Sultan Of Dreams

The cats wandering around were lovely, but much of the stay was upsetting. We reached the hotel around 10 p.m. and were told there were supposedly no rooms available. Another family with two small children was turned away too. We had paid for a reservation and still had to wait until nearly 2 a.m. to get into our rooms, although staff had said ours would be ready at 1:45 a.m. When we finally got in, the bedsheets were dirty and the floor near the entrance was too. The sheets still hadn’t been changed the next day. Some staff were nice, but many couldn’t speak English. The manager reacted aggressively when criticized and seemed unable to handle it. The food was acceptable, though generic and nowhere near five-star quality. The scenery is beautiful and the beach is very nice, but there isn’t much else to do nearby, just a few shops and no attractions to visit. After reading other negative reviews, I’m shocked how many people describe the same poor hygiene, staff problems and overbooking, with nothing seeming to change.

We arrived early in the morning with two toddlers and our room wasn’t ready, so we ended up trying to sleep in a chair by the entrance. The food was the same day after day, and by the end of the trip we couldn’t find anything tasty to eat. Our flight was 15 hours after checkout, and we offered to pay to keep the room longer. They refused, even though my two-year-old son was sick. We spent 10 hours at the beach with him, with no room or service and no toilets nearby, before heading to the airport. After this, I don’t think we’ll return to Turkey. I wouldn’t recommend this hotel.

The grounds were the strongest part of our stay: the pool was clean and cared for, with enough loungers, and the beach was clean and well equipped. It gets deep quickly and the waves can be rough, though, which may be hard with small children. The location is handy for the beach, but public transport and other attractions are difficult to reach. Inside, cleanliness and service were disappointing. The lobby was dark, not air-conditioned, and unlit at night, with dust around and dirty armchairs and sofas. The windows and mirrors in our otherwise good room looked as if they hadn’t been cleaned for a month or more. We stayed a week and the room was cleaned only three times. There seemed to be just one cleaner for a floor, sometimes two, and many employees looked irritated when we asked questions or raised problems. It felt like there were more managers than staff. The restaurant was often full, and there were times we couldn’t find a table. Staff noticed us looking and didn’t help, even when asked, which was stressful with our two-year-old. The buffet had limited choices, mostly traditional food with few international options, and staff were scarce. The bar selection was small too, with only instant coffee from a machine. The gym was small but had good equipment, though it was dirty and apparently hadn’t been serviced since it was bought. Sports and entertainment choices were limited. For families, there was a mini-disco, but it started very late and was loud. We tried the childcare area once and didn’t return because of the sandy carpet and poor cleanliness. The playground and kids’ pool were okay, nothing special. It could suit someone on a budget who doesn’t drink alcohol and likes traditional Turkish food, but with the service and cleaning problems, I wouldn’t come back or recommend it.

The bars and reception were first-rate, and I had a lovely eight-day break at the end of October with great weather. The pool area and beach were both great, although the pool was very cold. My room was basic, with cheap furniture, and this doesn’t feel like a five-star hotel. Cleaning was mediocre, the minibar wasn’t restocked as promised, and the Wi-Fi was a disaster. The food was excellent for someone like me who enjoys Turkish cooking, but it was the same each day. Two weeks of it would have been tough. I had a great time overall, though there’s plenty of room for improvement.