Arum Barut Collection

"Wonderful Stay with Great Staff, Beautiful Grounds, and Just a Few Tweaks Needed ​We had a lovely stay overall! The hotel grounds are beautiful and kept exceptionally clean, and the quality and variety of food were top-notch. Staff were consistently friendly, attentive, and provided great drink service throughout our stay. Special mention to Emre, who was always friendly, welcoming, and smiling! (Bekir, guest relations, was a bit strange in comparison). ​ ​Great touch having live music every night! Most acts were really good, though a few missed the mark. ​ The main disappointment was the DJ in the disco. He didn't put in much effort and always seemed in a rush to close early. ​ The daytime pool playlist was quite annoying—it featured odd "DIY" remixes. It would be so much better if they just played normal, recognizable songs people actually enjoy. ​Overall, a fantastic holiday spot with great service—just needs a few improvements on the DJ and daytime music front!"

"We are rather disappointed. This is our 4th visit to a Barut Collection hotel and the 2nd one this year and have been to them all now. We did Lara earlier in the year and Arum now. This hotel has not delivered on our expectations. We have though discovered after speaking with customer relations that all Barut Collection Hotels dont provide the same for their guests. So find we were wrong to have expectations that they would all have the same core elements, so an expensive lesson learned. We aren’t feeling the service, luxury and prestige of an Ultra All Inclusive. Overall not a 5* experience for us sadly and would not return to this property. We’re still having a good time on holiday, our rooms and everything in there is lovely, buffet good, drinks good quality, and really pleased there is diet/light Coca Cola not seen that in any other hotel, thumbs up there, lovely grounds, beach and everything clean and is as expected. Nothing is particularly serious and not ruinous to a holiday but they are the elements and little things that enhance a stay for us in a chosen hotel and we booked as a hotel with pleasant delightful privileges. There isnt any waiter service around the sunbed areas of the pool, on the beach or at the Amphitheater. Lobby bar service is hit and miss and sometimes only the bar person in there but generally good. We asked at the pool a passing staff member if there was service around the pool to be told no we don’t do that here. The message here if you want a drink at your sunbed get it yourself which is fine in reality, no hardship going to bar but it’s not what we expected. We like good service on holiday in all areas and have become accustomed to it. Also you can end up quite a long way from a bar not everything is in a good location. No snacks offered anywhere but found out there are crisps available if you ask. No crisps or chocolate bars in the mini bar not even periodically. Pool towels only available to pick up 10am to 11am and 4pm to 5pm. Who is this convenient for. Clock watching on holiday isnt for us and rules to stick to. No individual pots of yoghurts in the morning which we usually enjoy. We don’t have the grandkids this time but I don’t see any for the little people either. No chocolates in the patisserie. Very nice Sandwiches are at a separate location by the pool so if you want a sandwich a coffee and cake not an easy one stop task. No packaged ice cream/ice lolly freezers anywhere. There is ice cream available between given hours but its location is designed to offer ice cream but can be far away from whichever bit of the pool or beach you are on so you don’t bother as it’s a bit of a trek and it’s melted by the time you get back. Loads of kids here too a freezer in the central bar would be much more convenient as almost everyone will pass that area. We love a holiday lolly. We expected nice padded sunbeds, the Barut Hemera not a collection hotel had very nice looking padded comfortable sunbeds when we walked past don’t know if that’s through the resort. Furnishings in the Bonsai and Begonya beach club dont give a feeling of luxury or comfort. Al a carte booking we have had to do most with customer relations. I’ve twice asked what time of day the online booking starts but had no response. We would have liked to have more evenings out of the buffet but there are only 3 restaurants available and all not open every night so for the volume of people in the hotel they are booked up days ahead. An al a carte is most important to us. It’s unlimited but it’s subject to availability and returning guests pre book before arrival which results in no room for you. There is only Akaysa that we would class as elegant and stylish too. The other 2 dont feel special for surroundings or service and not really gourmet. Our friend is in a wheelchair and unable to walk at the moment so I asked if we could book Sakura Asian restaurant which is located upstairs with no lift. I suggested us having a table at ground level so we could eat together and bring the food down the stairs but we were told it’s not possible which I understand but I can’t see it being a difficult request either, no extra mile given for us or attempt to accommodate. It’s a no. During the day there is a burger bar in the Sakura and we ordered a burger for our friend who isnt able to make the stairs and was told it’s not possible to take food out of the restaurant so we explained the situation and took the burger to her anyway, why would the hotel have such rules for a food outlet that isnt accessible to everyone. It’s like guests are inconvenient and must fall in-line with rules. We didn’t see any harm in someone eating a burger at their sunbed when there are people eating sandwiches around us. We returned the tray back upstairs. Also another family were told off for a family member taking his food downstairs. An observation there are a lot of smokers around the resort not nice to sit around and not good for non smokers,asthmatics and those with other breathing difficulties, we had to leave the pool area one evening and move inside due to the smoke not dispersing. It’s difficult to find a clean air zone at times. Maybe we’ve expected too much nor did we know all are not the same. Having experienced what has been offered in the other BC hotels before it has become a disappointment this trip under the collection umbrella."

"A fantastic hotel that lives up to the Barut name! We have just returned from a 14-night, all-inclusive stay at the Arum Barut Collection in Side, Turkey, and had a wonderful holiday. We would definitely return and would highly recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a relaxing beachfront holiday. We travelled as a couple, but the hotel does cater well for children. Cleanliness and Rooms – Outstanding The hotel is absolutely spotless, with beautifully manicured gardens and excellent attention to detail throughout. Our room was clean, comfortable and well maintained, with daily housekeeping. We were also pleasantly surprised to receive a room upgrade on arrival, without even having to ask. Everything worked as it should, and we had no complaints about our accommodation. Food and Drink – Excellent The quality of the food was consistently excellent, with plenty of choice across the restaurants we visited. The Sakura Asian à la carte restaurant was our favourite. We ate there twice, and the food was amazing, with great service and a lovely view overlooking the pool. The Bonsai Beach Restaurant was another highlight. Its elevated position overlooking the promenade, beach and Mediterranean makes it a wonderful place for lunch. The Palm buffet restaurant was also excellent, and we found the bars and drinks to be very good throughout the hotel. A special mention goes to Mustafa and the teams (too many lovely people to mention and we didn't get their names) at Bonsai and the main restaurant, who were all excellent. Location and Facilities The location is superb, with easy access to the beach directly from the promenade behind the hotel. The swimming pools were very clean, and the sloping access into parts of the main pool was a useful feature. The gardens are immaculate, the atmosphere is relaxed, and the hotel offers excellent facilities. The Wi-Fi was also excellent throughout our stay. The entertainment at the Pool Bar was great. The piano bar was pleasant, although the piano was only played a few times a week. We didn't take part in the daytime activities, but we appreciated that the entertainment team were available without being intrusive. A Few Areas for Improvement Having stayed at Barut Hemera, there were a few things we felt could be improved at the Arum: • Drinks service: QR-code ordering at tables across the hotel, including the beach, would have been a bonus. A more personal drinks service would enhance the experience. • Ice cream: We missed having individual ice lollies and ice creams on sticks. The options were tubs or cones with scoops from the gelato areas. • Adults-only pool: A dedicated adults-only pool, with cushions available for the sunbeds, would be a welcome addition. • Flora Coffee Shop: We felt the 12 noon opening time was rather late. • Bonsai lunch menu: A small buffet selection of hot food alongside the existing menu would provide more choice. Late Checkout We did have a query regarding late checkout. Initially, we were quoted €150 for three additional hours, but after discussing the options with the hotel, we were subsequently offered a complimentary checkout until 3 pm. It was appreciated that this was resolved, although clearer communication about the policy from the outset would have been helpful. Overall Verdict – 9/10 The Arum Barut Collection is an excellent hotel with wonderful food, outstanding cleanliness, beautiful grounds, a fantastic location and friendly staff. It maintains the high standards we have come to expect from the Barut brand. The few points mentioned above are minor and did not detract from what was a fantastic holiday. We would happily return and would recommend the Arum Barut Collection to anyone looking for a high-quality, all-inclusive stay in Side. Thank you to the team for a wonderful holiday!"