Your rating of this hotel:
6.0
from 10
Hotel ratings by criteria:
Rooms:
7.0
Service:
6.0
Cleanliness:
8.0
Food:
7.0
Amenities:
3.0
September 30 to October 10.2010 I rested at the Arabella World Hotel, which is located in the village of Avsallar, Alanya, Turkey. I want to share my impressions about my stay in this hotel.
Before that, I was in Turkey a lot of times (in the 90s we ran a family business in the Turks and went to Istanbul for goods) and besides, for the last 5 years I have been resting only in Turkey, in different hotels (in 5-star and 4 - stellar). I know a little Turkish (besides, I speak fluent English, Italian), I am familiar with the psychology of the Turks. As a rule, I go on vacation alone, I buy the whole room. I often go abroad and therefore I am not afraid to go on vacation alone.
I am writing all this in order to make it clear that I have something to compare with. I flew from Pegas Touristik. Very satisfied with their work. The whole tour (flight, delivery to the hotel, check-in, support of guides at the hotel, delivery to the airport on the way back) - everything was done clearly, smoothly, almost in seconds. Employees of Pegas Touristik are lovely students of Russian universities (probationers) who take their work very seriously.
As for the Arabella Hotel itself. The hotel consists of two buildings: old (square) and new (round), which was recently built. They gave me a room in the old building. The room itself was nice and clean. Towels, bed linen were not new, but washed, changed before my arrival. The bathroom had liquid soap, 2 shampoos, shower cap.
The only inconvenience was that the room overlooked the new building, the bridge and the road. Therefore, I constantly heard the roar of passing cars, loud conversations of the attendants. Moreover, vacationers who walked across the bridge to the old building (and they did this regularly, because the restaurant is located in the old building) could easily look into my room through the balcony. So I always kept the curtains closed.
The food was about the same as in other 4-ka, in which I rested before. I can even say that it was more diverse. Every day for lunch and dinner there were 2 varieties of puree soups (very tasty); several types of hot (pasta, rice, potatoes, some kind of porridge). From natural meat was chicken and its offal. Offal was prepared very tasty. As for the chicken, several times it was not fresh (there was a smell of meat that was stale in the refrigerator). Soy meat was often (but I didn’t take it and therefore I can’t say how it tasted). Several times there was fish (fish fillet wrapped in rolls). The fish was very bony - obviously not the type of fish from which this dish can be prepared. The bones had to be either swallowed or spit out - a rather unaesthetic sight. Salads were presented in an assortment, many of them were edible in taste. Dessert consisted of jelly, pastries, gozleme (semolina of different consistency and with different fillers). All drinks were not of natural origin: tea bags, instant non-natural coffee, powdered drinks like Jupi.
There were many Russians in the hotel and I must say that the hotel was fully occupied. Therefore, there were constant queues at the restaurant.
The beach is far away, on the way to it there are several garbage cans. The beach itself is small, chaise longues, mattresses, umbrellas - for free. The beach is sandy, a very convenient entrance to the sea - no stones, no holes. A few meters the sea is very shallow. This is good for vacationers who go on vacation with small children. You can not be afraid to go into the sea with a child.
I liked the hotel itself, it deserves its 4 stars.
About the maintenance staff. Many waiters, receptionists do not speak either Russian or English. If you don't know Turkish or German, it will be difficult for you to explain what you need. My room was cleaned regularly (as soon as the cleaners realized that I was tipping). As for the male servants, I can notice that they allowed impermissible licentiousness towards me. For example, the guy from the reception, who settled me in the room, immediately, upon checking in, began to invite me to a disco (although I had just arrived, I didn’t sleep at night, I was tired). He looked terrible (crooked teeth, slanted eyes, seborrheic skin - obviously not the ultimate dream). I politely refused him. Then for several days he literally followed me around the hotel, seeking a positive answer. It seems that he wanted to get sex from me for giving me a good number - by the way, this is a common phenomenon in Turkey. On NTV last year they even showed a story on this topic. The waiters also regularly offered to go for a walk with them. One even ran after me up the stairs with the question: "So, shall we agree? "
It was possible to call home either from a mobile phone or from a payphone, which was located near the local supermarket and some eatery. I chose a payphone, because it is much cheaper than calling Ukraine from a mobile phone. There was often a queue of hotel guests to the payphone. One waiter from a local eatery next to a payphone (he said that his name was Pilot, but 100% this is not his real name - as signs they can say that he was wearing glasses and constantly grinning. ) constantly pestered the girls who were standing in queues. At the same time, he said that he was either a pilot, or a doctor, or a lawyer, he had a rich dad, and he himself was just helping his friend, the owner of the restaurant. The purpose of the harassment was to obtain sexual reciprocity, as well as material gain. He immediately tried to probe a new girlfriend for a material condition. As if by chance, he offered to buy wine from him at $ 30 a bottle, but visit his friends' shops (naturally, he would have a percentage of your purchases), then he imposed to fly on a parachute, ride a scooter (there he would also have his percentage). By the way, he had a plastic bracelet of the Arabella World Hotel - apparently he received it through an acquaintance from someone from the hotel administration.
Water sports are a separate issue. Their point was just next to our beach. The Turks who worked at this point clung to all the young girls in a row. Particularly noteworthy is an employee of the water sports point, whose name is Edik (clearly not his real name) and one of the owners of this business, whose name is Chetin (this is his real name). If they didn't get a positive response right away, they molested again and again. You can imagine what it's like to relax, sunbathe on the beach, when every 20 minutes some Turks come up to you, who are unpleasant to you (they all looked like beggars) and who are imposed on you again and again. Girls, be careful.
In addition, local residents who were not employees of the hotel could easily enter the hotel. In particular, a woman walked around the hotel and along the beach every day, who insistently invited me to go to a leather jacket store, as well as a girl who invited me to visit a hammam somewhere outside the hotel. They are neither hotel employees nor representatives of tour operators. Therefore, in theory, they should not be located on the territory of the hotel. At least in other hotels where I have rested before, either hotel employees or tourists who live in this hotel could enter the hotel territory.
I think that such a policy is a defect of the hotel administration. I have never experienced anything like this in any other hotel. And I have rested in Turkey many times - there is something to compare. The administration is obliged to control both the hotel itself and the surrounding areas. After all, hotel guests are their income. And if vacationers are treated like this, who would want to go to this hotel next time?
In conclusion, I can say that the hotel itself is not bad, but the administration needs to do serious work both with the staff and in the surrounding areas. To whom can I recommend this hotel? If you are an elderly couple or a family with children, feel free to go to Arabella. You will be provided with a full range of services corresponding to 4 stars.
BUT if you are a young girl or girl friends who want to relax in Turkey - I will NEVER RECOMMEND you both Arabella in particular and Avsallar in general. I rested in Alanya, and in Konakli, and in Fethiye, and in Kemer. I have never seen a more custom, boorish, cynical attitude of Turks towards girls anywhere. In this regard, Avsallar unpleasantly surprised and even disappointed me. If you expect to start a holiday romance on vacation, it may not work here. Turks in Avsallar (I don’t know why) stick to all the girls at once, while immediately offering sex. There is no talk of any romantic relationships, dinners in a restaurant, flowers, gifts. Moreover, they immediately try to spin their new passion for money. Girls, be careful.
Before that, I was in Turkey a lot of times (in the 90s we ran a family business in the Turks and went to Istanbul for goods) and besides, for the last 5 years I have been resting only in Turkey, in different hotels (in 5-star and 4 - stellar). I know a little Turkish (besides, I speak fluent English, Italian), I am familiar with the psychology of the Turks. As a rule, I go on vacation alone, I buy the whole room. I often go abroad and therefore I am not afraid to go on vacation alone.
I am writing all this in order to make it clear that I have something to compare with. I flew from Pegas Touristik. Very satisfied with their work. The whole tour (flight, delivery to the hotel, check-in, support of guides at the hotel, delivery to the airport on the way back) - everything was done clearly, smoothly, almost in seconds. Employees of Pegas Touristik are lovely students of Russian universities (probationers) who take their work very seriously.
As for the Arabella Hotel itself. The hotel consists of two buildings: old (square) and new (round), which was recently built. They gave me a room in the old building. The room itself was nice and clean. Towels, bed linen were not new, but washed, changed before my arrival. The bathroom had liquid soap, 2 shampoos, shower cap.
The only inconvenience was that the room overlooked the new building, the bridge and the road. Therefore, I constantly heard the roar of passing cars, loud conversations of the attendants. Moreover, vacationers who walked across the bridge to the old building (and they did this regularly, because the restaurant is located in the old building) could easily look into my room through the balcony. So I always kept the curtains closed.
The food was about the same as in other 4-ka, in which I rested before. I can even say that it was more diverse. Every day for lunch and dinner there were 2 varieties of puree soups (very tasty); several types of hot (pasta, rice, potatoes, some kind of porridge). From natural meat was chicken and its offal. Offal was prepared very tasty. As for the chicken, several times it was not fresh (there was a smell of meat that was stale in the refrigerator). Soy meat was often (but I didn’t take it and therefore I can’t say how it tasted). Several times there was fish (fish fillet wrapped in rolls). The fish was very bony - obviously not the type of fish from which this dish can be prepared. The bones had to be either swallowed or spit out - a rather unaesthetic sight. Salads were presented in an assortment, many of them were edible in taste. Dessert consisted of jelly, pastries, gozleme (semolina of different consistency and with different fillers). All drinks were not of natural origin: tea bags, instant non-natural coffee, powdered drinks like Jupi.
There were many Russians in the hotel and I must say that the hotel was fully occupied. Therefore, there were constant queues at the restaurant.
The beach is far away, on the way to it there are several garbage cans. The beach itself is small, chaise longues, mattresses, umbrellas - for free. The beach is sandy, a very convenient entrance to the sea - no stones, no holes. A few meters the sea is very shallow. This is good for vacationers who go on vacation with small children. You can not be afraid to go into the sea with a child.
I liked the hotel itself, it deserves its 4 stars.
About the maintenance staff. Many waiters, receptionists do not speak either Russian or English. If you don't know Turkish or German, it will be difficult for you to explain what you need. My room was cleaned regularly (as soon as the cleaners realized that I was tipping). As for the male servants, I can notice that they allowed impermissible licentiousness towards me. For example, the guy from the reception, who settled me in the room, immediately, upon checking in, began to invite me to a disco (although I had just arrived, I didn’t sleep at night, I was tired). He looked terrible (crooked teeth, slanted eyes, seborrheic skin - obviously not the ultimate dream). I politely refused him. Then for several days he literally followed me around the hotel, seeking a positive answer. It seems that he wanted to get sex from me for giving me a good number - by the way, this is a common phenomenon in Turkey. On NTV last year they even showed a story on this topic. The waiters also regularly offered to go for a walk with them. One even ran after me up the stairs with the question: "So, shall we agree? "
It was possible to call home either from a mobile phone or from a payphone, which was located near the local supermarket and some eatery. I chose a payphone, because it is much cheaper than calling Ukraine from a mobile phone. There was often a queue of hotel guests to the payphone. One waiter from a local eatery next to a payphone (he said that his name was Pilot, but 100% this is not his real name - as signs they can say that he was wearing glasses and constantly grinning. ) constantly pestered the girls who were standing in queues. At the same time, he said that he was either a pilot, or a doctor, or a lawyer, he had a rich dad, and he himself was just helping his friend, the owner of the restaurant. The purpose of the harassment was to obtain sexual reciprocity, as well as material gain. He immediately tried to probe a new girlfriend for a material condition. As if by chance, he offered to buy wine from him at $ 30 a bottle, but visit his friends' shops (naturally, he would have a percentage of your purchases), then he imposed to fly on a parachute, ride a scooter (there he would also have his percentage). By the way, he had a plastic bracelet of the Arabella World Hotel - apparently he received it through an acquaintance from someone from the hotel administration.
Water sports are a separate issue. Their point was just next to our beach. The Turks who worked at this point clung to all the young girls in a row. Particularly noteworthy is an employee of the water sports point, whose name is Edik (clearly not his real name) and one of the owners of this business, whose name is Chetin (this is his real name). If they didn't get a positive response right away, they molested again and again. You can imagine what it's like to relax, sunbathe on the beach, when every 20 minutes some Turks come up to you, who are unpleasant to you (they all looked like beggars) and who are imposed on you again and again. Girls, be careful.
In addition, local residents who were not employees of the hotel could easily enter the hotel. In particular, a woman walked around the hotel and along the beach every day, who insistently invited me to go to a leather jacket store, as well as a girl who invited me to visit a hammam somewhere outside the hotel. They are neither hotel employees nor representatives of tour operators. Therefore, in theory, they should not be located on the territory of the hotel. At least in other hotels where I have rested before, either hotel employees or tourists who live in this hotel could enter the hotel territory.
I think that such a policy is a defect of the hotel administration. I have never experienced anything like this in any other hotel. And I have rested in Turkey many times - there is something to compare. The administration is obliged to control both the hotel itself and the surrounding areas. After all, hotel guests are their income. And if vacationers are treated like this, who would want to go to this hotel next time?
In conclusion, I can say that the hotel itself is not bad, but the administration needs to do serious work both with the staff and in the surrounding areas. To whom can I recommend this hotel? If you are an elderly couple or a family with children, feel free to go to Arabella. You will be provided with a full range of services corresponding to 4 stars.
BUT if you are a young girl or girl friends who want to relax in Turkey - I will NEVER RECOMMEND you both Arabella in particular and Avsallar in general. I rested in Alanya, and in Konakli, and in Fethiye, and in Kemer. I have never seen a more custom, boorish, cynical attitude of Turks towards girls anywhere. In this regard, Avsallar unpleasantly surprised and even disappointed me. If you expect to start a holiday romance on vacation, it may not work here. Turks in Avsallar (I don’t know why) stick to all the girls at once, while immediately offering sex. There is no talk of any romantic relationships, dinners in a restaurant, flowers, gifts. Moreover, they immediately try to spin their new passion for money. Girls, be careful.
Translated automatically from Russian. View original
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