Biblos Alacati Hotel

This is a beautiful, peaceful place with a lovely atmosphere. The restaurant staff were consistently thoughtful and went out of their way to make our stay memorable. Special thanks to Hakan, Murat, Shif Ali, and Şehriban for their genuine care, professionalism, and wonderful hospitality.

The city itself was lovely, and we spent more time there than at the hotel. But the hotel was very overrated, and I wouldn’t recommend it. We came to celebrate with my partner, after changing plans from the Edition in Bodrum because we couldn’t find flights at short notice. In hindsight, that probably would have made for a much better holiday. For someone living in Dubai, the prices felt like those of top hotels there or in other major cities, and I’d rather spend that money there. Only two restaurants were operating, and the beach was very mediocre. We arrived around 7 pm, well after the 3 pm check-in time, and ran into problems right away. The staff were generally nice and polite, which is the only reason I’d give the experience 2/5 instead of 1/5, but the service was extremely unsatisfactory. The room didn’t feel worth the price, and we had to ask repeatedly for basic things. The soap was empty and only refilled after four requests. They supplied amenities for one person instead of a couple, and when we asked for extra slippers, we were told only smaller sizes were available. I wear EU size 45, so I ended up using my own slippers instead of the size 42 ones they brought. The air conditioning was set to 21 degrees but the room stayed at 28.5 even with the window closed and after an hour of waiting. It felt like a sauna, and I was sweating even after a shower. Luckily, they fixed it before my fiancée got back from her massage. These things were eventually addressed, but shouldn’t have happened at a five-star hotel of this caliber, especially something as basic as having soap in the room at check-in. We also booked a couples massage for our last day. We arrived on time, but at first they took us to separate rooms. After a mix-up, they prepared a room for couples, and we waited again for it to be ready. We’d rushed back from a nearby beach club, a 25-minute drive away, because we thought we were late, only to find the hotel hadn’t prepared properly. The massage itself was very mediocre and nowhere near worth 450 euros. I repeatedly and politely asked the masseuse to focus on my lower back and use firm pressure, but she didn’t really do that. The hotel described its service as a “personalized luxury hospitality experience,” but that didn’t match what we encountered. Many restaurant and room-service staff barely spoke English, so thankfully my partner translated to make things smoother.

We spent our honeymoon at the resort and had a lovely, quiet time relaxing without doing much. The spa and its facilities were amazing, and the resort itself is beautiful with great staff. The food was tasty, but the same options got tiring after three nights. There are only two dinner restaurants, and after eating there for every meal, lunch and dinner had the same food and the menu never changed. Construction at the many hotels being built nearby also made the area noisy. I asked the concierge for help planning a boat day or beach club visit, but didn’t get much help, so I found and booked options myself. I wish I could have arranged them through the hotel.

Best hotel I’ve seen in Turkey. I’d give it six stars if I could. I couldn’t find any downsides. There are three restaurants and three playgrounds for children, among other things. The sea can be cold, but that’s typical of the whole region. Highly recommend!