Royal Garden Hotel

Right…. Where do we start with the wonderous place Royal Gardens Hotel of Armutalan, Marmaris….
We arrived and when I say we, Myself and my Fiancee we made our way to Royal Gardens and was greeted with friendly Hotel Reception staff, as we checked in the Security staff showed us to our room which was of a high standard, clean and very tidy. No Mini bar in room as advertised, air conditioning and safe at a charge, not expected at a 4 star hotel!
We made our way to the bar where we sat and got a couple of beers to relax in the poolside bar area, which I must add we had to pay for as it was after 11pm and we were all inclusive but that stops at 11pm as it does at most AI hotel packages.
We just started to dip into our Efes (local beer… very nice) which was at the cost of 3TRL for a half, when we were approached by a man that was keen to sit and chat with us. After a while the hard sale started to kick in with you can have a good meal that I will cook for you at a good prices blah blah blah. We declined and this was to be the downfall as we were pressured at all times of our stay to buy a meal at 40TRL upwards from him, although we were all inclusive.
The next day we ventured to to the bar area to sample out the breakfast which was quite the dissappointment as all that was there was stewed tomatoes bread and the various other continental style breakfast things, plenty of choice but strangly all tasted the same.
We then ordered a beer from the “free bar” after 10am where we sat and tried to make conversation with other guests who I must say were further up their backsides than the Quenn Liz herself! Also we found the staff had no time for us and was an issue to get a conversation from anyone. This is not the experience I have had at previous visits to this resort, never stayed at this hotel before.
Lunch time – We were offered chicken slices which were ok with the usual postatoes and guess what this was the same for our Dinner but they were different!!! They were sliced up smaller! Pathetic!
Great stuff, the entertainment starts… BINGO!! Love it, should be a giggle, BUT… It wasn’t, hard work it was, we walked away and made our way to a different bar outside of the hotel.
Each day was the same here and we would definatly not return here, we had a better laugh with the man at the supermarket over the road and with the Turkish bath man on the hotel grounds! We did after 2 days move hotels and that was to the Sayar Aparts (just 5 mins walk down the street) And oh boy the room was of a simular if not a better standard, the staff were great and made our holiday!
If you want snobbery, pompuss attitude, poor food, poor entertainment at a slightly high price, then I would say to you stay here! If you want to have some fun and enjoy your holiday then I would say DON’T!
0/10 very poor!

1 reader found this review helpful

just returned from 2 week in turkey hotel fantastic,
rooms not huge but prefect for 2 adults if going as family would recommend family room.
breakfast is turkish but just down the road you can get a full english for 99p. lunch and dinner is usally rice pasta patatoe wedges and some sort of meat got a bit tedious by end of 2nd week.
all inculsive drink are poor. choice of vodka gin raki wine or beer and mixers were water sprite cola fanta. any thing else is expensive we paid £10 for jack daniels and coke and a small cocktail.
marmaris itself is expensive to eat out 2 steak and chips and 2 cokes were nearly £30 and it the same every where if you are going to turkey for cheap holiday dont go to marmaris. we went to turunc for the day and every thing is half the price.
we were all inclusive and took £300 english and 400 turkish lira and ahd to get another £300 out while we were there.
for those of you that smoke no smoking ban has now came in in turkey and once you are in the airport there is no were to go for cigarrette so we had 4 hour wait in airport and 4 hours flight with out any cigerretes.
also be careful as the hotel use a card system and when all inclusive finish the charge it to your card and you get footed with big bill at end of holiday all inclusive finishes at 11

1 reader found this review helpful

Well, I must say my friend Marie and myself had a wonderful time at the Royal Garden..Out of the town but only a short bus ride away. The bus stops right outside the hotel every 10mins and it costs 1.5lira, peanuts!! and the last bus back to the hotel is 1am!! The staff were very friendly, especially Piedro, the host, but don't be pushed into the A La Carte dinner, the soup is the same you would get on the all-inclusive and so are the desserts..it's just the main meal that is different, so we didn't have it, it works out about £24 each then you have to buy the wine and I think dinner out in the town would be just as good and so much cheaper. Its a lovely location with a friendly supermarket just accross the road and shops nearby and Gingers bar does a full English breakfast for 99p, which is lovely. The entertainment wasn't too good, but we were at the start of the season and was told by Ebo the entertainments guy that it does get better as the months go on and that they DO have a kids club. The rooms were just perfect, clean and spacious, with a hairdryer in the bathroom and also a small fridge. Also you do not have to take any towels as you get them by the pool..So on the whole, a great holiday..we met friendly people and YES I would definately go back. Oh yeah, the food, nice soup, plenty of salad and a different meat every night. Breakfast, cereals, bread, jams and you can have fried eggs or omelettes cooked by the chef...I was happy with the food. I have told many of my friends about it and would certainly recommend it...

1 reader found this review helpful

My husband and I have just returned from a holiday at the Royal Garden Hotel and we had a wonderful time. The hotel was immaculate and the staff were very polite and attentive. We stayed for one week all inclusive and it was great value for money. We met some lovely people at the hotel (Big Jock & Kate, George & Jean,Victor & Adrian Sonia & Stewart. We highly recommend the Turkish Bath at the hotel it was so relaxing. The entertainment was great Emo in particular made our holiday fun. We would definately visit this hotel again.

I have never been to Turkey before but this was an experience I will never forget. The hotel was excellent, it looks brand new and untouched, very clean and tidy. The arrival was perfect a lovely tary of fruit and bottole of wine. The staff could not do enough for you at all times.
The bedrooms were spacious clean and very comfy and a view of the pool was perfect.
The whole complex is definently a 5 star and the food was 100%, plenty of choice, plenty to cater for all tastes complimented by great surroundings.
If you haven't been or thinking about it definently go along and try it out, great value for money, pleasent people, great facilities and well worth it.

1 reader found this review helpful

Me and my boyfriend enjoyed a fantastic week at the royal garden. It was everything we could have wanted for the excellent price we paid. I thought the hotel was spotless and very modern.
The hotel was immaculate and very well presented and is exactly like the photos of it. It was a lovely on arrival we were presented with wine & fruit which was delivered to our room.
The staff were fantastic and couldn't do enough for us & so friendy.
The food in the hotel was excellent but a lot of the same every night (salad) which was lovely & the drinks card system is very confusing at times.
I would definitely go back to the Royal Garden Hotel
There is a blue bus that stops right outside the hotel that goes to the harbour every 10 min from early in the morning to 12 midnight which is an excellent service & only costs 50p.
I had a great time.

1 reader found this review helpful

great hotel! rooms are excellent, food is fine, nice pool and slide for kids, staff are freindly, entertainment is good! bus ride into city centre is 1 lira (60p), bus stops right outside hotel every half an hour, 5 mins journey. supermarket right outside hotel, hotel 2 mins walk down the road is good for full english!! went in august, weather amazing!, maybe too hot for childern. going there again this year!

1 reader found this review helpful

The Royal Garden Hotel is stylish, immaculate and very well presented. It is rated as a 4 star hotel but the actual quality is 5 star. I would recommend this hotel to everyone and have done so. I have booked again for 2008 and cant wait.
From the moment you arrive you are well catered for, the reception staff are helpful, your luggage is taken to your room. The atmosphere is good, setting you up for a perfect holiday right from the start.
The rooms are spacious, meticulously clean and fully equipped.
The pool is big, clean and the water slide is an added bonus for the kids. Plenty of lilos around, so need to buy. The pool area is spotless, well maintained at all times, plent of sun loungers too.
All staff from the bar staff, restaurant staff, maid staff are all accomodating, there to help and made you feel at ease. A good selection of drinks, cocktails available, food was excellent.
Entertainment is in full swing every night, from Michael Jackson impersonator to turkish belly dancing, folk nights an excellent array of entertainment is provided and once it ends the bar staff take over into the small hours.
Marmaris itself is quite beautiful, the hotel is perfectly situated for all ages.
I can say this was a perfect holiday at the perfect hotel and shall be returning for many years to come

1 reader found this review helpful

we go turkey every year the royal garden has beaten all the hotels we have been in i took my 9 month old baby it was fantastic we are going back in june 08. we had a fab time the roms were spotless the maids were loverly the people were freindly and very entertaining this hotel is sutible for all ages and would deffernetly recomend it to familys if you want a enjoyable relaxing holiday go to the royal garden it is fabulos

1 reader found this review helpful

Me and my boyfriend enjoyed a fantastic week at the royal garden. It was everything we could have wanted for the excellent price we paid. I thought the hotel was spotless and very modern. On the drive into marmaris we dropped other people off at various hotels and they all looked very shabby and run down and so we were very pleasently surprised as we pulled up to the royal garden. We went on a bed and breakfast basis which we only had once or twice. We ate out for every other meal as everywhere was so cheap. You could get an english breakfast for just over a pound. The steak houses along the beach front in the centre were some of the best restaurants we have ever eaten in. We did not go to turkey to stay in the hotel and i dont understand why anyone would. I made no difference to us not going all inclusive. We brought food and drinks into the room the whole week and stored them in the fridge we were not told otherwise if you just put it in your bags when you walk through they dont go searching you. Perfect for young couples loved it so much were going again this year with another couple. Great night life and fantastic bargains at the end of the season on your fake clothes, shoes, handbags. Trips also fantastic value and very worthwhile.