Stay away from the Olive Garden - J Horne. Date of travel: Sep 2007
I have travelled to many countries, stayed in the most expensive hotels & some of the cheapest backpackers hostels all over the world. They usually have something in common. You pay for what you get... NOT HERE! This is the most unprofessional, poorly run, dirty & dangerous hotel I have ever seen... All-inclusive: You might pay for, but actually does not exist. Food is very good ha ha ha ha ha..... If you are a chips & rice fan, (an example) boiled eggs left out day after day (when I asked the chef told me, “It’s ok we only leave them out for 3 or 4 days.” It had been between 32ºC & 36ºC degrees each of these days!) No snacks/ no ice creams or anything else for children (unless you paid extra), Dangerous electrics (hair dryers that overheated, sockets pulled out of walls). Dangerous poolside (sharp edges, plastic grates missing), too many people for old "nailed together" sunbeds. (Not all beds were wooden but 52 rooms & 23 beds & enough space around the pool comfortably for 20 beds!!! Do the maths & picture the scene) Added to which a dearth of testosterone charged young male* staff, 4 of which whilst we were there, were actually witnessed beating up a 17 year old English lad (unfortunately he left during that night so nothing could be done to bring them to justice) *We did meet 1 very good young man working for the hotel called Sinbet. Whom had enough & was leaving soon after we did. DON’T DO IT!!!!!

Think twice before you book - Jake Long. Date of travel: Sep 2007
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 p***ed 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-a**ed ‘all inclusive’ terms, 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?….

I did not like the Olive Garden - Jenny Yagis. Date of travel: Aug 2007
I thought the rooms were adequate and clean, the cleaners did not clean every day and the sheets were never changed in the week, we had to ask for towels also. The area is really nice but a bit of a walk to the main town where all the shops, bars and restaurants are mainly situated. I found the Manager of the hotel not very customer focused. He was more interested in using MS Messaging on reception with his friends, than dealing with customer queries. I found him quite rude really and not very helpful at all. Emin covered the night shift and he was more customer focused and very approachable and willing to help with any request or help you may have needed, I think they made a mistake with the shifts as the manager during the day should have been the night manager really. They advertised their water slide for the children but only turned on the slide 1 hour a day at 3pm or around this time, which was frustrating for the children as it was so tempting, occasionally they turned it on depending on who was asking. I feel the hotel staff were mostly friendly but very unorganised and did not know what they were doing and how to run a hotel and how to deal with customers. Overall this was not the best holiday in Turkey I have had and I have had many holidays here. Would you really recommend having All Inclusive but just stick with B&B and buy your food outside the hotel as it is more value for money.

I could not wait to leave this hotel - Miss Gardiner. Date of travel: Aug 2007
This hotel is just not ratable. It is the worst hotel I ever have stayed in. If they offered me a free holiday here I would not return. We paid to go all inclusive but the only thing we got for this were drinks. The food was absolutely terrible, no deserts of any kind in the whole 2 weeks we were there. Breakfast is a total joke. You have no choice. There is one item offered so if you don't like that you will have to go hungry, then you have to queue up to be served like schoolchildren. It is not buffet at all if you have booked all incl. Believe me, take plenty of money still as you will eat out all the time. Many people checked straight out after seeing this hotel. The cleaners leave a lot to be desired and the staff are more like holiday makers than staff, messing around all the time. Entertainment is non-existent except for a Turkish night which they charge you for which is appalling as they offer no entertainment whatsoever any other night. Please think twice before booking this hotel, it really did spoil our view of Turkey and so many other people love it but this hotel ruined our holiday.

Please come to Turkey but not here - N. Carter. Date of travel: Aug 2007
This was my first ever holiday abroad and I was really disappointed to say the least. It was an all inclusive package but the hotel food was that bad we ended up spending twice as much as we budgeted for because we had to eat out all the time. I found the staff, from the owner to the pool attendant, very rude and unhelpful even to the point of disrespectful. The only time I had any enjoyment on this holiday was away from this hotel but then it's always in the back of your mind that you need to go back to such a dump to sleep. Please, please listen to me and do not go to this hotel. It only makes a beautiful place look ugly and my girlfriend thought the staff were sexually aggressive. You're all right if you're an older woman but you don't feel safe if you're younger. It actually makes you feel very awkward and uneasy. It seems like the staff can get away with anything they like with the young miserable owner's consent. All I can tell you is please go to Turkey but be as far away as possible from this hotel and all the terrible things it brings with it.

2 words: Fawlty Towers!! - Gemma & Sam. Date of travel: Aug 2007
Myself and my boyfriend have just returned after a 15 day holiday here.....we would never go back! Although the location and beaches were lovely this hotel was not. Two words: FAWLTY TOWERS! The whole hotel is run a joke, the only staff that were helpful were Sinbet, and Elvis the rest made you feel guilty for asking for a drink even when we had paid and booked all inclusive, they think it's funny to be rude. On many occasions you also found them being creepy and loved the single girls who were staying at the hotel!!! Don't let this put you off Turkey as a 10 min walk into the town centre and it's a different story. The bars and restaurants are buzzing and full of friendly Turkish people, English breakfasts and much more. The food at the hotel was not up to any stars... clumped pockets full of grease these were classed as chips, and plain boiled rice are served for every meal. This wouldn't be to bad if the salads or main dishes were nice... but they weren't! We didn't have any sort of pudding the whole 15 days! The all inclusive beer also tends to burn your throat so be warned beer drinkers! The pool was ok... yes, just ok! The slide was fun but was only allowed on twice a day! There are only about 20 sunbeds in the whole hotel so everyone get up early to get your bed! During our stay a young lad badly cut his foot on a cracked tile around the pool... so be aware if travelling with children as this place was a safety hazard and no way ready to enter the EU! The manager comes around at least once a day asking for your views on the day and hotel but say anything he doesnt want to hear, and he's full of lies and self defences! Nothing ever got sorted. Although our resort was terrible, with the other disappointed guests and the good weather, we teamed together to have a great holiday. If you have already booked this holiday it's probably worth using your spending money to buy a tent and go to Brighton beach! You're guaranteed a better time!

A great place to come and stay! - Amelia. Date of travel: Aug 2007
I have just got back and miss the place already! I had a great time and as did my 2 friends! The staff were all lovely and really helpful, food was good and varied daily. The rooms were clean and neat. The cleaners were excellent and very friendly! I would really recommend this hotel to friends. The pool was clean and well maintained... basically nothing to complain about so don't believe everything you read... apart from this review!

Olive Garden Hotel - Bianca. Date of travel: Jul 2007
I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at the Olive Garden Hotel. It was excellent value for money. We were bed and breakfast and although the breakfast wasn't the best it wasn't the worst. Many people who were all inclusive complained about the food so I would advise bed and breakfast. The hotel rooms were a decent size, cleaned everyday. The people were very friendly and a pleasure to be around. It's a quiet, reaxing hotel. There are enough sunbeds for everyone so there's no getting up at 6 to put your towels down. It is truthfully a ten minute walk from the main centre. It was really nice.

Avoid the Olive Garden Hotel - Jacquelyn Jones. Date of travel: Jun 2007
Having travelled to Turkey many times this is the only bad experience we have had regarding accommdation. The rooms are adequate but not cleaned every day. The worst part is the All Inclusive package that we had booked. The hotels website advises that there is a choice of foods. Never. There is a set menu which is written for the following week displayed by the pool and consists of chips with everything ie. nugget and chips, meatballs and chips, casserole and chips, you get the picture. Occasionally there was rice with the chips which was welcomed. The chef seemed amazed when guests informed him that they would be eating out. There were rarely desserts, no snacks throughout the day and rarely fruit juice with the breakfast. The manager has apparently only been in situ for 2-3 weeks and has a 10 year lease. The staff were great, what you expect in Turkey. They were helpful, cheerful, no complaining. But complaints fell on deaf ears with the manager choosing to ignore them. If you have children on your trip and have paid for A/I beware you will not be getting what you usually do with this type of package. Avoid the hotel but not the area. It is beautiful, with lots to see and do and thank god, plenty of excellent restaurants.

Terrible - Alex Jamieson. Date of travel: Nov 1999
I am writing this report to warn other travellers of the terrible time I recently experienced in Turkey. I plan to post this report on such sights as Tripadvisor, Realholidayreports, Thomsons and many others of the same nature. I also plan to send it to the Turkish tourism board, the hotel in which I stayed and the holiday company who I booked through. The reason I go to such extreme lengths is because of the absolutely unnecessarily terrible time I endured with my partner when I was away and wish those responsible to know about it and to warn those thinking of dealing with any of the above mentioned to think twice. Holidays in Turkey are popular because of the value that package deals offer to this country and the value for money you are perceived to get when you are there. I visited Turkey eight years ago and it was tremendous value for money and the only complaint I would have had was of the over affectionate behaviour of the Turkish men to young woman. In fact one would go as far to say it bordered on sexual harrassment. On my return to Turkey this summer I found that this behaviour had not changed and it made me, and my partner, feel quite uncomfortable. On arriving in Turkey I was aware that the government there charged British citizens for entering. At £10 this isn’t something that was a major problem for me. However my girlfriend is Canadian and because of this she had to pay £45, which borders on ridiculous. The fact they are charging anyone to come into their country when they are coming to spend money anyway is a joke, the fact you pay over four times that amount if you're American or Canadian is a rip-off and I would never advise anyone from North America to travel to Turkey. Once we had got through the airport and taken to our hotel we were taken to our room. When booking with the tour operator I was somewhat reluctant to go ahead with the booking because the price had gone up. The booking agent on the other end of the line informed me that in order to seal the deal he would arrange for me to have a poolside view and a room with a double bed. What did we get when we were taken to our room? Two single beds about four inches in height difference, a ground floor room at the furthest possible away location and that looked out on to a wall. The smell was terrible and the toilet didn’t work. To add to this the water turned on randomly in the middle of the night (this also happened when we were moved rooms). After complaining to the hotel manager we were moved to another room the next day, which was a bit more up to standard but not what we were promised. During our stay at the hotel my partner and I would often order drinks from the pool bar. As they never had any change available (a tactic that is often employed so the discerning traveller leaves the change as a tip) we agreed to start a tab and pay at the end of the day which we did every day. On the last day of our trip, as we were checking out, the hotel manager produced three bar receipts which he said were never settled. This was not the case. We paid every single bill at the end of the day and they were messing us about either through incompetence or sheer greed. There was a bar bill from a day we had spent at the beach. Another couple that heard what was going on later told us they had food bills added to their rooms and they had never eaten there. You might think this would be a result of other guests putting bills on to my room number but two of them had my signature. I had travelled to Turkey eight years ago and the prices now compared to then are around 3-4 times higher. This is not inflation but rather exploitation of holidaymakers to Turkey. When going to the beach it cost a ridiculous amount for a 10 min taxi ride, it cost to get onto the beach as well as the usual sun bed costs. When you are in a bar, on the beach, etc watch out for how much the locals get charged. I was in a line after a Turkish man at the beach for a soft drink and ice cream, which was exactly what he was buying. It cost me around double what it cost him. I witnessed this on numerous occasions. The behaviour of the Turks, which I mentioned above, was atrocious. One night a young girl came running into the hotel lounge screaming. It turned out a taxi driver had taken her not to a hotel but to a quite road were he took all the money from her purse and left her there. Also some of the hotel staff were acting very inappropriately towards some of the young girls who were around the pool. One member of staff was caught writing notes to one as young as 14 asking her to go to her room. Perhaps another thing worth mentioning was the airline (a Turkish airline). It was the worst airline I have travelled on and I have been on many flights. No TVs, warm drinks, terrible food and in fact not even enough meals to feed everyone. Yes, some people didn’t get any food for until they arrived at the airport. On that subject it’s worth warning holidaymakers that if you want to eat at the airport in Turkey you will pay between £10-£15 for a McDonalds and this is the cheapest option. This is not one word of a lie. Don't go to Turkey. Don't book a holiday through Right Holidays and don't stay at the Olive Garden Hotel. Tour Operator: Right Holidays

The Olive Garden Hotel was brilliant!!! - Cat Sharpe. Date of travel: Nov 1999
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 pallatable 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!!!

I Loved the Olive Garden Hotel! - Gemma .S. Date of travel: Nov 1999
My stay at the Olive Garden Hotel was fantastic! The staff were extremely friendly and would help you out with ANY problems you had! The rooms were clean and the food was lovely! To get a real taste of Turkey you had to have the traditional Turkish food! Don't order English food all the time! Make sure you are there for the Turkish nights they have every Wednesday! They are fantastic, you have a lot of fun and laughs with the staff, you get a great meal, belly dancers, and traditional Turkish folk dancing! Then after the kids have gone to bed you have the more... adult games! The manager of the hotel was lovely! He was friendly and very organised, and the hours all the staff work, it must be so hard to keep smiling, but they always did, they always come round to talk to you and they end up being like family. I will DEFINITELY be going back to the Olive Garden Hotel! You really shouldnt believe anything bad about this hotel because it was lovely!