Dedeman Gure Nurhayat Thermal Resort&Spa

For a hotel claiming five stars, the breakfast was extremely poor, more like what I’d expect from a three-star place. Almost everything beyond coffee and water costs extra, and the only sweets were plain biscuits. The à la carte dinner menu was limited and expensive, with slow service. The bathroom had two dispensers of scented dishwashing liquid instead of soap and shampoo. The sauna was at 65 degrees, while the steam room was 40 degrees. This is the worst five-star hotel I’ve stayed in.

We went for the full hamam, spa, and massage. It’s a new, clean hotel with good facilities, and this was one of the best experiences I’ve had in this area. I’d definitely recommend it.

Everything was great, but the hotel could use something fun to do and a way to stay active, like table tennis or billiards. On a rainy day, there’s nowhere to walk around in a city with so little social space.

The service didn’t come close to justifying the price, and we were seriously disappointed with the value. Because the hotel is a franchise, I think the main brand should supervise it more closely. There were no activities for adults or children, so the place felt boring. The lobby was tiny, had almost no seating, and was poorly decorated. Even though we stayed over a holiday, there were no customary touches such as sweets, cologne, or holiday greetings. The call to prayer wasn’t played at iftar either. Food was another major issue. There was no special menu for children, the choices were limited, and dishes ran out quickly. They were only refilled if we asked, and otherwise stayed empty for a long time. We even waited about ten minutes for bread. The restaurant floor was never cleaned, so we had to eat while trying not to step on leftovers from the day before. Security also seemed inadequate. A fight broke out during our stay, and nobody intervened. Staff were too few, didn’t work as a team, and fell short of professional hotel standards. With so little organization, the place felt more like a disorganized café than a hotel. The spa was very small and inadequate. The thermal water kept swinging between too hot and too cold. Nobody explained the scrub or massage services, and there was no staff present, so guests had to switch the lights on and off themselves. The shower gel and shampoo were all empty and hadn’t been checked or replenished. Toilet paper wasn’t replenished either, and there wasn’t even a spare roll. Some people entered the thermal area without swimming caps, and nobody checked that rule. Even water was expensive, at 100 TL, and there was no dispenser for guests to use. Everything we consumed came with an extra charge.