Grand Riva hotel

The rooms are basic, but they're okay. The young couple running the hotel includes a very friendly, helpful woman who speaks a little English.

I couldn't sleep with drunk people roaming the halls all night, staff talking nonstop, and more noise right outside the door. In the middle of winter, wind came through the windows, and the toilet was filthy. The place has no working heat at all. When we complained, they gave us a blanket that was no help. The rooms were awful, tiny, and dirty, with damp bathroom ceilings and closet doors hanging out into the room. There were no power outlets, the TV didn't work, and every light was broken, so I had to use my phone's flashlight to get around. There are countless other problems I can't even list. I'm speechless. If you ever get the chance, I wouldn't go near this place.

Even with the problems, they didn't bother us too much, and we had quite a good holiday. The hotel was neglected, though. The furniture was old, cleanliness was poor, staff weren't very attentive, and the rooms had wooden decor. In some rooms the floorboards creaked loudly, and some smelled bad. The air conditioners didn't work, but it wasn't very warm anyway. The refrigerator was broken, and the curtains had issues too. Most of the staff were Iranian and spoke Persian rather than Turkish, so we had trouble communicating. We eventually found a staff member who spoke Turkish and talked with them about the hotel. We still didn't understand why the staff didn't speak Turkish.

We picked this place for a quiet weekend in Riva's natural setting, and the area around the hotel was peaceful. It's also close to the beach and river. The spa and Turkish bath were quiet too, and we enjoyed having the place to ourselves. We did sometimes hear people in the next rooms, so the sound insulation could be better. Our room was clean, and though the furnishings were a little old, nothing felt unpleasant. The reception staff in particular were helpful. Breakfast was buffet style and adequate, as long as you're not expecting anything extra. For the price, it was decent, and the hotel works well for a relaxing nature break if your expectations aren't too high.