Erdek Benan Hotel

We were glad the staff eventually brought us toilet paper without making a fuss, but that was about the only good point. We checked out today, and the stay was a mess from the rooms to the pool and meals. Room 305, on the third floor across from a fire door, smelled so strongly of sewage that even the corridor was hard to bear. Room 320 flooded even with the air conditioning off. They offered us another room, but I’d already checked in, and they brought a refrigerator instead. I asked for a bucket so I wouldn’t trouble them or myself with a room change. I asked five times that day. After I spoke sharply to a staff member, they finally brought one, full of rubbish, which upset us. We ended up changing rooms anyway. The new room’s linen closet was packed with dirty towels from earlier guests. The staff hadn’t checked inside, let alone cleaned it. The bathroom was no better. There was no liquid soap, we had to request toilet paper, and the shower temperature swung between scalding with barely any cold water and very cold with too much hot water. We couldn’t get a proper shower. Mosquitoes were everywhere, and there were no screens. The pool was green, and we were told its motors were broken, so we didn’t feel safe getting in. Meals felt more like a canteen than a buffet. The chef and another man served whatever you asked for, while cold starters were self-serve. The food was usually bland, though taste can be personal. More concerning, we found hair in at least one dish on each of three days. When we pointed it out, we were told something like, “It must have fallen off you.” The sea is beautiful, but it was extremely windy while we were there. If it’s often like that, it’s hard to enjoy. I feel sorry for anyone who goes.

The setting was pleasant, but that was the only redeeming part for me. We were told there was a pool, yet frogs were swimming in it. The rooms smelled awful and were in terrible shape, and the food was disgusting, with hair and other things in it. I’m never going back.

The location is the sole good point. The food arrived cold, and the pool couldn’t be used because animals were in it. It was a complete letdown, and the price didn’t feel worth what we got.

The food selection was enough, and the chef was friendly. Beyond that, our five-day, four-night stay with our 8-month-old baby and 7-year-old son was a struggle. Getting into reception meant hauling all our suitcases up the stairs, since there’s no ramp. In room 104, the door uses a key rather than a card, and its handle was broken. The room smelled as soon as we entered, and mosquitoes swarmed us. We couldn’t open the window without them coming in like an army, and they kept biting the children. There were no towels or soap until we asked, no slippers, and no fridge. We requested one, but it arrived the next day, after the baby’s medicine and formula had spoiled. The air conditioning worked only now and then. In the dining room, the young foreign waiters seemed inexperienced and started clearing plates before people had finished. On the first day, my fork was left hanging in the air. There were only two high chairs. Drinks were absurdly expensive: a staff member had set up a drinks stand on day one, and even water cost 30 TL during meals. The pool didn’t look very clean, was fixed at 165 cm deep, and had lots of insects. The children’s pool wasn’t adequate. Most umbrellas were broken, so we had no shade. The playground was unusable, covered in weeds and thorns, and the hotel had no evening activities. If you fancy a holiday with flies, this is the place.