"We stayed at Voyage in September for 11 nights. We had previously visited the Sorgun location and loved it, so we thought we would give the Belek hotel a try.
Overall, we had a really lovely stay, with the customer service and staff being the main highlight. The grounds are beautiful and well-kept. Lots of green space, so much so that we saw wildlife from our balcony, including turtles, bats, and a hedgehog. The staff are always working hard to make sure you feel spoiled and looked after. We stayed in a regular bungalow – the area where these are located was quite small, and we found that no matter where you were, you ended up having to deal with a lot of noise from other parts of the grounds (or even the neighbouring hotel). Not ideal when you are on holiday and want a good night’s sleep! Originally we were directly facing the amphitheatre (not the best view!) so we moved rooms after a few days which was arranged quickly for us by our assistants in the What’sapp group (shout out to Balaiym Nurpaisova, Zhansaya, Bermet Er and Nudo). We still found the second room was noisy but by that point we just wanted to get unpacked and enjoy our holiday, so we couldn’t bring ourselves to ask to be moved again. Our room was facing one of the entertainment stages on the opposite end of the grounds but the sound travelled due to it being so loud and as a result we had to hear music until very late each night. The view was much better though so that was something at least!
Regarding food, we are both vegetarians. I was very happy with the choices of fresh bread, salad, and dips; however, my partner is a bit more of a ‘fake meat and two veg’ kind of person and wanted a wider selection of hot veggie food with better protein options. At some point in our trip, we discovered the wonderful, smiley Ailyn, who was hovering around the vegan section. She was very receptive and noted us looking at the labelled vegan offerings for the day (only three dishes, unfortunately), and she was quick to offer her assistance and to talk to us about the available options. She did offer to have a meeting with her and a chef to discuss a daily veggie menu if we were struggling with the buffet. At the time, we didn’t think this was necessary, but with hindsight, we should’ve explored it because the food became repetitive for both of us by the end. Ailyn really made the buffet experience great, and we were grateful for her being so proactive and friendly.
When we sat down for food, we were always looked after and served drinks quickly. Oznur from the breakfast and lunch service was exceptional, such a lovely and smiley lady who went above and beyond every morning to make us feel important and special. She really made us look forward to going down to breakfast. We were also looked after by other members of staff in the buffet, including Sabri, who was friendly and attentive. Even though we went outside of school holidays, at times the buffet felt really busy and manic. The adult-only buffet upstairs was relaxed, quiet and had a beautiful view from the balcony. It was a welcome relief to go there to eat dinner each day (they have a smaller selection of dishes, though, especially for veggies, so sometimes we went and got food at the main buffet and brought it up. The staff didn’t even bat an eyelid so we assume it was fine!).
We spent all of our time around the adult pool, which was nice; however, the music they played there got repetitive after 11 days. It would have been nice if they had switched it up a bit (I don’t know how the staff feel about that!). However, we loved this pool not only for its relaxing atmosphere and plenty of sunloungers, but also for the staff, who made us feel like royalty. Special shout-out to Orhan at the bar, who had no problem making us off-menu, delicious cocktails. Also, he was super friendly and had a great sense of humour. Hasan also made us delicious cocktails on a couple of days when Orhan had left for the day – again off-menu cocktails that were fab.
Another special mention to the gentleman who handled all the maintenance of the adult pool/beach area (towels, sunbeds, etc.), Turgut. We noticed throughout our holiday that he was constantly working super hard, running around to make sure everything was done – even when the temperature was pushing 33 degrees, and there was no cloud cover. Yet he still found time to interact with the guests, making sure they had sunbeds and fresh towels – and always with a smile on his face. We enjoyed seeing and talking to him every day, and we were really sad to say goodbye. Such a lovely, hard-working gentleman who really helped make our stay feel super special.
There were plenty of bars around the site. We found ourselves playing pool and bowling, both of which are free; however, they can get busy. There is a dessert and a chocolate bar, both of which had lots of selection, and we enjoyed going there for our sweet treats, especially in the evening. We encountered many more members of staff who we would specifically like to mention: Edip (bar tender extraordinaire. Made us some of the BEST cocktails we have ever had – and we have had a lot! He quickly became one of our favourite staff members, he has such a genuine friendly and gentle nature, however he moved around a lot so we didn’t always see him. But when we did he always remembered us and spoiled us massively); Akif (our rollerblading hero at the main pool. We don’t know how he moves with such speed while carrying all those drinks! Another super friendly, smiley individual who had no problem rollerblading around half of the site to find us oat milk when the bar had run out); Adil (our cleaner for our room, always leaving the place spotless); Abdullah Cay (patisserie/chocolate chef who saw my frustration when someone else pushed in front of me while waiting at the dessert station, and he came out to serve me – even though he was busy in the back, he was very aware and attentive of his guests and I appreciated him coming out so I could be served quicker. Also, great cakes and chocolates!!)
Last but not least, we couldn’t forget we started and ended our holiday with the wonderful Bahityar. He came to greet us when we got there, and we instantly loved him – great sense of humour, super friendly and attentive, and one of the 1% of vegetarians in Turkey. He had no problems giving us tips about where and what to eat. He was another person that made us feel extra special, he would come and find us by the pool to have a chat and check how the holiday was going. We always knew that if we needed anything, he wouldn’t hesitate to get it sorted. By the end of the holiday, we felt like he was a friend – another person we were sad to say goodbye to.
As much as there were some things that could have been improved on (noise levels at night, veggie protein options in the buffet, veggie options in the a la carte restaurants), the staff were always excellent. The people here are hardworking, friendly, and attentive and make you feel special. The holiday was worth every penny – oh, and one last thing. If on the off-chance there isn’t a member of staff around, you can order on QR codes on the sunbeds, so no need to go anywhere. That for us now makes the perfect vacation."
