Here’s a quick run-through of what appealed to me on our whistle-stop tour of a selection of hotels in the spectacular region of Antalya in Turkey on the Bookabed and Turkish Airlines fam trip. Virtually all properties earn their 5-stars but vary widely in terms of size, facilities, style and personality. What’s apparent is that Turkish hospitality is a common theme with fantastic staff and welcoming smiles at every turn. Most are all-inclusive with price points typically varying based on proximity to the beach or 24-hour service. Extras vary with some offering free wifi, most having shuttles to the beach if not beside the sands and many having a broad mix of international guests. I said before and I’ll say it again, the hardest decision is which to pick as I’ve already made my mind up that I’ll be back.
Arnor de Luxe Hotel & Spa
Arnor de Luxe Hotel and Spa is located in Manavgat in Antalya. The hotel offers 335 rooms (57 of which are family rooms), a main restaurant, two à la carte restaurants and a selection of bars. It is 1.2km from the beach with a frequent free shuttle from the hotel. There is a sizeable pool area and 6 water slides to keep all ages swimming and splashing in the sun. This was one of my top picks and one I’d pick for my family. It was a great-sized hotel, had a broad mix of nationalities and the price point was very competitive. The beach bar is a big plus and you could easily pop over to the historic city of Side to have a potter about the ancient ruins or little shops and eateries. This was another top pick for me.
Long Beach Resort
Long Beach Resort and neighbouring Long Beach Harmony Hotel & Spa have everything you can imagine and probably more from wave pools to a video game arcade, a full-scale water park with numerous sections catering for various ages, an amphitheatre and a fairground. The complexes stretch over a combined 100,000m2. It is unlikely you would need to step foot outside the resort there is so much to do. There is a selection of hotel rooms including swim-up rooms, villa suites and family chalets.
There are three main restaurants plus à la carte offerings (French, Italian, Mediterranean, Turkish, Mexican and Seafood), two patisseries, three snack bars and 13 bars including a disco bar, beach bar, pool bars, piano bar, beer garden and more.
This is one of the largest complexes I’ve visited (anywhere) and has it all if you want something fully-contained.
Vikingen Infinity Resort & Spa
This all-inclusive facility is in Alanya-Türkler, 35km from Manavgat and 90km from Antalya Airport. It is beside the beach and has a sizeable pool complex. To give you context in terms of size, the main restaurant can cater for 1200 guests indoors and 1100 outdoors. The hotel offers 908 rooms – standard rooms plus 20 suites and 130 connecting family rooms. Vikingen offers outdoor pools, a mini aqua park with 7 slides and a kids’ pool. It has an a la carte restaurant, ice-cream corner, ice-cream buffet, pool bar, snack bar, beach bar, lobby bar, wine bar, disco (with free drinks & entry until 2 am), mini theatre and kids club (4- 12 years old), baby-sitting service and teen youth club. Wifi is extra in this hotel!
Aydinbey Queens Palace & Spa in Belek
This resort was constructed in 2019 and has 438 rooms split between standard and family. Family rooms can cater for up to 5 persons. It is 2km from the beach with a shuttle service running every 20 minutes. Guests can avail of free sunbeds on the beach and enjoy the hotel’s snack bar. There is an à la carte restaurant with one visit per stay included in the price.
This resort is close to the “Land of Legends” theme park if that whet’s your appetite and on-site there is a kids club catering for 4 – 12-year-olds. The centre of Belek is 15 minutes away and golf can be arranged for guests.
This had a great vibe with a mix of international nationalities. The family rooms were well-designed and were a top pick for me!
Sherwood Exclusive Lara
This 5-star resort is centrally located in Lara with a shopping centre directly across the road. It dates back to 2005 and offers a 24-hour all-inclusive package.
The outdoor areas of this hotel are exceptional with beautiful gardens, a great selection of pools (9!) and the best kids club facility in the selection of hotels viewed on this trip. There is also direct access to the beach and despite being at full occupancy, nothing felt busy or crowded in any way. There are also 4 à la carte restaurants at a modest surcharge of €10 per person per visit. The higher price point is driven by the beachside location and 24-hour all-inclusive offering. The group were treated to a buffet lunch here and the food was exceptional, one of the nicest meals on the trip.
Winds of Lara Hotel & Resort
The Winds of Lara has a real Miami vibe that instantly appealed to the group. In fact, the whole complex which consists of 273 rooms proved very popular with the whole group due to its style, size and great family rooms that can cater for up to five guests and have two bathrooms. It is one of the most reasonably priced hotels in Lara due, in part, to its location 800m from the beach and the all-inclusive runs from 10 am to 2 am.
The hotel offers a shuttle bus every 30 minutes or a river boat (complimentary) which is likely to prove popular with little ones. There are free sunbeds and a snack bar on the beach and the pool, a separate kids pool plus 5 waterslides were also ideal for family holidays. There is an animation team in the hotel, the mini bar is included in the price and an à la carte offering for a surcharge.
Despite not being beside the beach, it is still a great location and near a shopping centre. It has a good mix of nationalities. This is one I would pick for myself.
