Hotel Kos

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When we first arrived we thought we had really struck it lucky and bagged ourselves a real bargain at what seemed to be a really nice small hotel. It looked lovely in the sun and we ate our first breakfast outside.
The first thing we noticed was that when we were given our card which we had to show to the waiters to prove our all inclusive package Sundays lunch and evening meal was noted as used even though we did not arrive at the hotel until 7.45am Monday - this then meant that on our departure day the following Monday we were only entitled to breakfast and drinks until 12 noon. Surely an all inclusive package for 7 days should entitle you to 7 lunches and evening meals too not 6! Also the choice of inclusive drinks was very limited and there was no fresh fruit juice available even though it appeared on the menu and the only "snacks provided throughout the afternoon were small dry Turkish pastries that sat most of the afternoon covered in flies in the bar area, I found most of these quite bland and tasteless so I am sure most parents who had kids with them were having to cough up for more appetising snack for the kids.
We left one of our bags at reception by mistake when checking in and in a few minutes there was a knock at the door and a gentleman who we went on to believe to be the owner/manager had run it up to our room. He was very pleasant and seemed to be able to keep the staff on their toes but he was only around for the first couple of days and things definitely went downhill as soon as he was absent.
The rooms are very basic but ours seemed to be fairly clean however many of the other guests complained about dampness and the rooms being a bit crowded when there were more than 2 occupants.
The food was fair but again very basic but we managed to find something to eat each day but did eat out 3 evenings, 2 lunchtimes and 2 breakfasts even though we were all inclusive, there was very little choice and the cooking was not great but edible.
The pool was too cold to get in really, some children were getting in but they all had chattering teeth and were all saying how cold it was and all apart from one little German boy who didn't seem to mind the cold water at all, they all only stayed in for 5-10 minutes at a time.
However the real problem with the hotel is the staff. They seemed young and very inexperienced as they very rarely smiled, hardly ever said good morning or goodnight - even if you said it first, and they generally seemed to have very little idea of what service was. It appeared that the fact that they actually served you with food and drink was more than enough and that any kind of interaction was completely unnecessary.
We kept coming up with possible excuses saying maybe as it was the end of the season they just wanted rid or maybe as it was Ramadan that they were hungry or tired but we found that when we went into the town the people at shops, cafes and restaurants were all very friendly and chatty and gave a much better service. The worst of all was the chef who was utterly miserable and seemed to get genuinely upset when he was asked to make food for lunch which was part of the package. Although the choice at lunch was much wider than for evening dinner it was often overcooked or cold and if you dared to say so there was usually a tirade of raised Turkish voices back and forth between the chef and who we assumed was the head waiter, we assumed, as even after a week it was not even possible to glean this much info/chatter/conversation out of him. To be honest only the 2 receptionists and the chap who we think was the owner seemed to have a good level of English so communicating was difficult to say the least.
There was a notice in the bathroom saying towels and sheets would be changed twice a week and our towels were actually changed everyday but our sheets were not changed at all, however the chap that brought the towels was very pleasant at least. The ceiling fan did not work, one of the bedside lamps did not work or the lamp over the small dressing table. There were mosquito net screens fitted at all windows which we thought was great on arrival but soon learned that in fact the frames were so ill fitting that mozzies would have no trouble at all flying straight in so they were completely pointless! In the evenings the rooms were really quite cold and again this was probably due to the lateness in the season but we had to sleep with our blankets as the air-condition/heater did not seem to work as their was not remote control unit to operate it. The TV was also completely useless as there were only Turkish speaking channels but no Turkish speaking guests!
The hotel also has a largish population of cats, mostly strays we think. They were all very friendly but very hungry and thirsty and would appear like clockwork whenever there was food about and would hover around the pool drinking the pool water that had been splashed over the sides as there was no fresh water available for them. I did not find this a problem as I grew up with cats and to be honest most of the guests were happy to give them a little love and attention along with a few tit-bits, but some of the staff were outright cruel to these poor little creatures.
Although I realise not everyone is likely to be a cat lover and that not all countries and cultures are as doting on their dumb animals as the British, I felt that the hotel staff had no concept that that type of behaviour was unacceptable and that the majority of guests would find it offensive and upsetting. There were loads of children staying at the hotel and many of them spent hours petting the cats and kittens and I’m glad to say most of them were spared any attacks.
On our first day the presumed owner seemed to spend some time with a couple of the cats and be genuinely kind to them but again I think they may have been pets and without him around the treatment of the cats deteriorated.
Everywhere you go in Bodrum and Gumbet there are tons of stray cats and dogs and most places seem to appreciate that the cats at least do a good job of keeping insects, cockroaches and mice at bay and tolerate their presence as long as the customers feel likewise, if not then a general shushing noise and clap of the hands was enough to get them on their way.
There is no rep at the hotel and we were not even invited to a welcome party! We appreciate that it was late in the season but there was no entertainment at all. A photographer came one night to take photos and then came back to sell them the next day for 10-15 lira each.
The music played around the pool and in the bar was very loud all day long so much so that you had to raise your voice to tell the waiter what you wanted to order to eat and most guest seemed to find it so and yet even when we commented on this to the waiters they shrugged and on one occasion actually turned it up louder.
This must seem that I am a real moaning minnie but to the contrary I enjoy a good time but it was a real feat to try to conjure up any real enjoyment at this hotel at this time of year! Based on this holiday even at the bargain price we paid I will not be rushing back to Turkey, sorry!