Aral Hotel

After all of the good reviews, me and my partner decided to go to the Hotel Aral. In many ways it is good, but there are just as many bad points in my opinion. It may be a good hotel by Turkish standards, but there are parts about the experience that I find very dodgy. I'll try to list the good and bad points: Pros: -Big Swimming Pool -Maid Service every day -Very Clean rooms and swimming pool -Every room has a balcony and faces the pool -Rooms are a generous size. -The location is out of the hyped up part of Side, which is probably a good thing Cons: -Horrible night Porter and receptionist (see below) -Food hygiene is terrible. but my girlfriend had food poisoning because of the incompetent food hygiene. All food (including dinner time) is left uncovered and has flies all over it. Its pretty shocking. -There is a huge rubbish dump across the road. -Swimming pool is unusable unless you like blasting club music. Gave us a headache whenever we were down there. -The music is very loud even in the rooms. -Bar is too expensive. -All extras (Air Con, Safe & Fridge) are over priced. I think it was 40 for air con and 30 for the safe.. we didn't bother with the fridge but I think it was around 30 Lira. -The 'water slide' is pretty poor. Only open 2 hours a day and is tiny. -Though there is a separate kids pool, they all go into the main pool. -We were there for a week and there was only one entertainment night.. which lasted for about an hour or two. -Takes too long to get to the beach. Especially because you get hassled by all of the shop keepers and restaurants on the way. -Doesn't really have much of interest around, so have to travel to do/ see anything interesting. -We went on an excursion and the tour guide only spoke German, because we were the only English people. That was annoying.. Beware of the Night Porter and Receptionist: Not sure what their names are, or if the receptionist was a manager - but these two put a huge damper on our holiday. They work together to try and get you to give them extra money. -When we arrived my girlfriend was forced (I mean it), by the horrible night Porter and Receptionist to have her bag carried to the room. For which the Porter demanded a tip. We have very little money so were very upset that he wouldn't leave us alone. -The night porter continued to hassle us about money. Every time we walked past him he would ask us if we could change his English tip money to Turkish Lira. We didn't because he's very dishonest and would try to backhand us. Even after saying no he would still hassle us in a complaining way. -On checking out of the hotel around 12am we carried our own bags to the front of the hotel to wait for our bus. The receptionist then came out and started speaking to us. It soon became apparent that he was trying to make us pity him so that we would give him money. He kept eying us and telling us he was 'so tired' and pretended to keep nodding off while sitting beside us. That was uncomfortable enough, but then the Porter came. He turned his back to us and started muttering in Turkish to the receptionist. He then stood for a long time eying us and looking arrogant. The two then wandered off for about 2mins. The night Porter then returned and started playing sound clips of what I assume were his children, again to try and gain our pity (or make us feel guilty). When our bus arrived, my girlfriend protested that she wanted to take her own bag onto the bus - but he snatched it off her. We just got on the bus because he was clearly playing up at this point. It may be some people's idea of ok, but it certainly wasn't to my liking.

My girlfriend and I booked a last minute deal via teletext for a weeks stay early sept. We read reviews prior to booking and were dubious about the accomodation. Upon arrvial you did have to pay extra for the safe(£10) and air con(£20), which was certainly needed. However the room itself was very spacious and very clean, although toilet paper had to be put in a bin due to the turkish toilet system. However you could not fault the maids, as it was cleaned daily. Poolside area is lovely and no problems getting a sunbed. The hotel is ideal for a quiet getaway, as there is no entertainment to disturb you. The staff are very helpful and always aimed to please. Breakfast is basic, but the the buffet dinner is very tasty. There is also a menu for people on b&b. Location is a 15min walk to the centre of side, and there are plenty of minibuses (dolmuses) that you can hop on for 1.50 lira to get u around. The shortcut past a dump is the easiest way. Side itself is lively with lots of shops and restaurants , but in contrast there are plenty of gorgeous ruins to walk around. Apollos temple is a sight to see both at night and day (very romantic), and the ampitheatre is also worth a visit. TIPS Do barter for everything, they will try and rip you off. Exchange your money out there at the bank, as it is easy to do and offers a better rate. However they prefer the euro, and will take sterling! Tipping is normally 10% Restaurants often offer a yummy pitta bread starter with a selection of dips on the house. Take a dolmus to kumkoy (10 mins) and eat at La Perla restaraunt situated above the shops. Is very sylish and extremly cheap. Went there twice as we were so impressed. The rafting excursion is brilliant, a really fun day, and you are looked after throughout. But the tale of two cities tour wasnt worth it, as you were herded around from place to place. Overall we had a really good holiday and felt the hotel wasn't given enough credit. We couldnt fault it.

My Wife & I went to the Aral Hotel for our honeymoon. The hotel we couldn't fault as it was everything we wanted, quiet & relaxing. When we booked with thomas cook we told them it was for our honeymoon which was noted by the person booking it for us. On arrival we missed the welcome meeting due to arriving early hours of the morning but we saw the rep the next day when we again mentioned we were on honeymoon. She informed us that there was an agreement between the hotel & thomas cook that such occasions attracted a special evening laid on. The evening was magical with roses, champagne & great dinner. Now the problem. At no point was a price for the evening discussed & as we were on a tight budget we would have said no thank you if it had have been. As we were finishing our last drinks the waiter gave us a bill. We were confused but decided to speak to the rep in the morning. When we told her she said she'd speak to them. Bear in mind we were half board so were entitled to an evening meal anyway but this bill was still for 155 lira (about £70). The rep came back & said that she'd got it reduced to 120 lira which was still 120 more than expected. Other guests were amazed at what had happened so we know it wasn't just us being dumb. Once home I e-mailed TC who in the end told us they couldn't re-imburse us for the "misunderstanding". Loosely translated as "can't do anything, sorry, bye." In a nutshell, the hotel was great but if you are on honeymoon & you are told of this special arrangement, make sure it's all what it seems to be or you could end up duped into parting with a lot of money.

We really enjoyed our week at this hotel. The staff were very friendly,rooms exceptionally clean and extra touches by the maids were delightful. Quiet at nights apart from the bellydancer that came once a week but we didnt mind as we were there to enjoy the sun which was hard to stick some days but the clean pool came in handy and a cool beer from pool bar. Memet the barman was very attentive!!! Do not book for turkish bath with the salesman that walks around the pool area. It was tacky,dirty and we were took in a car with no door handles!

There is a definite feel in Side that they are more accustomed to travellers from other European areas. Lots of Turkish people spoke German and we had 1 or 2 strange conversations with Turkish people, where we both were using pigeon German - very funny! So its a frequent occurrence that there are only 1 or 2 english speakers in the bar or restaurant you go to. Although, don't let this put you off as you do get by! The Aral is situated outside the main touristy part. The touristy part is about 15 minutes walk on a slightly dusty road and normally we would get a taxi - 10 to 15 lira (about £5- £8). This area is very busy and reminded me of Rhodes Town with lots of streets with shops & restaurants and a nice harbour. The shopkeepers were rather pushy, someone was waiting outside practically every bar/restuarant/shop, just trying to get you in and this got a bit tiring, but that has happened to me in other Turkish resorts also, so its not just Side. At the end of the night, you had to wait in the taxi rank to get a taxi, but this was very organised and you only had to wait 5 - 10 mins max. Around the Aral itself there are a few restaurants and if you walk along the nearby main road into Town (right at main road), there are even more restaurants. It was quite nice to just stay local sometimes and the Hawiian is the busiest restaurant locally with a bit of dancing (turkish & macarena!) and the occasional fire eater, but it might not be not to all tastes. The Aral itself was a nice multi-national hotel, clean rooms, lovely big pool and the slides ( 2 hrs a day), TV in room with a couple of UK speaking channels, air-conditioning & fridge (small charge for a/c & fridge). There was only 1 Turkish night on the whole time we were there - so not much entertainment. We stayed B&B and breakfasts were very nice - cereal, boiled eggs, ham, cheese, melon, tomatoes, yoghurt, bread, jams, etc. We definitely got the impression that they didn't appreciate greedy eaters though due to what the manager said to us about another guest, so if you are thinking of sneaking a bun up to your room - be warned! All in all, it was a very nice hotel and Side has lots to offer.

We stayed at the Aral by default as our accommodation was double booked by the Travel Agent. This turned out to be a pleasant experience as the hotel was clean and the staff very friendly. The rooms had a television and a hairdryer. The cleaning staff were only too happy to assist with clean towels and making up the room when required. Due to the high temperatures, purchasing air conditioning at a cost of £20 per week is a must. The downside would be that it was peak season and there was no entertainment and a poorly stocked bar however there were plenty of bars within short walking distance. I wouldn't recommend full board as the food was average with limited choice. If you venture into SIDE Town Centre then you should try the Steak House and the Ocakbasi which although not cheap options, the food and service at both was excellent. I took the opportunity to get new rings which we purchased from ARAT Jewellers just as you enter SIDE Town Centre. The Manager, Fatma was a lovely lady who provided excellent customer service and a great price for the items purchased.

So there we were quite happily ready for our holidays. Time off work was booked, but we didn't know where we fancied going. With time running out we had to choose somewhere. In a moment of panic, similar to that of John Prescott in a salad eating contest, we plucked for Side in Turkey. The flight times were totally antisocial, but for £1200 for 10 days all inclusive I was willing to attach plastic wings and fly there myself if required. Flying into Antalya airport we had no idea of the distance away from the hotel, fortunately the hotel was only an hour away and as we got closer the sun started to appear. Arriving at 6am to get checked in, my initial thoughts were that no staff spoke English, these fears were later allayed as I did actually find Mehmet who spoke English better than myself. Being a Geordie I am sure this gives you an indication. I am not in a position to lie to you, my first impressions almost made me thumb for a lift home. The hotel was full of Germans and Russians and I thought I was going to spend the next 10 days in silence. It was like a scene out of the Great Escape. Everything soon changed as on day two of the holiday the balance between nationalities actually allowed for a civilised conversation to take place. Well civilised with beer and raki. So it was all turning out rather well. The breakfasts were extremely European, and at one point I was expecting Neil Kinnock to make an introduction. Apart from the distinctly European flavour of Fetta cheese, Salamis and Hams, you could also choose Cereal and Fruits. Fruit juices, coffee and tea were also available. The hotel pool was extremely clean and the waterslides were excellent - these are open for two sessions (an hour each time). You get the usual behaviour from our European neighbours with there beach towel antics and stupid o clock in the morning but there are plenty of sunbeds to go round and this wasn't an issue. Entering lunchtime there was some interesting dishes to choose from. Now I am usually picky about my food, so picky it has to be said that I thought I wasn't going to eat for 10 days. Although the dishes looked like nothing I had ever set my eyes on before, they were extremely nice and I would recommend the lamb pieces to anyone. In fact the same food appeared in different forms for the evening meals. However towards the end of the holiday there was some excellent chicken dishes alongside pasta and traditional fare. Side itself was interesting. Lots of ruins and an amphitheatre to boot. My first thoughts were of home. If this was in Britain everyone would have heard of it, the place would all be taped off and English Heritage would be charging a tenner a pop. You are free to wander around the ruins and a small charge is required to enter the amphitheatre. The town itself is a repetition of knock off t-shirts, footy tops, bags and shoes. Every now and then a rug shop or a traditional Turkish shop appears but it is extremely busy. The restaurants are also good in the town itself. Day trips to Manavgat to see the waterfall and Alanya to view the harbour are recommended although be warned Alanya takes forever and I do mean forever to get to. I swear I had less grey hairs before I went! After reading a few reviews about walking past the dump to get to the beach I am amazed that people never actually ventured along a different route. There is a quicker and easier route if you cross the road from the hotel and follow the dusty road around the football stadium! Overall the hotel was excellent when the mix of nationalities allowed conversation (and politeness at the bar :)) and I would recommend Connies over the road if you fancy food - particularly the Chicken Cleopatra! Amazing stuff. A nice place to see but something tells me I won't be visiting again, not in a long time anyway. This isn't because the hotel or resort is bad but you get to see pretty much everything in a few days. Worth a look though. Simon & Suse - Chester Le Street.

The Aral hotel was very nice. we had a cheap deal and did not know what to expect! The hotel is very well maintained and kept very clean, Mehmet and his staff at the bar/ restauraunt was always polite and helpful. The hotel has good rooms with balconys. it is 5 storey so a bit of a climb if you are on the top floor, Sea views from the top floor! The pool is large and clean the bar is reasonably priced. THe buffet dinner is ok but we eat out mostly.The hotel is well positioned compared to many others, side town is 15 minutes awat cut through to the dolmus station and get the "tractor"! behind the hotel there are restauraunts and bars. and if you walk to town vis the road thare is an endless choice.

This hotel is relatively new - apparently three years old. It is fairly basic in terms of not having lots of frills but was perfectly adequate and the rooms were well equipped. The main thing I would commend this hotel on was its cleanliness - it was impeccable. The rooms were thoroughly cleaned and the towels and sheets changed every day. The communal areas were spotless. When we visited it was fairly quiet, which suited us as it meant plenty of space round the pool (which has flumes which are operational for an hour twice a day) and in the dining area. The staff were friendly and attentive without being intrusive. Location wise, it was pretty good, with access to the popular old town about a 15 min walk away, some local shops and restaurants very close by, and another selection, including turkish baths, five minutes walk away in another direction. Note, although the Aral Hotel has a Turkish Bath it is closed. The resort of Side itself is fairly relaxed and quiet, and suitable for families and couples.

We were a bit worried as we got such a cheap deal that this hotel would be half finished or a dump. We were wrong, it has to be one of the cleanest hotels we have stayed in. Maid service daily, really modern bathroom, the room was more than adequate and even came with a tv which we didn't expect with it being a 2* in Turkey! The main pool was big, there was a kiddies pool and a pool with a slides too. You could always find a sun-bed which was a god send - not having to fight for one as usual. Although the Aral wasn't in the centre of the resort it was within easy access by foot to the centre & the beach, however there was a free bus tservice o the beach daily. There were restaurants and bars close by - the Hawaiin restaurant being a particular favourite. Food was good, service was good. Those who like nightly hotel enterainment wouldn't like it here, there was nothing on at all. Overall this hotel is great for a last minute cheapy. Well worth the money.