Julian Forest Apartments

We returned last night from two wonderful weeks at the Julian Forest hotel.
I was reluctant to return to Turkey after going there years ago, then it was hassle hassle hassle, last year a no Hassle policy was made law and I have to say it is the best thing they could have ever done.
When in Icmeler you still get the guys on the bars/restaurant doors trying to get you in but a polite no thank you and they would thank you back and leave you alone, no problems. No chasing you up the road, no rude comments it was bliss.
The hotel it's self is situated at the end of the resort, with just another hotel to keep it company; I must say the other hotel is not a patch on Julian Forest.
The hotel looks over mountains and pine forests, not another hotel in view how lovely.
Mossies didn’t exist when we went, we went with every kind of mossie killer you could think of didn’t need them.
There are wasps there, but being in the hills what do you expect, some folks got stung but it is not as bad as some reviews make out, watch out for any dead ones on the floor, do not stand on them they still sting when dead.
It certainly has not put me off going back and I hate the critters.

A dolmus bus runs every 10 minutes or so and sits about 30 steps from the hotel entrance, Icmeler is just 5 minutes away, it costs 1 lira each person about 40p each way. Once in Icmeler you can just flag one down and it will stop, tip; make sure your on the right bus, ask the driver for Julian Forest they all speak English, and if it is not the right one they will direct you to the correct bus.
The hotel is a quality 4 star complex with quality fixtures and fittings, the rooms have a two ring cooker, kettle, and microwave if you really feel the need to cook, the rooms are well furnished, the only down side being that the air conditioning is in the bedroom.
So those sleeping in the living area feel the heat, but the patio doors left ajar seem to make up for this short fall.
The maid comes in daily and towels and sheets are replaced every two days. The main pool is large with a deep, middle and shallow ends, it is kept very clean as is the sun bed area, the sun beds are study wooden ones, no cheapo plastic and the umbrella’s are huge when opened out offering plenty of shade from the heat.
There is also a children’s pool with sun loungers for parents and a small pool with the water slides.
On arrival you will be offered the flexi dine, we had a 7 day flexi dine for 4 people at £79 per person, it allows you to each have two meals a day, you can have breakfast or lunch then eating out at night or breakfast or lunch and a four course meal on the evening if you choose to stay in the hotel.
If you do not use it that day it will be carried over, if only one or two meals are used up the rest are carried over
Even just using it for daytime meals, you will save money and if you have Kids/teenagers, it is a godsend. Drinks are not included.
You do not pay with cash, you rent a wristband paying £10 deposit, which you get back on check out, you charge the wristband up with money in the reception and use that a receipt will be issued each time you use the band to buy things allowing you to keep a watch on what you spend.
Entertainment is put on throughout the day and evening, the kids and adults play pool, darts, water polo, mega splash football, pool tables with killer pool being a daily thing the kids love it. Bingo is put on each day for the adults.
Each evening entertainment is provided for you pleasure either Turkish folk dancers, belly dancers, martial arts demonstration which is a huge treat to watch as the guys who perform Ali and Choea are masters and really put on a good show.
A kids club is run by a Scottish lass who the kids love and is very popular, they even have a supervised kids lunch so you can eat in peace knowing you little ones are having the time of their lives.
There is a professional photographer on site who takes amazing pictures, a massage and beauty centre, and Turkish bathes. Sheer bliss well worth every penny.
A hairdresser on site who will colour cut your hair, shaves available for the men. Braids for the kids and you can get your nail extensions for half the price you pay at home about £15 for a full set.
The staff all speak English mostly very good English and nothing is every any trouble for them Mehmet, Gulsum, Ismail (Bruce lee look alike) and Hatice are total sweeties.
There were only British people here, which was refreshing to say the least, it’s like one big family everyone is friendly and all get involved with the entertainment.
I have always been one of those that say, I would not go back to the same resort again but we are going back to Julian Forest next year so good was our time there.
I also used to pour scorn on those who cried when they left, I was in floods of tears when I said good bye to certain members of staff, especially Mehmet, only 17 and a wonderful human already, his parents must be very proud to have a son such as he.
If you eat out in Icmeler go to the Champagne bar and restaurant, opposite the wonder boys bar, it’s the best food in Icmeler, Alex, Tony and staff will make sure your food is just how you like it, and they get immense pleasure knowing you have eaten there and enjoyed it.
Do not leave it to late the kitchen closes at 11; it is always full of satisfied well-feed happy customers.
We ate elsewhere and paid more money for food that wasn’t a patch on their food.
Money rate is good, £10 is about 25 lira, 10 lira about £4 there are plenty of bargains to be had both in Icmeler market(Wednesday) and Marmaris market(Thursday) though please remember these are markets and they do shout out, as with any other market in the world.
The police patrol regularly and there is no trouble, but they do try to get you to buy from them, if you can accept this than enjoy the experience, the food market underneath is amazing and a reminder of the things we have lost here in Blighty with our obsession for supermarkets.
Towels are a must there, 3 large bath sheets good quality cotton for £10.
Leather goods are good, though most of it is fake designer stuff some good quality some not so good, jeans are a good price as are watches, and sunglasses. Icmeler has its own supermarket and is very cheap.
Marmaris is much bigger resort than Icmeler and more geared up for the younger population if you want some peace go to Icmeler.
Maybe we will see you there next year, if you want to go to Turkey go to The Julian Forest in Icmeler you really wont regret it worth the journey and worth every penny.

The Julian Forest Hotel is quite possibly one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in. Nothing was too much trouble for any of the staff. I was a bit wary of the reports of the wasps as my daughter hates them, but because the surrounding mountainside gets sprayed every night there is very little problem with them. The food was excellent and I thoroughly recommend doing the flexi-dine as you can save a lot of money on meals, especially barbecue evening.
The entertainment team, well what can I say apart from they were brill, kept you laughing all day, although I do know that at least 2 of the 4 are leaving at the end the season. The hotel is quite a way back from the main action in Icemeler (but only a dolmus ride away) its great if you want peace and quite and just to relax. It was a struggle sometimes to get in the pool I was so chilled out!!!! We took 2 teenagers with us and they soon made many friends who are all trying to talk their parents into going again next year for a reunion.
This was a great holiday made even better by a fab hotel. Keep up the good work Julian Forest.

We have just got back from this beautiful place *11/10*. We had a superb holiday but make sure you book for 2-3 weeks because we went for a week last year and it was not long enough at all. We are very sad to be home as the weather and people are great there.
The whole complex is so clean and extremely friendly we could never fault a thing. It was our second time back to the same place and the staff were just as welcoming as the last time we came, we felt like the staff were our friends as they are so friendly and remembered us from last year. All the waiters work very hard and are very friendly.
The poolside areas are great as the smaller pool has 2 great waterslides which are really fun or the kids and even the adults. In general I think turkey is much better than Spain by far as the people are much more friendly and just the country it’s self.
Furthermore, flexi dine is great as it works out cheaper eating in the hotel if you do flexi dine for a few days you get the choice and there is no pressure. We had a 2weeks stay and we could have easily stayed there for 3weeks and we done flexi dine for 4days out of our 2week stay.
There is also a bbq that takes place every Wednesday which can be included in the flexi dine I would really recommend this as the food is out of this world. Also the wristband system is good as you just top it up at reception and your credit goes onto it, it's almost like pay as you go and remember that you don't have to carry lots of money around.
The entertainment is brilliant in the hotel as the entertainers are very enthusiastic and get everybody up to dance etc. There are 2pool tables in the bar side area and also a darts board. There are many activities that you can take part in the day time. Killer pool, mega splash, bingo, pool dancing, kids club etc.
As the hotel is the last in Icmeler it is first class too! You can get a Dolmus(bus) into Icmeler which is about5-7min and also if you want to take a trip into Marmaris you can change in Icmeler to get on the next bus to Marmaris. All the buses are very regular.
Icmeler market is much better than Marmaris market as Marmaris market is undercover which is inside and Icmeler is just under covered but is not inside a building like Marmaris. Make sure you haggle with the shopkeepers and people selling in the markets because some will try and rip you off but all you got to do is walk away and say you don't want to pay that price its too much and they will surely be calling you back for more.
We ate in a various number of restaurants the best in order would be chef (Icmeler, we chose to go here 2wice as the food was quality) noels(Icmeler) friends(entertainment was great in this restaurant) rainbow(Icmeler) Florida(Icmeler) pyramid(Icmeler) also keep in mind that quit allot of the restaurants do a free pick up from your hotel or apartments to the restaurant and some even take you back if you would like.
At Julian forest you sincerely are guaranteed a great holiday experience. You will not want to come home. If you choose Julian forest you are in for the time of your life and will want to come back year after year.

Just returned from Club Julian Forest and cannot fault it at all. The facilities were first class.
Flexi Dine is well worth the money. The entertainment staff were brilliant especially Hughie Jimmy Esra, lots of entertainment for kids, Becky at kids club was brilliant with the kids.
Despite the reports about the wasps, we hardly seen any at all. Can’t wait until we return next year.

This is my third time to Turkey, but my first time to Icemeler. Julian Forest Apartments very clean, with tranquil surroundings. Do not get pressured into the flexi-dine, our first meal wasn't very nice and a swarm of wasps decided to dine with us. Eating out is very cheap and its an experience not to be missed. The best restaurant we found was Richards Place, very friendly and loved the kids who had free drinks as well as the adults. I would recommend you take a Turkish bath and massage in the hotel because it was very relaxing and refreshing. Icmeler and Julian Forest will be seeing me very soon. A week was not long enough. Missing it already.

Just back from the Julian Forest and like everyone else found the 4* accommodation very very good. The property is very new and tastefully decorated.
The rooms are cleaned daily, clean towels as required and beds changed a couple of times a week. There are plenty of good quality sun beds a lovely pool and a kids pool with water shoot and slide. There are kids clubs for younger children and older kids held separately.
We didn't want to pay into the 'flexi meal deal' they do but found the constant hassle a bit much. We preferred to eat of an evening in Icmeler town and the dolmus bus was excellent, 40p (1 lira) each and they run every 10 mins.
The hotel is set in gardens at the end of road with only the Green World hotel next door. The setting is very pleasant but can be very limiting as there is nothing to do near the hotel as it is quite remote and even the 2 nearest supermarkets can be a trek in the Turkish heat which was between 40oc-54oc during the last 2 weeks.
As a previous review stated the windows by the lifts do open inwards and are very dangerous.
We booked this holiday through Direct Holidays as a late booking and Allocation on Arrival. We were pleased with the deal we got, (2 weeks when the kids are on school holiday) for £632 all in for the two of us. Bargain.
We would recommend the hotel but not the location as it is a bit too far from the town.

These apartments are very well run and the staff are very helpful and friendly, I would recommend that you take advantage of the Penguin club on arrival as this will definitely set you up for the next week or two.
For £25 I got a Turkish bath and scrub along with sauna face mask and full body massage. You can get this cheaper elsewhere but you won’t get the service and niceties that the staff at Julian forest give you.
I was very impressed with the accommodation and both the bedroom and the living area was always very cool with the air conditioning(free) although we did have a room at the back of the hotel that didn’t get much sunshine which suited us.
Bring your own iron as we were told before we went that there was an iron and iron board for hire, but when we arrived there was an old dirty iron and no board.
Safety deposit boxes are for hire at 30 Lira per week (£12) they do not accept Scottish or N/Irish £notes so remember this when exchanging money. I got the flexi dine for a 5 day period for the 4 in my party and this cost £45 per head and half price for under 12,s.
The food itself was at best adequate, and would recommend that you jump a Dolmus bus to Icemeler and spend between 30 and 45 pounds per night on some very good food, although it was very handy during the day for a quick snack at no extra cost.
I have given this review a rating of 7 due to the location and the food but it does not reflect the outstanding warmth and helpfulness of the staff and of the very good accommodation that awaited us on arrival.
Get down early for a good position at the pool.

On arrival we were checked in reasonably quickly, but the reception staff were very abrupt to say the least!
We found this to be the case every time we went to reception, they never ever smiled!
We found the "watch" that had to be topped up every time you wanted to spend anything in the bar, restaurant or shop, to be a real pain as if we were in the bar and ran out of money we just didn't bother getting another drink.
The apartments were very well equipped with satellite tv and air con in the bedroom.
The cleaning did leave a bit to be desired as for 2 days we didn't get our bins emptied. We did get clean towels most days though.
Pools were good, especially the smaller one with the water slides.
The comments others made about the wasps was spot on! My husband also got stung while sunbathing.
We loved Icmeler, having only stayed in Marmaris previously.
We wouldnt go back to Julian Forest as the staff in the apartments we had stopped in previously in Turkey were so much friendlier.

Fantastic place - a little out of the way but a bus ride is all it takes to get to the centre (approx 40p). We got the water bus to Marmaris 1 day for the experience and so glad we stayed in Icmeler.
Julian Forest is excellent, they offer flexi-dine (4 breakfasts OR lunches and a four course dinner for 4 nights=£40.00) fantastic for kids (under 2 are free and smaller kids half price) but don't be pressured into it.
The selection is great and the bbq night is excellent although go early as the flies get a treat otherwise. Ado is a good man and you will meet a waiter they name Bruce Lee who is cool.
The service is second to none and enough cannot be done for you.
Water slides in the small pool and the big pool is more than adequate. No fighting for sun loungers either. We went to the beach one day but it was scorching came back to the pool at 1pm and still sunbeds available.
Try the Bizarre on Weds lots of bargains in Icmeler very hot though so go early morning, when it gets busy it is like a sauna. I cannot credit Julian Forrest enough. Hygiene fantastic, service excellent.
Also you do not deal with money around the pool you have a wrist watch that you pay money for at reception (a deposit is paid but you get it back) you get a till receipt from staff on every transaction - you will get used to it and when you are a little tipsy you know you just what you spent and on what.
Happy hour 5-6 is excellent and 10-11 but they were talking of changing the time when we were there. Great place for kids and most people we spoke to are def going back next year-some this year.
Similar scenario to home in the hotel a little more expensive but in the centre it's cheaper as everyone is after your business.
The Waterfall is highly recommended and so is the Golden Moon in Icmeler for eating they also take you home free of charge. My hubby recommends the Turkish shave too.
Hope this all helps - overall an excellent week we spent there.
Only downfall you are the last to be dropped off on the transfer as it is 2 1/2 hours - but well worth it.

Just back from a week self catering at the Julian Forest apartments and had a wonderful time.
All the staff are fantastic, very friendly and helpful and nothing is too much trouble.
The whole complex is kept in immaculate condition with the apartments being cleaned daily and the bed linen changed twice per week.
The location is in a quiet cul de sac and although it is about 2.5 miles from Icmeler centre there is a Dolmus stop at the front door hence the quiet location is a bonus.
There is entertainment nightly which is in the earlier part of the night for children and then in the latter part for adults.
The only criticism that I would have is regarding the food both the menu and its quality.
The only Turkish food that I could find on the menu was kebabs. I opted for the 4 day flexi dine option that for £39 purchased 4 breakfast or lunch and 4 dinners. If you are happy to have chips with everything the maybe this is the option for you but I realised after the 2nd meal that I had made a mistake as there are a few other reasonable restaurants in the vicinity.
I have given the Julian Forest 7/10 and would have given higher but for the quality of the restaurant.