Disappointed by Turkey hotel

[Missmydog20]

Currently doing my first Turkey holiday with my two young adult DC. Backstory- we usually do Greece self catering but I wanted something different and more luxurious and relaxing as they’ve both just finished exams. And perhaps a bit busier than quiet backstreet Greece as we are alone and usually go with family. I was told Turkey 5 star was amazing. Booked through Jet2 (we are UK based) and paid £6600 for 9 days AI at a 5 star beachfront hotel. And I’m really disappointed.

Hotel is at least 95% German. Food is pretty much all German. Entertainment is mostly just in German. Staff speak German - they can’t understand us and we are wasting drinks due to communication problems (and I’m only asking for coke, sprite, and water). Now I don’t like the Brits abroad hotels, I love multi national but if I wanted to be this immersed in German I’d have gone to Germany.

There are other issues. Sunbeds!!! There are not enough. I’m up at 8 to get ones. The bathroom is open plan - the wash hand basin is off the DCs room so I’m teeth brushing by torch light at 7.45 so we are not all up at that time. The shower and toilet are only separated from communal room areas by frosted (but still slightly see through) glass doors so privacy isn’t great. The WiFi is really poor (I know I know but it’s the DC’s holiday too and they want to watch stuff like today’s F1 race).

I have gone to one other AI in Cape Verde which I love. Amazing food. Plenty of sunbeds. Animation staff speak an amazing variety of languages. All nationalities there. WiFi reaches all over the resort. It’s cheaper than this holiday.

Advice please from those who go to Turkey. AIBU to be disappointed in this for my money? Were my expectations too high?

We used to go to Turkey every year and certain hotels were full of German tourist. I'm not sure why, maybe they were heavily advertised in Germany or it was word of mouth recommendations.
Turkey is a wonderful place and the people are so friendly, after our first visit we would then book our hotels directly with the owner and have separate flights.
Sorry you had a rotten time in this hotel but please don't let it put you off. Turkey has a lot to offer.

@Mum2EmLuJa what was the food like at Paloma? PP said the photos of food misleading and it was just constant chicken in sauce 🤔

This is a hotel issue not a Turkey issue. We went earlier in the year and the hotel had guests from the UK, Germany, Scandinavia and Russia, all coexisting happily.

There was loads of (really delicious) Turkish food, as well as Italian and the odd British/American/German dish.

There were enough sun loungers , and staff on hand proactively helped you find one, and removed towels etc if they'd been abandoned for more than a couple of hours.

In the room, not only was the bathroom separate from the children's sleeping area but it was also separate from our bedroom and from the sitting area. It can certainly be challenging knowing exactly what you're getting in hotel rooms though. I'd agree that information from package holiday providers could be much better!

We were at the Arum Barut hotel in Side, which I recommend if you're ever inclined to give Turkey a second chance!

We loved it and 100% so much more than chicken! They had asian food, turkish food, short beef rib, could go on and on to be honest!

Yes I’d have thought so

and I suspect exactly the same with the OP’s hotel. Mainly German food my arse! 😆

Recently come back from Turkey courtesy of Jet2- it cost £2100 for the 4 of us and it was brilliant and nothing like you describe. Time to complain to the rep on site.

I know zero about Turkey hotels & sorry to hijack the thread but I'm rather worried about the wildfires raging there around the coast that have killed people (& also Greece and Cyprus) as some of my family are going there late August. I read it was spreading towards Marmaris, does anyone know the extent of it?

she was there 2 years ago,I was there this June,the food may have been brilliant back then,you seem to have a bee in your bonnet!

@Winteriscoming80 i stayed there in May

the food was… amazing!! Every cuisine I could think of was spread out.

I've just come back from an AI Jet2 holiday in Turkey and didn't come across any of the problems you're having in your hotel. I don't think you're wrong to be disappointed at all and I wouldn't be happy with any of those things, especially the bathroom situation. Sounds awful. I'd speak to your rep and see if it's possible to be moved to a better hotel if I were you.

Jet2 have a 24 hour helpline in the UK. You should have been given a leaflet with this information when you arrived. I ended up calling three times to get a rep to come and help sort out issues. Do it as soon as you can as they will offer to move you to another hotel but they say it takes 48 hours to sort it out. If you would be happy just moving rooms they should be able to do that quickly. You have paid a premium price and should expect to get what you hoped for.

Also email a complaint to Jer2 on your return. You may get a voucher off your next holiday.

Jet2 have a 24 hour helpline in the UK. You should have been given a leaflet with this information when you arrived. I ended up calling three times to get a rep to come and help sort out issues. Do it as soon as you can as they will offer to move you to another hotel but they say it takes 48 hours to sort it out. If you would be happy just moving rooms they should be able to do that quickly. You have paid a premium price and should expect to get what you hoped for.

Also email a complaint to Jer2 on your return. You may get a voucher off your next holiday.