Side Star Resort Hotel

The pool was FREEZING COLD, so nobody wanted to get in. If a warm pool matters to you, I wouldn't recommend this place. Otherwise, the food and entertainment were great, and the beach and games room were very good too. The mini bar being stocked with drinks each morning was amazing. It was a fine stay overall.

The staff were a mixed bag. Main restaurant waitstaff were friendly and welcoming, and the service at the à la carte restaurants was outstanding. My family and I felt really looked after there. The food was good, though the menu hadn't changed in 6 months, and they replaced sake with rakija to cut costs. Desserts had limited variety, but the cheesecakes were delicious. An older cleaner did a thorough job in our room 6 days a week, and we're grateful for her work. Sundays were a different story: the room was left dirty, including the toilets, mirrors and floors. It seemed the replacement staff were rushing and didn't care. Guest Relations also ignored our request to replace a leaking kettle throughout our stay. We were delighted with the hotel in September, which is why we returned for 10 days in April. This time was a massive mistake. The beach was meant to be sandy, but it was covered in stones, and my husband cut his foot because we hadn't expected that. The neighboring hotel managed to clear its beach in a single day, which makes this feel like management negligence. The food was another big letdown. Despite the "All Inclusive Plus" 24h promise, the Night Bistro served cold leftovers, with no meat or fries. The main restaurant was monotonous, and the fruit choice was scandalously poor during peak season. For all 10 days, it was just oranges, apples and pears. We felt disappointed and cheated. We won't return to Side Star Resort or recommend it. The first thing we did after getting back to England was go to the supermarket for the fresh fruit we'd missed.

The location worked really well for getting around. A dolmuş leaves from the stop just outside the entrance and goes to either Manavgat or Side. Manavgat is good for cheap shops and pleasant walks. I enjoyed my stay and would probably return, especially if the vegetarian food improved. My room was on the 4th floor, with a nice rooftop view from the balcony. The bathroom was well equipped, everything was clean and working, and the minibar was restocked daily. The cleaning staff were friendly and kept the room tidy. Feysa from customer services was particularly welcoming and attentive. The food was generally good. I loved the patisserie, salads and breads, especially the Turkish breakfast baked goods. The hot buffet was less successful for me as a vegetarian. Most dishes weren't suitable, and the few options I could eat were repetitive and mostly salty without much flavour. There also seemed to be fewer cats here than at other hotels, which was a shame because I really like cats.

Even in the off season there was plenty to do, and the minibar stayed cool and was restocked often. The hotel was clean and modern, the facilities were lovely, and both the staff and food were superb. Halil from entertainment was incredible to play darts with, and so lovely to me and everyone in my party. There are lots of amazing cats too. The footballers could be mildly annoying at times, but they weren't significantly rowdy or idiotic, and it's not something we can do anything about. The moussaka was INCREDIBLE, some of the best food I've ever had. I'd recommend this hotel, and the whole chain if they're all as nice, to anyone staying in Side.