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Having visited Sarigerme three times in the last five years and previously stayed at the neighbouring Hilton, we arrived with high expectations for this resort. While we had a good holiday overall and found the hotel beautiful, with well-maintained grounds and some exceptional staff members, a few service and operational issues meant it never quite delivered the 4 star+ (or 5-star, according to EasyJet) experience we were expecting.
We arrived just before midnight and received a warm welcome at reception. Check-in was quick and efficient, and we were given a map before a porter escorted us and our luggage to our room.
Prior to arrival, I had emailed the hotel requesting a room with a double bed and a separate single bed, as my son is very tall and the small pull-out sofa chair would not have been suitable. Unfortunately, this request had not been actioned, and we arrived to find a sofa bed with two pull-out sections and a very thin mattress. We were told nothing could be done that evening, but to the hotel's credit they contacted us the following morning and provided a brand new single bed. What I hadn't realised was that the sofa would remain in the room, leaving us with a double bed, a single bed, and a sofa bed all squeezed into the same space. We ventured to the late-night buffet once the bags were put in our room but was disappointed with the very limited selection available. I don’t even think there were any staff members present. If there was, they didn’t make themselves known and we received no welcome.
Storage in the room was also limited. We managed as a family of three, but larger families would likely struggle and end up living out of suitcases. On the positive side, the room was spotlessly clean, serviced daily, the minibar was restocked every day, and our pool-view balcony was stunning. We did experience some short power cuts and water temperature changes while using the shower which were not a big issue for us but if you had small children, it may have been a different story. I was also puzzled why the hairdryer was in the bathroom with a very short cable. No full-length mirror in the room either. I did notice they were installing drying racks on the balconies towards the end of our stay, so it seems additions are still being made.
Unfortunately, the lift in our building broke down early in our stay and remained out of service for the duration. We could use the lift at the opposite end of the annex, but it was understandably busy with both guests and housekeeping staff and was occasionally unreliable. My husband even witnessed someone becoming stuck in it. As a result, we frequently used the fire escape, which wasn't ideal from the third floor.
Pools, Beach & Water Park
The pools were generally excellent, and the pool loungers, complete with mattresses and pillows, were some of the most comfortable we've experienced at a resort. There was one "code brown" incident caused by a baby entering the pool without a swim nappy, which temporarily disrupted things. To the hotel's credit, after this happened, they regularly played recorded announcements in multiple languages reminding guests that waterproof nappies must be worn, demonstrating that they were taking steps to prevent a repeat occurrence. I did still see some families with babies with no swim nappies on after this though. The pool ladders and steps also felt slightly unstable and could benefit from some maintenance or some additional nonslip grips added.
We only ventured down to the beach once for a look and a quick dip in the sea. Plenty sunbeds and a little bar set up with an ice lolly freezer.
The water park was fantastic, with an incredible selection of slides and attractions. However, the non-slip flooring around the slides was extremely harsh underfoot and genuinely felt like walking on razor blades at times.
Food & Dining
The food was acceptable but became repetitive over the course of our stay.
I didn't personally have breakfast, but my husband and son generally enjoyed it, although they were served very undercooked eggs and pancakes on one occasion.
Lunch was served in the snack bar area, where it was generally easy to find a table. The selection included burgers, hot dogs, wraps, chips, pasta, and other casual dining options. The pizza was particularly good and quickly became my preferred choice. The salads were fresh, although the variety was limited and became repetitive during the stay. Some of the pastries in the dessert section appeared dry and not as fresh as they could have been. While there were several dishes aimed at Eastern European tastes, the options available for British guests felt somewhat limited, with much of the offering centred around the same pizzas, burgers, and hot dogs rather than a broader range of choices.
On one occasion, when our usual server was off, I was completely ignored while trying to order drinks, which highlighted just how dependent the experience could be on individual members of staff.
The patisserie was a lovely addition and served some patisserie items, coffee, and ice cream, but queues could be chaotic. Clearly marked queueing systems would make a huge difference, as queue jumping was a frequent issue and is probably a cultural issue in all honestly however, allowing staff to challenge guests when they do this would help as I get the impression some staff are afraid to challenge guests of certain nationalities. We have experienced this in other resorts in Turkey also.
The evening buffet was similar. There was plenty of choice, but much of it repeated throughout the week. Many dishes appeared geared towards international tastes, which isn't necessarily a criticism, but variety became limited as the holiday progressed. One thing we did notice was that chicken thigh meat seemed to feature in every chicken dish.
Service throughout the resort was inconsistent. At times, drinks arrived promptly and service felt attentive; at others, we found ourselves having to actively seek staff out. Used plates and glasses could also remain on tables for 15–20 minutes before being cleared, which detracted from the overall dining experience.
While many staff members were friendly and hardworking, a few unfortunately gave the impression that they would rather be elsewhere. That said, I also witnessed some guests speaking to staff in a dismissive or demanding manner, which cannot make their jobs any easier. It perhaps goes some way towards explaining why some interactions occasionally felt guarded or detached. Having worked in hospitality myself, I fully appreciate how challenging these roles can be, particularly during peak periods at a busy resort. For that reason, I always make a point of treating staff with respect and showing appreciation by saying please and thank you and tipping regularly for their efforts. There were certainly team members who worked extremely hard throughout our stay, but overall, the service lacked the consistency you would expect from a hotel of this standard.
À La Carte Restaurants
We visited both the Italian and Indian restaurants.
At the Italian restaurant, we had specifically requested indoor seating (after being asked by Guest relations our preference) due to the unusually high number of mosquitoes during our stay. Unfortunately, this information had not been passed on, and we were initially offered a two-person table with an additional chair added for our son. Thankfully, staff recognised our concern and moved us to a proper four-person table indoors.
The food was very good. The tenderloin was excellent, if slightly overcooked, and the service was attentive throughout the meal.
The Indian restaurant was set in a beautiful location and offered a good range of dishes. The food was enjoyable, although it once again relied heavily on chicken thigh meat. Our waiter was excellent, keeping our drinks topped up throughout the evening. They also kindly provided my son with a large plate of cucumber as he doesn't eat Indian food, which was much appreciated. A bonus was receiving a paper menu rather than having to scan a QR code.
Bars & Drinks Service
This was probably the hotel's weakest area. The bar service was extremely inconsistent throughout our stay, and there appeared to be no clear queueing system at any of the bars. This regularly led to confusion, frustration and frequent queue jumping.
The bar by the entertainment stage was a particular example. Although it appeared to have three separate serving stations, none were clearly signposted, resulting in one very long queue forming while other service points remained underused. Queue jumping was common during the evening entertainment, which only added to the frustration.
The rooftop bar offered a beautiful setting, but the service did not match the surroundings. On one occasion, we sat on the terrace for more than two hours without a single member of staff coming outside. The table we occupied, having been vacated by another family, remained covered in empty glasses for the entire time we were there. This was also a regular occurrence during the day round the pool. Glasses not being cleared for hours.
I'm also unsure why the Irish Bar is branded as such. There was no Guinness available, and staffing levels seemed inadequate. During busy periods, particularly when World Cup matches were being shown, the most staff I saw working behind the bar was two people, who were expected to both serve customers and clear tables.
My son was also overlooked on a couple of occasions while waiting to order drinks, with adults being served ahead of him despite him having been waiting first. While this may not have been intentional, it was noticeable and disappointing.
Guests seeking premium spirits should be aware that these need to be requested specifically. In addition, some cocktails carried a €20 surcharge, but this was not always made clear until after the drink had been prepared.
The rollerblading drinks server around the pool was another source of frustration. He either never approached our area or moved through so quickly that it was difficult to get his attention. On the occasions we did manage to order from him, we tipped in the hope he would return periodically, but he never did. On our second-last day, after delivering a drink, he made a point of telling me that he was off the following day in a manner that felt as though he was seeking an additional tip, which left a poor impression.
To make matters worse, the bars occasionally ran out of basic items such as straws and crisps. While not a major issue in isolation, it seemed surprising for a resort of this size and contributed to the overall impression of inconsistent service standards.
Departure Day Frustrations
Our transfer home wasn't until 7pm, which unfortunately coincided with the buffet opening time.
Lunch service finished at 5pm, and we didn't want to eat a very late lunch and then have no dinner before travelling. I emailed Guest Relations to ask about dining arrangements but never received a response, despite them being very responsive when booking restaurants. When I visited the desk, I was advised that a packed lunch could be arranged. Reception later informed us that the buffet would open at 6:30pm that evening. Unfortunately, when we arrived at 6:30pm, we were told they didn’t open until 7pm.
I spoke with a front-of-house manager, who arranged for the chef to assist us. Bread, butter and desserts were available, but serving utensils were missing, hot dishes were still covered in cling film, and several stations were not yet operational. To his credit, staff quickly organised pasta for my son and accelerated preparations, allowing us to eat before leaving. However, I was disappointed that we had been given incorrect information in the first place.
Staff Who Deserve Recognition
Several members of staff genuinely stood out:
* Hayriye in the lunch restaurant was wonderful. She always remembered our drinks orders, my chilli sauce for chicken wraps, and looked after my husband and son at breakfast too.
* Denis at the pool bar was consistently friendly and always acknowledged our family.
* Evren ("Elvis") was simply outstanding. An absolute legend. He was always smiling, approachable and willing to help, and looked after us incredibly well whenever he was on shift. The hotel would benefit enormously from having more staff with his attitude and enthusiasm.
Other Positives
The on-site shop was excellent. Prices for inflatables were reasonable, and the staff were friendly and welcoming.
The spa was also fantastic and one of the highlights of the holiday. The only negative was the pressure to book additional treatments afterwards, with suggestions about tight muscles and the benefits of further massages. It felt more like an upselling exercise than genuine advice, which slightly detracted from an otherwise excellent experience.
Final Thoughts
Overall, we had a good holiday and there are many positives about this hotel. It has beautiful facilities, fantastic pools, an incredible water park and some genuinely outstanding staff. It was a shame the gaming area wasn’t open yet either as this would’ve been great for the lower teens age group. There was nothing really for them to do apart from the water slides and some of the pool games. My son did use the football pitch but there is now where to sit if spectating and no water fridges nearby.
The hotel is clearly understaffed, and this became more apparent as occupancy increased during our stay. Service levels were inconsistent, queues were poorly managed, and several operational issues appeared to stem from a lack of staffing and supervision.
The hotel caters to a very international mix of guests, which created a diverse atmosphere. At busy times, queue jumping was common, particularly at the bars and patisserie, and there were occasional issues around pool etiquette. Better organisation and more visible staff presence would go a long way towards improving the overall guest experience.
My Suggestions for Management
* Increase staffing levels, particularly in bars and restaurants.
* Ensure staff receive customer service training and support.
* Introduce table service in venues such as the rooftop bar.
* Implement clear queueing systems in bars and the patisserie.
* Improve communication between departments so guest requests are properly actioned.
Finally, if management are wondering why some of these issues weren't raised during our stay, there is a simple reason. We witnessed another guest having an extremely heated confrontation with a manager on arrival. The guest later commented that the manager's approach was so aggressive that it left her feeling intimidated and contemplating moving hotels. Whether that was justified or not, it was enough to make me reluctant to raise every concern and risk spending my holiday involved in similar discussions. Had I not seen this take place I would’ve gladly had that conversation. Additionally, I was not asked how my stay was upon check out.
I fully expect the hotel may disagree with some aspects of this review and perhaps seek to challenge certain observations. However, everything I have written is an honest and accurate reflection of our experience during our stay. My intention is not to criticise for the sake of it, but to provide balanced and constructive feedback. I hope management will take these comments on board and use them to make improvements, while also ensuring that prospective guests have a realistic and genuine understanding of what they may encounter when choosing to stay here.
Interestingly, when speaking with several local shopkeepers in the village (which might I add is the friendliest place with so many nice people), many were keen to ask about our stay. More than one commented that they had been hearing more negative than positive feedback from guests this season. Obviously, I can only comment on our own experience, but given some of the issues we encountered, I wasn't entirely surprised to hear that.
TripAdvisor exists to share genuine experiences, and this review reflects exactly that. It was also interesting to read another recent review that highlighted many of the same issues we experienced, suggesting some of these concerns may be recurring rather than isolated incidents.
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Overall, we had a good holiday in a beautiful hotel, but one that falls well short of its full potential. The foundations are all there for a fantastic guest experience; however, a few relatively simple operational improvements could make a significant difference and elevate the hotel to the standard it clearly aspires to achieve."
