"It’s our last day here and I’m actually lying by the pool writing this, which probably tells you we’ve had a lovely holiday.
The hotel and staff have been fantastic. Everywhere is kept beautifully clean, the grounds are immaculate and the staff are friendly, helpful and professional without being over the top.
The food has definitely been one of the highlights. It’s not just the quality either, it’s the way it’s cooked, presented and served.
Breakfast is delicious, although I would say the hot breakfast choice is a little limited and mostly revolves around different egg dishes and tomatoes. That said, there’s plenty of fresh fruit, yoghurts, breads, pastries and sweet things, so you certainly won’t go hungry.
Even in the main Palmiye restaurant, you can see the chefs and staff constantly watching the food and making sure everything is presented properly. They don’t just make it look great at the start of service and then forget about it – they maintain the standard all the way through lunch and dinner.
There’s a different theme each day. We had a fish night with things like salmon en croûte, but if you’re not a fish lover don’t let that put you off because there are still plenty of other great dishes to choose from.
And if you’ve got a sweet tooth, be prepared for a couple of fillings when you get home. 😂
We tried the à la carte restaurants and I honestly couldn’t pick a favourite because I enjoyed them all.
Roka, the seafood/Mediterranean restaurant, is fantastic if you like seafood. I had the salmon with asparagus risotto and it was cooked perfectly.
Lavanta, the Italian, was beautiful as well, although one bit of advice – leave some room from lunch! 😂 The food is very filling and you’ll want to enjoy it properly.
Safran has a great selection of food, with everything from beef cheek through to Chateaubriand.
The thing I liked about all of them is that when you walk into the restaurant they’re trying to give you a proper five-star dining experience, from the food and presentation to the service.
There is a dress code for gentlemen, but don’t get too hung up on it. Smart shorts are allowed. I always bring trousers away with me anyway just in case, but what they’re really saying is make an effort and look smart, whatever you decide to wear. When you see the effort they’re putting into the restaurant and your meal, I think that’s perfectly fair.
There’s also a lovely coffee lounge which I’d definitely recommend, with ice creams, cakes, chocolates and beautifully presented sandwiches.
The pool is big, very clean and was lovely and warm during our September stay. There are plenty of clean towels available too.
Around the pool it’s generally calm and relaxing. They do a water spin class and some water aerobics each day. It’s not really my scene, but to be fair it does get you off the sunbed and moving!
I used the gym while we were here and they’ve actually thought about it properly. It’s well equipped and well maintained with Technogym equipment, plenty of free weights, squat/bench equipment, pull-up equipment and pretty much everything you need to get a decent workout in.
There are clean towels for your face and bottles of water provided in the gym as well. One thing to remember – take your room card because you need it to get through the door.
The drinks selection is marvellous.
Whether you’re a whisky drinker who enjoys a nice malt or more of an afternoon G&T person, there’s something for everyone and the included brands are genuinely premium.
There are then some really top-tier drinks available at an additional charge – and I mean proper high-end bottles, not paying extra just to get a decent brand. The Macallan whisky selection in particular is something else, and I actually thought the additional prices were very fair considering what some of the bottles are.
There’s plenty of entertainment in the evening, normally starting somewhere around 9–10pm, so there’s something to do after dinner. What I like is that during the day the hotel still manages to feel calm and relaxing rather than somewhere that’s constantly trying to entertain you.
There really isn’t much I would change about the hotel, but there are a couple of little things worth mentioning.
You can arrange late checkout before travelling through your tour provider, but ours wanted £236 for an extra four hours, which I thought was ridiculous.
You can also arrange it directly with the hotel, subject to your room being available, and they charge €30 per hour, which I think is perfectly reasonable. Unfortunately, our room wasn’t available.
The hotel does provide showers, clean towels and changing facilities, which like everything else are spotless, and there’s the normal luggage storage area for your cases.
But here’s something I think hotels in general are missing.
One of the reasons people want to keep their room isn’t necessarily because they need the bed or shower – it’s because of their valuables. On your last day you’ve still got your phone, wallet, passport, watch, iPad, Kindle etc. You don’t particularly want to carry all that around the pool all day or leave it with your luggage.
A bank of individual secure lockers or small safes for guests who have checked out would solve that problem brilliantly. It’s only a small thing, but I think it would make a big difference.
Side itself is roughly a 20–25 minute walk along the front, depending on how quickly you walk, and I’d definitely recommend walking rather than just jumping in a taxi.
There’s plenty going on along the way, lots of places where you can stop and have a drink and the views are fantastic, especially as you start passing the old ruins.
Once you get into Side itself there are loads of pretty little shops to wander around. There are some great things for the ladies and, for the gentlemen who fancy treating themselves to a new “watch”, if you know what I mean 😉, you certainly won’t be disappointed. 😂
We also had the Indulgence package and there are some useful extras with it.
The private airport transfer is a big one. The journey is around 50 minutes, so being able to get straight in your transfer and come directly to the hotel rather than dropping everyone else off first is a godsend.
You also get an additional 3kg luggage allowance, fast track and a complimentary drink on the plane. They’re little extras individually, but together they make travelling that bit easier.
I haven’t been to Turkey for about four years, which is actually surprising because we normally manage to get away three or even four times a year if we can find the time.
We used to come to Turkey quite often and, somewhere along the way, I think I just fell out of love with it.
The Turkish people are lovely, helpful and sophisticated, the weather has been fantastic, Side is beautiful and this hotel has been everything we wanted from a relaxing holiday.
So as I’m lying here by the pool on our last day writing this review, for the life of me I can’t understand why I stayed away for four years.
I don’t think I’ll be making that mistake again. 😉"
