Mandarin Resort Bodrum

We spent two weeks at the Mandarin Resort and had a great experience. There was loads of choice at meals, and the hotel was spotlessly clean with friendly staff. A few problems around the pool were dealt with quickly. Our room could be noisy, but that was down to an unruly family, not the hotel. I can't fault our stay.

The food let the hotel down for me. Breakfast was especially poor, with the same things every day, and lunch and dinner felt much the same too. I ate chicken for six days, cooked in different ways, because there wasn't any other meat. I understand they don't serve pork, but chicken can't be the only main dish. I expected more, especially in Turkey, where the kebab is so good. They need to change the menu. The hotel itself was very nice.

We're still staying at Mandarin Resort Bodrum, and this has been a huge disappointment. In six days, our room was cleaned just once, and only after we complained several times. We pressed the green button to request cleaning every day, but nothing happened. We had to keep asking for basics like fresh towels and toilet paper. In the end, we bought cleaning products ourselves and took towels from the housekeeping carts just to keep things hygienic. For a place calling itself a five-star resort, this is shameful. Hygiene should come before the location or activities, yet it was neglected, and customer service seemed indifferent to our complaints. We travel often and have never had this kind of neglect at a supposed five-star hotel. Avoid it at all costs. It's a new kind of self-service five-star luxury, though it felt more like camping than a resort.

This is not a five-star resort, and the advertising felt misleading. We picked the hotel partly for the amenities listed on the website, including an animation room, disco, live DJ entertainment, and kids club. None of those were available during our stay. I hope management updates the site so future guests know what's actually on offer. The buffet food was atrocious. I found a hair in my dessert, there wasn't much variety, and most of what was served was inedible. Although it was meant to be all-inclusive, the drinks machine was switched off half the time, and food and drinks weren't available after certain hours. Snack time lasted about an hour, and sometimes there was no food left. We came as a group of ten in several rooms. The rooms weren't clean enough, with ripped sheets and cockroaches in each one. Also, if you're afraid of cats, this may not be the place for you. At first, we were put in a separate block a trek from the main building. What five-star resort has annex blocks? Some housekeeping and front desk staff were welcoming, but a couple of staff members were extremely rude and disrespectful. I wouldn't recommend this hotel or stay here again.