Sapanca Balkaya Bungalow

The place was quiet and secluded while we were there, and the staff were generally good. But the breakfast was extremely poor, with plates apparently put together from the previous day’s leftovers, and hygiene was very bad. The villa had steady electricity and water, plus a heated pool and jacuzzi. Cleanliness inside was a failure, though. It looked like someone had walked around in shoes, leaving a stain that wouldn’t go away, and there was a strong cigarette smell. We suspect the blankets, cushion covers, and sheets hadn’t been washed after the previous guests. Getting there also felt like climbing a 3 km mountain, even though the villa looks close to the city. We only stayed because we’d paid. It was maybe 40% of what Instagram shows. We don’t plan to return and can’t recommend it in these conditions.

We arrived for our April 10-12 booking with my family, but the dirt was obvious as soon as we went in. We’d come all that way, so we paid and tried to stay, but lasted only two hours. It looked nothing like the photos. Within five minutes of sitting inside, insects were appearing everywhere, and the sofas were covered in cat and dog hair. They call it a “walnut house,” but the door was like a barn door, or even the one in our village that you can secure with wire. If you’re looking to pay for cleaning and insect hunting, this is the place.

We came as a family and were very happy with the hygiene and comfort. It’s a perfect place to unwind, and from now on it’ll be our only choice. Thank you.

Mr. Cengiz told us everyone was happy and that we wouldn’t regret coming. We did regret it. We were meant to leave Friday morning, but dissatisfaction drove us out early. The bungalow was supposed to be cleaned before anyone could stay, yet it was nearly all dusty. We were also woken early by construction machinery, with unbearable noise. The setting is far from the center at the foot of a mountain, with no market or grocery store nearby. Without your own car, a taxi costs 400-500. Water and electricity kept cutting out, so we couldn’t use the jacuzzi during water outages. There’s a thermosiphon, but hot water runs out quickly. The refrigerator never cooled, and the drains smelled awful. The pool was freezing. We asked for it to be heated and were charged an extra 1500. It only got warm from Tuesday until Thursday morning, despite the ad saying it had a heated pool. Its inside was painted, so the water looked like paint on your clothes. I’d have said pools without tiles don’t exist, but this one had no tiles. They said everything was provided, but all we found were disposable plates, a coffee machine, and a cheap electric touch-screen stove that was impractical. I’ve cooked for 15 years and never had such a hard time.