Armas Gul Beach (ex. Otium Gul Beach Resort)

There are too few loungers, and by 9-10 a.m. you might not find one at the beach. They're set so close together there's no privacy. The beach water looked clean in the morning, but by afternoon it was full of rubbish, plastic bags, and paper. Maybe there's a sewage pipe nearby draining into the sea. I won't come back to this area. The food barely changed over our 8 days, was basic, and much of it was spicy. Fruit was limited to watermelon, apples, and plums, with no bananas, kiwis, or ananas. The a la carte meal was terrible: the shrimp soup had no shrimp and was extremely spicy, while the fish was dry, probably cooked straight from frozen, and had no flavor. Desserts were 8 out of 10, but very syrupy and nothing original. The bar was okay, although the juice tasted like colored water with concentrate. Bring digestive pills. Don't be fooled by the high Google rating, I fell for it and regretted it. On the second-to-last day, the guest manager kept asking people she saw to give five stars on Google, right in front of us, so others would be drawn in too. Most staff spoke only Russian. I did like the city at night and went for a walk, but locals kept trying to sell me things, which got irritating when I just wanted a quiet walk and some privacy. Turkey has changed a lot since my last visit before COVID. I won't return to the region and will choose another country next time. There are now far too many Russians and groups of them here, and most are rude, disrespectful, leave trash behind, and act arrogantly. We'll pick another destination. It's up to you.

The animator Umut was the one who really stood out. He was energetic, cheerful, friendly, and warm, and did his job better than anyone. He made some unforgettable fun days for me and my friends 🩷. The hotel, its location, the staff, and the food were all very good.

Breakfast and dinner were a scramble. One buffet serves two buildings, there aren't enough seats, and you'd better rush in right at opening if you want a table. Staff start clearing away food half an hour before closing. The service was poor overall. The single a la carte restaurant had very good service, but its main course was similar to what was already on the dinner buffet. The salmon and spinach salad was tasty, though more variety or other options would have been welcome.

The spa was the highlight for us. The administrator was kind and very helpful, and the masseurs were wonderful. We also liked the nearby sea, mountain views, and pools. Still, we wouldn't return or recommend the place. Arriving with a small child, we had a long wait despite the 2 p.m. check-in, then the room assignments got mixed up and our child ended up in a much smaller room than our parents. The rooms need renovation. Food was tasty but nearly identical each day, with little variety. Dining was the worst part: arrive 15 minutes late and there were no seats, and even when a table opened up, it hadn't been set, so you had to hunt for utensils. There were long food lines, and the bartenders weren't skilled, so cocktails were mediocre. The water slides were across the street, which was inconvenient. Pool loungers were almost impossible to get unless you got up extremely early. We disliked the policy of reserving them the night before with towels and belongings. Evening entertainment was poor.