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Title: Fantastic stay at Arum Barut Collection – Highly Recommended!
We are a family of three (two adults and our 12-year-old daughter) who stayed at Arum Barut Collection for 11 nights in late August. Having previously stayed at both Barut Hemera and Lara Barut Collection, we had high expectations—and overall, we had a lovely holiday and highly rate the Arum!
For comparison, our family ranks the three properties as:
* Lara Barut Collection (1st)
* Arum Barut Collection (2nd)
* Barut Hemera (3rd)
Each hotel has a distinct feel, with its own pros and cons. Lara is significantly higher-priced, so it naturally feels more luxurious, but the Barut Collection as a whole consistently delivers an exceptional level of service and attention to detail.
Highlights & Best Parts of Arum
* Outstanding Staff: Every single staff member is an absolute credit to the company—friendly, polite, professional, and endlessly hard-working. From the housekeepers paying attention to every small detail to the bar staff remembering our regular drinks orders, we were thoroughly looked after. A special shoutout to Furkan, Umut, and Ali Kemal—you lads were amazing and truly made our holiday!
* Immaculate Cleanliness: The entire resort is kept spotless.
* Great Entertainment: The evening shows were of a very high standard (even if a few acrobatic acts had my heart in my mouth—I’m not sure health and safety means quite the same thing in Turkey! haha).
* Beautiful Grounds: The resort layout and gardens are extremely pretty and well-maintained.
* Top-Notch Security: My husband went for a run towards Side most mornings and noted that the security team was completely on their game. They clocked everyone coming and going, which made us feel very safe.
* Great Room Location: We stayed in a standard Family Room overlooking the main restaurant, which proved to be a perfect spot for us.
* Superb Food: The variety and quality were amazing, with something for everyone. My husband is a real foodie and declared it the best food he’s had at a resort!
* Quality Drinks: Excellent "proper" brand drinks and fantastic cocktails—I think we tried almost all of them!
Constructive Feedback / Areas for Improvement
These were minor issues that didn't warrant a formal complaint during our stay, but we hope this feedback is helpful:
* Shower Pressure: The water pressure in our shower was barely a trickle, making it quite a struggle for my daughter and me to wash and rinse our long hair.
* Room Air Conditioning: The AC struggled a bit, and we often woke up sweating during the night.
* Water Slides: My daughter was a bit underwhelmed by the slides compared to Lara, and the blue slide was out of order for the majority of our stay.
* Sunbed Policy & Morning Arguments: We experienced "sunbed wars" for the first time at a Barut property. We only learned on Day 3 about the policy prohibiting reserving beds before 7:30 AM (where unattended items are removed by the attendant). My husband runs early at 6:00 AM and usually sits on a bed afterwards to relax. One morning, he stepped away for just 5 minutes to grab a glass of water, and returned to find all his belongings removed before 7:30 AM, which felt a bit strict given he was actively using it. We also witnessed several heated arguments between guests over beds—including an unpleasant incident where we had to intervene to support an 18-year-old guest being yelled at. While we actually think the rule is a good idea, it needs to be clearly explained at check-in so everyone is on the same page. (Note: The morning attendant himself was lovely and had some nice chats with my husband!)
* Bed Setup: The mattress topper joining our two single beds didn't span the full width, leaving a noticeable ledge along the side. We felt like we were going to roll off it a few times during the night!
* Smoking in Common Areas: As non-smokers, we felt quite overwhelmed by guest smoking around the sunbeds, outdoor dining areas, and evening show seating. It’s tough when eating or sitting with children in crowded spaces.
* Late Flight / Courtesy Room Facilities: With a late flight home, we requested a room extension, but the hotel was full. When we went to use the courtesy facilities, all ~18 lockers were already locked and in use, so we had to haul our change of clothes and toiletries back to reception. The courtesy changing room itself is very small (only two showers), felt like a sauna, and became quite crowded and stressful.
Final Thoughts
Despite these small points, we had a wonderful time and would absolutely return to Arum!
Thank you to all the team at Arum Barut"
