Garcia Resort & Spa

For the off-season price, this hotel is hard to beat. My room was spacious and clean, and the staff were really friendly. They let me check in early and use the breakfast buffet too. The best part was the amenities, especially the Turkish spa and all those pools. I'd definitely come back and recommend staying here if you can get the off-season rate.

The room had a sewage smell, and the entertainment echoed down the corridor until 11:30 p.m. Earplugs might help. There are no fire doors in the corridors, so sound carries, and the hallway light shone into the room because there were no blackout curtains. That was after a rough start in the lobby, which had the feel of an empty, sad office block. The staff seemed to be trudging through their shifts. We arrived during October half-term, when it felt like everyone had stopped caring. Reception eventually moved us to another room away from the main building, where most of the activity was. The bathroom was moldy, and the shower flooded the floor, so each morning we had to mop up with our towels. The gym felt like a museum of old fitness equipment, with loose treadmill belts and a smashed mirror. The pools looked nice, but the water was freezing. The pool bar was the saving grace: the staff there seemed to like people, and the drinks were strong. The all-inclusive drinks included Rola Cola and Banta instead of Coke or Fanta, which felt nostalgic if your mum had a SodaStream in the '90s. The gin and tonic was mostly gin with barely any tonic, and tasted like it could fuel a small aircraft. The a la carte restaurant and steam room were closed for the season, and the air conditioning wasn't available either because 26°C supposedly wasn't hot. Reception said they'd speak to management and get back to us, but we're still waiting. Maybe I'm a grumpy guest, but this five-star resort felt like a two-star hotel in disguise. If you're after a budget holiday with mold, mystery smells, and noisy corridors, this could be your place. Otherwise, I'd go somewhere else.

The views were beautiful and the staff friendly, but our stay went badly when we needed a doctor for a chest infection. The reception directed us to a private hospital in Fethiye, even though the state hospital is only a few blocks away on Google Maps. They ran blood tests and scans and wanted us to stay two days; we declined. The bill was 50,000 lira, though after arguing we paid £500. I hope insurance reimburses it, but I’m not sure. My daughter improved after three days on antibiotics, so the whole thing felt like some kind of business arrangement. The rooms were just okay, nowhere near five-star, and the bathroom had mould and smelled of sewage. Food was okay too, but not five-star. We definitely won’t be coming back to Turkey.

We were happy with the welcome and had a pleasant family break at Garcia Hotel from August 20-23. Chef Murat was especially kind and attentive to guests. Our rooms were roomy and worked well for a family, while the bathroom was a little dated but still comfortable enough. There wasn’t a huge selection of food, though for the price we felt the value was good.