Eftalia Ocean Resort and Spa

I’ve been to prison and I found that more enjoyable. The alcohol was probably better.

Never again I honestly don't know where to start. We paid around £5,000 for four of us and, unfortunately, this was one of the most disappointing holidays we've ever had. The reception staff were generally fine with me and, overall, some of the hotel staff were friendly. However, I found that service could change considerably after tipping. We were repeatedly approached by staff offering drinks and water, sometimes to the point where it became uncomfortable. I understand that this is part of the culture and the way some resorts operate, but at times it felt excessive. The food was one of the biggest disappointments. As other reviews have mentioned, it is very repetitive and, in my opinion, not particularly good. Mealtimes were extremely busy and overcrowded. On several occasions there simply wasn't enough cutlery available, which made eating difficult. My partner became unwell during the holiday. I went to the on-site doctor because I was concerned about her condition. I was quoted around £200 for a consultation/diagnosis, and I was also given very high potential costs for hospital transport and treatment, including a figure of around £1,500 for an IV treatment. There were also additional costs mentioned for tests. We ultimately didn't need to go to hospital, but I found the potential costs extremely concerning and something families should be aware of before travelling. The noise was another major problem. If you want to go to bed early, I would seriously think twice about staying here. The music around the pool was extremely loud during the day, and on several nights groups of guests continued singing and making noise until around 5am. This wasn't a one-off during our stay. There was security around the hotel, but from what I saw the noise continued regardless. There was also behaviour from some guests that I found uncomfortable. I appreciate that people are on holiday and want to enjoy themselves, but this is a family resort and some of the behaviour and confrontations I witnessed were unnecessary. We did enjoy the excursions, and we actually spent as much time as possible away from the hotel because we enjoyed getting out and seeing other parts of the area. The swimming pool was another disappointment. It was closed on a number of occasions during our stay, which was frustrating when we'd booked an all-inclusive holiday and expected to be able to use the facilities. My son also became unwell during the holiday, although I cannot say what caused it. The all-inclusive offering also wasn't what I expected. There is a limited selection of drinks included, and many drinks that you might expect to be included at an all-inclusive resort cost extra. If you drink beer, the main included option we were given was Efes, while other options came at an additional cost. The beach entertainment area was extremely busy and overcrowded when we visited. The hotel entertainment itself wasn't to our taste either, although after a while we found some of it more amusing than anything else. Another issue we experienced was persistent selling and approaches from people around the resort. We were repeatedly asked about things after already saying no. I appreciate that this is common in tourist areas, but after saying no several times it became frustrating. There was also a persistent sewage-like smell in parts of the hotel during our stay. At times it was extremely unpleasant. And if you want a sunbed around the pool, be prepared for an early start. In our experience, people were reserving them very early in the morning, and we found ourselves having to set an alarm for around 5:30am to have a realistic chance of getting one. I'm not a fussy or stuck-up person. I grew up with very little and I'm genuinely grateful for what I have, so I'm not someone who normally complains about small things. We went on holiday to spend time together as a family and tried our best to enjoy it. Unfortunately, though, there were simply too many issues for us to overlook. I've never written a Tripadvisor review before, but I booked this hotel after reading previous reviews and I really hope this review helps another family make an informed decision before spending a lot of money on their holiday. For us, it was never again.

Our Experience at Eftalia Ocean.

We have just returned from a 15-day stay at Eftalia Ocean, and unfortunately, our overall experience was quite disappointing.

During our stay, one or more swimming pools were closed almost every day because there was feces in the pool. We found this extremely concerning. We have been holidaying in Turkey for many years and have never been sick before. Unfortunately, during this holiday, my son and I became extremely ill for two days, with severe vomiting and diarrhea.

Our room was another disappointment. We had a room for four people with three beds and one sofa bed. One of the beds had a large dip in the mattress. When we asked for a new mattress, the initial solution was to put three blankets underneath the mattress to fill the dip. We obviously did not agree with this. The housekeeping staff were also very unfriendly when we raised the issue.

After complaining again, the manager came to speak to us. He was very friendly and helpful and made sure we received a new mattress. We really appreciated his effort to resolve the problem.

The restaurant was very chaotic and crowded. There were often not enough tables available, and we frequently had to find cutlery ourselves. At some of the bars, the staff were unfortunately not very friendly. Sometimes they looked rather grumpy and simply said “next” when taking orders. If you wanted an alcoholic drink in the lobby, you sometimes had to wait in line for around 15 minutes.

It is a very large and crowded hotel, and you have to pay extra for many of the facilities, which we found disappointing considering the price of the holiday. On the beach, the only alcoholic drinks available are beer and wine.

We also noticed unpleasant smells in many places, outside the hotel.

There are, however, some positive points. The hotel is generally clean and well maintained. Our room was clean, fresh towels were provided daily, and the fridge was restocked every day. The cleaners and most of the lifeguards were very friendly. We also found the food varied and tasty.

Unfortunately, despite these positive aspects, the combination of hygiene concerns around the swimming pools, becoming seriously ill, the crowds and the chaotic service had a major negative impact on our holiday.

For us, Eftalia Ocean is unfortunately a never again.