Labranda Excelsior

"Fantastic Family Hotel, but One Experience Has Left Us Unsure About Returning – Please Read the Bad Bit! We have just returned from a family holiday at Asteria Collection Side, and overall, we had a fantastic time. The hotel has brilliant swimming pools and slides suitable for both younger and older children, great entertainment and, most importantly, absolutely fantastic staff. We travelled with four children, two of whom are autistic, including one who is non-verbal. The staff were absolutely amazing with them. We honestly could not have asked for more. They made our children feel welcome, comfortable and happy. Seeing how much our children loved the hotel and its staff meant everything to us as a family. I want to give a special mention to the hotel staff, the waiters and the staff around the resort who genuinely wanted us to have a great holiday. They were brilliant with our children and always made them feel special. Even the staff at the trips desk were lovely and always gave the kids attention. The shops at the hotel and around the resort also deserve a special mention. The staff were so friendly, helpful and never pushy. They even gave our children lollies for free, which they absolutely loved! My wee girl spotted a pair of shoes she really liked, and they were very reasonably priced. The staff were lovely with the kids, and it was such a pleasant experience. These little things really made a difference to our holiday. The day trips we booked through the hotel were also really good, and we had no complaints about those. Now for the one bad experience – PLEASE READ THIS BIT! Unfortunately, there was one experience that has left us seriously questioning whether we would book this holiday again. This was NOT the fault of the hotel staff, the resort team or the hotel transport. Our disappointment is specifically with the shopping trip promoted by the Loveholidays representative at the hotel. We kept receiving WhatsApp messages asking if we wanted to book a shopping trip. Eventually, on our last day, we agreed to go, mainly because we kept being encouraged to book it by the Loveholidays rep, who was there to help guests arrange trips. PLEASE, if you are staying here, think twice before booking this shopping trip! We were expecting to go to a shopping mall. Instead, we were dropped off outside a Turkish pre-market-style shop. As soon as we arrived, we were swarmed by people trying to sell us things. We repeatedly said no, but the pressure to buy was unbelievable. They were trying to get us to spend over £3,000, despite us making it clear we were not interested. What made the experience even worse was that items were being added to our shopping that we hadn't even knowingly chosen or agreed to. We were left feeling extremely uncomfortable and confused about what was being put through. Honestly, we were left with the impression that this may have been something they were waiting for us to do, rather than giving us a fair and relaxed shopping experience. We felt under enormous pressure, and the whole situation left us questioning how we ended up agreeing to things we didn't even want. We went expecting a shopping mall and a nice day out, not to be put in a position where we felt pressured into spending a huge amount of money. We eventually ended up spending a LOT of money on one shirt that we did not even want, and the quality was very poor. It was an extremely disappointing and uncomfortable experience, especially after such a fantastic holiday. What made this even more frustrating was that the shops at the hotel and around the resort were the complete opposite. The staff there were friendly, helpful, never pushy and genuinely lovely with our children. We felt comfortable shopping there, and our kids were made to feel so welcome. Would we return? This is the difficult part. We were genuinely planning to rebook this hotel with our family and another two families because we had such a fantastic time. Our children absolutely loved it, and the hotel staff made our holiday so special. However, after the shopping trip experience, we are now unsure whether we would book again. It is such a shame because the hotel itself, the pools, the entertainment and especially the staff were fantastic. We want to make it absolutely clear that the negative experience was not caused by the hotel staff, the waiters, the resort team or the hotel transport. They were brilliant, and we cannot praise them enough. The shops at the hotel and around the resort were also lovely, and we would happily recommend them. Our disappointment is specifically with the shopping trip promoted by the Loveholidays representative. We only wish we had never agreed to go. Fantastic pools, fantastic entertainment and truly amazing staff who genuinely care about families and children. We made some lovely memories here, and it's a real shame that one shopping trip has left us questioning whether we would return."

"We stayed for 5 nights as a family and unfortunately, the experience did not meet 5-star standards. The resort is around 1.5 hours from Antalya Airport, while the town and beach are within walking distance. A regular beach shuttle is also provided. We stayed in a Collection Standard Room, which was very dated and located at the back of the resort, away from the main building. The bathroom had a leaking ceiling, and the old, loose carpets outside the room made it difficult to push a pram. In our opinion, the room was closer to a 3-star standard. The booking photos mainly show the main building, so be aware that standard rooms may look very different. Our biggest issue was the minibar, which was not cold enough to store expressed breast milk for our baby. Despite reporting this immediately, it took 3 days to resolve. We had to use our parents' room and the kitchen freezer to store milk and ice packs. Only after involving Loveholiday agent, a new fridge was finally provided. Some reception staff had limited English, making communication difficult, although the guest relations team were helpful. The buffet also had limited variety, with very similar food each day. The pools were nice, with three outdoor pools, but the indoor pool was closed during our stay, including on a day when temperatures reached around 40°C. Overall, we would not recommend this resort, especially for families with babies who need bottle/expressed milk storage. Considering the room quality, service issues and overall experience, we do not believe this resort deserves a 5-star rating."

"Due to go next week, but have been contacted by our travel agent that the hotel is currently closed, so alternative has been given. Please check with your travel agent, before booking as you made need alternative hotel. Feeling disappointed as booked last year."