Regal Resort Hotel

I have just returned from a week’s holiday and had an excellent time. I travelled alone (age 55) but I had read previous reports and expected the worse.
I had a very nice twin room with small balcony, mini bar/fridge in room, air conditioning which did not work for one day but when reported to reception it was fixed same day, hot water did not work for a day but again restored next day. There are lots of steps and would be unsuitable for elderly people or small children but views are worth it when you get there.
Staff are very pleasant although some don’t understand English and most of the guests were Turkish but hey better than lager louts and didn’t see anybody drunk or unsociable. Food was not to my taste but if I had gone for the food I would have gone to France but ladies, its ideal for those who want to diet, there was always something which you could fill up with, soup and bread and plenty of salads, some night’s chips and variety of Turkish foods if you are adventurous. If you want English food it is not the place to stay but during trips to Bodrum or local bars there are snacks to fill up on.
Entertainment is poor and boring again more for Turkish humour than ours, one evening a group of 6 "entertainers" walked around the stage with bottles of water which they drank then proceeded to spit out over each other, not amusing! So don’t expect too much, pack some cards or board games and just line up the drinks, get other English families together and make your own entertainment, we did and had good fun having our own sing along and just getting to know each other, lots of friendships made.
There is a football pitch and tennis plus the two pools are fine, not olympic size but one has slides and people using them seem to have lots of fun. Health and safety would not be very pleased with some areas of this hotel but there is always something to complain about even looking around our own home, I guess there are some things people would find fault with. I would not give this a 5 star rating, probably 3 but I think the hotel are aware of the bad reports which have been given and are trying to make amends.
I would not say this is a family hotel because of the steps and the football and tennis facilities are at the top of the complex and not as secure as I would have liked for my son. The Turkish bath was 10 pounds but was worth every penny and the massage was also 10 pounds again worth having. Bus service is very good and outside the hotel, costs just 1.75 lire per journey and bus takes you directly into bus station at Bodrum where there is an indoor market on Tuesdays - take English money as they like our cash so you don’t have bother exchanging it (the banter in the markets are brilliant -'cheaper than Asda, Primark, shoplifting'). The exchange rate for Turkish lire out there was 2.70 so change your cash out there rather than here if you want to change any because I only got 2.38 at Gatwick when I changed some, I was arriving at 4am so wanted some pocket money.
If you use the bar at the end of the beach parade where there is music/and a singer be warned that they charge you 5 lire each for the music on top of your drinks which are already highly priced - cant remember name of bar but its at the very end of the parade where the yachts are parked. Don’t let other people’s experiences and views spoil your holiday before you get there, you may get the perfect room etc and enjoy yourself.
I went expecting the worse and just hoped for a clean room and decent weather, I got both - 42 degrees weather too hot but better than the rain we had been having and lovely room cleaned daily with fresh towels and sheets changed during my weeks stay.
Turkey is a lovely country so just enjoy yourself, holidays pass too quickly to spend all the time looking for faults and you will soon be back in the luxury of your own home eating good old English food so think positive!!! I did and now I am home I already miss the wonderful views, sounds and hospitality of the Turkish people and cant wait to go back again.