"I am currently staying at this hotel and genuinely cannot wait to go back home.
This was meant to be our first full family holiday: 8 of us — 6 adults, a 4-year-old and a 4-month-old baby. After a long, exhausting journey involving turbulence, delays, traffic and heavy rain, we arrived at Sense De Luxe around 11:35pm. Unfortunately, the experience from the moment we stepped inside has been extremely disappointing.
⸻
1. Check-In & Reception (Involving Staff Member: Numan)
Upon entering the lobby, we were met by Numan and another receptionist. Neither of them greeted us — no “hello,” no “good evening,” nothing. At almost midnight, with tired adults and small children, a basic welcome should be the minimum.
Instead, we were left waiting 45+ minutes while they struggled to understand why their system showed 7 guests instead of 8. I pointed out several times that they had counted my sister’s name twice, but I was ignored.
To make things worse, during the entire wait nobody offered to assist with our luggage. We eventually had to request help ourselves, which is unbelievable for a hotel calling itself 5-star.
For context, TUI completed a name change over 2 months ago, fully confirmed and paid.
We were then called back down at almost 1am. Numan’s attitude became even worse. When I explained how exhausted we were after travelling for over 16 hours, he responded:
“Well, I’m tired too.”
Things escalated when he actually said to me:
“Are you wanting a fight?”
This was shocking, unprofessional and completely unacceptable from any member of hotel staff, let alone someone representing the front desk.
Even after we provided screenshots of both bookings via AirDrop, clearly showing all 8 names, we were told:
“We won’t bother you again.”
Yet minutes later, I was stopped AGAIN and asked for a deposit supposedly “required by TUI.”
The next morning, the TUI rep confirmed:
• No deposit was required
• The name change was visible on both their system and the hotel’s
• The reception staff should not have caused any issue
Overall, the check-in was chaotic, rude, and extremely unprofessional.
⸻
2. Staff Behaviour Throughout the Hotel
Unfortunately, the negative experience continued throughout the stay.
• Not once were we greeted in the restaurant.
• We were never offered drinks, despite watching every other table receive immediate drink service.
• Staff clearly prioritised and attended to other guests while ignoring our table.
• Indoor pool staff looked visibly annoyed when we entered.
The difference in treatment between us and other guests was very obvious.
⸻
3. Room Cleanliness & Issues
The room may look good at first glance, but basic standards were not met.
• The fridge was completely broken — the door fell off, and it wasn’t cooling at all.
• We reported this directly to reception.
• Then we called twice more.
• It still took around 2 hours before it was finally replaced.
• By then, my baby’s milk had already spoiled overnight.
• The bedsheet had a brown stain.
• The bathrobe provided was also stained.
• The duvet wasn’t even placed properly inside the cover — just folded at the bottom of the bed.
• Overall cleanliness and attention to detail were poor.
These issues should never happen in a hotel claiming to be 5-star.
⸻
4. Animals in the Hotel
This is something that should absolutely be mentioned on booking sites:
• There is a dog roaming freely around the hotel grounds.
For families with young children — especially babies and toddlers — this is extremely concerning.
Had we known this beforehand, we would not have chosen this hotel.
• There are also cats inside the restaurant.
I understand this can be common in Turkey, so this alone isn’t the issue, but combined with the overall lack of hygiene and service, it’s another thing guests should be aware of.
⸻
5. Food & Dining Experience
The food was one of the biggest disappointments.
• The selection is very poor for a hotel marketed as 5-star.
• The dishes are essentially the same food repeated daily, just renamed or slightly altered.
• Even foods that are supposed to be completely different end up tasting exactly the same.
• There is no real variety or freshness.
Combined with the lack of service in the restaurant, the dining experience has been extremely underwhelming.
⸻
6. Location
Be aware that the hotel is at least 1 hour from both Antalya centre and Lara Beach, which offer far more activities. The location is not convenient at all.
⸻
7. Amenities (The Few Positives)
To be fair, there are a few acceptable facilities:
• Small indoor pool and kids’ pool
• Three saunas and a steam room (one sauna not working)
• A compact but well-equipped gym
• Hairdryer in the room
These were the only aspects that met expectations.
⸻
Overall Verdict
I absolutely DO NOT RECOMMEND this hotel.
From Numan’s rude and confrontational behaviour, to the poor treatment from other staff, the unacceptable cleanliness issues, the repeated food, the lack of variety, and the roaming dog around young children — this hotel has completely ruined what should have been our first family holiday together.
All 8 of us are counting down the days until we can leave.
I will be uploading a YouTube video showing everything clearly so future guests can see the reality before booking. The link will be added once it’s live."
