Zevkim Hotel

2 readers found this review helpful

This is a great example of a fantastic resort with awesome potential that has gone awe-inspiringly wrong. From the second you set foot on the ground at Dalaman airport (which is excruciatingly expensive – buy anything here at your peril – we were charged 26YTL (or about 14 GBP) for two 33ml bottles of coke! KFC meal on the way back will set you back a tenner each easily!) it is clear that one ethos applies here – “get cash from tourist!”.
The beach is utterly off limits unless you are buying something from the hotel/shop/restaurant/shack adjoining it and I actually watched a group of young people get ejected from their spot because it was for “hotel guests only” – even though we were there and weren’t hotel guests, and even though they had been sitting there for over 2 hours already. I think it was coincidence that they were told to leave at about the same time they opened their picnic basket and started eating. Forget sand – the beach is wall to wall sun loungers – so you can’t even grab a quiet spot and escape the beach tax. The marina is closed and guard patrolled, so you can’t even pass through there to get to the tourist trap free zone a few miles away.
Forget prices in Dalaman!! If you want to know how much something is – you need to ask for the current going rate. At our hotel “the Zevkim” - a large coke cost us variously, 3, 5 or 7 YTL – same waiter each time. The shops and restaurants almost never display their prices so they’ll charge you whatever they think they’ll get away with – prepare to be ripped off at EVERY opportunity – they are utterly relentless and thoroughly ruthless with it. 2 days AFTER we had dined on the beach at one particular spot - We were approached by a waiter who recognised us and asked if we had paid!!! I had to remind him that I had not only paid him, but had also tipped him 10ytl in the process before he would leave us alone
Forget romantic walks along the beach too! Get used, instead, to every conversation you try to have being interrupted by “yes please”, “excuse me”, “can I ask you just one question?”, “where are you from?” or my favourite “I sell you cheap *****!!”. The hawkers are relentless and aggressive – evidenced by the emptiness of the shops that people are just too frightened to try and enter for a browse…
On the good side, very little I’m afraid. It’s sunny, and hot and the flight was cheap. The sea is stunningly crystal clear for the first couple of hours before the myriad of boats and jetskis – all very close to shore because they seem to hope that you’ll somehow be convinced your 5 min jaunt is actually the 15 min jaunt you’ve paid them a fortune for – cloud up the water so much that you can only snorkel effectively in knee deep water.
If you bear this in mind when you visit – you’ll probably enjoy yourself – but it’s a resort geared towards getting as much cash from you as possible – not getting you to want to come back and spend more time there. For me, that’s a failing on a spectacular scale.
For those who might disagree, I end this review with this observation – any resort where great pride is taken by a few businesses in advertising “we not hassling you here” is indicative of the nature of the resort. Apparently, the police have clamped down on the way trade is conducted and it used to be much worse, but I could have flown to California and had a week there trouble free for the same price I spent on the entire holiday in Dalaman. Overall, a very bad experience and Dalaman is firmly crossed off of my list of places I’ll ever return to.

1st time at the zevkim hotel mustafa the owner alfie and the rest of the staff were absolutely brilliant rooms clean and tidy bedding changed regularly cleaners lovely and freindly pool small but big enough to cool off in and always nice and clean. food first class the leg of lamb was superb!!! thanks mustafa and staff we will see you in september hopefully mick ans sue hancox

1 reader found this review helpful

Had another brill time at the zevkim although it was rather noisy at night with the bar staying open until early morning, we did find the pool to small this time as the hotel has merged with next door but we went to th beach as well so was not so bad. I took poorly and had to go into hospitail so would like to again thank Mustafa the boss he was great very caring and also to the friends we made you were brill you know who you are ta much we will never forget you. Good luck to mr and mrs parker and baby and to mr and mrs rambo and baby and a big thankyou to all the staff for looking after us so well and best of luck to you all. The food is good in the restaurant so if you dont wont to look you could eat here every night. the staff do go out of their way to entertain you and there are nights with belly dancers and folk dancers on dont miss the bbq night its a brill laugh see you all again

Well this is my fourth time back staying here the staff have changed and it is now attached to crosroads. As soon as i arrived my case was taken to my room and a large effes was poured for me. The staff cannot do enough for you and now its like going back home. They have now put matresses on the sun beds to make laying round the pool more comfortable.
The bar stays open whilst ever you are drinking ive known it still be open at 6.30am. Poor Bulent having to stay up so late.
Well what else can i say another fantastic holiday hoping to go back soon!

Got back yesterday from yet another brill week at the zevkim the staff are the best we have ever come across in all the years we have gone on holiday we were very sad to come home but went staight away and booked 2 weeks in august we can't wait. if you wont a small friendly hotel this is it it is clean, food good and in a great location,staff go out of their way to make sure you have a good time. If you have not been to marmaris before don't be put off go see for your self and even if you dont stay at the zevkim go and have a meal in their restaurant you will be made so welcome well i just can't find words to praise any better so go see for your self love to all staff and thankyou so much see in soon

Brill hotel and staff missed going last year but going in may and august this year can't wait to see the changes we are sure it will be fab as all the staff from next door are fantastic. Made some great friends here and look forward to making many more. This must be the cleanest hotel we have ever stayed in and the food is hot hot hot the location is great not to far from the beach and resturants but in a quiet place every thing on the door step, can,t wait to get there see you all soon

1 reader found this review helpful

It was are first time for us lot at the zevkim, 9 of us altogether and wat an experience.
As soon as the coach driver found were it was the fun began, we arrived early hours and was greeted by ramazan the happy chappy who was most helpful 2 pour everyone a nice cold efes, with a little help from me haha.the rooms were comfortable and very clean, the maid service was excellent due to the fact we were not very tidy.
The hotel manager, mustaf was the perfect host, all the staff were so friendly, they went out of their way to ensure we had a great holiday. The hotel is in a great location it is mins from the beach, shops,markets and last but not least the pubs and clubs,even though the hotel did put on its own entertainment, which was most enjoyable, everyboby got involved. The hotel is joined on to crossroads restaurant, which the food is excellent and also you get a 20% discount when you eat there.
really cant wait 2 taste TJs fishbowls again, they propa blow your head off haha,i hope the same staff are there this year coz we have booked for may, with just a few more additions of the family, 6weeks and counting yeh!!! come on!! I think i can speak for the whole of my family and say that are stay at the zevkim was the best ever, and would advise enyone to give it ago.