Okaliptus Hotel

We arrived at the Okaliptus in the very early hours, and were pleased that there was 24 hour staff available. We were taken to our large, pleasant room by a security guard- unsmiling, but we put that down to the hour. On our first day, we looked around in more depth, and liked what we saw. The hotel was clean, and the room was pleasant. The pool was very nice, and positioned so that you could choose to be in the sun or shade as you preferred. We had been to Bitez before, and liked the resort, but our previous hotel had been dire, so we were pleasantly surprised by the Okaliptus to that point. It was when we began to spend more time there that problems started to appear. Our biggest complaint- way above all else, was the prices they charged for drinks and services. TV and air conditioning were part of our package holiday, but we were charged ytl30 (around £13) for safe deposit rental. Bar prices were extortionate compared to every other bar and hotel in Bitez! They charged us ytl15 (£6.50) for a cocktail, and ytl6 (£2.60) for a small beer- most other places the going rate was ytl10 (£4.34) for cocktails and ytl5 (2.17) for a large beer. Some places were cheaper than that, even. On our last day, we were charged ytl10 (£4.34) for 2 espresso-sized cups of coffee! Second to the prices were the staff. For the most part they looked like whipped dogs, and actively avoided eye contact.. Nobody except the reception staff even acknowledged a basic 'hello'. We were told that the owner discourages staff from fraternising with guests, and from their attitude I would have to believe this to be true- but it makes for an inefficient workforce. Basically, we would be more than happy to return to Bitez- it is beautiful and friendly (once you can get past the barkers trying to drag you into every restaurant along the front), but we would not return to the Okaliptus.

We stayed 2 weeks at Okaliptus on a B&B basis in early June 08. I must say its a lovely picturesque hotel surrounded by fruit trees and colourful flowering bushes. The rooms were kept clean by a good maid service in my opinion ,with fresh towels and sheets on a regular basis. Avoid the minibar too pricey, little tip they top it up on a sunday. The breakfast was a buffet style with olives, cheeses, spiced ham, turkish sausages, boiled eggs, sliced bread which you could toast, honey, jams, cereals, natural yoghurts, tomatoes, cucumbers, juices, tea and coffee. Personally we found this too predictable so we ate out on several mornings, you could easily find a resteraunt which would do a full english for 10 lire (£4). Outside resteraunt, pool and bar area very pleasant on the eye, but the bar prices were way too expensive here is just a brief example 300ml beer 6 lire (£2.50) and a 500ml beer 10 lire (£4) which was a local beer Efes in comparison other bars in Bitez were charging no more than 5 lire for a 500ml beer. The food is expensive also, so we ate out in the evenings. Just a few tips on Bitez , the resteraunts can be very annoying as they pester you to go in,, its hard work! and finally book yourself a boat trip by the Manuela Hotel on the beach front for £12 its money well spent I kid you not!!!

The hotel is nice, with lots of flowers and it doesn't have the feel of a large hotel which is nice. Beach furniture is really nice with beds and hammaocks and large cushions. These are the positive things about the hotel. Breakfast and dinner buffet is okay but not special, mostly the same every day. Drinks were rediculously expensive, a bottle of water costs almost 14 lira (the shop next door sells bottles for 1 lira) for example. Staff were very unfriendly and unhelpfull, after two days we asked for new towels they started a discussion about it instead of apologising and were very rude. The staff at the bar were very slow and came only after lots of waving around. They also could speak almost no or a little bit of english. When we wanted to check out they had made many mistakes in counting the different receipts together and only after half an hour of discussion they gave in. I would not recommend this hotel, especially after the way we were treated here. Bitez is a small village with few shops that all sell the same. The restaurants had annoying employees which made it impossible to walk and talk with travelcompanions along the beach. There is not much to do in the neighbourhood. Would not go to Bitez or Bodrum again.

A small very well designed hotel with classic (Greek) white cube look and feel located in Bitez bay. A lot of greenery - flowers, eucalyptus trees, etc. Friendly personnel speaks English well enough to communicate. It's very quiet in buildings farther from the restaurant and swimming pool. Not so quiet near the beach - music all day long. The territory is small so don't expect a lot of privacy. The food is eatable but not for a gourmet. We paid for HB, and had to put up with breakfast and dinners, but usually had lunch in nearby restaurants. Rooms are big and clean enough. A double bed room has an individual conditioner with a remote control, a TV, a desk, a fridge, a couple of chairs and a small table. A safe box at reception for additional fee. I think the hotel is well worth the money and is suitable for people who can entertain themselves and are satisfied with basic service. If you prefer to stay in Bitez bay, you’ll find it’s a quiet place with a lot of hotels, bars and restaurants along the sea front. There no special facilities for children except the hotel pool , a playground near the marina and a trampoline closer to the mosque. Turkish kids are usually friendly and have no problems playing with foreigners, even if they don’t understand the language of each other. 60-80% of tourists in Okaliptus are Turks. This means if you see somebody’s drunk – it’s a European. Though during a week-long stay I have not seen anybody being drunk, aggressive or rude. If you want some additional entertainment you can get to Bodrum by dolmush(a route taxi). It costs 2 Turkish liras and takes ~15 min. The route is Bitez-Bodrum, departure from Bitez mosque. In Bodrum you may want to visit Saint Peters Fortress, attend a concert in ancient amphitheatre or dance in a disco of your choice. Two major discos are Halicarnassos with foam show dance and Catamaran – a glass floor boat. A set of 35 photos I've taken in Okaliptus hotel http://www.flickr.com/photos/sergelaetans/sets/72157594251029594

My boyfriend and I stayed at the Okaliptus a few years ago and liked it so much we decided to go back! The best thing about the Okaliptus is that the beach is literally on your doorstep!! The beach isnt particularly big but the hotel provide lots of sunbeds, hamocks and comfy cushions. They're also happy to bring food and drinks to your sun lounger....which is great if you're too hot to move!! The hotels rooms are spacious and clean with everything you need (air con, hair dryer, fridge, tv, towels etc) and are cleaned daily. The hotel food is also good...the restaurant is very pretty at night...you must try the hot chocolate cake! The only downside about the hotel is that the service is a little slow. We would sometimes be kept a waiting quite a while for our drinks. If you want a nice, relaxing beach holiday, then the Okaliptus in Bitez is perfect! Happy Holidays!

A lovely hotel right on the beach. Room was large and comfortable with small terrace but no view. Public areas were clean and welcoming. The edge of the beach is covered with huge cushions, hammocks and swings under mature trees. All the staff are very friendly and keen to practise their English - nothing is too much trouble. Evening drinks in the bar were accompanied by nuts, peaches or, on one occasion, grapes from the vine above the bar! Breakfast was Turkish(cheese,olives,boiled egg,tomatoes etc) and always fresh and plentiful. Bitez itself is much more laid back than Bodrum and much quieter than Gumbet, but there are still plenty of restaurants and a few bars and shops. It is very cheap(about70p) and easy to travel to Bodrum by dolmus. We would love to return.

Stayed here for a few days in July 2004. Overall, a good experience. We moved here after a couple days at the Bitez Han (see my other review). The Okaliptus seemed like the best hotel on the busy Bitez strip. The rooms were clean, pleasant and new, with comfortable beds, modern bathroom, working air conditioners, and nice decoration. The grounds at the hotel have lots of greenery and flowering plants, so it was a joy walking back and forth from our room to the beach or pool. We didn't have any problems with noise as we had a room towards the back of the hotel, but then the flipside is that we didn't have any view to speak of. Also, the hotel has two very big eucalyptus trees by the beach, which are pleasant to sit under at night, sipping a drink. Overall, a nice place to stay, just don't expect a lot of privacy. We went during the peak summer season and found it not really a place to hang back and relax. This is true of Bitez and of the Bodrum overall, the pools and beaches always had good sized crowds. It's a sociable place, good for a bit of sightseeing, and go out at night, but not a place for secluded peace and quiet on the beach.

We agree with your Cheltenham visitor, the food was good, but after a week it got boring and felt because it was the end of season they were emptying their freezers. Our main criticism was the number of ferile cats in the dining area. We counted at least 8 at breakfast one morning, so we moved into the room where the buffet was served, they were not allowed in there. We were lucky, we did book a first floor room, which had a lovely big balcony and was a nice big room with plenty of storage space, plenty of hot water all day, the down side was no ceiling light, and no lighting on the side where the dressing table was. There wasn't a communal lounge where you would normally retire to after dinner. There was no loud music when we were there. Weather was fantastic, light jacket needed in the evening.

Overall the hotel and service was okay. The room was comfortable and clean with lots of hot water and good air-con. Unfortunately, we found more negatives than positives with it. I will reiterate the other reviewers comments that the lovely beachfront area was spoilt by the persistent loud music. We complained to both our rep and the hotel manager and they explained that teh beach bar area was managed separately so therefore out of their control..... In the end we just decided to go out everyday to get some peace and quiet elsewhere. We are not prudes, but just wanted to enjoy some peace, reading a book on the beach. The holiday was MIS_SOLD to us by Thomas Cook as an 'Escape' hotel! We also paid for breakfast which was poor; the same sad offerings every morning.

We stayed in the Okaliptus earlier this month. We booked via First Choice and flew via Manchester. The communal areas are lovely, very pretty walkways covered in flowers. The staff are very friendly and they all have a good command of English. There were lots of lots of Dutch tourists as well as a few German and of course British. We stayed half board. The breakfast's were OK but got a little dull after a week. Choice of branflakes or cornflakes, natural yoghurt, stewed fruit, honey, bread rolls, scrambled egg, sausage or bacon. Also a choice of orange squash or fruit of the forest squash. Plus coffee and tea. The dining room was very clean and the tables were cleared very quickly. The pool area was quite overgrown and offered lots of dappled sunshine. The pool was lovely and cool and of an average size. The bar area was great, comfy seats, swing seats and lots of cushions, which spilled out onto the beach. However, the bar staff insisted on playing the most horrific dance jungle music which completed ruined the peace. We asked lots of time for them to change it but it was all the time. We eventually moved to a much quieter bit of beach further down. The rooms were disappointing. We were on the ground floor, and we had a pathetic terrace which was so massively overgrown it got no sunshine at all. Our view was a wall, which was about two feet from the patio doors. Subsequently the room was very dark and was incredibly damp. The hot water also kept running out and after four days of me and my partner complaining we got moved - although it was the day before our final day! Our new room was much nicer as it was on the 1st floor. You MUST push for a room on the 1st floor, NOT the ground floor as we had some friends who had similar problems in another ground floor room. All in all it was OK. I love sitting on the terrace / balcony in the evenings and enjoying the sunshine in the morning but I couldn't do that here which was a nightmare. I wouldn't go back. Bitez was great though - I highly recommend a restuarant called VONA. Great staff and fab food.