Good Value, But Fell Short of Expectations
pirms 3 mēnešiWe recently returned from a week-long stay at Aydinbey Queens Spa Hotel in Belek, Antalya, and overall, it was a mixed experience. When booking, the hotel looked very appealing. The photos online and on social media were beautiful, showing a clean, landscaped entrance and a spacious, welcoming exterior. However, the reality was quite different. On arrival, the front of the hotel was crowded with parked cars and lacked any real landscaping, giving it a slightly run-down and shabby appearance. The images used online are somewhat misleading, as they don’t reflect how the hotel actually looks in person. The hotel itself was extremely busy during our stay. It felt overcrowded, particularly around the pool area, which is far too small for the number of guests. Sun loungers were packed tightly together—around 20–30 in very close proximity—and the sheer number of people made it feel quite overbearing. The whole atmosphere around the pool had a bit of a run-down “Benidorm” vibe, which wasn’t what we were expecting. We didn’t manage to use the pool once as there were never any beds available, and even if there had been, the lack of space would have made it uncomfortable. One of the highlights of the stay was definitely the food. There was a wide variety of options available, and everything we tried was well-cooked and presented in a clean environment. This was easily the best aspect of the hotel. The rooms were modern and reasonably well-maintained, which was a relief. After spending time in the busy communal areas, it was nice to return to a comfortable space. Housekeeping visited daily to tidy the room, although it didn’t feel like a thorough clean was done—floors were not mopped during our stay. We also booked excursions through the hotel representative. I would strongly advise being cautious here, as prices seemed inconsistent and inflated, with a lot of room for haggling. It felt like costs were being made up on the spot. The hotel staff were generally pleasant, but communication could be challenging as not many spoke English. The hotel seems to cater primarily to Russian and Turkish guests, and as British travellers, we did feel slightly out of place at times. There is a shuttle service to the beach, which was adequate—nothing special, but it does the job. I have seen reviews from people saying they would return here, but unfortunately it just doesn’t meet our standards. Overall, while this was a relatively cheap holiday and you do get what you pay for, it’s not somewhere we would choose to return to. The overcrowding, misleading presentation online, and general upkeep of the exterior let it down, despite the good food and decent rooms.
