Blue Bay Platinum Hotel

The bar and buffet staff were very nice and accommodating, but I wasn’t satisfied with the stay. The rooms were small and damaged, the curtains barely kept out light, and our requests for cleaning went unanswered two days in a row. This didn’t feel like a five-star hotel. The noise made it hard to relax by the pool, where a man shouted through a megaphone about random entertainment activities for half the day. It was deafening, and the noise at night made sleeping difficult too. Food was mediocre and exactly the same every day, with plain, disappointing desserts. The decor was strange as well, full of naked mannequins. If it had been listed as three stars and cost less, it might have been okay.

The hotel is very clean, the staff are friendly, and the main hot dishes were enjoyed by the non-vegan members of our group. But the desserts often looked much better than they tasted, and vegan or dairy-free choices were seriously limited. There were only four vegan dishes each night, sometimes just a tray of sweetcorn, and none of the salad sauces were dairy-free. The chef offered strawberries as a dessert for two nights, but after TUI suggested I speak to the head chef, guest relations only gave me an allergen slip to show restaurant staff, who said all desserts contained egg or milk. For a week-long all-inclusive stay with so much choice, I expected they could have made something suitable. I don’t think this hotel is right for families with children under four. Our holiday was 8/5-15/5, and the pools were so cold our little boy shivered for the first two days. The slides are for older children and only run at certain times when a lifeguard is there. The children’s pool has only about 12 sunbeds around it, so space is limited. The soft play was great and the staff there were lovely. The other pools are 1.5m deep all the way around, with no shallow end, and my sisters-in-law struggled to stand. The pool entertainment was also too loud and got in the way of a relaxing holiday. We couldn’t hear one another from sunbed to sunbed, and when I asked for the music to be turned down, it wasn’t. At 10pm on our last night, I was in the hallway holding my sleeping two-year-old because a private party in another part of the hotel had our room vibrating with loud music. I complained at reception and by phone, but they said they couldn’t do anything and suggested guest relations in the morning. The event was due to end at 11:30pm. We’d never have booked had we known basketball guests would take priority over families. I wouldn’t recommend the hotel because of the daytime noise, the party that kept my children from sleeping, and the pools being unsuitable for younger kids. I would recommend it for cleanliness.

For £3,100, this was a disgrace and the worst holiday we’ve ever had. We felt badly misled and left extremely disappointed. The room was old and worn, nowhere near the advertised standard, and nothing like the pictures. There were dirty rooms, foul smells around the pool, repetitive food, watered-down drinks, poor entertainment and constant pressure from spa staff. Save your money and book elsewhere. Avoid.

The location was perfect, with a quick walk down to the beach, and the decor was beautiful. Staff were super friendly, and there’s a great range of food and drinks, with lots of options at the bars throughout the day. There were plenty of activities at the hotel and nearby too. I’d definitely return and fully recommend it for a Marmaris holiday! ☺️