Recommended Turkish hotel (Alba Royal Resort (Side, Turkey))

Member Name: simonh7

Product:	Alba Royal Resort (Side, Turkey)
Date:	20/08/09 (144 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Everything

Disadvantages: Not particularly English focussed

I recently visited this hotel near Side in Turkey and had a superb time. It is actually located in a place called Colakli, where regular buses run to the resort of Side, taking approximately 15-20 minutes.

The Alba Royal is a 5-star hotel and slightly skeptical beforehand, I was proved very much wrong because the facilities, food etc really were up to scratch. The hotel is located pretty much on the beach and boasts a large swimming pool, lots of sunbathing facilities, all-inclusive food and drinks, superb entertainment and daily activities. The rooms were also very luxurious and large, even kitted out with a plush flat screen TV!

The hotel vibe is an adult one, with young children not allowed. Despite this I would not say that the atmosphere suffers as the Animation Team (entertainers) are constatntly on your case to participate in anything and everything, ranging from darts to shooting, to going to the disco in the next hotel.

The staff are very friendly and will do anything for you. The food was good and the choice was also decent, although I personally didn't rate breakfast too highly. The hotel is quite German-orientated as there are lots of German guests but me and my family didn't really see this as a problem.

Evening entertainment is good and mainly consisted of dance shows, although one night there was an amateur comedy show which actually turned out to be rather amusing. All shows take place in the mock amphitheatre within the hotel, which is a nice touch.

Sorry if this review is a bit disjointed, but snacks are available throughout the afternoon and for those who want a gym, this hotel does have a pretty decent gym with a couple of cardio machines, a few resistance machines and a set of free weights. My only complaints are that reception did not speak much English so we had a right game on our hands when our air-con broke. Also, the beach is a little spoilt by the odd looking sun shades which are like big metal frames and not particularly pleasing on the eye.

Overall though, we had a great relaxing week, enjoyed the food, the facilities and the entertainment so cannot complain at all. Book early and you may also get as good a deal as we did - £600 per person for a week, all inclusive.

Summary: Go and enjoy yourself in Turkey