Gonul Palace

The mountain view was stunning, and we had a great vacation. The hotel gets a solid C from me. The rooms were clean, but the shower was a surprise: it's right next to the toilet with no curtain or anything, so water goes everywhere when you use it. The main downside with meals was that it was always meat, with no choice. They served the hot food themselves, so we were careful not to ask for too much. We had chicken in all sorts of forms and fish twice. There was no private beach either, and the public beach was rarely cleaned, if it was cleaned at all. Aside from that, everything else was great!

A small, quiet, clean place, not bad at all for a 3-star hotel. There's no meat and the food isn't anything special, but no one went hungry. Walk down the street for 5-7 minutes and you're at the sea. The hotel has its own signed sun loungers on the beach, plus a cleared way into the water. Reach the public beach and turn right.

The mountain views were stunning, with pomegranates, oranges, and flowers around. We were satisfied with our stay. The pool was small but clean, and the food was decent, with something for different tastes, though nothing fancy. It isn't a five-star hotel. Our room was small and its TV, hairdryer, and refrigerator were old, but everything worked. The beach was pebbly, so using the designated entrance is best.

The mountains nearby were a pleasant surprise, though I only took photos of the good things. I'd give the hotel a C-. The sea was crystal clear, with large pebbles, and it took around 10-15 minutes to walk there. Going in without slippers was really awkward, but shoes and special slippers were available along the way for $4-8. The beach is shared by all three-star hotels. Sun loungers are claimed until breakfast, and people walk back and forth. Our room faced the road and was noisy at night. From 5:20 in the morning the mullah would sing, and roosters at neighboring houses were a nuisance too. Check-in is at 2:00 PM, but we spent the night in the lobby from 3:00 AM. The staff almost speaks Russian, so we could understand things, and a woman at reception speaks Russian fluently. Room cleaning over six days was just a wipe with a cloth. They only took the trash out once, after I called. The shower and toilet were in the same stall, and after showering water took ages to drain, with foam and hair left all the way to the door. There was no exhaust fan, so we had to open the door to dry it out. They changed the towels once on their own, which surprised us. The food was monotonous, with no variety. There was so little fruit and meat that the men kept dreaming about shashlik once we got home. There was no children's menu, everyone ate the same. We weren't hungry, but we didn't enjoy the meals either. At least none of us had heartburn. Excursions cost less on the street than through the hotel guide. A hammam was $15 there, while at the hotel it cost $20 and up. For a truly carefree and aesthetically pleasing holiday, you'd need to go to a five-star hotel.