"A fantastic, relaxing week at the Royal Golf Villa with our 15-year-old daughter. Having stayed at many considered high-end hotels around the world (including Mandarin Orientals, Rosewoods, Brenners Oetker Group, Astorias), this was our first Kempinski and we would gladly return! While it may not feel quite as noble or extreme in its luxury as some of those brands, the value for money was very good and the service excellent, making it absolute perfection for this particular holiday, in this location.
In Turkey we’ve previously stayed at Gloria Serenity and Kaya Palazzo Golf, we all agree that Kempinski suits our style best for its quiet luxury, relaxed atmosphere, discretion, and well-behaved guests.
Service & Staff Highlights
Outstanding Mentions: A special note of thanks to Ömer at concierge and Mutti at the pool bar for their wonderful, polite, and good humoured service that truly made our holiday feel special. The staff at the resort were all very friendly, helpful and nothing too much effort, excellent service.
The Pool Bar & Mutti: Mutti is a great bartender, he remembers your preferred drink and how you like it, without ever being over the top. We felt completely happy letting our 15-year-old daughter spend hours at the bar, grateful for how Mutti kept a watchful, appropriate and positive eye on her so she could enjoy her independence.
Butler Service: Villa guests get a designated butler and a group WhatsApp chat including the Lady in Red team. We didn't find our specific butler particularly useful, as he struggled a bit with English.
The Royal Golf Villa Experience
Location & Quiet: Staying by the lake was a great choice. It's a smart location to request because it sits at the rear of the villas' road/path, meaning you completely avoid the noise of staff and guest buggies regularly driving past your front gate.
Minibar & Housekeeping: I don't think I've ever seen a minibar so well-stocked, and they happily provided extra of anything you particularly liked. Housekeeping did their job reliably, though we had to ask for extra towels daily, rather than them automatically remembering to replenish them, even with a discreet tip.
Maintenance & Cleanliness: The villa was very clean, aside from the usual wear-and-tear scuffs from high occupancy. A nice surprise was when the garden and pool maintenance team proactively noticed a broken pool light and fixed it without us saying a word, something that should be considered standard, but often isn‘t.
Decking Issue: The wooden decking by the pool isn't ideal; water, heat, and humidity have warped the wood in parts, making it uneven and hazardous when barefoot. It's not a major issue, but it looks poor for a high-end luxury residence.
Dining & Restaurants
Sofra by the Lake: Villa guests can use this restaurant throughout the day. The decor and location are lovely, and it was great if you wish to avoid the main buffet. While earlier visits were peaceful and not busy, our last evening felt haphazard. With more guests, service was slow (we waited 15-20 minutes just to order, and appetizers were forgotten). Staff lacked clear section organization, leading to a "free-for-all" where larger, noisier groups grabbed all the attention.
Alternative Dining & Restaurants Notice: Note that the Cilantro and Spice Traders restaurants are not operating as separate à la carte restaurant areas as advertised. Instead, alternating theme nights are held at the Palm Lounge, which are à la carte and require reservations (though there is no extra charge for villa guests).
General Food & Standards: Food was good across the board and we were happy to see guests didn't pile their plates high at the buffets. Tables were constantly sprayed and wiped down, we never encountered dirty tabletops, cutlery, or glassware and large cotton napkins at all restaurants (including the beach lounge) were a great touch.
Beach, Pool & Activities
Sunbeds & Cabanas: We never had to fight for sunbeds or reserve them at the crack of dawn. It was only ever busy right after breakfast until 11AM then virtually empty until it picked up slightly around 4PM. We also rented a cabana for a day (with a 20% villa discount) and the attentive staff regularly checked if we had any wishes. You could opt to eat lunch at the cabana or the restaurants. Snacks and fresh fruit supplied endlessly.
Water & Watersports: The beach was clean with no litter. Water entry has small pebbles for the first 1–2 meters depending on the tide, but turns to pure sand underneath, beautiful, warm and comfortable for long swims. We rented a jet ski for a very reasonable €140 for 30 minutes (far cheaper than the neighboring Kaya Hotel) and the staff were very helpful with swapping passengers during the 30mins. if you wish you can buy about 3 minutes of drone footage of your experience for €50, it's edited nicely to music and panoramic views, but simply too expensive and not worth it for us personally.
Atmosphere & Entertainment
Crowds & Guests: The guests were well-behaved, even during World Cup football nights! There was no rowdy behavior, drunkenness, or entitlement. There was a high percentage of Russian guests, but thankfully none of the "flashy influencer" style, alongside plenty of Turkish and other European guests, a truly good mix of courteous people.
Evening Vibe: Live music at the beachside Palm Lounge every night (featuring everything from classic rock and golden coast to latino) was a great way to finish dinner before ending the night at Putters Bar in the main building for a round of billiards and a drink.
The Hotel never felt crowded or loud, there was a good staff to guest ratio and we had a fabulous week. We would happily return!
Note that we didn‘t play any golf, but heard that the course was excellent."
