Olive Garden hotel

I have just returned from a trip to Turkey where I stayed at The Olive Garden. I, and the friends I travelled with, found the area outstanding and the ideal place for a well earned break. I have, however, a number of points I must make in regards to the hotel.
It seems to me that there is a clash of interests going on in this establishment. There are two attitudes to be found in the staff. There are those who genuinely want to do a good job and make the guest’s time with them as enjoyable as possible. They can see the broader picture and conduct themselves in a highly professional way. I have nothing but praise for those people as they made me welcome and went some way towards endearing me to the people and the culture of Turkey.
Unfortunately there is another element which threatens to obscure the good work of those I have already mentioned. This other element consists of arrogant and thoroughly immature individuals who, despite working face to face with the guests, should really be, at best, kept hidden away in the kitchen . This element needs to be squeezed out of the staff if the hotel is to survive. Myself and my friends watched as the unruly element gradually angered the guests one by one till the guests couldn’t even stand the sight of these offenders. Our stay ended with a fight breaking out between some members of staff and some guests. Flying fists, kicking, spitting, the works… Unbelievable.
I do not feel I need add to the complaints other people have made about the basic food. I would just like to say to the boss of the hotel that once you have lost the faith of your guests, your business is doomed.
If you are a single woman travelling in Turkey or a family with children I would urge you to think very carefully before booking into this hotel. Myself, I hope the older, more professional staff will win the battle and The Olive Garden manages to pull it around and build a reputation it can be proud of. Or is it too late?….

I have just returned from a Trip to Turkey where I stayed at The Olive Garden. I, and the friends I travelled with, found the area outstanding and the ideal place for a well earned break. I have, however, a number of points I must make in regards to the hotel.
It seems to me that there is a clash of interests going on in this establishment. There are two attitudes to be found in the staff. There are those who genuinely want to do a good job and make the guest’s time with them as enjoyable as possible. They can see the broader picture and conduct themselves in a highly professional way. I have nothing but praise for those people as they made me welcome and went some way towards endearing me to the people and the culture of Turkey.
Unfortunately there is another element which threatens to obscure the good work of those I have already mentioned. This other element consists of gimpy, arrogant and thoroughly immature individuals who, despite working face to face with the guests, should really be, at best, kept hidden away in the kitchen or, even better, kept tied to a post in the basement. This element needs to be squeezed out of the staff if the hotel is to survive. Myself and my friends watched as the unruly element gradually pissed off the guests one by one till the guests couldn’t even stand the sight of these offenders. Our stay ended with a fight breaking out between some members of staff and some guests. Flying fists, kicking, spitting, the works… Unbelievable.
I do not feel I need add to the complaints other people have made about the basic food, the half-assed ‘all inclusive’ terms, etc. etc. I would just like to say to the boss of the hotel that once you have lost the faith of your guests, you are doomed.
If you are a single woman travelling in Turkey or a family with children I would urge you to think very carefully before booking into this hotel. Myself, I hope the older, more professional staff will win the battle and The Olive Garden manages to pull it around and build a reputation it can be proud of. Or is it too late?….

This was my first package holiday abroad with my friends and it was certainly one that I will remember. The breakfast was basic but very palatable in the morning. Both dinner and tea were really nice with a selection of pastas, rice, stews and a selection of meats. The bedrooms were cleaned daily and towels changed three times during the week. The cleaning staff were friendly and thorough and the bar and reception staff were very helpful, accommodating us as far as possible and entertaining us at the same time.
We certainly got good value for money and enjoyed our holiday completely!! We hope to go again next year and I would recommend this to both families and young people!!!

The Olive Garden Hotel is set in a lovely setting with the nicest views I have ever seen.
The rooms are very basic, but it is such a beautiful part of the world all you do is sleep in them and the bedding etc was changed 5 days out of the 6 I was there.
As far as the All Inclusive package goes, you are fine if you like Chips and Vodka!! The meals are not varied and it is not the nicest food in the word, but for the cost of the hotel what do people expect!
The breakfast is typical Turkish breakfast which people complained about, but I have been to Turkey before and stayed in far more expensive hotels and still had the same for breakfast, I think some of the quest forgot they actually were in Turkey and they do not eat sausage and bacon for breakfast!
The staff are very laid back, so don't expect anything you ask for to happen fast (i.e. the remote control for my air con took days! ) but they are lovely people and entertaining!
The swimming pool is not massive, but we always got a sunbed if we wanted one and even though we were All Inclusive we had to pay extra for the Turkish Night, but it was only £5 and the entertainment was worth that alone (plus it was the nicest meal we had there!).
If you are expecting to stay all week in the hotel grounds and not spend any extra money then this is not the hotel for you, but if you want somewhere cheap and cheerful to get your head down after a day exploring this beautiful resort then book the Olive Garden!

Good value for money on all inclusive. The chefs tried to accommodate for whatever food we wanted and nothing was too much trouble.
The accommodation itself was basic but very clean. The staff were excellent and nothing was too much trouble for them... especially Mustafa - Reception Manager. Hotel could do with refurbish which is planned for 2008 - perfect location for Hisaronu, within walking distance.
Plenty of buses into other towns around and about. Also free beach bus to/from hotel at 1000hrs and returns 1600hrs.

This is a copy of the letter I have sent to the tour operator.
My wife and I have experienced by far the worst holiday of our lives and we have been to many different countries and stayed at different types of resorts. I fully understand that being abroad is different to being in the United Kingdom and understand that health and safety issues are not as tight and to expect service to be relaxed. Usually this is the fun and part of the atmosphere you enjoy for a few weeks in the sun.
This letter is very hard for me to write as my wife and I saved hard for our holiday and due to pressures we had to overcome decided to go on holiday to rest and recover and the Olive Garden Hotel seemed the ideal destination. All Inclusive up a mountain, secluded, air conditioned bedrooms with refrigerator (which was not the case).
However, the actual description over the phone by teletext and the picture we saw on the website bore no resemblance to the actual resort.
I will outline below some of the appalling conditions my wife and I suffered and the treatment we received from staff, who were discourteous, rude, intimidating, obnoxious and constantly humiliating guests:
My wife had £90.00 stolen from her bag in the dinning area and even though we felt a member of staff had stolen it, we had no way of proving it. Initially when we approached the staff regarding this matter the response we received eventually made us afraid.
The dining room area washed once in the week with buckets of water from the swimming pool. Table clothes were in a filthy unhygienic state and never changed. A hedgehog carried into the kitchen area with a cage. Food selection was basic and very poor. Breakfast was the same everyday it was boiled eggs, bread, jam and olives. Butter if you asked for it and milk with cereals if you were lucky. Food left out constantly uncovered and not refrigerated.
The food service and customer service were very poor. Staff wore dirty clothes (usually the same garments) and the majority smelt of body odour.
There were rusty nails, food and rubbish scattered around the pool area. The baby pool was in no condition to be used. Some of the furniture was so old if moved it fell to pieces.
Treatment by some of the staff: One guest who queried the price of his drinks was spat at in his face. This resulted in a frenzy, a glass door was completely shattered and not replaced for 3 days. The staff were brawling in the street with two other guests.
Anyone who requested a transfer would be humiliated and no longer served food or drink whilst awaiting transfer.
When ordering drinks at the bar staff would constantly act as though they were unable to understand or hear what you were asking for and would talk to one another and laugh. Staff used group intimidation as soon as anyone tried to complain.
Music played constantly from eleven in the morning until the early hours and was usually Rap Music. Considering most guests were fifty and this was highly inappropriate and annoying.
Staff members were loud obnoxious and doors slammed constantly. One member of staff pinched by wife’s cheek as she walked passed him.
I was approached myself by two members of staff asking why I was taking my drinks to my room even though I had always done this. I felt very intimidated by their attitude.
After eating at the hotel for 2 days and despite the fact we have paid for an all inclusive we decided to eat and drink elsewhere, this was because my wife and I felt ill being around these horribly intimidating people. The local people in the hotel we used for our meals and the local supermarket employees were very sympathetic when we told them where we were staying. It seems that the hotel has a very bad reputation in the area and they advised us not to complain to anyone. Most guests staying in the Olive Garden Hotel also opted for eating elsewhere.
We did not go out anywhere as I suffered migraines and neck pain due to the pressure I felt under the intense atmosphere. In my opinion, the guests who had not gone all inclusive tended to be slightly better treated. I feel this is due to the fact we had paid up front and it did not matter if we were dissatisfied.
During the first few days, we spoke to the Holiday Rep with several other guests and decided we could not afford the fee to move and requested that the staff would tidy up the pool and dining area and put out a better selection of food and be more cooperative. However, this was before we realised just how rude and intimidating these people really were. They had no intention of clearing up. Guests staying for two weeks moved as soon as possible the staff refused then to serve them whilst they waited to move.
The intimidation we experienced throughout the holiday has left us extremely distraught and angry. We can honestly say that we have never felt threatened or afraid when we have been on holiday in the past however this experience has left us feeling that Turkey is a country we can never return to.
I feel this letter does not justify how distraught my wife and I felt during our stay and I must stress that I do want compensation (cost of the holiday plus the £90.00 stolen from my wife’s purse). I wrote this letter to start as a complaint but I feel the least my wife and I deserve is our money back, an apology, and a reassurance that this hotel is not advertised again.
I hope that this letter will help to ensure that Olive Garden Hotel will no longer be advertised. However, we are so afraid of any repercussions from our letter that we do not wish our names or addresses to be used when sent to the Turkish Tourist Board. Please use a reference number instead.
I feel sure that there will be more complaints to come as the majority of people I spoke to on holiday were disappointed to say the least with their holiday.
Might I add that apparently, these people have only been working at this particular hotel for three months but they have a ten-year lease.
We feel very let down and upset not only from the hotel by yourselves as tour operators allowing your customers to go to such a despicable place.
I would advise everyone not to go to this hotel.
Mr and Mrs William Smith

We came back from the Olive Garden Friday 14th, and I must say after 11 years of going to this resort I couldn't wait to leave. I've had some beautiful times in Ovacik but the Olive Garden is the most disgusting place I've had the misfortune to experience. Like the rest of the write ups I 100% agree with what they say; the staff are ignorant, the hotel is filth and the food is not fit for the hotel dog.
We arrived early morning to be told we could not have any water until the bar opened, when the bar did open we had to wait until 10am before we could take advantage of the all inclusive or else pay. The breakfast was over boiled, or if they was late, soggy eggs with salad that looked and felt like it was scraped off a sweaty kebab, lunch was fish and chips (every day), dinner was chicken or a spoon full of beef (with chips) and of course salad.
The hotel was approx 100 people with 31 sunbeds, and the pool was cloudy, the dining area was not cleaned the whole time we was there and the Kurdish owners thought they could treat the brttish like scum, unless you are female then you could be pestered during your stay. I asked for a coffee in the morning and was told the water was finished, tried a coke and the water had more fizz in it.
I can only advise people to take heed of these write-ups and stay away from this hotel and try other hotels in the same area as there truly are some beautiful hotels with staff that treat you like your on holiday. I only wish I checked out the reviews before I went all inclusive and still paid to eat out, it is now in the hands of the tour operator to deal with our nightmare we had in the Olive Garden...

I gave this hotel 1/10 as there was not a zero available. This is the worst hotel I have ever stayed in. We were all inclusive, which was a complete joke the breakfast was just appalling so after the first day we never got up for it again and then every other meal for lunch and dinner was just chips and rice with one item and if you didn’t like that then tough nothing else was available and believe me the one item you are offered is terrible. We were never on any occasion offered any dessert of any kind and they say there are afternoon snacks available in 14 days we never saw any snacks we spent an absolute fortune eating out which is ridiculous after paying all inclusive. The one beer available ran out virtually every other day so you were then offered warm bottles and during all inclusive times it takes ages to get served but once 11pm comes you have no problem getting a drink as you have to pay then.
We had 2 young girls with us and when we got back the manager spoke to one of them on msn and told her not to talk to him, because I had left a bad report on another site. I have told the owner about this and nothing has been done so I have therefore sent copies of the conversations held along to the holiday company and tourist board in Turkey.
Please don’t waste your money or spoil your holiday by staying here, the only good thing about this hotel is Emin who works on reception such a polite and friendly guy.

instead of writing out a whole review i'm just going to copy and paste an e-mail i just sent to the manager of the hotel
********DO NOT GO THERE ************
Hello,

I’m writing this e-mail to tell you my thoughts on our holiday in the Olive Garden hotel from 2nd August – 15 August 2007. Our first impressions of the hotel were good. We were greeted at the front of the hotel and taken to our rooms straight away. The room was smaller than I expected but looked fairly clean. We then went to the bar to get 2 bottles of water which we were charged for and it was at that point that we were told that the all inclusive started at 10.am. This is one thing that bothered me as I have been to lots of hotels and they all start from 7am when breakfast is served so why do you start at 10am ?????.

Your food at your hotel is terrible. The best meal we had was on Turkish night and I had to pay for it!!!!!!!!!!! The breakfast is below average and I refused to eat it. 95% of your customers are British and you really think that we eat olives for breakfast? You need to include a full English breakfast in your all inclusive package to keep people at the hotel. The lunch and evening meal were “ok” if you were only there for 1 week but by the time we got to the 2nd week of our stay the food was disgusting and everyone at the hotel was saying the same thing. We know you have the facilities to cook better food as you have another menu which is better, but you want to charge people money to eat from it!!!! To make matters worse when your family and friends all come to dinner at your hotel you serve them good food and have a waiter on your table all night, the service that you and the rest of your staff offer is terrible! The worst service I have ever experienced in any hotel in the world. The only good waiter you have is Sinbad, he is very good at his job. I was absolutely disgusted that your staff only come and offer people drinks after 11pm when we have to pay for it! For that reason alone I refused to spend any money at all in your hotel. On a good note your hotel is in a very nice area so maybe there is hope for you in the future. I do hope that you listen to what people say and stop making excuses for everything that people are telling you but I don’t think you will.

I have told every person I know about the olive garden hotel and told how disgusted I was at your staff and the way you treat your customers. I have also written reviews about your hotel warning people not to go there as I wouldn’t want anyone to witness the experience we had at this dump

Sam & Gemma

This was a holiday from hell!
The food was awful with very little choice so I lived on salad & chips. Some days you couldn't eat the food then I would go out for a meal (that’s how bad it was) I travelled
on a one way ticket ..
I also found that the managers & staff were not helpful, I was ask in front of other guest by the pool for money, they said I owed money when there was no way did I owe money to them the guy who asked for the money was name Mustafa.
I could go on for ever & ever about this hotel and it would be all bad comments from myself!!