Erika Garden Apart

My sister and I stayed at this hotel for two weeks. During the stay we were constantly afraid because of the men working at this place. They were very aggressive, and wouldn`t take no for an answer. One night we heard wo of the men knocked on the door beside ours. The men said that they didn`t have any place to sleep, and asked if they could sleep in their (the girls`) room. They pulled the door and locked it, still the men were knocking, but after a while they gave up. We were listening to this, and putted our luggage in front of the door to barricade it. We talked to our travell-company, but they didn`t do anything. The manager was rude to the guests. And during a party by the pool he and a female guest were doing their buisniess (we heard the noises!) at the toilet. His wife were sitting a few meters away... The hotel could offer massage at a little cabin by the side of the hotel. One of the other girls was having a massage, and then the massager was offering her a massage at the cheast. He told her that it was common and nothing to be afraid of... We were prepared that the hotel didnt were top class, and did not expect luxury at all, but this experience was way beyond bad! About the hotel: not very clean, but ok. The food not very good, but ok if you are hungry. The rooms are ok for a cheap hotel.

We couldn't believe our travel agent who managed to obtain a double room for 15 nights for 30GBP, so we couldn't complain about the facilities. We knew the area didn't attract too many British people and we were fortunate to meet a lovely Norwegian couple. We were welcomed by Osman, security who was really friendly. The receptionist was also very nice and happy every day. Our room, on the fourth floor, (no lifts), overlooked a secondary road and a private holiday residence complex. Every Wednesday the road became the main road due to the market held on Kemer Road. There was a lot of road dust which lay on the balcony and railings. Our balcony was small with room for only a table and one chair. We would question the 800 metre distance to the beach! However we have been to Side 4 times so we knew what to expect. The pool at Erika is a really good size with a kid's pool too. Plenty of sunbeds but there was no green non-slip material around the pool. We love cats so were pleased to see several of them about the gardens. Mum and her three kittens looked well. Due to the U shape of the building any sound from the bar tended to travel into every room. The music was too loud for a number of guests and this perhaps reduced the number of sunbathers around the pool during the day time. Hackan, appeared to be in charge of the pool bar and surrounding areas. He speaks Turkish and German. Mustafa also worked around this area and the restaurant and he spoke the most English. The Manager was seen around the property but did not appear to intervene with the normal running of things. There was one Turkish night during our stay but we were visiting a friend in Antalya that night.. Erika is in the Kemer area (Kemer Road is 2 steets away ) which has a lovely non tourist feel about it. The otel is surrounded by private properties most of which appear to be small holiday complexes mostly empty. The streets are dark at night so it would be advisable not to walk alone but that is normal for a lot of people in a lot of towns anywhere in the world. We never felt frightened. Everything was extra, fridge, air con, etc. Internet 1€ for 30 mins. Prices at the pool for drink were 4YTL for 500ml of Efes beer. Some bars a short walk away were charging 2.5YTL for the same. This also may have had something to do with the lack of customers at the bar. Knowing a good bit about Turkey the prices have risen over the 20 years that we have been going there however there are still tourist prices and if you know where to go, the locals prices. An on site massage parlour provide the usual facilities. To sum up Erika, we had no complaints apart from the excessively loud music which could be solved by a polite request to have it lowered and, the next time we would book a suite with fridge and hobs for cooking.

I have just returned from the Erika Aparthotel, Side and have had the most amazing two week stay. I travelled alone to visit some friends working in the resort and found all staff at the Erika to be very friendly and acommodating. As for people mentioning there were no Brits in the hotel during my stay half the hotel was British and then there was a mix of Scandanavians, German and Turkish. It is a small property with around 36 rooms! The hotel is clean and very comfortable. Rooms are cleaned daily and towels and linen changed every three days. The cleaners work from 9am until 5pm. The reception girl is always available and even at 7 months pregnant in phenomenal temperatures goes out her way to help, she also speaks very good English, and became a friend whilst there. The hotel bar is run by Hasan and Mustafa who have become like brothers to me and work shifts between them from 6am until the bar closes. This can depend on when the last guests leave as there is no fixed time. It has been known to close at 11pm or at 3am. They are constantly on the go and work very hard. Mustafa speaks very good english and Hasan fluent German however again will always help. To be honest of the many hotels I have stayed in I found these two guys to be the friendliest and most down to earth staff I have ever met. Myself and others in the hotel have even gone out in the evenings as a group and been shown the sights of Side by them. I couldn't fault their service which was excellent for very little wages and long hours with no day off. The hotel is located a 15 minute walk from the beach and the main resort of Side. This can be reached in a taxi for 8 Lira ( £4). The hotel also offers a free bus to the beach. The pool area is a good size and even though the hotel can take around 80 people, the hotel pool sunbeds were always available. There was usually only around 10 people by the pool at anyone time and around 20 sunbeds. Outside the hotel there is a little supermarket which is always manned from am to pm. Also a 3-4 minute walk from the hotel is the main road with many restaurants, shops, clinic, pharmacy, and bars (including an english pub). You also have 2 tour operator offices (Thomsons and Thomas Cook) at the top of the road should you need any help or wish to book any excursions. I paid £35 for a two week stay at this hotel and was amazed by the standards for a ridiculously low price. I never saw any bugs in my room and the air conditioning was great when outside is 45 degrees. I paid locally for two weeks £50 but well worth it. The food is very good and you get lots of it. It is well priced and the bar offers some of the cheapest drinks in the area. I challenge anyone to find as hotel as good for so little money. Fantastic place and I cant wait to go back. All nationalities mixed together and their was no rowdiness in the hotel. Just a good mix of friends that I shall stay in contact with and will see again back at the Erika very soon.