A small 3* hotel with its own principles. It operates on an all-inclusive basis.Fresh modern renovation, Instagrammable spots, surrounded by mountains and very beautiful nature. The views of the Blue ...
A small 3* hotel with its own principles. It operates on an all-inclusive basis.
Fresh modern renovation, Instagrammable spots, surrounded by mountains and very beautiful nature. The views of the Blue Lagoon are truly mesmerising.
The sea is a sheltered bay with no waves and a gentle sandy entrance into the water, which is very comfortable. At the end of May, the water temperature was around 22-23°C.
I will say straight away: the overall impression of the hotel is much higher than you would expect from a 3* property. However, there are several nuances that may spoil the impression.
The reception area is very small, with only a few armchairs for guests. Outside, there is also a small sofa under a canopy for around four people.
Check-in is only after 14:00. Moreover, you will NOT be allowed onto the hotel grounds where the beach, restaurant, bar and pool are located.
The most you can expect is lunch from 12:30, and only after that — check-in.
The same applies to late check-out: you are kindly expected to vacate the room at 12:00.
You can try to arrange early check-in for an additional charge or late check-out, but in 95% of cases it will be unrealistic, as the hotel is practically always fully booked. They do not intend to increase the number of people on the territory or in the restaurant, because the hotel is small and the management does not want to create discomfort for guests who are already staying there. It is important to them that guests can always find a free table in the restaurant and a free sun lounger on the beach.
The solution is to visit the nearby beach clubs for an additional charge — they are literally right next to the hotel — or to walk to Ölüdeniz, around 1.5 km away, to the public beach.
In that case, it is better to have your own beach towels with you, as the hotel will not provide them before check-in.
The hotel consists of two parts.
The buildings, except for the Superior rooms, are located on a hillside. There is a lift to some of the buildings, while the rest of the rooms can only be reached on foot, using the stairs.
The area with the accommodation blocks is built in terraces. Overall, in my opinion, the number of steps is no more than walking up to about the 8th floor.
There are no relaxation areas in this part of the hotel — only the buildings and walkways leading to them. The buildings are located close to one another due to the landscape.
There is a road between the reception and the beach area. The traffic is light, mostly taxis and private cars.
Access to the beach area is through security, who regularly check wristbands.
On the first line, there is a small pool, spa, gym, bars, restaurant, beach, children’s room, several table tennis and billiard tables, and the building with Superior rooms.
There is no animation. There is not even any music. But, to be honest, I did not notice it immediately, as everything there feels so harmonious and self-sufficient.
The renovation at the hotel has been completed. All public areas are good.
The rooms are small, around 17 m², and quite simple. The bathrooms have not yet been renovated.
There are some nuances with the rooms, so I recommend booking a sea view.
The restaurant and terrace are lovely.
As for the food: it is a mix of European and Turkish cuisine. There is enough of everything, but without any particular sophistication — as a reminder, this is a 3* hotel.
Breakfast is standard, with a limited selection of cold cuts. Do not expect blue cheeses or jamón. There is no sparkling wine either, not even at the bar.
Lunch and dinner: there were always meat and fish dishes. Red fish was served once during the week. There is also a grill, so it is definitely not just chicken. The food is tasty.
In May, the fruit selection included strawberries, melon, watermelon, apricots, apples and bananas — so everything was fine in that respect.
At 16:00, ice cream is served. There are only a few types of scoop ice cream, but it is very tasty.
Desserts: there were very few traditional Turkish sweets, but the choux pastries and profiteroles were very good.
The pastry selection was rather minimal — a few types of croissants and a couple of other buns, and that was it. The bread was always fresh, but served in factory packaging.
There are no fresh juices, but the ayran is delicious.
Alcohol: the wine — red, white and rosé — was actually quite decent. Beer is, of course, available. Spirits are also offered. They do make cocktails, but do not expect anything particularly impressive.
The Turkish coffee is very good. There is no coffee machine of the type many of us are used to.
I was pleased with the crowd. There were many Europeans, roughly as many as Turkish guests, and the atmosphere was very civilised.
Guests from our region were also quite noticeable, while I only saw a few families from Russia. Nevertheless, reception said that there are guests from Russia staying at the hotel.
There are not many children at the hotel, mostly preschool-age children. There are no activities for older children. Families who come with children entertain them on their own.
I was very pleased that there are no motorised water activities in the Blue Lagoon itself, so nobody objected to people swimming far beyond the buoys.
