Gardenia Beach Hotel - All Inclusive

Avoid. Do not holiday in Turkey if you value your safety. The hotel staff say they don't have a phone number for the police. A quick search on google provides a phone number. This hotel (receptionist and manager) admitted they knew the couple who hit me and that they lived at the hotel but denied it to the police and I was told I needed more proof before the police would accept a crime had been committed, that I would have to find an approved translator and pay for them to make a complaint. The hotel were about as unhelpful as you can be. If this is the standard of service and help you get in Turkey I now understand why their price is less than most of Europe as you are unsafe, at high risk of harm and their police seem to blame tourists for being in the way of a Turkish person's fist.

I've just returned from my second stay in this hotel this year and I am already planning the next one. First time I came here, it was the very start of the season and this time it was a couple of weeks before season's end. This was noticeable: the staff looked quite tired after a long season and there were some small logistical limitations introduced (e.g. the beach bar was closed in the evenings). The hotel was already only half-full by that time. Despite this, everyone was still doing their best to make it a great experience for guests. And again they did a great job. Still there was a wide range of quality meals to select from in the restaurant, still a clean and well-maintained beach, still friendly looks and diligence from the personnel. And, above all, still a perfectly functional animation team full of energy and running like clockwork. No activity has been cut from the daily schedule, and even for a handful of guests, that was left this late in the year, the high-quality performances from professional artists were still on every evening. The animation programme makes all the difference. At its core, this hotel is a sleepy slow-paced place. A phlegmatic character will feel right at home: spend a day on the beach with a wide selection of refreshments readily available all day, or go to the restaurant and spend a couple of hours sipping beer by the pool, or visit an on-premise spa. This is all well and good, however, for those, that need just a bit more drive to their holiday, the animation is what makes this place really come alive -- it is the heart, that makes its blood flow, colours the days and makes them memorable. Again, special thanks goes to Ahmed and Dora for being at the top of their game. Animation team's performance is the reason why I came back the second time, and why I am coming back again. The motto of this hotel is "your second home", and this is not an empty phrase. Coming here again really does feel like coming home -- surprisingly, a lot of members of the staff actually recognise and greet you after several months, and I've seen far more familiar faces among the guests than I expected. I am deliberately not mentioning any negative points about my stay -- of course, there are some minor hiccups here and there -- same as anywhere else. But whatever slight inconveniences there are, they get fixed swiftly, and more importantly, they are completely overshadowed by the overall impression of being welcome, being among friendly faces, feeling at home. P..S. Tips: 1) If you're a beach type, you might not want to go to the main restaurant during lunch time, the "snacks" at the beach bar are full meals that can sustain you until dinner, and thus save time. 2) The cats are adorable, but don't feed them the food from the restaurant -- it's often very bad for them. Instead, buy a pack of the cat food at the reception or at a supermarket, And don't be fooled by them -- they might look hungry, but from what I've gathered, they get