Plus Paradise Agva

Our wedding anniversary stay was unforgettable. The hospitality went beyond what we expected, and the staff went the extra mile for us. Thank you all so much. Nancy, Stefan, Nathan and Dylan from Belgium

We spent the whole day here, using the pool and having a great lunch, lots of drinks, and hookah. The food was really good, especially the Turkish ravioli called manti. The DJ was awesome too. It cost 250 Turkish lira per person to use the pool, which seemed pretty reasonable, better than going to the beach and getting sand everywhere. I think the whole day cost me less than $100, which wasn’t bad at all. We were just driving by and decided to try the pool, not stay at the Otel. From the moment we arrived, we got a really warm welcome, especially from the short-haired lady. She was friendly, answered all my questions, and I think she was the manager. My kids loved the place. I had to wait an hour for the hookah, but I didn’t make a big deal of it, nobody’s perfect. Five stars, well deserved. We’ll definitely be back tomorrow.

We ended up changing rooms after one night because the mattress in the first one felt 15 to 20 years old, with springs digging into us. The deluxe room we’d booked for a romantic, relaxing weekend had a strong tobacco smell everywhere, plus a pipe smell in the bathroom. Broken wooden floor slats were hidden under a rug, there was a hole in the wall, and the floor between the dirty, nonworking jacuzzi and bed was only partly finished. The closet was out on the terrace, which looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in years. The replacement room didn’t smell and seemed cleaner, but its jacuzzi didn’t work either, and the toilet seat was off the hook. Breakfast, with wasps around, and dinner service were poor. We waited over an hour to be served and got only part of what we ordered. Although full pension included dinner, it covered only 60TL. They had around eight main dishes at that price but offered only three or four, so you might end up choosing a more expensive one. Even water wasn’t included. İbrahim was the only waiter who served us quickly and kindly, and Ali was always smiling. The pool and other shared areas were dirty and badly maintained too. It was far too expensive for what we got. We’re absolutely sure they won’t see us there again.

We left after just one night, though we had booked for a few. The room was small, and getting up the stairs with a child was difficult because there were no railings, a serious slip, trip, and fall hazard. Cleanliness needs a lot of attention, and the food could have been better, so we mostly ate outside. I’d skip breakfast and look for a decent restaurant elsewhere. The river is dirty and there are rats all around. We thought there were rats in the walls, but when we left the staff said birds were nesting there. Either way, trying to sleep while hearing “birds” crawling around in the walls was very uncomfortable. There were bed bugs, mosquitoes, and spiders in abundance. On the plus side, the location is great, the pools were clean, the staff were friendly, and there’s live music. It’s next to a river too.