Sunmelia Beach Resort Hotel & Spa

For what we paid, I’d put this at two or three stars. It felt overpriced, and this was my first and last holiday in Turkey. During our seven days, the food was pretty much the same every day, and the drinks were the cheapest quality. Coffee and ice cream were horrible too. We couldn’t get reservations at the Chinese, Turkish or fish restaurants. Booking was only open at limited times, we had to pick a menu two days ahead, and then couldn’t change our minds about the food. Room cleaning was very poor each day, and there was still sand on the floor. Be careful with your belongings, as things were stolen from rooms, and the hotel takes no responsibility for lost items. My impression of the pool water was that it was cloudy, especially under the lights at night. I have a pool at home and know how important clear, clean water is, so I worried it wasn’t safe for so many people, especially children. The pH and total alkalinity didn’t seem to be in the right range. Wi-Fi was very poor, even in the lobby. The bathrooms weren’t accessible for small children, who had trouble reaching sinks and toilets. At restaurant opening, there were so many people that we had to wait around ten minutes for a table or sit outside in the heat. Tables were wiped using the same placemats left by previous diners, which weren’t replaced with clean ones. I also saw people pick up food by hand instead of using the tongs, and nobody said anything. The seaside view wasn’t very good compared with places I’ve visited before. I don’t know how this hotel got a five-star rating.

I suspect the hotel doesn’t have enough staff, and that may be why cleanliness and guest comfort receive so little attention. The minibar was rarely replenished, usually just water and sometimes a sweet drink, and my son’s bed was never made during our stay. Cleaning was poor throughout the property. The windows, glass surfaces and elevator were visibly dirty, and the serving areas, especially the cooking station, were in bad shape. Around 8:00 p.m., we couldn’t find clean tables in the dining area, so we had to clear away dirty dishes ourselves. Staff were very slow to respond, if they came at all. Our room wasn’t properly cleaned either. The bathroom counter and mirror weren’t wiped once, the toilet wasn’t cleaned, and the floor only got washed after we left a larger tip. The pool and aquapark areas were dirty, with neglected sunbeds and tables and litter around. The toilets by the pool and beach were so bad that even the children wouldn’t use them.

The staff were attentive, friendly and helpful, and made me feel at home. We had a memorable stay, with spacious, comfortable rooms kept spotless through careful daily housekeeping. There was a delicious range of food for different tastes, and the energetic entertainment team kept guests of all ages busy. I especially enjoyed the evening events. Everything was perfect for me, and I’d happily recommend the hotel.

I’d read some negative reviews and was worried, but we had an excellent stay. The food was 10/10, with lots of variety, and there was plenty to eat and drink. Desserts could be better, though the snack bar had lots of other choices. Our rooms were cleaned every day, our belongings were never touched, and the staff were polite. Everything was perfect except that the showtime host could have been more polite and professional at times.