Cactus Fleur Bay Resort

Room service was slow, unresponsive, and not attentive. The food was bland and repetitive, nowhere near what other Bodrum resorts offer, and the atmosphere was too chaotic for me to relax, with children constantly running around. The rooms were shockingly tiny for the price. Fluer Bay Resort was a very disappointing stay, lacking comfort, quality, and service. I wouldn’t recommend it for a pleasant holiday.

Ibrahim was consistently friendly and helpful, and the location is beautiful. The water park and pool are great, with plenty of sunbeds. Children will probably love the slides, and hopefully the chocolate pancakes too. The food was mediocre at best. There was no English breakfast, bacon, beans, or other typical British options. You could ask nicely for a fried egg; otherwise breakfast meant things like chips and salad, unusual meats, omelette, or pancakes with chocolate. The rooms were tatty but functional, three-star at best, and there were fleas, apparently because cats were everywhere, even around the dinner tables. Some staff besides Ibrahim seemed arrogant, though I don’t know if that was because we were British. We met no other British families during our week. We couldn’t get a late check-out room, despite not being picked up until 7:30, and the room we left was still unoccupied then. It seemed other, non-British guests did get late check-out rooms. The steep hills could make getting around difficult for anyone with mobility problems, although the hotel is wheelchair friendly. For me, the lovely setting and brilliant water park didn’t make this feel like a four-star hotel.

The one thing I’d change is the beds. The sheets were spotless, but the mattresses and extra beds felt worn and due for replacement. Otherwise, the price seemed very reasonable for what we got. The blue-flag beach was good for snorkeling and watching fish, and meals came with plenty of fresh fruit. The food was decent, but the staff were the real highlight, always greeting us with smiles.

I’d come back, and felt the hotel was worth the money. The service and food both beat my expectations, and the staff were lovely and always nearby if we needed help. I really enjoyed the beach and the five-star-level aqua park. One drawback for walkers is that there’s no path around the hotel, so you have to take a cab to find somewhere to walk. The gym equipment could use replacing, too.