On Holiday and hate it!

[Ilovemycatalot]

Was just after some moral support am on holiday with my daughter in a shit all inclusive in turkey horrible place and horrible hotel. We are here until Monday 😭honestly been in tears and just want to come home. Any words of wisdom to keep us going. They want £650 for an earlier flight home that I just can’t afford.

I've been to Antalya two years ago. I stayed in the old town. Really nice place. Then I got a taxi to Cirali which is about an hour away, it's the most fabulous undeveloped beach resort, where turtles nest. So that is an option OP. It's on the backpacking trail so loads of affordable places to stay.

tweet a complaint to their Twitter account with pictures of the dirty room and awful food - complain on any other social media they have too

You could also try contacting their CEO - details here - send lots of photos etc if you do

www.ceoemail.com/s.php?id=ceo-80213

See if you can phone Hays travel and ask to be transferred to a different resort?

Otherwise I maybe would pay the £650 (ask the bank for an overdraft/loan?) , go home and see what you can do with Hays or insurance to get any refund.

Turkey is tough if you're a lone female and not in a very "protected from reality" Hotel (I've been there as a backpacker grateful to be travelling with a guy)

Twitter is your friend

When you say the reviews were mixed did some of them match exactly what you are experiencing? I think if the reviews were honest and you read them and still booked it then you are also a little to blame.

You've led a very sheltered life if you thought that was "incredibly aggressive".

It's for OP to decide how much information is too much, not you. It's wrong to lean on her for more detail than she's comfortable giving you.

I would put up awful reviews on Hays website (if you can) and for the hotel on Tripadvisor, booking.com etc if they are on those sites. Take as many photos of everything that's bad as you can and put all those up. Just make sure you don't come across as the sort of Brit who thinks every holiday they go in in the world should just be like the UK but in the sun.

I'd be very wary of trusting anyone too much if they have already scammed you of £250 for an upgrade - the guy who says he works for the travel agents may be nothing of the sort. Does he have ID? Have you checked that he does indeed work for them?

I love Turkey though so I'm really sorry you're having such a bad experience.

Oh dear. I booked Antalya for next year but I've booked a Magic life with TUI.

Sorry to hear this OP. I research and join FB groups for hotels and read what's going on from people actually staying their just a tip.

I think maybe you was unlucky because Turkey looks like it has a lot of high standard hotels but again I would be booking a 5* with TripAdvisor no less than 4.5 reviews. Hope you make it home OK!

I bet we could find flights cheaper than £650 but we would need to know the resort and where you need to fly back to

Are other people having the same issues as you, re food and accommodation? If you complain together you will have a louder voice.

I like Turkey but won't do it without a bloke in tow. The thing is 'disgusting food' is a subjective thing- some of the best food I've had in the world was in Istanbul and I heard a British couple moaning in the rather fab hotel (5*)we went to this year in Majorca about all sorts of petty things. I do however find the men in Turkey can be a bit annoying- I thought the same in Egypt.

Please pm me if it's Long Beach resort, I'm thinking of booking!

I recommend a day trip around Aspendos, Perge and Side. Lunch was included when we did it, so it'll be a full day and a meal out the hotel. Also maybe jump in a taxi to Antalya old town, or the nearest shopping mall (mark Antalya, or the one next to the airport) - they will have McDonald's or cheap Turkish pizza if you want a bit different. LC Waikiki is basically Primark but better if you want cheap shopping but a bit more normal than Turkish bazaars.

Ok.

Hays travel.

I've never heard of them but that's doesn't mean much.

I would do what others have suggested re tweets to Hays.
Eg I'm stuck in awful hotel with dreadul food and Hays won't help me at all. So much for 4*.

As others have said ceo etc.

As hard as it seems try and view theholiday in a different way.

Some people actually enjoy pushing their limits and endurance.
Say to yourself you are tough and you can do this.
Whilst is awful for an actual holiday, which you are dealing with... put into the perspective the actual issues.

Grotty food and drunk men

That's ok..you can eat elsewhere and try and avoid the men.

OP if you’re near the centre of Antalya down by the harbour is lovely and the market is lovely to walk around.
We stayed in Lara beach recently and God it was awful! Make sure you keep a copy of bull/receipt of the £250 extra you paid so you can complain to Hays on your return.
I found in Lara Beach just staying to hotel was important as the minute we stepped outside we were harassed etc.

*bill

For the people saying they wouldn't travel to Turkey as a single woman; I've been visiting Turkey solo for the last 13 years and never encountered a bit of trouble, so please try not to worry. I think Antalya is quite commercial. Hopefully the swimming pools are decent and it's still sunny. Try and relax a bit during the day and soak up some rays.

Are there any day trips you can do; a jeep safari or something like that? Being stuck in 1 hotel for your entire holiday can't be too much fun, I think I'd have cabin fever if it was me.

I came home from Turkey last week and am missing it like crazy.

Hopefully, you can try and get some good days out of the rest of your holiday. Finger's crossed.

Dear oh dear, the people pestering for the name of the resort, name of travel company, culminating in someone saying 'it doesnt feel kind'!!!!

Doesnt feel kind not to tell us on the internet all about where you are and who you travelled with like that is going to suddenly make OPs holiday experience any better, what a joke

OP, yes take lots of pictures and email and leave messages now so that when you're back you can say you tried to raise it at the time.

Th problem with trying to go hell for leather with trying to fix it while you're there is that you spend all holiday trying to phone people, wait for them to contact you, then relay the story to someone new again, then round and round it goes.

Its a difficult balance and you're trying to make sure the holiday is as good as it can be for your daughter.

Good luck OP

I hsvd only been to Turkey once. It was horrible. I would never go again. I sympathise. Ask to move hotels.

The reason people want to know where she is, is so they can suggest things to do or places to go away from the hotel. If the OP had said she was "in Spain" there's no point suggesting a day trip to Barcelona when it transpires the OP is in Tenerife.

We had a holiday this summer and never saw a rep once. But they had assistance through the app, and we were given a piece of paper on arrival with whatsapp and emergency contact numbers. There must be a way of getting in touch with someone.

But OP you need to be SPECIFIC about what your problem is. Saying things like you don't like the food, or the men are creepy is going to get you nowhere as it's subjective and woolly. You say it's more like a 2 star than a 4 star - why? What are the faults? Not you don't like it or it's not to your taste - in what way does it differ from what you thought you'd be getting?

@Sausagis We stayed at Long Beach earlier this summer. If you have young children, definitely recommend it. Loads for them to do. The service wasn't amazing if you're expecting to be waited on within seconds, but staff were all great with the kids. There were definitely some misses on the food - but most of it was great. And loads of variety

Try the beach area for the daytime if the hotel feels stressful. I'd probably aim to be in the room watching tv or playing games in the evening if it feels unsafe.

I wanted to know as wanted to read the reviews to see what other people thought. Also to see if other people who had been had any suggestions for how to make the most of it.

Sorry you’re having a shit holiday op. I hope you manage to salvage something from it.

I know it doesn’t help you now, but turkey is awful. Greece is much more civilised! we are there now.

I love how people talk about how great the Turks are with kids. That’s only if they’re boys or very young girls. It seems as soon as girls reach puberty they’re fair game for filthy lecherous Turkish men!!

@brittanyfairies can I please ask if you have ever stayed at Trendy Lara Hotel? I hear and read its popular and it looks quite nice too.