Surmeli Efes

How could anyone complain about this beautiful hotel! The food was lovely... great choice everyday and never had to have the same thing twice during 2 weeks unless we wanted too... our adopted waiter, Kamir taught us Turkish and served us with a smile everyday. We were there when the weather reached a peak of 47 degrees!!! but during this week a hunky man would come around at the hottest times with ice cold flannels to mop our fevered brows... the people who left a review saying they slipped by the pool (err pools are slippy everywhere... even in Britain!)... so don't run... and don't let your kids run either duhh!... but folks don't fear they now have a green matting around the pool for those who cannot manage to wear flip flops or not run... it made me laugh when they said they were stuck in the lift and the staff wouldn'tlet them out then asked them to leave... I'd have done that too! The animation team were superb and worked all day and night... the creche girls were adored by the children of all nationalities... pray you go there when they do their Notre Dam show... it's the only time I've seen an animation crew receive a standing ovation!... But for helpful hints... don't go there if you are a Mamaris Nightclub loving youngster... there's enough to do all day and night for familes and more 'sedate' couples... and take euros as well as Turkish lira... you need both... wait for the bus to take you where you want... but pay the extra for a taxi if you want a cheap tour! Don't winge... try a bit of Turkish and make friends... and enjoy the sunsets on the beach!

Arrived at 8.30PM to a splendid looking hotel however things were about to deteriorate. We (wife and 2 sons 12 &9) were rushed into evening meal to find no tables set up and the waiters relluctant to re-set any for late guests, the food was very poor and we put this down to arriving late but it never improved for the whole fortnight! After our meal we were shown to our room which was and all I can describe as a 80s self catering apartment (cottages)on the fourth floor and no lift, with 2 single beds and 1 Z bed for the 12 year old who we had paid full price for and the settee was for the 9 year old. We complained and were shown a room on the first floor overlooking a flat roof (we had paid extra for a pool view) after demanding to see the manager we were offered a double room on the 10th floor with a pool view but still with the Z beds we had little choice but to accept and the whole 2 weeks were spent squashed in that room with Air con that didnt work (great). I have travelled quite exstensvlly and can stomach allsorts of quisine however this was hard work and I would reccomend plenty of Immodium. All in all its a pity because the hotel is nice and the majority of the staff are very good it just the NAAFI food and the odd untrained member of staff 2star+

Just returned from a 7 night all inclusive stay at the Surmeli Hotel in Kusadasi. We booked our holiday with lastminute.com only to find AFTER we had paid that hotel transfers were NOT included!! To our horror the airport we were arriving in was Bodrum Airport (some 90 miles away from Kusadasi)!!! Which amounts to a 2hr drive - not funny at 5am in the morning!!!! Please check you DO NOT fly into this airport - unless you like long coach transfers!! Hotel Location: Check-in was painless, reception/lobby area very spacious and inviting, we were on the 6th floor all rooms have a partial sea view which is great and the hotel is right on the beach, which you can walk for miles in each direction along the black/golden sand. Hotel Rooms: The hallways are very dark even in the day & echo every single noise even though carpetted. The rooms were spacious, clean alebit very dated (70's style carpet) is not what you wanna see first thing on a morning I can tell you! Small balcony with table/chairs, TV, Radio, plenty of wardrobe/drawer space. Could do with a few more lights in the rooms, one lamp & bedside lights just wern't enough. And only ONE plug socket! Yes... one plug socket available to use in the whole room!!! The hotel boasts MINIBAR's in every room... well my understanding of a minibar is - a chilled mini fridge, with selection of beverages/snacks. Surmeli understanding is not working grimey/smelly fridge with two bottles of warm water!! When we alerted reception that it was not working/empty - we were told to order what we wanted from list - they fill it & we pay! Our fridge was never replaced/repaired so we didnt bother stocking it. Maid service was daily as was delivery of 2 bottles of water. Restaurant: This is huge as is the selection of food, from diet options (and it literally says - Diet Options) to fresh salads, fruit, yoghurts, cold meats, eggs to order - breakfast chef will make what ever kind you desire out on balcony, hot dishes with full descriptions written above, - selections of meat/fish/potates/rice/vegetables and was nice to see a number of chef's on hand to replenish stocks, explain foods, keep lids on hot food etc.... there was no queing - all very civilised although some nationalites just like to barge past to get what they want - but the layout of the food area was great - plenty of desserts too - although they seemed to be sat in some sort of oil?! On an evening you can have dinner out on the balcony which is nice as you can watch the sunset - waiters bring you beverages to your table wine/water/beer etc... and there is a seperate area out of the restaruant for tea/coffee/other hot drinks (health & safety!) There is another 'restaurant' they call the Al a Carte...hmm?!?! Lets just say its another area to eat near one of the pools...not quite UK Al a Carte standards, they operate 2 nights - Fish or Italian Night. You are served 3 courses of either Fish or Italian food - there is NO menu - you are not given a choice - so check what you are eating... we went on the fish night (Im allergic to shell fish) and was plonked down a bowl of soup which had little prawns in it.. :( but was not told or even shown a menu....the main course was a whole fish.. eyes & tail in tact - with a very very oily salad - apart from the bones the fish was nice - but beware if you have children as you really really have to sift through the fish to dig the bones out and the desert was standard some sort of blamonge (cant spell it) bit sickly - for us that was the worst meal we had there - but trying to get a table there on Italian night was a nightmare - every time we went to book it was full...so cant coment on italian night. In general the food choices were good/varied and edible. Beware though - after 12pm you HAVE to pay for all drinks.. All Inclusive ends at midnight!!!!!!??? And the entertainment in the bar area is something else! A Peter Stringfellow Lookalike & his ladyfriend round a casio keyboard hmmmm?!?!?!? ha! Pools: There are 3 pools all of the same depth about 1.3m deep the main pool has a kiddie section - pool 2 is where the pool games/entertainment team hang out - so music is on, lots of tanoy announcements etc....and the quieter chilled pool near the stage area...we spent most of our time at this pool, very secluded, quiet etc.... there are plenty of sun loungers although people still insist on putting towels down at 7am (as we saw when we arrived) GET A LIFE!!!!! There are pool bars for each pool although drinks selection is limited and you have to pay for icecreams. Entertainment : Seems to be geared to kids in the day, which is fine - the animation team really look after the kids and there are seperate kids play areas away from the pool with swings/ slides etc... There is a disco - we never went but could hear the music most evenings, but nothing to distress anyone. On a Thursday they have a mini market selling usual turkish delights..leather...designer t:shirts etc...belly dancing...traditional dancing....turkish food is served in the hotel restaurant ....turkish bands playing etc....so a very very busy night. We took a taxi into town a couple of nights to go shopping wihch is fantastic for leather goods/watches...*genuine fake* as they call it (ha) but be warned you WILL be hassled as soon as you stop to look at a shop! its a good 15 mins car journey but plenty to do once there, bars/restaurants/shopping etc..and shops open until about 1.30am!!!! Loads of cabs available back so no worries there. If you get chance check out MURPHYS for food, they will also pick you up & take back to hotel as long as you eat there!!! It was 40degrees while we were there - so beware! And beware of the area around the pool while the marble tiles look great - they are very dangerous and in the week we were there 3 people had fallen, taken to hospital and had broken limbs (2 were kids) Hope this review has helped - if you are looking for a relaxing hol this is a great place...if you want banging night life - you best book nearer to the town - there are NO bars/restaurants near this hotel within a 5mile radius. I prob wouldnt go again - as would chose a different destination but would deffo recommend the hotel no probs.

We had a fabulous stay at the Surmeli Efes hotel. The views form our balconies (we had two) were fantastic and our room was clean, air conditioned and huge. The facilites and pools are fantastic and the hotel is right on the beach. It is a bit out of Kusadasi and you have to watch out for the taxis which can overcharge, but the Dolmus stops outside the hotel gates. The food was fresh and delicious, if at times a little odd for our European tastes, (egg and vegaetable bake for breakfast!) but a wide choice meant there was something for everyone. Its not 5 star by British standards but it is a good overall standard, comfortable and affordable.

After booking my holiday online I read reviews of others that had stayed in the Surmeli, and regretted myimpulsive purchase! Many reviews slated the hotel food, some said it was "smelly", others said the rooms weren't up to standard, and the main complaints were the hotel was nowhere near a 5star. All I can say is that they must have stayed somewhere else! On arrival, the reception area is beautiful, the staff are very friendly and helpful. The room we had was on the 6th floor of the hotel building and was great, spacious and spotleely clean. People staying in the garden rooms also said their rooms were lovely, and spacious for a family. The hotel overall was always being cleaned, pool areas and gardens were also spotless! Thought I'd find food would be poor, but there were always several choices for lunch and dinner, lots of yummy deserts and fresh fruit in both restaurant areas. Many travellers slated breakfast. Yes the orange juice was sweet, but similar in many hotels. Look out for the lady at breakfast making fresh omelettes and fried eggs to order, they're lovely! After a week at the Surmeli I can't find a bad thing to say, don't be put off by any poor reviews. It is about 10 minutes away from Kusadasi by dolmus, so if you want to be in "the town" its not for you, but after visiting the "town" two or three times and constantly being hassled to go in shops and restaurants constantly, it was a relief to get away again. Definitely worth visiting!

Came just before the season started in late April 2007 and I had a fantastic time just what I was looking for to recharge my batterys. I found the hotel to be extremely clean and the staff and even the other holiday makers friendly. Close to the beach. The food was very nice with lots of choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner with chefs on standby to assist if needed. I am hoping to return again this summer if the price is right. But I truely recommend it.

What a time, arrived at 6.00pm reception area looked fantastic, but then got took to garden apartments, walked in tiled floor covered in 1970s red and orange runners, bath like a corned beef can didnt know you had to be 4 ft to enter, but then again we had a shower above. Cleaners were very good cleaned daily with clean towels. Food was german catered even though english were present. Had a good time with familys we met, we went out and spent more to get to kusadasi town centre. willing to stay in surmeli efes, but dont recommend it. Unless you want a muddy beach and same old food.................x 3 star

Right,to start with everyone who has slated Surmeli Efes needs a reality check. Everyone knows that Turkish star ratings are about one less than the rest of Europe,so i'd agree in the broad scheme of things the Surmeli is indeed more of a good 4 star and is was certainly the best of all the hotels our bus stopped at! We stayed in the hotel itself (after reading reviews on here told us to avoid the apartments) and this seemed correct,the hotel rooms are 20 times better than the apartments which are based on families with children! Our room was very tidy,cleaned everyday,new towels everyday and bedding changed every day,you just have to put the "please make my room" sign on you're door!!! In addition to this you get a bog bottle of mineral water each day to put in you're fridge. Now,the hotel and the entire resort is very smart and well presented,3 brilliant pools outside and 1 inside. The beach was however very dissapointing,although this is hardly the hotels fault,i did go into the sea,which was very shallow and quite warm for september but to be honest i'd stay around the pool as the bar is right at hand! Now,for me the worst part of the holiday was the all inclusive,It is true the hotel seems to cater towards the Germans,a shame as Germans appear to like horrible food,what really baffled me was the fact there were as many English people there as there were German ! The drinks are a little limited too,the consisted of: Vodka,Brandy,Lager,Coke,Fanta,home made cocktails,Water,White/Red Wine,Raki, and a few fruit liquers. Note that WHISKY although supposed to be on the list isnt actually available. Overall I'd say the 2 weeks we stayed there was very good but i'd advise you only go for 10 days just because the food will get you down.Its not that its crap food,just not liked by us English! Anyone who has said this hotel was terrible is a fool to be honest,We payed £500 per person All inclusive and when you work it out thats £30 a day INCLUDING you flights and transfers. It costs more than that a night for a room and i can assure you i drank more than £30 in beer each day!!! go if you get a cheap deal,and drink your moneys worth!

Arrived at the hotel at 5am and was impressed with the reception area - all marble & very splendid. Different story though when we arrived at our room! Room was almost 3 star! Tiled floors with bright orange patterned runners down the middle. Room that was meant for our 3 year old was in an alcove ( think this was previously a kitchen). Bathroom very tight and dark with a bath so small it made me laugh each time i walked in . Air conditioning worked but was noisey and appeared ancient with all ugly wires on view. Food not too good either. Recomend a trip to Kusadassi for a decent meal(Mayflower Good) Please note we paid extra for a seperate bedroom, and our accomodation was in the Garden apptmnts in the grounds of the hotel. Rooms in hotel itself seemed slightly better quality than this.

It was our first anniversary and we spend a week in surmeli hotel. The hotel itself is a little out dated but very clean and tidy. The rooms were cleaned everyday and towels changed daily/bedding every 2 days.The lobby is big and spacious and well maintained. we had a lovely seaview and poolside view. The rooms were clean and light. The swimming pools are attractive and large surrounded by well tended trees and gardens. The hotel grounds are well spaced out and pleasing to the eye.. The 3 outside pools were very well maintained and not over used. The animation team were awful.they asked if you wanted to take part in the games but if you didn't they left you alone. The beach is very quite clean and safe for children.If you are a beach lover you will find the sand soft and silky but a dark muddy colour at the waters edge. The colour of the sea is cloudy and not turqoisey blue as it is much further out and looks a murky uninviting colour. There were beautiful sunsets over the mountains and the sea every evening. We had a good time and enjoyed ourselves with a good atmoshere and charming staff. All inclusive finishes at 12 midnight after that you have to pay extra, also extra for capuccino and hot chocolate. Food average.Drinks on all inclusive were local gin , vodka, raki or beer. nice location , away from all the hustle and bustle but close enough to jump on the local dolmus ( 15 mins into Kusadasi) But remember that The hotel is more like a three-four star standard.