Hilton Izmir

The breakfast team are superb, and the host in the breakfast salon is very kind. Kutay and Evren are super staff, friendly and professional, always greeting everyone with a smile. There's also a lovely lady whose name I've forgotten, but her birthday is coming up on 18 Subatta. Please remember her! The staff here are always excellent. Thanks, Jude Register. See you soon.

The meals at the Rooftop Bar were very good, though the beer could be cheaper. Elif and Yusuf, Yagmur, Ceren, and the Managers are a dream team there. For my business trip, it was a good base, with a warm welcome and helpful people at the Rooftop Bar, breakfast, and reception. I'd suggest tipping them at the start as a sign of respect. Sergen-Bey kindly let us into the fitness room and offered tea or coffee while we chatted.

The sauna itself was decent, but I couldn't make sense of the mixed sex changing rooms being separate from the spa. To get there, you have to walk through reception wearing only a towel. I also had to pay an obscene extra fee for breakfast, which I think should be part of the room price, so I ate elsewhere. My room smelled of cigarettes even though I was on a non-smoking floor, and the aircon didn't work. At check-in, the girl at the desk spent a full minute texting before looking up, despite the guy helping with my bags having told her I was there. And apparently there's meant to be a welcome cookie. I only found that out later, but still felt a bit cheated. I'm not sure how this place gets a four-star rating or trades under the Hilton name. I wish I'd looked into it more before booking. My two-night stay was disappointing, especially after hearing good things about DoubleTree.

The only small drawback was the centrally controlled heating, which made the room feel a little warm. Everything else was a 5-star experience, and we'd happily return. My wife and I had a lovely stay at DoubleTree by Hilton Izmir Alsancak, with a warm welcome on arrival and very helpful reception staff. Special thanks to Cansi for her great personality and local tips. The breakfast staff were friendly and did a wonderful job explaining the local breakfast choices.