Barut Goia

"I visited with my 13-year-old daughter on our first solo holiday together and our first trip to Turkey. Overall, we had a fantastic stay and would happily return. Note I chose a smaller hotel without a huge water park on purpose, beach was also not a factor for me. I do however have nothing to compare the hotel to apart from my holidays in Greece etc Room & Location We stayed in a Pool Terrace Room on the slide side, which worked perfectly for us. I could relax by the pool with a book while my daughter could easily find me. Our room was opposite the baby pool and didn't get much sun until around 5pm. One thing to note: I personally wouldn't choose a garden terrace room by the slide pool, its noisy and seemed quite close to slide pool beds, maybe perfect with kids though. The garden terrace rooms on the non-slide side looked excellent, with a quieter setting close to the bar and restaurant without being directly on top of the pool. If travelling without children, or with older children, I would probably choose one of those. For anyone researching room locations, it's worth looking up the hotel's floor plan online, as the layout can be confusing due to the duplicated pool areas. I did make a request to be on slide side. Pools & Sunbeds The slide-side pool is the livelier area, with music and easy access to the main bar and restaurant. The pool (same both sides) itself is excellent, with a gently sloping shallow area that is ideal for younger children and easy access for everyone. The deepest section is 1.4m, and the water was wonderfully warm. The baby pool is covered and this would be a great hotel for people with younger babies as they have a service offering things you need i believe even buggies I think! I am an early riser and was usually out by 6:30am. Even then, there were already a few guests out and quite a lot of sunbed reserving on some days. By breakfast time, many beds had towels on them, and some remained unused for long periods. With unlimited towel collection and no requirement to return them, it's easy to see how this happens. We didn't use the beach, so I can't comment on that. I never saw the poolside been washed down, it must have been as saw it wet but I would say the beds themselves looked a little grubby. Nothing major but it is one of things i noticed. Certianly the drinks trays were not always emptied when I got up in the morning, luckily I did not see loads of wasps from this! Guests could also do better at clearing up their own glasses as they did not come and do this all the time. Water Slides & Safety The slides were great fun and generally well supervised. Lifeguards were good at stopping children swimming near the slide exits. Around the main pool, however, the lifeguards seemed positioned quite far away. That said, I was surprised by the number of young children moving between the pool and slides without obvious adult supervision. Food & Drinks The waffle bar was a big hit, with generous portions and plenty of chocolate sauce. A few additional sauces would make it even better. I was told the sandwiches from there were also good. Ice cream was available all day at main bar on slide side, assume same on other side, plus buffet. We only had lunch once at the restaurant on the quieter side of the resort, but the food was good and service was quick once we were acknowledged. I wish we'd used it more, but convincing my daughter to leave the pool was nearly impossible! The drinks were generally very good. The Sunset Bar was lovely especially for a pre-dinner cocktail while watching the sunset. There was one lady there who made exceptional cocktails. I enjoyed strawberry mojito, daiquiri and another. I never asked for premium brands apart from pink gin. I did not mind my cocktails not been to strong. Most of the bar staff were excellent, friendly, and engaging with guests. Water I usually take a bottle and fill, it blew my mind the water was bottles on the bar/from fridge. They happily filled my bottle with ice but there were so many barely drunk plastic water bottles around as it was so hot water got warm fast. I am used to being in places with a dispenser to fill a bottle or they give glasses of water. Was just surprised at the plastic usage that was all! Buffet Restaurant The buffet was probably the weakest part of the experience, although the food itself was good. There was plenty of choice, including excellent salads, pasta, burgers, lamb, fresh omelettes, pancakes and a dedicated children's section with favourites such as pizza and pasta. Food was regularly replenished and I never struggled to find something to enjoy. The issue was more with the organisation. There were no greeters and drinks service was inconsistent. Sometimes we were offered drinks quickly, other times not at all. The staff were friendly and hardworking, but the restaurant occasionally felt understaffed and a little chaotic. We sat outside one evening, which was lovely, although quite warm. Even indoors, the air conditioning didn't always seem particularly effective. The staff were not being rude I think maybe just understaffed. Entertainment My daughter and I enjoyed the evening entertainment, although we didn't watch every show. We're still singing the entertainment team's song now! The atmosphere throughout the hotel was friendly, relaxed, and safe. Shops, Spa & Departure Day The on-site shop was reasonably priced. We bought a bag there and, while I know some guests negotiated lower prices, I felt the price was fair- daughter was delighred with her chloe bag, they sold a vast range of items. The market and snack shop were also sensibly priced for items such as crisps and ice creams. Purchases are simply charged to your room on a charge card and settled at checkout. On our final day, we used the spa facilities for a shower before our late transfer. The spa staff were welcoming and helpful, and the porters were excellent. We stored our luggage and collected what we needed later. For us, there was no need to pay for an extra room, as the available facilities were perfectly adequate. Travel Notes One thing worth mentioning for travellers requiring assistance: our experience with Jet2 special assistance was disappointing. Stansted did not initially call specoal assistance up, and Antalya Airport offers very little in terms of the queue-skipping support that many UK airports provide. We were directed through the disabled lane at security before passport control, but otherwise there were limited benefits. I booked a private transfer recommended on a FB group, is it normal in turkey to be waiting for the drivver at the stand for 15 mins then taken kerb side waiting another 5+ he then stopped for fuel on the way! a normal transfer was maybe 1hr 15, not sure for coach! Final Thoughts This was a lovely hotel with a great atmosphere, excellent pool and room, friendly staff, and plenty to keep families entertained. I would love more snacks available but that is preference and I knew the waffles and sandwiches were the snacks available. I do think like me many people booked more last minute this year and maybe the hotel was not staffed for the peak time. Would I return? Absolutely, especially if I found a good deal. One small suggestion for the hotel: the poolside toilets could do with more frequent cleaning during the day. They were often very wet and occasionally a little smelly, although this is perhaps inevitable in a busy pool area. Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐½"

"Overall, the hotel met most of the expections that we had, was a really pleasant stay and great value for money. As a couple, we were a little unsure how we would manage as the hotel seemed as very catered to kids, but it was still great for us and there was lots of other couples as well. There were a few things that missed the mark, which I would normally rate 4*. However for the price point, food quality and majority of service I think a 5* rating is fair for a few hiccups. Please see my full honest review below. Food Food was on point for pretty much every meal. We mainly did breakfast and dinner, and can't think of any specific faults. The buffet was constantly topped up, food was never usually cold or low quality and there was a good enough variety for it to not get too repetitive over a weeks stay. The snack bar was also good at the noisy pool, fresh delicious waffles, sandwiches and ice cream from the bar. A fruit basket on arrival appreciated. Rooms We had a deluxe suite and I don't think I'd ever be happy without a lounge area again! We also had a kitchenette which we didn't use being all inclusive but it was handy to have a mini fridge (restocked everyday) and some cupboard space for snacks we had bought. However, one of the main problems I faced was the housekeeping in the rooms. We had 2 singles pushed together and 2 singles duvets (fine didn't bother my partner and I) but often found the beds not properly made, the duvet was moreso just thrown back on top of the beds, and a quick mop around. Towels were restocked everyday even when I hung them to dry (the hotel actively encourages you to reuse them to help the environment) I'm not fussy when it comes to housekeeping as I know there's a highturnover room rate, but when you go to a 5* with a label like Barut I did at least expect sheets to be retucked in. When I unpacked my suitcase on the floor and picked it up to put it away, it was covered in dust and other hard bits. Staff Everyone we met was pleasant, but some more so then others. Certain staff we found looked at us like aliens and didn't want to engage at all. The animation team were stand out, we didn't spend a lot of time in the hotel as we did a lot of excursions in the day time so I can't comment much on the activites but we did join water polo and aqua gym mid week and it was great! Especially the water polo was a lot of fun. The entertainment was 10/10 for me, a lot of dance groups/acrobats but it was amazing every night and amazingly talented people I never missed a night. Hotel itself Set over a nice space, we were on the quiet side but spent a lot of time in the noisy side as we liked the music and activities. They have the most beautiful resident cats, they seem very well looked after and they were such a highlight. Lovely well looked after grounds and big pools so never felt crowded. Lots of sunbeds. In our building, I did think the communal area needs some work, the hallways are painfully warm even in September evenings and the lift is very slow, seems old and not very clean it has some odd stains on the doors. TIP: the taxi rank outside the hotel will still take advantage of tourists! We thought as they operated so close to the hotel they would be okay, set prices on a board. We took a 7 minute journey and were charged €18, absolute rip off and unfortunately we didn't realise the taxi meter was a thing before we got in, should have done research before hand so also on us. Got the bus back for 30 lira with the man trying to get us in a taxi when we got arrived off the bus....? Old town nice only a 15 mins walk, area felt safe even after dark."

"What an amazing stay we've had at Barut Goia! Staff were all so kind, welcoming, and friendly! The entertainment staff in particular were amazing! They all made my little boy feel so special! And a show every single night is so good- not sure when they get a day off!👏👏 Beach is literally across the road and free shuttle bus every 30mins or so is perfect. The all inclusive is also excellent, constantly fed and watered, ice creams branded drinks, popcorn in the evenings for the shows- honestly had such a great experience here. Place is constantly being cleaned, if I'm being super picky, the only place that needs a clean is the stairs to the water slides, but they arent awful. Food is really good, we particularly enjoyed Olaya for lunch, but the buffet has something for everyone. Loved that there's 2 pools, so if you wanted a more lively day you can choose the 'music pool' but we opted for the 'quiet pool' as it wasn't as busy. Rooms are spacious and tidy, mini bar replenished every day with cans of coke, some beers and waters. For our first all inclusive with our little boy this absolutely exceeded our expectations! Would 100% book to come back!"