"I booked this hotel largely because of the excellent TripAdvisor reviews, so I feel it's important to give an honest review of my experience, as there were several things I wish I had known before booking.
The positives: The pool is large, there are plenty of sunbeds and the family who run the bar are genuinely lovely and friendly. The pool itself was one of the best things about the stay. Hiring a buggy was also a godsend and made getting around much easier.
However, there were quite a few negatives that I don't feel are reflected in the TripAdvisor rating.
Firstly, be aware of the £70 air-conditioning charge for the week. I hadn't realised this when booking. The air conditioning is only in the bedroom, which is a major issue when temperatures are 35–36°C+, as the living area becomes extremely hot.
The accommodation itself was very dated and not particularly clean. To give UK readers an idea, the rooms reminded me of Pontins both in terms of the size and the standard of cleanliness. Our room had a strong musty/mouldy smell when we arrived. The two-ring hob was dirty, the shower needed cleaning and there was toothpaste residue left around the sink and walls from previous guests. There were also no cleaning products provided, so I ended up buying my own.
Housekeeping was very limited. The cleaner came in each day to empty the bins, and she was a lovely lady, but the room wasn't swept or properly cleaned during our stay. The bedding was changed once during the week, but that was essentially the extent of the cleaning.
The kettle was particularly concerning. The one provided had wires visibly hanging out of it, which in my opinion was a potential fire/electrical hazard. See pictures attached. Luckily, I had brought my own travel kettle from the UK.
The photographs online give a much nicer impression of the accommodation than we experienced. The room was basically two single beds in the bedroom and a sofa bed in the living area. The sofa bed was uncomfortable, and because the air conditioning was only in the bedroom, sleeping arrangements were difficult.
There are no lifts, which is something to seriously consider if you have children, lots of luggage or any mobility/accessibility issues. We were only on the first floor and even that was difficult with two children and suitcases.
Checkout facilities
Another thing I wasn't prepared for was what happens after checkout. We checked out at 12, but unlike most hotels, there was no proper luggage room or dedicated changing/shower facility.
Our luggage had to be left in the reception area. Considering our children's floats had disappeared within minutes earlier in the holiday, I certainly wouldn't feel comfortable leaving valuables there.
To get changed, we had to use the one small public toilet cubicle, and the only shower available was a very cold shower outside in front of everyone.
So if you have a late flight, be aware that there isn't really anywhere comfortable or private to spend the remaining hours after checkout.
The location also wasn't what I expected. I believed we were booking somewhere close to the centre, but it was further out than I realised, and walking into the centre involved some very dark, isolated-looking areas at night. With two young girls, I wasn't comfortable doing that.
We were also told the beach was around a 10-minute walk. In 36°C heat, it felt considerably more difficult than that. This is why we ended up hiring a buggy, which I would recommend if you're staying here. They are reasonably priced, but be very clear about arrangements when you leave it for charging, as we had several problems with ours being swapped.
0One final thing: don't leave belongings unattended around the pool. We left our children's floats for literally a few minutes while walking across to reception and came back to find them gone. Reception pointed to a sign saying the hotel wasn't responsible for belongings. We never got them back.
The self-catering
This was my first self-catering holiday in years, and I won't be doing it again in Turkey.
The facilities simply weren't suitable for me to cook in. The two-ring hob was dirty and the pans were scratched and dirty, so I didn't feel comfortable preparing food there. We therefore ended up eating out every day.
We did eat at the hotel bar/restaurant a few times. Some things were reasonably priced, but other items were quite expensive.
Because we couldn't realistically use the cooking facilities, the cost of the holiday quickly increased through eating out and paying for extras. I probably spent more on this holiday than I ever have, despite booking self-catering.
Based on this trip, my advice would be to go half board or all-inclusive in Turkey rather than self-catering. By the time you've paid for food every day and all the extras, you can end up spending what you would have spent on a much more inclusive holiday anyway.
Would I stay here again?
Definitely not.
I don't want to unfairly criticise a family who were personally very friendly to us — the family-run bar staff were lovely — but a good holiday depends on more than friendly staff and a nice pool. I booked this hotel based on the TripAdvisor rating, and I simply wish I'd had a more balanced picture before spending my money.
A note about Icmeler
We chose Icmeler after staying in Marmaris last year and visiting Icmeler regularly by dolmus. We thought we'd try staying there this time because we remembered it being busier in the evenings.
Icmeler is lovely, friendly and much quieter than Marmaris, but personally I found it became repetitive after a while and I wouldn't choose to stay there again. I prefer Marmaris for the atmosphere and the amount there is to do.
A couple of tips if you're visiting: shop around for souvenirs and gifts, as I found Icmeler noticeably more expensive than Marmaris and you can get better deals in Marmaris. Also, check drink prices between bars they can vary considerably. We found cocktails significantly more expensive in one bar we regularly visited compared with the bar directly opposite.
Marmaris was much busier this year and the bars were more expensive, but if you want somewhere livelier with more going on, I'd choose Marmaris. If you prefer somewhere quieter, Icmeler may suit you better.
The great thing is that you can easily use the dolmus to travel between Icmeler and Marmaris, so you don't necessarily have to choose one or the other.
Everyone's preferences are different, and Icmeler certainly has its positives. But based on our experience of this hotel, I would not return and I wouldn't book it again based solely on the TripAdvisor rating."
