MWe’ve just returned from a 7-night stay during October half term with our 2-year-old and 8-year-old.
First, to address the title: Anyone with a phobia or dislike of cats should avoid this hotel! I hadn't appreciated just how many stray cats and kittens would be roaming the grounds, poolside areas, lobby AND indoor dining hall. If you're not bothered by cats, here's our experience.
ROOMS: We stayed in a sea-view room in Block F. It was spacious, with a large bed, single bed and travel cot, plenty of wardrobe space and good blackout curtains. However, the travel cot mattress was in very poor condition, the cupboard doors slammed loudly and the walls were thin, so noise travelled easily. Housekeeping was also very disappointing. Floors weren't swept, even after requesting it, and the bathroom didn't appear to be properly cleaned throughout our stay. Beds were made and towels folded, but that seemed to be about it.
LOCATION: Not within walking distance of anywhere other than a small supermarket and mosque. We used the local buses to visit Didim market, Didim beach and Mavisehir night market. Buses were inexpensive (100–160TL for the four of us per journey). Didim beach has lovely soft sand, unlike the hotel's small-stone beach. The sunset along Mavisehir promenade was beautiful!
ENTERTAINMENT: The kids' mini disco was fantastic, thanks to the brilliant entertainment staff. However, the kids' club was disappointing, with very few toys, many broken or missing pieces, and limited activities for younger children. It also didn't feel particularly clean. T-shirt and bag painting was available at an additional cost of €15/800TL.
On the full day of rain, the hotel didn't organise any additional indoor entertainment, such as a film, which would have been appreciated.
POOLS: The main pool and small splash pool were heated, but still felt cold on cooler days. The splash pool also looked quite dirty. The main pool was 1.5m deep throughout, while the other pools were shallower but absolutely freezing! Our children wouldn't go in them.
FOOD: A good selection overall, with different main dishes and desserts each evening, although the salads were repetitive. The food was okay rather than amazing, and we would have liked to see more authentic Turkish dishes and traditional Turkish bread. Other food outlets weren't consistently open due to the end of the season.
We ate at the Italian à la carte, which was enjoyable, although naturally there were even more cats around the outdoor dining area!
One particularly disappointing experience was arriving at 10.30pm to find no food available. We asked whether we could get some chips for the children, but were told we had to wait until the midnight snacks.
HOTEL GROUNDS: Lovely grounds, provided you're happy sharing them with cats and kittens around almost every corner!
WEATHER – END OF OCTOBER: Very hit and miss. We had some lovely sunny days, but also several thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds. The highest temperature was around 23°C, which wasn't warm enough to make the freezing pools enjoyable. Ponchos were provided on rainy days, but guests staying outside Block F had to walk there in the rain and storms to get their food.
TRANSFERS: We arranged private return transfers from Bodrum airport using Magia VIP Transfer for £130. They were very good and would recommend them.
OVERALL: We felt the hotel was a little disappointing, particularly regarding cleanliness, facilities and the lack of activities during bad weather. Perhaps our experience was affected by visiting at the end of the season, with the hotel and surrounding area preparing to close.
To finish on another negative, we requested a late checkout on our final day (the hotel was closing the following day and operating at low capacity) and were quoted €75.
Unfortunately, the combination of these experiences meant we were ready to leave and have no desire to return to this hotel or the area.
