Diamond of Bodrum

What started out as a fairly promising holiday turned out to be dreadful. We booked 5 days at the hotel spa and negotiated a price by paying up front. Half way through our treatments on the third day we waited 1 hour 10 minutes between a facial and massage, the time we were told was 10-15 minutes. This was after receiving a 20 minute massage the previous day when the time for a massage was 50 minutes. When a complaint was made staff explained, "We're very busy". Half way through the spa treatments we called it a day and asked to be refunded for the treatments we hadn't received. Spa staff kept fobbing us off saying the manager wasn't available and to come back later. We eventually escalated this to the hotel management who were ultimately gutless and backed the spa over us. We received a pitiful percentage of a refund for the treatments we hadn't received. That night at the bar we heard other guests complaining of the bad service. On top of this, 2 days out of 7 we had to request the cleaning staff come to clean our room as they had missed it, drinks at meal times typically took in excess of 15 minutes to arrive and the bar staff were nothing short of rude and dismissive. This is my third holiday of the summer and despite a beautiful location it is the worst hotel service I have ever received, Simply put, you couldn't pay me to return here.

2 readers found this review helpful

Officially booked from 12 to 19th april 2010. Was pleasantly supprised at what we got for our money. Hotel definately 5*, 4* plus at the very least. Lovely selection of food. Must remember that catering is for multi national tastes so dont expect traditional English stuff. Lots of choice if you are adventurous and not arrogant enough to think that they are only catering for the English. Cleaning standards and maintainance are second to none. Hotel fully staffed and no corners cut. Rooms made up every day. Lay out and views perfect as hotel is built on a sea view incline.Lovely views by day and night. Small private beach area over looked by security.
Due to the Iceland volcano situation we had to stay in the hotel for a further 5 days as flights were grounded, so didnt actually depart untill 24th april (was there 12 days in total). All inclusive privilages honoured by hotel but tour operator did pay for it.
Bar street (main nightclub/bar crawl area) maximum 10 mins walk from hotel. For those not in to nightlife there are still nice quiet sea view pubs ect same distance, 10 mins walk. We did both clubby night and quiet night.
I would recommend this hotel to couples, and families. Not at all suitable for groups of young 18-30 as the hotel atmospher is not cluby. There is a night club on the lower part of the hotel which wasnt open unit 1st may (which was after we left) but I was advised that it was more of a couples scene sort of night club or people out for a good old dance and drink, without the rowdyness.
I would not hesitate to recommed this hotel to family or friends thinking of a holiday in Bodrum, and I would definately pay my hard earned money to go back there again.
PS: Due to the Valcano situation (well to be honest before that) there was a group of us - 18 - 65 years olds happened to meet up nearly every night and drink the pool bar dry. Well the situation was as follows. We were stuck out there and no one was coming in.. no flights u see. So us lot (probably about 30 of us) had to help the bar staff out with their over flow of alcohol. We were from England, Holland and Belgium. And being such good ambassadors for our respective countries we decided that we had to help those turkish people keep their jobs. We sure kept their bar staff in work which ment having to drink alcohol. How kind were we?

9 readers found this review helpful

This was our first holiday in turkey...and we were not disappointed. The hotel was lovely and friendly...we paid extra for a sea view...something like £25 for the week...worth it...as we had a lovely balcony etc. The hotel is situated just along the coast...about a 200yd walk from any pbs, clubs and bars...but secluded enough not to hear any noise. The location was fab.
Food was good...but got a little samey samey after 3 days...as do all buffets. Pool area lovely and rather small but ok to get sunbeds daily without much hassle...towels rovided daily...bonus! There are a couple of bar/ lounges and they are fab...esp rooftop one...great views!
I took my 23 mth old daughter and she loved it....the food, the pool area and the staff...who were extremely friendly towards children. I wod recommend this hotel to anyone and would consider returning again someday....
so a good choice all round!

7 readers found this review helpful

DO NOT BE PUT OFF MY OTHER PEOPLES COMMENTS!!!!!!!!
I have just returned from the Diamond of Bodrum having stayed there two weeks with my partner....and all I can say is fantastic! We had a stunning sea view room looking over the bodrum bay with the castle in the distance. Our room was 15 yards from the pool and 30 yards from the restaurant and 35 yards from the bar!! WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT! The room was excellent with modern facilities. The rooms are cleaned daily with linen cleaned daily!
The hotel staff and constantly cleaning the hotel from windows to door handles (there was even a member of staff who clears any debris from the sea).
The food was excellent with a wide choice as well as an excellent bar service with friendly bar staff!
We went in high season during a Turkish holiday and the pool was never over crowded. The only downful was the number of sunbeds around the pool. You have to get down there early to get one (cos you know who runs down there at 6:30am). If you dont get a sunbed there are plenty of relexing chill out areas with large cushion sofas so you can sunbathe there (also right near the bar).
The hotel is close to the town centre with all the restaurants and bars!!!
I am so confused by other peoples reviews because I did not have one bad word to say about the Diamond! Even when I flight was delayed by 4 hours, they let us stay at the hotel and continue using the all inclusive facilities even after we had checked out!
I would recommend this hotel to anyone. We had an amazing time and definately will be back!

just to start off with i just want to say that the diamond of bodrum was worth every penny.me and my partner have been to turkey a few times and found the hotels we stayed in ok but this one was fantastic.the balcony was a bit small but who goes on holiday to stay in!!!!the rooms were cleaned daily,clean towels daily.we were there for 2 weeks all inclusive and not once did we have to complain about anything.the food was fantastic and the staff were very smart and welcoming and spoke very good english.the pool area was nice and relaxed with free sunloungers,towels,umbrellas and. a pool bar that plays background music,but be warned the pool is freezing which is nice when your baking in the sun over there because its boilin.there isnt much entertainment at night otha than live bands but the hotel is a 5 minute walk from the mains restaurants and bars(i recommend costa del sol bar or dejavu bar for a good nite out) the hotel also has a passageway that takes you on to the beach which has free sunbeds and umbrellas.overall it was a fantastic holiday and we have already booked up to go back to the diamond in july!!!!

2 readers found this review helpful

I found this holiday to be everything I wanted it to be. I found the hotel fantastic, the food was brilliant, the hotel staff were great, the drinks were free flowing all day and night, the pool was great the view was great, and the location was also perfect, a short walk in to the markets and local town.
I would definately go back cos I loved it, the only let down for me was the evening entertainment but hey I did go at the end of the season, it was a holiday to remember and ill be going back this year at the same time!
Take a tip, dont book yourt excursions through your tour operator walk in to the town a few hundred yards and the trips are a lot cheaper.

1 reader found this review helpful

We have just returned from Bodrum. Stayed at the Diamond Hotel (All Inclusive) & I have no hesitation in recommending this hotel. The rooms are clean & tidy & the staff are wonderful - always smiling & ready to assist. There is a fairly large variety of dishes available everyday, although the popular dishes do disappear fast - so go early. The waiters are fun & often take the mickey out of their customers. There is also some form of entertainment every other day. As it was my birthday, I even had a cake baked & decorated specially for me. No charge. Great stuff.
The hotel is based in Bodrum it self & is a short walk from the center of the town. If you need a map, ask the receptionist or walk down to the Tourist Center, near the castle. Do not be tempted to spend 4TL in the book shop.
DO NOT hire a car. The streets are narrow & mostly unmarked & all tourist sites are within walking distance. If you want to travel to the next town, use the local buses. They are cheap & cheerful.
If you have booked with the tour operator, DO NOT buy their tour packages at the welcome party. Rather, walk out of the hotel, pick one of the agencies & book through them. Not only are they cheaper, you can bargain & they are all willing to negotiate on the already low price plus you also get picked up (and dropped) at the hotel. No problems at all. Their guides are fully trained. We managed to get Turkish Baths, plus shopping trips for free when we booked a day trip to Dalyan.
Hope this helps.
K

2 readers found this review helpful

I have just come back from the Diamond of Bodrum hotel in Turkey. I went for a quiet week in the sun, and that’s exactly what I got.
This hotel is classed as 5 STAR however this I judged by the Turkish tourist board not the UK. I would not quite give it a 5 STAR rating but a 3-4 STAR.
Rooms:
very clean and tidy, shower worked well and electric was fine. The air conditioning was not very good though, thankfully we were not in the middle of summer and the temperature was a little cooler, otherwise I think we would have melted. Even though you are all inclusive this does not include the mini bar in your room, using this works out to be very expensive.
Pool:
the pool area needs some work doing to it, the sun beds are old, and WARNING use two cushions on them otherwise you will have a bad back or the rest of your holiday after the first day. The pool itself was freezing cold; I mean it made your body go numb it was that bad. There is an indoor pool but who wants to swim indoors when the weather was so nice out?
Food:
breakfast was a mixture of either cold buffet or eggs and pancakes. freshly cooked around the pool side.
Lunch was very nice plenty to choose from hot and cold. Evening meal was much the same. Lots to choose from and plenty for the kids to eat too.
You also had a snack bar where you could get pizza chips etc.
Entertainment
in house entertainment was very limited a two piece band one night and some Turkish belly dancing another. not quite my cup of tea.
Bars:
during the day you have a pool side bar where you can get hot and cold drinks from until about 6pm however this may open later in the peak season.
In the evening you can site on the roof top bar which has fantastic views over Bodrum bay, or you can sit in the Lobby bar again has a nice view over the bay. I think in the peak season the pool bar is open and you can site outside.
The all inclusive is NOT 24 hours. you can get your first free drink at the bar from around 10 am and this goes on until approx midnight. obviously you can get a drink with your breakfast.
When we went to our welcome meeting with the Thomas Cook rep, we were told that we should not walk along the seafront to the bars and town after dark as it not entirely safe and we should walk along the back road. HOWEVER I walked along the seafront every night to the town and bars and did not see anyone except a few locals on their fishing boats. In fact the seafront walk is twice as well lit as the back road way plus you have three security guard stations along the front.
From the hotel you will see Bodrum castle across the other side of the bay, this looks much further than in actually is. It took around 15 - 20 mins to walk there from the hotel along the sea front. passing all the shops and bars on the way. (10TL per person to enter well worth it).
Overall I was impressed with the hotel and the service given. but this is definitely a better place to visit slightly out of season as in the peak time you would not have the room the swing a cat.
Speaking of which cats and dogs are everywhere along the seafront and town. The hotel itself has a family of cats that sit around the pool side and three lovely little kittens that are very well looked after not only by the hotel but the guests as well.
I think many wanted to take them home with them as you could not help but stop and play with them, and I’m not even a cat lover but I did too.

3 readers found this review helpful

This hotel claims to be 5* but I'd equate it to a Travelodge - clean, comfortable and compact. Tiny balconies, rather repetitive buffet menu, so I'd not book full board again (loads of restaurants nearby and cheaper too).
Hotel rules prevent you from drinking/eating anything not purchased in the hotel - including bottled water which you have to drink because their water isn't suitable - and at least one receptionist enforces this heavily! One guy had his bottled water, bought at a local supermarket for a quarter of the hotel price "confiscated”!!
It is, unfortunately, probably the best hotel in Bodrum town itself, has a good location (near the noise of disco's, bars etc, but far enough away (half mile or so) that they don't disturb you.

We were there for our first time in Turkey. We had a fab room which although overlooked the sea, had the roof of the next rooms in view. Our room was bright and airy, basic but as a plus the bedding and towels were changed every day and the room tidied. The air-con was adequate. The staff were friendly but for the majority their English was not that good.
We were on half board and the choice of buffet for the evening meal was great and catered for all tastes/nationalities. The breakfast was very continental which is not our choice so we went down the road to a local restaurant which was very cheap. The drinks were no more expensive than you would expect in any hotel.
The pool was beautiful and the view from there was the sea. We did not go down to the pool until the afternoons as we sent the mornings out and about. Although early in the day there are many towels on the sun beds, when we went down we were always able to get 4 sun beds together.
We had a great time and will be returning next year. There were very few UK guests and the majority seemed to be Dutch or Scandinavian but all were very friendly.