Gaia Beach Hotel

Awesome.

The beach was clean, and the place may suit families with children. For the price, I'd call it average, and the food itself was okay. But we had a lot of problems during our two-night stay, which began on June 30th. They let us check in early, and I'm grateful for that. The pandemic precautions, though, were not followed: food was served buffet-style without required masks, everyone used the same serving spoons, and people handled bread with bare hands. Cleanliness in the room was also disappointing. We found bathroom items that had clearly been used before. Internet access was impossible. When we called to report it, they blamed Türk Telekom, although it seemed to be a problem only at Gaia Beach. If you're hoping to work while on vacation, think twice. Balconies outside the front rooms are very close together, too, so you can easily see into other guests' rooms. I chose the hotel after reading reviews and ended up experiencing similar problems.

I booked for two nights with half board for two people, paying about 1000 TL for the holiday program. I left feeling the hotel hadn't earned that price, and the program was a fiasco. The owner canceled it himself, blamed the gendarmerie, and did little to address guest satisfaction. We ended up trying to enjoy music from other hotels nearby. The second day was supposed to feature Coşkun Sabah, and the third Feyza Gülşan. On the second night, the show began at 10 PM, after guests had waited for hours in the cold. The hotel didn't offer shawls until then. At 11 PM it was stopped, with the gendarmerie given as the reason. The owner angrily shouted at guests to post on social media about what the gendarmerie had done, turning the blame on them instead of handling the situation. The next evening's program never started. They also asked guests to submit petitions saying the gendarmerie was responsible for the previous night's incident, along with other accusations and complaints I couldn't make sense of. The amateur management, poor organization, excuses, and blaming of different institutions really disturbed me. Breakfast was very inadequate and made with poor quality ingredients. Since dishes weren't replenished, we kept having to ask the waiters whether they'd refill things when they ran out. My family and I were also uncomfortable with some situations, especially that some foreign guests didn't seem suited to a family atmosphere. The staff were generally good, and a few were extremely polite and gentle, which is why I'm giving one star. The hotel's location is good, with its own beach right in front, but the water is very shallow. Some areas within the hotel grounds are restricted and cost extra to enter. The pier is run as a beach, with a 40 TL entrance fee even for hotel guests. I saw two young foreign women, special guests of the owner, sunbathing in those restricted areas. When hotel guests went near them, an employee stood guard and shooed them away. The room furnishings were poor quality, and our room wasn't cleaned even after we put up a request. Based on my experience, I can't recommend the hotel.

We went in early July 2021. The hotel's right on the Black Sea coast and close to Istanbul, though it can't be compared with the hotels and resorts in the south. Still, you can spend a few days there if the weather and sea are good. We were very happy with our room. It had been renovated and was spotless, with a sea view, balcony, air conditioning, LED TV, minibar, safe, hair dryer, and everything else we needed. The staff were great, with no issues at all. The shared areas, though, need work and better upkeep. The changing cabins had no hooks or lights, and the route to them meant walking over sand. There was no tap outside for rinsing off. The hotel has its own beach by the sea, with sand over a concrete platform, but the pier on the left in the photos, beach bar, snack bar, and part of the beach belong to a separate business and cost 50 TL per person plus extras. Hotel guests could only use one set of steps to get in and out of the water. There were no beach towels because of the pandemic, and the sun loungers had no cushions. All nonalcoholic drinks, including tea, coffee, juice, and soft drinks, were included in the full-board plan. The main meals offered chicken and turkey dishes, plus pasta, rice, potatoes, mash, and nugat among a few other choices. With just one serving point, there was a queue. Salads, mezes, and fruit were good, but dessert options were limited to revani, şekerpare, pudding, and kadayıf. Breakfast had Becel margarine but no butter, clotted cream, or cream, and the bread was often stale. For the price, the food should be better.