White Gold Hotel & Spa

The beach is close by, which was a plus, but don’t expect five-star standards here. The food was dull. We rate White Gold three stars by European standards. When we first opened our room, there was a sewage smell. Staff fixed the problem, though it took two days for the odor to disappear completely. We also noticed some staff wore logos with four stars, and at several spots one star appeared to have been scraped off.

The location is superb, close to Alanya, and the beach is amazing. It’s a pity that the food let the stay down. Everyone in my family got food poisoning, on different days. Much of the food was cold, repetitive, not fresh, and just not very tasty. The pasta left out was always cold, and lunch and dinner kept serving the same things. The staff were okay, but seemed to expect extra cash for every little thing we asked. The cleaner came to my room just once during the week and spent less than five minutes cleaning. I wish I could rate this hotel higher.

This is specifically about the spa, not the hotel itself. Marina, as she introduced herself, was the rudest administrator I’ve ever encountered. On our first visit, we asked when the sauna was open. She brusquely said only 3 to 4 pm and didn’t mention the 9 to 11 am hours, which we later saw posted. We came back today hoping to use the sauna. The spa was empty, and my family of four included my 86-year-old grandpa, who was excited about it. Marina immediately told us we couldn’t go into any other rooms, only the sauna. There was no greeting or friendliness. When my family went to shower, she yelled that they mustn’t get the floor wet because there were no cleaners. Seriously, no cleaners at the spa? My grandpa went into the empty resting room, as we’d been allowed to do after a sauna elsewhere in Turkey, but Marina barged in and yelled that we couldn’t use it. I explained that we were hotel guests, and she said the spa had nothing to do with the hotel. It’s called White Gold Hotel & SPA. She showed no respect for elders and was negative and extremely rude from the start. It was shocking and unprofessional. I can’t help thinking she might have been nicer if we’d paid for a massage or another service. At the end, she deliberately switched off the sauna heating without telling us, so we had to leave at 15:50 without enjoying it. I can’t recommend this spa. Avoid it, it’s a total scam.

Beach access was one of the best things about the hotel. We could walk straight from the hotel onto the beach. The room stayed clean and in good condition, and the hotel and grounds were spotless. Daily activities kept things going, and the entertainment team and DJ staff were friendly, professional and did a great job creating an enjoyable atmosphere. Food variety could be better. Most dishes were local cuisine and heavily spiced, which might not suit everyone, especially people with dietary restrictions or intolerances. More protein choices and a menu that changed more from day to day would help. Alcohol options were limited too, with just four types of liquor for an all-inclusive resort. The snack bar was basic, only burgers and fries. I still had a great time and appreciated the clean facilities, beach access and fun atmosphere. More variety in food and drinks would make the experience even better.