Отличный отель, волшебный песочный пляж, вкусная еда и отзывчивый персонал Great hotel, magical sandy beach, delicious food and helpful staff

Good day to everyone who reads this review. I will try to write in detail about the hotel and the features of the rest there, I hope it will be useful to read for those who are planning a vacation. We also chose a hotel based on reviews, because, as you know, the star system in Turkey is very free, you can get into a cool four, or you can get into a very dumb five.
I'll start with the fact that we were traveling in a friendly company of 5 people from two different cities, all about 30 years old, without children. We chose the hotel ourselves, but we already came to the tour operator, knowing that we wanted to go there. And they were not mistaken, although everyone is in Turkey for the first time.
SETTLEMENT

From Antalya airport we took a bus in 2 hours, it was in the morning, around 8. The guide on the bus will warn you if you did not know that, according to world standards, check-in / check-out takes place at 12 noon. At the reception, we were very friendly, put on bracelets and offered to wait until dinner for a free room. But since our friends arrived a few days before us, we just went to their room, washed, changed and went to breakfast. And after dinner, they already approached the reception and received their card from the room.
When our friends checked in, they were immediately offered to see a room with a sea view, but they refused. Judging by them, they didn’t offer us any more, they just settled nearby. This is an important point, which, for some reason, outrages many, but this is how the system works. The hotel has two types of rooms - standard with sea view and just standard. You choose it at the tour operator at home, the price, of course, is different. If you have a room with a sea view, you will be placed in one of the circular rooms upstairs. If the usual offer it for a fee. But first, by default, you will be placed on the basement minus the first floor in a room overlooking the wall of a neighboring hotel or a hedge. It's a matter of choice for everyone, you should not be indignant.
We were accommodated by our basement in the next room from friends, it was very convenient. The rooms inside are the same everywhere, the only difference is that you will need to take an elevator upstairs, but living on the basement is not necessary, you are close to everything you need for happiness, next to the hammam, gym, lobby and dining room. The view from the room did not interest us at all, since you spend the minimum amount of time in it, sleep and wash. Before check-in and after check-out (if different from arrival/departure time) you can enjoy all the amenities of the hotel, so don't worry about having to sit on your suitcases. You hand them over to the storage room and go to eat and rest.
ROOMS

Our room was a triple room for three adults, our friends had a double room. The only difference is that the double is a little smaller and without one bed, and it’s just like a blueprint. The rooms are small, that's true. But very beautiful. Fresh stylish renovation, very comfortable large beds. The room has a wardrobe with hangers and shelves, a TV, air conditioning (works well), two mirrors, a safe (if you use it, for an extra charge), a mini-bar (the first set of drinks is free), bedside tables, all kinds of lighting, thick curtains. I don’t know what palaces live in those who don’t like rooms, we felt at home.
The bathroom is very civilized - a sink, a hair dryer (you can not drag it from home), an illuminated mirror, a toilet with a built-in bidet, a modern stylish shower room (a rain shower from above and a regular one). Towels are soft and clean, a set of cosmetics in a basket (shampoo, gel, sponge, soap, sticks and discs, a set of threads with a needle). Small balcony with two chairs and a dryer. You can smoke on the balcony, there is an ashtray. We had a view from our room. the premises of the neighboring hotel, but we are positive people, so when we went out for a smoke, we greeted the staff, and my boyfriend played the harmonica for them and got a standing ovation)) Lightproofing curtains for five plus.
They clean the room every day, even if you do not turn on the "clean please" button. Fresh towels, floors are washed, the bed is made, the toilet is washed, tubes are reported. Very nice lady, thank you. If "do not disturb" is enabled, you will not be disturbed. My brother slept in the room until dinner and they didn’t come to clean us)) Every day they leave a 1.5 liter bottle of water. This, of course, is not enough, do not throw away this bottle and pour yourself water from coolers, everyone does it. Or you can ask a woman for more water or shampoo, they will not refuse.
NUTRITION
Just five plus. There is a lot of food, different and for all tastes. Our group was divided into 1) I will eat right and healthy on vacation and gain vitamins and 2) I will overeat with all sorts of harmful things while I can. And everyone was happy. If you are like me, you will burst from vegetables, fruits, greens, salads, young cheeses and turkey. If like my men - fatten up on french fries, nuggets, burgers and sweets.
There are three main meals.

Breakfast - pancakes, eggs, scrambled eggs, you can fry a sandwich yourself, yoghurts, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, sausage (not all in Turkey), a lot of sauces, breakfast cereals. I was a little surprised by the lack of porridge. On the first day, I poured milk over oatmeal and found that it was only cold. Unclear. You can, of course, walk to the bar, pour boiling water over it yourself and try to eat it. But it’s better to switch to pancakes, because they have such a mind-boggling amount of delicious sauces that you can give yourself an indulgence for breakfast. I do not recommend sausage, but cheeses of all kinds with and without spices - yes. Watermelon and melon can be choked to death.
Lunch - two types of soup, cut vegetables separately, salads from fresh vegetables, salads from cooked vegetables, several types of meat (nuggets, chicken, meatballs, sometimes fish and even nothing), several types of side dishes (fries, rice, vegetable mix, puree). A lot of incomprehensible things that you can ask the chef and he will gladly answer (some tiny Turkish dumplings, bulgur, pickled vegetables, some things like our lecho). A whole table of fruits and sweets. Sweets just the sea. A bit of the same type, as you understand later, but very beautiful. Separately, I recommend baklava and pies soaked in syrups. Again, melon, watermelon, grapes, quince, apples, peaches.
Dinner is basically the same as lunch. Once a week, a real feast is arranged for dinner. This is some kind of special day, we didn’t understand, but there is just a bunch of beautiful food, twice as much sweets and meat as usual, watermelons are beautifully carved under the Turkish flag, cakes are just gorgeous.
In addition to the main meals, there is an afternoon snack at the pool bar and at the beach bar (somewhere at 5 pm) - waffles and cookies. And from 12 to 16 lunch at the bar on the beach - a mini buffet where you can collect a shawarma or a burger, take potatoes and a salad. And before 12 at night, the hotel has a night soup, but we didn’t get it))
The verdict - you won't go hungry for sure. You can both take vitamins and gain weight.
TERRITORY

The territory of the hotel is small, it is also true. Hereinafter I will compare with the five-star hotel of the same My Home concern. The neighboring five is called MY HOME RESORT. Our hotel has a small area, in fact - a pool area with a bar and tables, that's all. For comparison, the neighbors have several pools, a separate stage for animation, lawns for walking, etc. But we, reasonably judging why a person needs 4 pools, chose a budget option. There is only one pool, but it is clean and very beautiful, you can swim only during the day, they chlorinate at night. There is a paddling pool for kids. The water slide is gentle and safe, you can ride with children. Loungers abound, umbrellas too. The bar is right at hand, by the pool it is round-the-clock and the most complete (more on this later separately). Toilet nearby. Tables, DJ table, hookah stand.
Descent down to the sea. Downstairs there is a small kids club and a small playground. At the end of the hotel there is a terrace, where you can also sit and relax. The hotel has a gym on the lowest floor, my brother went and was satisfied. And there is also a hammam, a sauna and a swimming pool. They are free on their own, but on the first day you will be sooo obsessively offered spa treatments for 25 bucks. After the flight, I was not myself, but my boyfriend went and after 1.5 hours of fraud on him (masks, massages, oils, cleansing foams and brushes) came out like a cucumber. By the way, if you want, go on the first day, because then on slightly burnt skin it will not be at all a buzz. On other days, you can just go there for free. The territory is very clean, they wash right in front of you in the evening, while you are sitting at the bar.
BEACH
The beach at the hotel is one for the entire MY HOME concern - both for a 4 star hotel and for a 5 star one. And this is one of the best beaches in Turkey. Really. It is called Cleopatra's golden beach. The sand here is not local, but brought from Egypt. And he's just magical. Golden, small-small, soft. In the water in the sun shimmers like mother of pearl, you can sit and cry from this beauty. The water is perfectly clear and clean. We swam to the buoys, the depth is 15 meters, even at such a depth you can see the sandy bottom, as if it is half a meter below you. Entry into the water is gentle, very comfortable for flying and those who are afraid to swim.

Deeper there are large boulders, you need to look so as not to hit your foot, but due to the transparency of the water this is not a problem. On the contrary, we really liked to stand on them, we bought glasses and dived from these boulders to see the bottom, there are a lot of very beautiful fish. The beach has a bar with soft drinks, water, tea and beer. And from 12 to 16 there is a lunch with burgers, as I wrote above. And after 16 - sweets. Shower and toilet on the beach. The descent to the beach is open until 8 pm, the passage is very nice, there are flowers and greenery around, it takes 3-5 minutes to walk. If you want to swim at night, you can go to the sea in a different way, you leave the hotel, to the left and down the stairs. Bathing at night is just amazing - the water is warmer than the air, like fresh milk, just take a towel.
Of the minuses of the beach - in the season in the first half of the day it is impossible to find a sunbed. The older generation jumps up at the crack of dawn and rushes to occupy these sunbeds. Right up to the scandals. If you are too lazy to get up on vacation at 6 in the morning and fight with grannies for places under the sun (or vice versa under an umbrella), I advise you to do like all young people. Have a calm breakfast, go to the sea without things, swim in plenty and go hang out by the pool until lunch. It’s more comfortable there (a bar with everything your heart desires nearby, sand doesn’t creak on your teeth, a view of beauty is not blocked by well-fed butts, pleasant music, entertainment, games and animators). But after dinner, most grannies go to bed and you can safely go to the beach and take comfortable places.
ALCOHOL
There are 4 bars on site. 1) On the beach, open until the evening. Non-alcoholic juices like our yuppie, water, tea and beer. 2) In the center of the hotel, few people go there, because why sit there and cuckoo when you can hang out by the pool. But it is beautiful, girls are photographed there. Works until evening. 3) In the dining room, works during meals. You can take wine or beer with your meal. 4) By the pool. Round the clock and the most popular. There is no menu, just as there are no price tags in this country, so everything you can find out from the bartenders. I will give them a separate five, very nice, sociable and friendly guys. Almost everyone speaks Russian. The main bartender speaks 5 languages. Some guests find it difficult due to the lack of a menu. It was easier for us, because our friend is a bartender about the profession, he just approached them, talked about something, found out what was there and brought all sorts of yummy things.

In short, what can you ask for there. The beer is light but tolerable, Ephesus, 3 degrees. Wine red-white, also tolerable, but not so hot. From strong shots - vodka, tequila, rum, local baileys, whiskey, rakia (local aniseed vodka, which the Turks drink diluted with water, and the Russians in piles). With longs it is more difficult. There are not a lot of ingredients on the bar, there are almost no syrups, so it is made in "cut down" options. In general, they will make you mojito, and tequila sunrise, and sex on the beach and all the classics, but a simplified version.
A local hit for girls is malibu mix (coconut liqueur, rum, tonic or schweppes). If you ask them to do "something tasty", they will do it. Moreover, schweppes are always different in color and taste)) At the bar, it is important to understand that there is a completely different bartending school than in Russia. If we have strict standards for cocktails and this is the professionalism of the bartender, then here the professionalism of the bartender is in the language and psychology. They are all "open bar" bartenders, that is, very sociable, funny and well-know people guys. Therefore, do not be surprised that you and your girlfriend will pour the same cocktail in different ways, with different amounts of alcohol.
They poured a little bit of whiskey into my whiskey and cola and a little more coconut liqueur, and my boyfriend was poured 50/50, or even almost pure whiskey. Do not be afraid to talk to them and ask them to offer something to your taste, most likely they will guess what you like. We were very pleased with the work of the bartenders, excellent sociable guys, it's nice to chat with them, you learn a lot about the country, about people, about what they don't tell on excursions.
SMOKING

I will put this in a separate column, because I know how important it is for both sides of the conflict. Turkey is a smoking country. Just calm down. Or go to Europe, everyone here smokes. Both men and women. If you smoke, you will feel like a white person again, like 10 years ago with us. On vacation, you don’t have to run to smoke in a pissing corner for lepers. You can smoke almost everywhere, except for the room, and the innermost premises of the hotel. It is possible in the room on the balcony, on the terrace, in the lobby, in the open part of the dining room, by the pool, on the beach. Ashtrays are every two meters, you can't go wrong. If you are a Russian "yahmat", accustomed to conflict at home with smokers, driving people from benches in the park and sunbeds on the beach, I have bad news for you. Here, the legislation allows smoking in any ventilated room, at least somehow similar to a balcony, and even more so outdoors.
We had such a situation when a newly arrived maman sat down in the open part of the dining room and began to resent that we were smoking next to her. The administrator politely asked her to move to the covered part of the dining room, where they do not smoke. So, if your eyes are bloodshot from cigarette smoke, keep an eye on the location of the ashtrays and sit where there are none. And make your way to the bar in a gas mask. And keep in mind that the Russians here are not outraged about this, you will have a conflict at home.
By the way, at the airport in Antalya in the duty free zone on the top floor there is a smoking room, if you didn’t know, don’t thank. I would recommend smoking Turkey to my parents, because dad is very afraid to go on vacation, as poor smokers have already been pressed against the wall everywhere. And in Turkey you feel like a man again. By the way, you can import cigarettes into the country at the rate of a block per person. Stock up because you won't like local cigarettes. And they cost 3.5-5 bucks in the hotel shop and on the market. By the way, you can stomp to a supermarket, a real official one, with a cash register. There cigarettes are 2.5 bucks.
ANIMATION
Animation is divided into daytime and evening.
In the morning and afternoon by the pool you can: play darts, shoot from the air like in a shooting range, do water aerobics, play water polo. Sometimes, when there are a lot of people in the pool, different competitions are arranged - jumping rope on a board in the pool, juggling with a ball, etc. There are two animators and they are very friendly and sociable guys, five plus for them, they try to entertain to the fullest, although the program itself is a bit monotonous. If you are young people, they will constantly communicate with you, drag you to play, entertain, chat and joke. If you don't want to, they won't touch you. We took home certificates for shooting and darts, which we are very pleased with.

Evening animation. Here is the only and harsh minutes of the hotel. And the main difference between the four SKY and the five RESORT. Evening animation is really not so hot. She is, but sooooo short and rotten. Dancers came several times, by the way, really good ones - girls in feathers, acrobats and Latina. But there is very little space for them, there is no stage, they are barely accommodated. Although the same groups perform in the five-star hotel, they are on stage, with effects. There was a karaoke evening twice, that's true, it's fun, especially if a bear hasn't stepped on your ear. You can sing and dance, so karaoke is waiting there like manna from heaven. One evening there was a game of bingo with prizes, just like in a nursing home. And that's all. There are practically no discos, very little dancing, the music is quiet. Unless it's a karaoke night, there's almost no program.
For children - 15 minute children's animation. I photograph a lot in my homeland in the field of children's parties, I've seen a lot of things from budget DR to global superholidays, and I will say that animation is really poor. Although I don’t have children, I still saw that they were deprived of attention in the hotel . . After the children’s animation, some 30-minute entertainment from animators like guess the actor from the caricature, or a dance group arrives for 20 minutes, and at 10 pm everyone runs sleep and the area is empty. Everyone has to run to fight for sunbeds on the beach at 6 in the morning))). At 11 pm the last music stops and the remaining few people move the tables, drink, chat heart to heart and sing the black crow a cappella)))
Since we came with our company, we didn’t see our friends for a year, we were a little upset by the lack of a party, it was fun to talk to ourselves, sometimes we went to the sea to swim at night. But when the friends left (before us), it became really boring in the evening. It is especially sad that the music from the neighboring hotel was simply deafening, judging by the sounds, people came off, danced, yelled Hands up and Serduchka not in their own voices. So if you want to dance and have fun, you are not in my home sky, but in the neighboring my home resort. There dvizhuha at night more fun. And if you are with babies and you would rather be in silence on the side, in order to be in time at dawn at sea, then you will like it here).
You can also have an intermediate option, if you don’t think that you constantly want to drink and dance in the evenings, you can go from our hotel for 10 bucks to the club and take your soul there. Separately, I want to say that the bartenders, DJ and hookah man are trying to somehow compensate for the scarcity of the program with live communication and you can always chat with them, they really create the illusion of fun and movement, thanks to them for that. Yes, and many guests take everything into their own hands and begin to unite and chat heart to heart, erasing geographical and age boundaries. By the way, you can always order a hookah, it costs $10.

BAZAAR AND MONEY
There are two bazaars near the hotel, a kilometer to the right, a smaller one to the left. And ATMs. Here, for those who are the first time, like us, I will write separately. In Turkey, all currencies are used - rubles, lira, dollars, euros.
The most profitable for Russians is to pay with lira. Because the greater the value of the currency, the worse for us. Sellers in the bazaar do not recalculate the exchange rate and they do not use cents, rounding is not in your favor. Conditionally - a straw hat can cost 5 euros, or 5 dollars, or 25 lire. As you understand, it is more profitable for you in lira. If you are an experienced buyer, you can pay in rubles in the markets, this is the most profitable, but charisma is needed. There is a completely different culture of trade, straight CULTURE. They drag you to a shop in the market, not letting you out for half an hour, they sing tea, moonshine, give you a taste of sweets, talk about life, etc.
And it depends on how your communication is pumped, how you bargain. Because there are no price tags in stores. Or rather, they are in the head of the seller and are different for everyone. All these sellers are professionals and subtle psychologists. So turn on charisma and confidence. You won't go to the market here without sincere interest and involvement in the process. Our neighbors from the hotel traded in the market for slates for 200 Russian rubles and 10 magnets for 100 rubles. But this is exactly what you need to know. And these same sellers sold the same slates to the Germans for 15 euros. Therefore, firmly evaluate your strength in trading, tune in for a long trip for souvenirs and have fun.

When you get tired of the market, go to the supermarket, it is nearby and you can pay with your ruble card automatically. The secret is that if you want to bring some food, it's cheaper to buy it here than at the bazaar. Olives, tea, coffee, pomegranate sauce can be seen here, really cheaper and you will be sure of the quality. And cigarettes are much cheaper. By the way, immediately buy yourself a film for your suitcases and bags for food on the way back.
EXCURSIONS AND ENTERTAINMENT
On the right on the beach there is a quite tolerable office of extreme entertainment, they will find you themselves, sit down with you on a sunbed and tell you in detail what they have. And they have a banana, buns, parachutes, a ship, etc. It cost us $130 to fly on a parachute for two pairs of people. If you want, I recommend doing exactly as we did - at sunset, during the day it is not so beautiful. In the evening it's just a delight, impressions of a lifetime. By the way, about the impressions, feel free to tie the phone to your hand with improvised materials and shoot in flight. We were dissuaded by the organizers, they say drop it and that's it. As it turned out, in order to later shove pictures from your photographer. 15 raw hand-cut photos for $60.
I myself am a photographer in a provincial town, I was already freaked out by such impudence of my colleagues. But the German couple who were with us (they carry 3 couples in turn) calmly filmed everything on the phone with a selfie stick and did not drop or break anything. Of course, we harbored a grudge, but okay. Thank you for the indescribable feeling of flying over the sunset sea. Such paints that captures the spirit and the eyes in a wet place. Our friend's girlfriend had a birthday, they took a ride, and in the evening he proposed to her. So guys, catch the idea (by the way, you can do this during the flight, it's just unrealistic to say "no" here)))

Life hack. It is quite possible to conduct a sightseeing tour of Alanya on a budget by yourself, if you have rights and rent a car for a company. There are a lot of offices in the city, just don’t leave your passport as a deposit, find a serious company and take a video of the car before you go, so that they don’t hang something on you later. Or, if you want to drink permanently, you can get to Alanya by bus from the stop for 40 lira for five. On the way for about half an hour, take your seats on the right side of the bus and you won’t be bored, the views in the window are simply fabulous. He will take you to the center of Alanya, and from there 10 minutes walk to the embankment, the famous fortress and restaurants, the market is also nearby.
Excursions are offered simply by the sea at every corner - choose to your taste - with a tour operator or not. Our hotel mates go on safaris and spas and are happy as elephants, but not so much fishing. As for sailing on a ship, there is also a small life hack - be sure to check if the ship is all inclusive or everything is paid. It makes sense to buy a more expensive ship ticket, but with food and drink, than for $ 15, but for 8 hours of sailing you will leave a round sum for beer and food.
FINALLY
1) Do not forget that in this country it is customary to leave a tip. Let it be a little and not always, but it is necessary. Do not think, I paid off such money, so I also owe a tip. Your money reaches the staff in very small quantities, and they work there like bees. This is a huge plus of the hotel - the staff is just bomb. Sociable, polite, always ready to help, really create a homely atmosphere in the hotel. Tea can be left even in rubles.
2) Creams for sunburn and after sunburn - do not neglect, the sun is fierce. If your man is against all these women's rubbish, do not listen to him and use force, at least face and shoulders.
3) There are local dogs in the hotel on the beach, it's kind of like the staff. If you are afraid of dogs, do not be afraid, they are really there as hotel workers, they create home comfort and touch the guests. Dogs are very kind, chipped, educated, sterilized.
4) If you expect someone to entertain your children in a hotel, you are wrong.
5) Stock up on pills for the stomach and normalization of the stool. Spices and a large number of vegetables - very unusual for our digestion.
6) In the evening it can be cool by the pool, and in the afternoon it can rain, take light blouses with you.

7) Hotel policy - we do not celebrate birthdays. Therefore, if you have a birthday person in your company, you will have to think about the holiday program yourself. Our girlfriend had a DR and then an engagement, all we were offered was to decorate our regular table for dinner with flowers for $50 (you will see this with newlyweds, a popular, albeit unreasonably expensive service). According to the stories of the hotel neighbors, in other hotels you can order fireworks and congratulations and almost on hand the animators will swing in honor of the engagement or DR. But I didn't see it with my own eyes. We are not the only ones, I heard how a man was indignant at the administrator about his wife's birthday, and then he complained to us for a long time that they could not even congratulate us. True, our friends were then brought a fruit platter and a bottle of wine into the room.
8) Feel free to take food with you on the way back. No one will give you containers, stock up on ziplocks and bags and go ahead. Everyone does it, no one wants to pay 15 euros for a sandwich per person at the airport, and they don’t feed you on charter flights. Of course, you should not drag liters of whiskey and tequila from the hotel in plastic bottles, but burgers, sandwiches, fruits and vegetables, sweets, don't be lazy and stock up in bags. At the airport, on the plane, at home at night, you will be so glad to see them and once again wish the local chefs good health.
9) Beach towels, blue, can be taken downstairs and changed every three days
10) Those who say that there is only oriental music in the hotel is not true. Most of the foreign and Russian pop, a little modern German (there are many Germans in the hotel).
11) If you are a girl, go for a cocktail yourself, and do not ask a guy. Otherwise, a male dose will be poured. The exception is the malibu mix, it is always light.