Swandor Topkapi Palace Hotel

Swandor Topaki Antalya has excellent facilities, plenty of activities and family-friendly amenities that make it easy to relax, but our stay was marred by cleanliness and room issues that need urgent attention: the family room beds have sharp corners and the frames creak loudly when you turn, and I found a cockroach under my seat while eating; most seriously, our family of four required hospital treatment after returning home with a virus that caused severe vomiting, so the resort should urgently strengthen housekeeping, visible pest control, and food-area sanitation and address furniture safety and maintenance — if you experience any illness after a stay, please seek medical attention promptly.

TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.

I never usually write negative reviews, but this time I want to warn other travellers and explain why they should avoid this hotel.

This was my fourth trip to Turkey, and I would describe it as the worst holiday experience I have ever had abroad. We travelled as a group of four families — 8 adults and 5 babies.

1. Serious concerns about stomach infections:

On the very first day, as we were leaving the restaurant, we noticed vomit on the floor. Three days later, one of the babies started vomiting and having diarrhoea. The following day, another baby developed the same symptoms. We took them to a hospital in Antalya, where the babies were diagnosed with a gastrointestinal infection and prescribed antibiotics. That same day, three more adults and a third child developed the same symptoms. Coincidence? Other guests have already mentioned similar incidents in their reviews. We have visited Turkey several times before and have never experienced anything like this.

2. The water in the outdoor children’s pools was freezing cold. Even adults found it too cold — so imagine how unsuitable it was for babies. We also heard other parents complaining about the cold water near the pool. One of them even said, “It’s terrible.”

There is a heated indoor pool, but is that really why we come to Turkey — to spend our holiday inside the hotel?

3. Dangerous, poorly maintained playground by the sea:

The children’s playground by the sea was so old and poorly maintained that we witnessed a small child fall straight into a hole and cut their back on a piece of old metal.The parents themselves had to insist that the playground be cordoned off. Instead, the staff simply patched up the damaged area and allowed children to continue playing there. This is completely unacceptable. Children’s safety should be a priority, not an afterthought.

4. Ridiculous restrictions on taking food out of restaurants:

Another major downside is that you are not allowed to take any food out of the restaurants or snack bars. This is absolutely ridiculous. At other hotels, you can enjoy fresh fruit while relaxing by the sea. Here, however, staff stand at the exits to make sure nobody takes anything out. My friend was feeling unwell, and they would not even let her take some fruit back to her room. I stood there in disbelief. Are they actually serious? Eventually, my friend called them to bring fruits to her room.

5. Extremely limited food options for babies:

The selection of food for young babies in the main restaurant is extremely limited. The same food is served every day, with virtually no variety.

Thankfully, we had brought our own baby food purées, so our babies could at least have something different to eat.

6. Very old hotel with poorly maintained rooms:

The hotel itself is very old, and the rooms are in a terrible state of repair. They are extremely neglected and clearly in need of renovation.

7. Overpriced taxis:

Other reviewers have already mentioned the taxi situation. For example, you cannot order an Uber to this hotel. Your only option is to use the hotel’s own taxi service, which charges inflated prices. :)

Final thoughts: I could list even more negatives, but I will finish by saying that this hotel is simply ABSURD and not worth the money at all.

You can find MUCH, MUCH better hotels for the same price.

After just four days of our seven-day holiday, we were already counting down the days until we could go home.

This hotel gets ZERO stars from me.