Irem Apartments

I thought that it was very just that I write a review of our stay at the Irem Appts. Obviously everyone experiences and wants different things from their holidays but the Irem is a very nice, clean and welcoming hotel / appartments. I think that you must always keep in mind the price that you pay for your holiday. Yes the flights are terrible and maybe this goes somewhere in explaining the reasoning behind so many people's negative opinions. When you depart the transfer bus you are met by nearly the entire Irem staff who deal with you as quickly as possible. They carry your bags to your room and make sure that everything is how you would like. The room is very spacious, a seperate bedroom, lounge area with sofa, tv and kitchenette. It is cleaned daily and the maid always designs a special motiff on your bed. Some people were complaining about their rooms but we were never affected by the stated comments. The grounds are very well maintained and house 2 swimming pools, grass football pitch, volleyball court and basketball net. The 'animation team' are always on hand to provide entertainment in an attempt to budge the 'brits' from their sun loungers! We were there for 2 weeks and saw a complete contrast in the entertainment programme. The first week was very lively and they laid on a turkish night, BBQ, fireworks etc, but during the second week it was rather lame. When we asked the animations team why they explained that it all boiled down to the holiday makers - if you want to do something then they will try their best to accommodate. Yes they do come round and ask whether you would like to sign up for the BBQ or other events but a polite 'no' worked for us. They are just trying to make a living and provide enjoyment! The card system could well be a problem, but everytime you buy something they give you a receipt so.....Keep your receipts to back up your purchases. I would advise that you pay your card off at the end of the day to allieviate any possible problems. The beach is magnificent and the hotel provides a free bus at ANY time of the day and they will take you back from 3 o'clock onwards. You don't even have to buy anything. If you feel like a stroll, although in the blistering heat I advise not, it is around 800metres away. The walk into Side is very pleasant and its designed so you walk through the historic ruins and take in the culture (a definite photo opportunity). There are lovely restaurants in the middle of the centre and on the outskirts. I would definitely recommend Monica's (about 400m away from Irem), Tropics and Halkindi. There is a market in Manavgat on Monday's and Thursday's and that is an experience in itself. The 'dolmus' (crushed in English) literally is that!! You all cram on this scoobie doo bus and just hand over 3 lira's (2 persons) and hope for the best. Staff at the Irem are very nice as stated earlier......just be nice and appreciate that they work 7 days a week (7.30am - 11pm) from March - October. Typical English people are stressed just working 5 days per week 9am-5pm! so be a little understanding. I hope that you too enjoy your holiday at the Irem and would definitely recommend this lovely, relaxing break to everyone old or young.

A wonderfully friendly hotel , very clean. Staff couldnt be more friendly, and helpfull

We stayed at the Irem Apartments for 1 week and the holiday started off fine, the rooms were basic but big and clean, the maid came in every day. The hotel staff seemed friendly at first but we soon realised they were very pushy, they didn't like the fact we were eating elsewhere, even though it was self catering, they tried hassling us into eating at the hotel all the time. We also realised that they were overcharging us for alot of things on our bill and charging us for things the other family we went with had, even though they had chrged them aswell. It's quite difficult because you pay for items on a card and then go pay your bill at reception, we soon realised it was better to take your bill as soon as we bought anything and pay for it straight off. One night we had been to the Hawaii Bar which is a fantastic little restaurant behind the hotel and the waiters gave my 2 year boy a free Hawaii Bar T-Shirt, but once we returned to the hotel we were told by the hotel management to remove the T-Shirt from my little boy as it was advertising there competition!! The pools at the Irem are good though, they have two large pools and two small pools which are fantastic for the kids. It is quite a walk into the town from the hotel with not much in between, the town itself is ok but the shop workers can hassle you quite abit. Overall I enjoyed my holiday because of what we made of it but I wouldn't recommend the Irem Apartments to friends or Side either for that matter.

The bar staff and the bar manager would always come and say good morning and ask if we were having a comfortable stay and if there was anything they could do to make our holiday more enjoyable.

We stayed at the Irem Apartments for a week at the beginning of June '06. The apartments were basic & clean, as expected. Maids came in daily & kept us well provided with linen/loo roll, etc. We had a 2 bed apartment which was huge! We also had 4 balconies with views of the 4 pools & beautiful gardens. There is a central bar/restaurant area & regular entertainment (although this could go on until the wee small hours so could be a bit noisy at night - we all managed to sleep well though!) We enjoyed staying at Side & the free bus to the beach was great as I would consider that walking to the beach with children would not be an option. The swimming pools were good & kept clean. The people are very friendly and will help you with anything you need, the hotel staff were great. We mostly dined at a cafe/restaurant a short walk away called 'Amelda' - the food here was very lovely & a reasonable price. Also the staff there were great & I would highly recommend a visit. We didn't like the town centre in Side & only went there once - most of our fellow brits also said the same, as the locals are very pushy & will hassle you to get you into their shops. Also, our shy 4 year old 'blonde' daughter was very hassled - kissed everywhere we went which she was not too keen on!! The weather was great, there was plenty to do & I would not hesitate in recommending these apartments for a good value holiday.

We stayed at Irem Apts in Side for just one week between 2nd-9th June 2006. Having only paid £130 per person for self catering we found these apts very clean, comfortable and spacious. There is a charge for air conditioning of 60 new Turkish Lira which equates to approximately £24 for the week and is payable at reception upon arrival. It is optional but believe me it's worth the money albeit it only works in the bedroom. Clean linen was provided on 5 of the 7 days we were there and the cleaning staff went out of their way to display thier skills at folding the towels is the shape of Swans or Hearts, and even decorated the bed with fresh rose petals. The kitchen area has a small electric hob with two rings, a decent size fridge and cuttlery and glasses are provided. The hotel has two swimming pools and pool bar which serves simple food albeit the waiting staff are far from efficient and often get the orders wrong. This is mainly due to the fact their english is not brilliant, but then again a lot better than we could speak Turkish. Having said that they are all friendly enough and quite pleasant. The hotel does run a system whereby they give you a sort of plastic charge card at the start of your holiday which is swiped in the bar and small shop when making any purchases. You can however, insist on paying cash or just settle up at the end of the day which is easier. I have to say having read other reviews about being charged for something you had'nt had I was a bit sceptical about being ripped off. This was definitely not the case as you get a receipt which you sign for so it's easily checked against what you've ordered. In fact on a couple of occasions I was undercharged. The hotel is in a quiet location but a taxi ride for 9/10 Lira (£4) will take you into town, and taxis are either outside the hotel or reception will happily call for one. The town centre of Side is a mixture of lots of shops selling anything from fake designer clothes, sunglasses etc. and a multitude of restaurants all of which are in competition for your trade. The only downside of this is the hassle from staff in both trying to get you inside their premises. At the very far end of the main thoroughfare you come to the beautiful harbour and as you walk past the many restaurants you come to Roman remains sites giving a complete contrast in surroundings. One thing I will say is that Turkey is no longer the cheap country for food and drink anymore. The average bottle of beer was 4 lira (£1.60) and the average two course meal worked out around £10. Although in Turkey they still use the Turkish LIra, they definitely prefer the Euro and a lot of the restaurants and shops will give you the bill in Euros. I know i've digressed from the Irem apts, nut hopefully given a little flavour of the area. The hotel runs a free shuttle bus to the beach, and if you pay at reception each day for the sunbed at the beach before getting on the bus then it is only £1. The alternative is to pay at the beach for the same bed which cost 3 euros. (By the way these beds are comfy with arm rests). If you don't want to travel to far for a nice evening meal then try "Connies" which is a stone's throw from the hotel. (turn right) This restaurant is run by a dutch couple who are very hospitable and serve good food in lovely surroundings. A little bit dearer than some of the cheap and nasty restaurants but well worth the money. I would definitely recommend the Irem Apts as it offers good value for money. The staff from the pool bar try their best to lay on entertainment each night, but I think if you go one night you won't be in a hurry to go another. Overall we had no complaints and if you get a cheap bargain like we did the you'll do alright. These Apts are predominantly used by Thomson and Golden Trail Holidays.

We just came home to England after a two week stay at Irem. We were very pleased with the apartments and the pool area, but we did not like the food or the staff working in the restaurant. But we found this great restaurant just about two minutes walk from the hotel called HAWAII Restaurant & Karaoke Bar. The food was excellent and we were entertained all nights long!!! They had everything from barmen and fireshows, playstation II for the kids, free internet for all their guests, big screen TV with SKY sports to karaoke nights and dance floor. And they knew how to take care about their guests, the service was absolutely brilliant, the staff at Hawaii became our friends! When you go there you have to say hello to Billy, Michael and Martin! The beach was idyllic!, we used to stay by the Apollo beach. The guys working there were really nice. We all had a great holiday, thanks to the boys at Hawaii, and we will be back as soon as possible.

There is a free bus service to the beach every half hour on the hour, in the morning and back at 4pm onwards. The beach is idyllic. Sun loungers, charming waiter service, no music, warm clean sea, gentle shelve, cooling sea breeze. I have never done a beach holiday but this could persuade me to. The parasailing was brilliant, about £20 for 2 people and not scary just tranquil and stunning. There are also jet skis and other contraptions to suit those who like to be frightened. The food at the restaurant was OK and there are others to walk to if you want a change. It was incredibly hot and i got got burned sitting under a beach umbrella, so do put the sun block on even if you stay in the shade. I think the rest of the world knows this, just me who was stupid. The music at the apartments was too loud for us but since we never actually got round to asking them to turn it down we shouldnt complain now. I think they would turn it down if you asked them too. We were hopeless shopping in Side because we couldn't stand the hassling. The market at Mana..... was just clothes and jewellry but the boat trip was good. We went with ORA and they were fine.

I Highly recommend Irem apartments for a fabulous holiday. I stayed in the Self catering apartments and the rooms where lovely and clean. All the staff where friendly and laid back always making convosation with you. There where taxis waiting outside the hotel all day so you didn't have to wait for one to come and pick you up. There was some fab entertainment great for adults and kids. Even though there was some construction going on outside it never really effected the holiday. The town was a bit hectic with people asking you to come in there shop but that didn't seem to bother many people. There where loads of resraunts and we ate in 3/4 of them and never had a bad meal. Even Irem did a good meal. The Historic Ruins where great to go look at for the day and where beautiful. On mondays The was a market in manovat (Not sure if that is spelt right) it's about 10-15 mins in a cab from the hotel. And although like the towns there where people hassling you to buy there product it was a really good place to get a bargin (If you haggle) - If you do visit DO NOT eat or drink in any of the cafè's as they are extreamly highly priced and the prices aren't displayed on the menu itself. The wweater there is really nice esspecially by the pool which isn't too shaded but it has unberella s and a few shaded spots if you would like to sit in the shade. The standard of cleaning in yuo room is absolutly outstanding. I came in from the pool to find my bed with new sheets and some new towels in really fancy shapes with petals sprinkled on the bed in a pattern. [ like in the photo i have attached] and the bathroom was spotless as was the other rooms. Considering i got this holiday for 5 people for a week for just under £600 i was very pleased with and would definatly go back soon.

The Irem is an ideally situated for beach and for Side centre. It's a well run place and the staff are wonderful and service is excellent. It's ideal for single couples (as us) or families. I saw folks of all ages. Facilities are nice - Shop, 2 good pools and a resteraunt/bar. And they have a couple of themed nites on every week. The apartments are superb and cleaned regularly. My girlfriend and I stayed for a week in may. I even requested a top floor apartment and it was duly allocated on arrival. Top marks IREM !! Dave & Sue