Meril Boutique Otel

The staff were consistently polite and ready to help. Muhammad from the bar especially deserves praise for his dedication and work ethic. The manager really should give him a bonus. This was a last-minute holiday, so we're not too upset about how it went. Still, I feel for people who arrive at this resort expecting a lot.

The spa was a bright spot. It was really nice, and the Thai lady was lovely, though we heard her telling the owners she wasn't getting enough work or salary. The bar staff were nice, the beer was good, most other drinks were okay, and the freshly made afternoon doughnuts were a treat. The hotel does have potential, but we were very disappointed. We love Turunc and have visited three times; a stay at Meril could put people off coming back. We raised problems with reception within five minutes of arriving. They said changing rooms would cost another 150 euros, on management's decision. The TV had no cable attached, the fridge was broken and filthy, the bath surface was peeling, there was no shower gel, and the towel holder was coming off the wall. We had just one coat hanger, no safe, dirty floors that turned my son's socks filthy within five minutes, and an air-conditioning remote that didn't work while the unit leaked. Our ground-floor patio door wouldn't lock, which felt unsafe. We all got throat infections. Our room wasn't cleaned until day four, after we complained and were told housekeeping had problems. By day six we had lost confidence and asked our tour operator to contact the hotel. We had to use napkins as toilet paper when supplies ran out, and night reception told us to wait for housekeeping. Guests could eat dinner right outside our balcony. There was only one meat choice, with flies over the food. I have a fish allergy, and on three nights fish was the only option. Turkey was served another night, but it was so tough you could hardly cut it. When my partner asked for bottled water, sometimes he got it and sometimes he was told it was only for the bosses. We were given filtered tap water, which left us wondering why the bosses wouldn't drink it themselves. After the official complaint, the hotel staff laughed at us and we felt intimidated. At 4 pm on our last day, they said we'd get no more food or drinks, only water. Our flight wasn't until nearly 2 am, and our son and his friend were with us. Other guests had been served until checkout. They nearly refused us a shower too, and reception had to call the owners for permission. I've never encountered anything like it, and believe it was because we'd complained. We ended up having a lovely meal in Can, which turned a bad day around. The white grills around the pool were filthy, and once the toilets behind the restaurant went three days without cleaning. Food was limited and poor, so we ate out most nights, as did other guests we met. Online reviews all looked good, but the recent ones seemed to be from people who had only posted once, which made us suspect they were fake. This could be a lovely boutique hotel, but not with the current owners. It needs a deep clean, repairs, and better customer service and management. We've complained to our holiday provider, and wouldn't stay here again until the owners show the place care. We're returning to Turunc in September for our fourth visit, because we know this experience isn't the norm and we love the town.

We came in September mainly to spend our time by the sea, and never used the pool. It is cleaned every evening and is 1.4 m deep, but I don't see the point of spending a whole holiday by the pool when the sea is there. The rooms were okay, though they need repairs. The shower had no curtain or door, so the floor got wet each time and we wiped it with the bath mat. I wouldn't go in without slippers: it didn't look clean, and after a couple of showers there was yellow buildup on our slipper prints. The showerhead came off while my boyfriend was using it. For three days we had only the hose. We weren't charged for it, unlike someone who said they had to pay for a broken shelf, but no one repaired it. Rooms were cleaned every day or two, though staff only made the bed and vacuumed. That will be enough for some people, not everyone. There's soap by the sink and in the shower, but it wasn't refilled. The old fridge only worked with the room card, so drinks weren't cold when you got back after leaving the room. For me, the biggest issue was food labelling. Nothing had a name or ingredient list, including possible allergens, so you had to guess or trust what the grill cook told you. There was an outdoor grill each dinner, chicken on two days and “turkey” patties on two others that tasted like lamb to me. Salads at dinner weren't fresh, apparently leftovers from lunch. The selection was okay but repetitive, and after two or three days we wanted alternatives. There were meals for breakfast, lunch, coffee break, and dinner, and the bar stayed open until 11 PM. I didn't have much beer or alcohol, so I can't really say if they ran out. The food was decent, but we started eating out after two days and had lunch at the beach. There was no Wi-Fi in the rooms, presumably because the number of connections was limited. If you need to work, I'd get an eSIM. I used Revolut eSIM and it was good value, especially since there's no 5G in Turkey anyway. Some reviews seemed to expect the quality of famous international four-star chains, which doesn't make sense at this low but reasonable price. It's not a four-star experience, but it's also unrealistic to expect chain-hotel treatment for so little. We chose the cheapest option with no big expectations because we planned to spend our time at the sea. If you're okay spending money outside the hotel and aren't committed to using the all-inclusive package you paid for, it's a fair choice. I hope they label food and allergens, fix up the rooms, even cosmetically, and clean the rooms and bathrooms more carefully. I'm not sure if this is down to the staff or a lack of proper supplies. From what I saw, it seemed to be the staff. There's also free pool and table tennis, though both are in poor condition.

We came back to Turunç for the third time with our two young adult sons and chose The Meril Club Hotel Adults Only because of its many 5-star reviews and claims of excellent food. That mattered to us because this was our sons' first visit. From the moment we arrived, the stay was a disappointment. We asked to change rooms after seeing them and were quoted €150. Both rooms had filthy laminate floors with sections coming apart, peeling painted bath surfaces and black mould, a detached towel rail, and no shower gel, basic soap, or enough toilet paper. We had to use restaurant napkins. There was no TV power cable, the stained fridge didn't work, and the air-con remote was broken while the unit kept dripping, so we used towels to catch the water. The ground-floor patio door wouldn't lock, there was no safe, the balcony was blocked by dining tables and offered no privacy, and we had only one coat hanger. Dirty glasses from another room sat in the corridor for six days. We were told housekeeping would come every two days and replace towels, but our room wasn't cleaned until day four, after we complained. Reception said they were short of cleaners. Our reminders after that were ignored, so on day six we contacted the tour operator, who got the hotel to clean the room and fix the towel rail. I thanked the manager and got a simple “You're welcome,” which felt like no accountability. The food and restaurant were dreadful. Everyone in our party got throat infections, which we strongly suspect came from food or salads made with tap water. The hotel seemed aware there was a water issue: when we asked for bottled water, we were told it was for the owners only. With someone in our group allergic to fish, serving fish almost every night with no meat alternative meant we and many other guests had to eat out each evening. Toilets by the restaurant and pool were consistently filthy, with faecal matter left uncleaned. After our tour operator made an official complaint, staff and owners became openly intimidating and unwelcoming. The owners staying with their children in an “Adults Only” hotel also undermined the reason we chose it and showed disrespect to guests. We overheard employees complaining about pay and working conditions. On our last day, we were asked to pay £50 per person for late checkout, so we left at noon. Other guests could use the facilities until their later flights, but at 4 pm we were told we could have no more food or drinks, only water, unless we paid. Our departure was at 9 pm and the flight nearly 2 am. It wasn't a hardship since we preferred eating elsewhere anyway. It seems obvious to us that the online reviews have been manipulated, with 5-star scores mainly from accounts that have only reviewed once. We expected the owner's reply to be defensive and fabricated, based on responses to other unhappy guests. The hotel seems to have serious financial and management problems. It's sad, because it looks as though it used to be a lovely place and has badly deteriorated. Turunç remains charming, with plenty of good places to stay, so don't let this put you off visiting. Avoid The Meril Club Hotel. It needs an urgent official investigation into how it's run, or tour operators should remove it from their listings.