Julian Forest Suites

The people were lovely and nothing was too much trouble, and a bus regularly went from the front of the hotel to icmeler. Our rooms were spacious and large, with daily cleaning, and there was plenty of varied food to choose from. We stayed in September and had a brilliant time. It was our first visit to Turkey, but it won’t be our last. The entertainment was what you’d expect. A very good experience, and we’ll definitely return next year.

By the end of our week, it felt like groundhog day: the same music all day, the same entertainment and songs, the same food, and a limited choice of alcohol. I was glad to leave and felt sick of it on the last day. The food was very British, and I’d expected more. I wouldn’t book through a travel agen or a company like easyJet if you want an “authentic” experience. The hotel had apparently been sold to the Turkish government for use as college accommodation, and I felt sad for the lovely staff who were losing their jobs. I commend them for staying professional and doing their best right until the end. Cian (pronounced Yan) was lovely and always went the extra mile for us. They only replenished our toilet paper on two days, so we had to ask reception for more. I didn’t mind asking, but it shouldn’t have been that way. One day while we were at the pool, staff came into our room and took the balcony chairs, without cleaning. We returned to find the space empty. A nearby guest told us the same had happened to them, and said staff had told them things were being taken to sell because the place was being sold. I actually saw the items loaded onto a truck over the wall. I was just glad to have a bed through the end of the holiday, even though it was broken and wonky.

The hotel sits between mountains, which gives it a private feel, though it takes 20 minutes to walk to Içmeler or five minutes by bus. I’ve been several times and never left disappointed. The staff are absolutely lovely, the kids’ entertainment is fantastic, and the food is to die for. If you need somewhere to stay, this is your stop.

I’d never recommend this hotel. We went last September and waited nearly two hours to check in. They said we had a room but couldn’t find our booking in the system. We arrived just after midnight because of our flight times, and they’d removed our booking. The manager had to be called, then eventually came to the hotel because the issue couldn’t be fixed over the phone. Staff mostly spoke Turkish to each other, which we couldn’t understand, and they didn’t speak or understand English. The food was always cold, and we were told to put it in the microwave, which shouldn’t have been necessary. The room was hardly cleaned; even when a cleaner came, both the room and balcony were still dirty. Towels were changed only occasionally, and we had to ask for clean ones several times. They never left water in the room, so we had to buy it from the hotel shop. The entertainment was aimed at children, with bingo as the only adult activity. Pool area toilets weren’t cleaned regularly and absolutely stank. We’ll never return.