"PLEASE NOTE: As I am a recent below the knee amputee using a wheelchair, some of this review is based on my experience.
We had booked the Eftalia Blue Hotel in early 2026, and had recently read mixed reviews on social media about the food, drink and facilities etc. As a family of 3 it did panic us a bit, and on arrival first impressions weren’t the best. It was 2am and we had arrived earlier than the transfer coach due to having a private transfer. The man on reception was a little abrupt and knew our surname before we had a chance to approach the desk properly. Prior to our holiday the Travel Agent, Jet2, and ourselves had contacted the hotel to request an accessible room knowing I was going to be in a wheelchair during our stay. Unfortunately, we were all told the hotel could only allocate rooms on arrival, and there was no guarantee of an accessible room. Whether or not he knew us off the letter or not, I was not impressed with his attitude. He stated there would be no accessible room until maybe 3 days before the end of our holiday. I think he had spat the dummy out over our request.
It had been a long day, and we were ready for some rest so went to our room. The man helping us with our luggage was a lot more pleasant, and a big help once we arrived at the room that considering I was in a wheelchair was a distance from the nearest elevators.
We felt peckish before bed, so went down to Burger Land which is open during the night. We all noticed how immaculately clean the hotel was inside, and how friendly the chef (an older man) was. There were self-serve burgers, salad, bread etc on offer, and we found the food to be nice.
The room was spacious enough for my wheelchair, although with it being slightly wider than a normal wheelchair it was a bit tight getting into the bathroom. Knowing an accessible room wasn’t guaranteed, we had brought a flat pack shower/toilet stool, and some handrails with suckers on for the shower with us. Luckily, we had brought extra coat hangers with us as not many are supplied. Other than that, the room was clean and pleasantly decorated. There was a kettle, fridge with Coke, Fanta and water in, a safe and an ample amount of towels. The flooring in the rooms is a mixture of wood and tiles, so they can get a bit slippery when wet, so please be warned. We tipped 200 Lira a day to the maid, who made some nice towel art on the beds.
The food was one thing I had seen mixed reviews about on social media. The food was buffet style, and I really cannot complain about the choice. As our family don’t mind trying new things, we found there to be a great selection of food. Is food repetitive? Yes, it can be, BUT if all you are eating is chicken nuggets, chips and pizza it is going to be. With a choice of salad, vegetables, hot and cold meat selection, breads, and various nightly changes and themed nights I found over the 14 nights we stayed I could have had something different every night. The food was well displayed, with staff frequently cleaning up any spills or mess. The desserts were the same too, with a well-presented choice of tasty treats. There was fresh fruit on offer too if that is what you fancied. Amongst other themed nights there was a Chinese themed night with Sushi on offer, a Mexican night with burritos and wraps. I found the waiters very good too and noticed how quickly they cleared a table ready for the next guests. I would like to leave a big compliment for Erdi and Fatma in the restaurant as they were very friendly and helpful during our dining experience on multiple occasions.
We were also entitled to an Al la Carte meal in the hotel. Between the Grill and Italian option, we chose the Grill. This had to be booked at the guest services prior. Service and food were great; a nice setting complimented the experience also. Considering there were 5 courses, we were stuffed at the end.
One thing I read complaints about were the premixed cocktails in the lobby bar, and unfortunately, they were correct. I found they had little flavour compared to a proper mixed cocktail, and not very strong. My 13-year-old son enjoyed the ‘Mickey Mouse’ mocktail on offer. The Efes beer from all bars in the hotel was fine, and with taking our insulated cups some bar staff filled them up with beer which kept them cold for longer. The local spirits included in the all-inclusive were fine also. Being a fan of aniseed, I really enjoyed the Raki and was always given a generous measure at the lobby bar. Better cocktails are available to purchase, and although I didn’t try one, they seemed to be a popular choice for guests. At the end of the day, it was a family holiday so the drinks on offer were suffice for me to enjoy myself.
The hotel inside and out was immaculately clean, with staff continuing to clean all day into the night. There are a few shops on the lower ground floor. A jewellery shop, clothes shop, barbers, tattooist, a store, a spa and an arcade. These were slightly higher prices than outside the hotel but were very handy and conveniently placed. I used the jewellery shop to repair the ring on my pendant that had opened, and I was very pleased with the price and the quality of the repair. My wife and myself paid £100 for an hour’s massage in the hotel spa. It was a great massage in a lovely environment, with 2 lovely girls. We could have found it cheaper outside the hotel, but as I was restricted with my mobility this was the easier option for us.
After a few days my wife went to reception to see if it would be possible to change rooms, as I was struggling in my wheelchair in the current room. A pleasant girl called Seher advised her that although there was not one available that day, my wife had to try the following day to try again. Seher told her that she would pass the request onto her colleague. After going to reception the following day, my wife was told Huseyin had being trying to call the room to organise getting us to an accessible room that had become available. A bellboy was sent to our room and moved us to our new room which had a view of the pool. Slightly noisier, but with more space, a ramp onto the balcony, and a wider door into the bathroom that included a handrail on the toilet and shower seat. It was so much better than the previous room for my needs. The maid in this room excelled with towel art, and although there was a bit of a language barrier, I used Google Translate to tell her what a great job she was doing.
Another big compliment for Seher and Huseyin on the reception desk for their excellent help, considering at check-in we were told a room wasn’t available until near the end of our holiday!
The pool restaurant which was also buffet had a varied choice if you did not want to venture back into the hotel for lunch. The choices here could get repetitive, but with baked potatoes and sandwiches which were not available in the restaurant, for a snack it was enough for us.
With scheduled games, pool games and water gym throughout the day around the pool there was enough to keep us occupied. Due to a disability aid I took with me; I was able to access the pool. One day, my son thought he spotted small lumps of faeces in the pool. I agreed with him, so we approached the lifeguard who worked quickly to confirm it and empty the pool of people. The pool was cordoned off for the rest of the day. I know there were a few upset guests because of this but hats off to the pool staff who worked swiftly in sorting the matter. The pool was reopened the next day after a deep clean, and in my eyes the hotel cannot be blamed for this as they acted as quick as possible.
Disability wise the hotel was well set up. Some disabled guests had hired mobility scooters and had no problem getting around the hotel foyer. I struggled in my wheelchair to get into the store/souvenir shop due to the tight aisles, but this didn’t spoil my experience when navigating the hotel. There are 8 elevators in total, which can get busy at times. Again, not the hotels fault as you would think some able people’s legs would fall off if they climbed a flight of stairs😊.
One thing I found strange is that the disabled toilets didn’t have a hand dryer in, unlike the other toilets which did. One ironic thing I found was in my accessible room there were signs up to ask you to ‘Save Water’, but no plug available for the sink. I used one of the supplied shower caps to plug the hole when I was having a wet shave, so the water wasn’t continuously running away.
The entertainment team were a highlight of the holiday. Day and night Garfield, Koray, Nazim, Dj Muaz and Minnie supplied the games, music, gym and dances. They were involved with the nighttime entertainment, and kids club too. Although a 9:30pm start, a variety of different acts throughout the time we were there finished the night off nicely. From a bubble show, various dance shows, a stunt show, and a magician, I found the shows of good enough quality. On the Thursday night there was a party on the beach which was just through the underpass on the beach. It was quite a setup with stilt walkers and dancers, and again the entertainment team were involved. It was a shared party with the Eftalia Sol hotel adjacent to the Blue and was worth a visit. A big shout out to the entertainment team as they would chat and encourage us to get involved, and all were generally nice people.
Overall, a great hotel, and I would have happily gave it 5 stars if it wasn’t for the Accessible Room problem. And of course, we would also return in the future as the pro’s easily outweigh the cons.
One day we ventured out of the hotel to visit the surrounding area. Some of it is still under development, but there is still a couple of bars, and the Nevas Shopping Centre a few minutes’ walk from the Eftalia Blue hotel. I only bought from a couple of shops in the centre, that although were cheaper than the hotel, you were pestered by each shop owner as you passed☹.
I know rules are rules, but I was needing the toilet when we were out. I asked security at the Eftalia Aqua Hotel if I could use their facilities. I was told no, although the security lady was apologetic about it. I went to a local bar to buy a drink so I could use the toilet.
Eftalia Island
As Eftalia Island hasn’t a separate page I thought I would add it to the end of my review for the hotel. As you will find out the hotels have an underpass that leads to the ‘island’. It was a 10-minute walk from the Eftalia Blue Hotel, although in a wheelchair with 40º heat it took a bit longer for me. Amongst another waterpark there are vendors with the usual souvenirs, jewellery, ice creams, mini golf etc. As we flew with Jet2 we had access to an all-inclusive bar on the island too. Please find below my Pro’s and Cons with the Island, some based on my disability.
Pro’s
• Extra water slides and pools if you fancy a change from the hotels
• Additional place for entertainment
• Although an additional charge, my son found the zipline fun. Especially as he paid the extra for the video recording of himself with a selfie stick.
• All inclusive food wasn’t too bad for lunch. It was similar food to the hotel, but still a varied choice.
• Although busy, the odd party they threw was pretty good.
Cons
• Amphitheatre disabled ramp is a bit steep; make sure you have good brakes going down. Strong arms are required when coming up.
• Drinks – we found they seemed ‘watered down’ on the island. When my wife asked for a beer from the pump, rather than the tray on the bar the young lad serving was very abrupt.
• My son had seen the ice cream vendor show boating on social media when serving ice cream. When we ordered one, we weren’t filming. He did nothing flash but serve normally, and it ended up costing £5.05 for a single scoop ice cream.
• It can get busy and be careful of adults and kids driving around on electric vehicles.
Overall a ⭐⭐⭐✩✩ from me for the Island"
