Surmeli Efes

I’ve stayed in many a hotel over the years but I would say this one tried but was lacking something, not very family friendly.
Animation team, well what can I say only that a bunch of monkeys could do better. Food was bland and seemed the same sort of thing every day, fish heads, boiled, grilled, you name it.
Staff were nice and friendly, including room cleaners.
We stayed for 2 weeks, which in my view was too long as there is only so much you can do and see around the area.
But all in all good value for money but beware of getting hassled in the towns.
The flies were a big menace, plus take plenty of mosquito spray, we were bitten senseless.

Take no notice of the bad reviews on this hotel. I stayed at this hotel last August with my teenage daughter and her 2 friends all 16 also my 2 sons 15/8 and my mother, friend and her children, we had a great holiday.
I will agree that it is not a 5 star standard, but very good. The food was nice always something to eat. My daughters friend is a veggie and she also had plenty to choose from.
I and my children are very fussy eaters and we all loved the food and drink.
The entertainment was ok but we are not the only nationality who visit this hotel so they do have to cater for everyone. The hotel was spotless.

All in all we had a great holiday and we have booked to go back this August. Can’t wait.
Make your own mind up and try it.

My family and I had a particular bad holiday here, I shall start with the good points which earn its 4 out of 10.
The swimming and spa facilities were very good and the instant access to the private beach was brilliant. The majority of the middle ranged staff were very nice people and always drew a smile, the seclusion of the hotel and 5 minute walk to the water park was also great indeed.
The internal shops were nice and helpful (except clothes store which I never saw open) and the interior design of the main building was a touch of class.
Bad points.... for me this hotel was wrong in the first place, it wasn't very family friendly and because of its 5 star rating it drew in a lot of business people whom made me, and my family feel uncomfortable.. like proper holiday makers.
The entertainment team were nice enough but to be honest they were crap, the year before I went to the Sur Menorca 3 star hotel in Menorca and there was but 3 entertainment crew (lead by yohan from Holland) and they were very good indeed.
In this hotel there was more than 10 of them and even though they were nice enough they were nowhere near as good (and to be honest lock up ya daughters too!!).
We also had problems with sleeping arrangements and the accommodation was poor and there was a severe fly infestation.
The drinks were ok and the food was good to start with but after a while you were left wondering how many ways they can really serve meatballs!
We had things go missing in our room and safety was an issue, my son had an accident which was due to a lack of "slippery when wet" signs which resulted in him requiring treatment beyond the skills of a nurse. Also the disco was dodgy.

My friend and I booked this holiday through Last Minute.com then read the reviews and wondered if we had made the right choice. But decided that we would make the best of the location and All Inclusive and relax and enjoy ourselves.
The journey was ok, flight times not the best as we arrived the early hours of Tuesday morning. But the reception was clear when we arrived and we and 2 other parties of 2 were signed up to our rooms quite quickly.
We were on the 7th floor, twin beds as requested with sea view. The room was better than I expected and very clean and had an excellent shower.
I cannot really fault the room service, cleaned everyday with clean towels and toiletries plus we were able to help ourselves to bottled water. They also have a pool towel service so do not take own towel.
The first 2 days we stayed within the hotel the pools were lovely with plenty of sun beds. There was never a time when we did not have a choice of where to sunbath, either by the 2 pools or on the private beach.
We found the staff very friendly, most spoke English. We used the local bus service to get into Kusadasi, see Ephesus and to go to the fashion outlets. We never had a problem or felt intimidated being 2 older ladies travelling alone.
Everyone was helpful and at the hotel bus stop and in town there was a man who advised which bus etc to get. I took Lira and Sterling but next time I will just take Euro as even on the local bus accepted Euro.
Most shops were priced in Euro also it was awkward keep converting it to either sterling or Lira.
The food was ok; I am quite fussy but always found something to eat. The bread was fresh and there was always butter available, generally soup at lunch and dinner plus pasta and meat dishes also lots of salad etc. not to mention a nice array of desserts and fruit.
The local wines were nice plus we had a vast range of spirit drinks at no extra charge.
As we went early in the season the hotel was reasonably quiet but it did have various coach parties arrive which seemed to stay 1 night then were not seen again. This caused the restaurant to be a bit hectic but there was still plenty of food to choose from.
I would go to Surely Efes Hotel again, probably not through Last minute but book via a tour operator direct.
The only other thing to mention is that I have been to Turkey many times over the last few years but this was the first time that luggage was weighed and if you were not within your limit they charged you.
Our limit was only 15Kgs and 5kg for hand luggage so we watched what we brought and were just at our limit but others were stopped and charged.
I left Turkey at 2am (there time) this morning and it was 22c and arrived back in UK at 4am our time at 5c!!

After reading some of the comments made about this hotel before going, I had thought it was going to be a bad holiday.
But we were so pleasantly surprised to find none of them to be true while we were there.
The hotel was very clean throughout; the staff couldn’t do enough to make you feel welcome and comfortable.
The restaurant was so clean with a huge choice to choose from no matter if it was breakfast lunch or evening meal.
The hotel also has really good amenities, so if you just wanted to relax or be more active then the choice is yours.
The animation team at the hotel was excellent good entertainment in the evening and good friendly interaction with the guests during the day.
I would certainly go back for another holiday day to the same hotel and the same time of year, even just being outside of the season.
Thumbs up 9 out of 10
Thank you.

I read the reviews on this website after I had booked but before I went and I really began to wonder why we were bothering to go...I was tempted to stay at home.
However, we had a really good time and although I believe there are some elements in the reports which are true they are generally harsh.
In fact, quite a few people on our trip had also read these reviews and feared the worst and all agreed that the hotel was much better than they had expected. I hope some of them contribute reviews so that readers get a balanced view.
To try and put this in context, I travel a lot on business to many countries and stay in a lot of 5* hotels. This hotel is not what you would think of as 5* and you will not get pampered luxury, but it is not a 5* price either.
I found that the hotel was clean, with basic rooms which were a bit dated and tired, but with good overall facilities in terms of pools, tennis courts etc. and good service.
We stayed in the family Garden Rooms and found that we had a small apartment consisting of a double bedroom, living room with single bed, alcove bedroom, and bathroom.
The bathroom had a very small 'seat' type bath which I have only ever seen before at an Oxford college...not great for a long soak in the bath but the shower was good and it was adequate and clean, which is better than some hotels I have stayed in!
The waiters and staff were all very friendly and spoke good English. They made quite a fuss of our two boys and really made them feel welcome. In my view breakfast was the best meal of the day, with plenty of fresh fruit, cereals, bread/croissants, omelettes and other hot food options.
Overall the buffet food at other meals was adequate but not exciting and was probably the worst aspect of the hotel, but having said that, we always managed to find something quite pleasant to eat.
One of my boys is a very fussy eater but he always managed to find something to eat - even if it was bread and butter followed by 6 puddings!
The pools were all great and as some reports said, the area around the pool could be slippery. Based on the previous reviews I rushed out to buy rubber footwear for my boys before leaving the UK, but they stopped wearing them on the second day and had no accidents; you just need to walk carefully.
It's true that the hotel has a number of people other than British. Quite a few German, Belgian, French and Turkish...personally I find that more interesting than just mixing with British people as I enjoy the diversity of different cultures...isn't that one reason we travel abroad?
For some practical advice, the Dolmus (minibus) picks up from the hotel about every 20 minutes and costs about £1 per person to get to Kusadasi, Selcuk or Ephesus. No need to bother with taxis.
I certainly enjoyed Turkey and found the people friendly and welcoming. I would not want to go back to this same place again but only because we have now seen everything we wanted to see in the area.
I would certainly not be put off by the hotel and I would gladly stay there again. The holiday was not expensive and I think was excellent value for money.
If you do go to Surmeli Efes I hope you have a great time as we did. Enjoy your holiday!

As we arrived at the hotel I was drawn back by the appearance of it, it was breathtaking.
After checking in, in the magnificent lobby we were taken outside to the adjoining apartments. We were on the third floor, the room was basic but the big problem was the bath/shower, bath what a joke, it was a 2 foot step to get into shower and the bath was half the size of a normal bath.
The food was all buffet style and mostly German and Turkish hardly any English and the kids were not impressed as there was nothing for kids except chips but the pool snack bar was great for them.
Then floor to the pools were tiled and very, very slippery when wet I had to tip toe slowly to the other side.
I don’t think I would go back again as I expected to stay in a 5* hotel not a 3* apartment, but the maid service was very good.
And there was no foreign exchange so when I run out of money I had to pay by card as I was told to go down to the town and use cash machine.
And finally, we never once saw the med hotels rep after being told daily they were going to be there a certain time each day but they never turned up.

I read the review for this hotel upon our arrival back in England. Myself and my partner booked last minute as we had not been away for some time together and needed a relaxing all inclusive break to unwind by the sea.
I must admit on arriving at the hotel I was taken back by the lobby area and the pools and outside bars.
However, the room claimed to be spacious and air conditioned. I could have blown colder air out of my lungs! The room was tiny considering the start rating of this hotel. We had asked for a double room and ended up pushing the two beds together.
Food: Food was very much catered to for the German/Russian clientele and mostly consisted of cooked sausage (of every description) hard boiled eggs and some stew that resembled the left overs of Betty's hot pot! Some of it was nice though I will say that but repetitive, we ended up traveling in to town just to eat real food.
The staff were not very helpful unless they were trying to sell you a boat trip on a boat owned by a member of their family and when you eventually told them you had already booked one through the rep they then ignored you.
Some bar staff were nice and friendly and some were not. You were ok if you were female aged between 17 and 30 as you had loads of attention those of us out of that bracket just need'nt bother.
The drinks were fine if you want to stick to local beer, wine etc. I tried the local beer and stuck with it one night and ended up on the toilet for 7 hours with a loo roll in the fridge (which couldn't cool nothing!)
My partner doesn’t drink beer or wine and drinks schnapps (which you have to pay for....in AI? oh and ice creams?!) We didn’t take our children as if we had they would have been so very bored and I would have been upset at how little there was for them to do. I didn’t get merry on any night. I since learnt that the hotel beer contained the local tap water which is why my stomach got upset! They watered everything, vodka, gin, rum.
The pool areas and bars were nice and we did relax and eat in the outside dining area a few times as the food although junk was better than the lunch provided.
The good thing is that we didn't really pay for the holiday we expected as it was cheap/ This hotel is in no way shape or form 5* any more. It may have been in the 70s (when it was built) but not any more. This could be seen for the decoration of room to the outdated food heater in the dining area.
If you want a cheap holiday in a hotel that doesn't meet expectations then this is for you if you want to relax be pampered and catered for on a higher star level then I might suggest centre parks or Butlins.
Kusadasi was nice thought and the people we met in town were friendly and took good care of us.

Just wanted to point out that this hotel is totally anti-English, the staff at the reception are so un-helpful.
This hotel is rated as a 5* (no way) the outside areas could be classed as that but as for the accommodation 3* and the food 2 to 3*, the food is all buffet style slops what a joke. We paid for AI but this only includes one kind of beer, own vodka own Gin and soft drinks anything else you have to pay for i.e.: cocktails, whisky Bacardi etc, and also ice creams what is that about?
Overall I would rate this hotel as a 3* at the most. Would never go back.

If you are a family traveling or a couple looking for a break then this is an important review!
I did read all the other reviews (unfortunately after I had booked as we went last minute) I was expecting the following.
1. A 5* luxury all inclusive break with my husband (we left the kids with grandparents!)
2. Food and drink on tap all day
3. Reasonable location although we were not intending to go anywhere as we had no money left, we were planning to stay in resort
4. A lovely Beach
5. Air Conditioning
6. Smashing pools to swim in all day with sun loungers
After traveling to the Dominican last year and staying in Sun Village this hotel had a lot to live up to. I am sorry to say I was very disappointed, I would class the hotel as no more than a good 3*, however after seeing all the hotels our fellow coach party were dropped off we were very fortunate to be staying in Surmeli.
The food was good, but don't expect any home comforts and I suppose breakfast was the most disappointing (no bacon or omlettes) Plenty of cereal and bread for the kids. The rest of the meals were fine but the puddings were disgusting! I actually lost weight on this holiday! There is also a pool snack bar which serves food 12noon - 4.30 which was great as it served chips and pizza fruit and salad, very normal food.
The Pools were great, 3 outside pools, but, and it is a big but, I would never ever stay at this hotel with the kids for this very big reason - Each pool area was surrounded with Marble tiles making the trip from the pool to the sun lounger, bar, loo a journey of life and death! It was so slippery and I lost count the amount of poor kids I saw falling over. I can not believe nothing has been done. Its all very well ordering the kids not to run, but even adults who were just wandering around were going flying! So if you have booked, take some flip flops/swimming shoes for the kids that stay on their feet all the time, even when swimming to keep them safe.
There was also not enough sun loungers so you had to get up at 6am to reserve yours with towels!! (Beach towels are provided by the way and they are fine, big and clean, but you have to pay a deposit of 20 euros each towel) We saw some people fighting over loungers so be warned.
If you are hoping to go to a hotel full of English, make some friends and have a good laugh this is not the hotel for you either. It was full of French, German, Albanian, Turkish, Iranian and a handful of English, it was OK but get used to the lack of manners from some foreigners, I had to bite my tongue a few times!
The hotel advertises A/Cond. this is rubbish by the way, its a very poor fan system so DO NOT expect to come in from a boiling day by the pool expecting the room to be nice a cool. It is bearable but not as I would have expected. Rooms are very, very basic, and mini bar fridge does not work so your 1 bottle of water is warm. Also make sure you ask your maid for plenty of loo roll as they are pretty stingy with it and its not nice when you get up in the night with a grumbly tummy to find you've got no paper! No safety mat in the shower either, so be careful. (There was a bath).
Bus service into town is fantastic and they are really helpful, we only went in once to the Market on a Wed, this was fab and got some great bargains. The good thing is with your wristband on if you get lost or don't know what bus to get back to hotel someone is always around to help.
Finally, Beach is rubbish, dirty yuk! The sea is full of seaweed and black sand and there was no way I was going in there but I did see people swimming so I suppose it wasn't that bad.
We heard some really bad comments about other hotels, no hot water, sea water for showers, really dirty beaches, broken dirty pools, not food so all in all we were very lucky to book at Surmeli.
I would not go again to this Hotel for the simple reason the poolside is so dangerous and the beach is pretty grotty.
There are two water parks close to the hotel, one in walking distance, they looked good but we heard they were £15 pp.