day, alongside meat and vegetarian options. The only thing we weren't keen on was the nightly entertainment at the main pool, from bingo and karaoke to a DJ. We just went back to our balcony instead.

The hotel was handy for shops and very close to a gorgeous beach, though I wouldn't get in the water there. The pool was small and couldn't fit everyone, and the WiFi in our room was awful, cutting out even on the balcony. Our room itself was fine, but the bathroom was dirty, with lots of buildup and poor hygiene. Flies were all over the restaurant food. I know the hotel can't control the flies, but it still put me off the food, which wasn't very exciting anyway. Since many guests come from the UK, it would help if staff spoke basic English. Communication was really difficult. I wouldn't recommend this hotel.

The air conditioning was the one problem. It either ran so hard that the air got very dry and I woke with a sore throat, or it left the room boiling hot. The food was so good, though, that we didn't feel any need to try the city's restaurants.