Sunny Hill Alya Hotel

Our stay at Sunny Hill Alya left us with mixed feelings. This is one of those hotels where a few real strengths make it easier to overlook many shortcomings, although they do not make them disappear.

Location and Atmosphere

Without a doubt, the hotel’s biggest advantage is its location. It sits around 60 metres above sea level and offers breathtaking panoramic views of the coastline, the city and the Mediterranean.

Breakfast on the open terrace was one of the highlights of our stay. Sitting there in the morning with a cup of coffee and looking out over the sunlit city and sea was a special experience. Even by the end of the holiday, we had not grown used to that view.

The downside is the steep uphill walk back from the beach, especially in the summer heat. Fortunately, the hotel provides a free shuttle from the beach every hour during the day.

The hotel itself is small, quiet and generally relaxing. Guests include couples, families with children and groups of friends. Thanks to its size, it rarely feels crowded, and queues at the restaurant or bar are uncommon.

The Room

The room was probably the biggest disappointment of our stay.

It was small and clearly overdue for renovation. Faded curtains, worn upholstered furniture, damaged laminate flooring, marked walls and noisy wardrobe doors that came off their runners made the room feel more like an ageing roadside motel than a four-star hotel. The bathroom was in much the same condition and also needed updating.

The room felt surprisingly under-equipped for two guests. We received one key card, one drinking glass, one 1.5-litre bottle of water and one proper blanket. Instead of individual duvets, there were thin waffle-style bed covers.

There was no proper drying rack on the balcony, only a small three-section towel rail.

The mosquito screen door was broken, partly detached and hanging crookedly. We reported it to reception immediately after check-in. The staff politely promised to look into it, but nothing was repaired during our stay.

On the positive side, the air conditioning worked well, and the room had a hairdryer, a small television and slippers. Room amenities seem to vary, though. Friends staying in another room had no slippers, but they had other items that were missing from ours.

The Wi-Fi was usable but inconsistent. Sound insulation was also poor, and conversations in neighbouring rooms could be heard very clearly.

Housekeeping

The room received a light cleaning every day. Towels were changed every two days and bed linen every three days.

Overall, housekeeping was regular, but there were a few situations that were difficult to understand.

During one towel change, two of the supposedly fresh bath towels we received were dirty and torn. We placed them on the floor, as is common practice in most hotels when requesting replacements. Instead of replacing them, the housekeeper simply moved them back into the bathroom and left them with the clean towels.

The soap dispenser by the sink also ran out. We informed reception and later mentioned it to the housekeeper, but it was never refilled. In the end, we bought our own.

One other scene stayed with us. We saw a housekeeper washing the outdoor terrace by hand while literally kneeling on the floor. The employee’s effort was not the issue. What felt strange was the way the work had been organised. In a modern hotel, such physically demanding manual work looked very outdated.

Food and Drinks

You certainly will not go hungry, but do not expect much variety. The selection was fairly limited and repetitive, although some dishes were genuinely tasty.

The drinks service was unusual. There were no self-service drinks in the restaurant, so most drinks had to be ordered from a waiter, who brought them up from the bar on the floor below.

At breakfast, the waiter could bring water. The only self-service cold drink was one type of fruit juice, which may not appeal to everyone, and coffee was available from the coffee machine.

The coffee machine occasionally dispensed water instead of milk when making cappuccino. The portions were also very small, and there was no choice of milk.

One floor below the restaurant, there was a snack bar serving pizza, burgers and fries. It was always busy, probably because some guests could not find enough they liked in the main restaurant. Food from the snack bar could not be taken into the restaurant.

The fruit and vegetables were also disappointing. For a southern destination, we expected them to have much more flavour.

Except for breakfast, meals were served almost entirely outdoors. The indoor area remained open and was not air-conditioned. Eating lunch or dinner in temperatures of around 34°C was not particularly comfortable.

Bar, Pool and Service

There were rarely any queues at the bar or in the restaurant. The staff were generally friendly, polite and pleasant to deal with.

The waiters deserve particular credit. They worked quickly and efficiently, were consistently welcoming and created the best impression of the hotel’s service.

Our experience with the management was more mixed. Requests were listened to politely and staff usually promised to help, but several issues were never resolved. The empty soap dispenser was not refilled, the mosquito screen was not repaired, our request to change rooms at check-in was declined, and we were unable to arrange a late check-out for a few extra hours. As far as we could tell, the room we had hoped to move into remained unoccupied until we left.

Another problem was the way sunbeds were reserved. From around 7 a.m., when breakfast started, guests placed towels on the loungers. Some beds then remained empty for most of the day, which meant other guests could not use them.

Used glasses and dishes also tended to accumulate around the pool during the day and were not cleared away very actively.

Beach

The beach was around a five-minute walk from the hotel.

The sea was warm, clean and very pleasant. However, it became deep almost immediately, so most people stayed within a few metres of the shore. This may not be the best option for families with small children.

There were some cigarette butts, wrappers and other small pieces of litter left by visitors, but overall the situation was not critical.

Additional Services

The safe cost €2 per day, plus a €10 deposit.

Billiards cost €5 per hour.

Beach towels required a €10 deposit, and each replacement cost €1. Unfortunately, the towels themselves looked worn and were not in particularly good condition.

One genuinely useful service was the option to take a shower after check-out if there was still time before the airport transfer.

Other Things Worth Mentioning

Like many places in Turkey, the hotel has plenty of resident cats. They wander freely through the restaurant, sometimes jump onto prepared tables and settle down there. We also witnessed one cat urinating on the restaurant floor.

Another unpleasant detail was the way dirty laundry and used dishes were sometimes handled. Outside some rooms, directly in the corridor, staff left black bags of dirty linen together with used glasses and plates waiting to be collected. It was not a very appealing sight when leaving the room.

Final Thoughts

Sunny Hill Alya is a small, quiet and comfortable hotel in an excellent location. Its panoramic views over the city and the sea are its greatest strength. Together with the warm water, the nearby beach and the friendly staff, they shape much of the positive side of the experience.

At the same time, the rooms are long overdue for renovation. Some of the room equipment feels overly basic, the furniture and finishes are worn, and several practical issues raised with management were never resolved.

The food is not bad, and you will not leave hungry, but the choice is limited and repetitive. Some dishes, however, were genuinely good.

The strongest memory of the holiday is still breakfast on the open terrace, looking out over the city and the sea in the morning light. Even by the end of the stay, that view never stopped feeling special.

One final tip from personal experience: compare airport transfer prices before booking. We arranged a private transfer independently, and it turned out to be significantly cheaper than the options offered by the hotel or tour operator. It was also faster and much more comfortable, with no long stops at other hotels and no waiting for other passengers.

My first time in Turkey.Very surpraised...very good hotel,clean,people nice and friendly.Food is super, I can not cook better.And fruits...amazing.I am here right now and pretty sure I come back.People who do not like cats,please do not come here...Local people are animal lovers so I🌞🌞🌞