Yelken Hotel & Spa

The hotel is lovely, and we are having a wonderful time; it is the third day of our vacation, and everything is going smoothly. The service from the waiters is excellent, and Mr. Çağrı, the snack chef, is incredibly friendly and approachable—many thanks to him. Furthermore, the entire place is spotless, and the food is prepared with great care; a big thank you to the team leaders and to Mr. Ali Bulut.

General impression We stayed at the hotel for two with my husband in September 2026. The first impression was immediately spoiled by the fact of overbooking. We arrived for check-in around 9 PM, and the reception staff couldn't check us in because they simply didn't have a room for us. We were offered to spend the night at a neighboring hotel and come in the morning for check-in. We were also offered extras as an apology: 2 free visits to à la carte restaurants and 1 day of free reservation at the cabin, juice and wine in the room (we never saw the requested drinks in the room). They put us in the neighboring 3-star hotel Tiana, where the room smelled of sewage, and there was no proper duvet on the bed, only a sheet. We asked the reception to bring us a blanket, and they gave us a dirty throw without bedding... By the way, we were lucky and were actually checked in the next morning. Later, we learned from other guests that a similar overbooking situation had happened with other guests. In the hotel information when we purchased the package, it was stated that a full renovation was done in 2026, and on TripAdvisor, the hotel representatives replied that the hotel was renovated this year and was completely updated - all rooms in the hotel. This is not true. You notice it as soon as you enter the hotel, especially if it's already dark outside and the lights are on. The floor tiles are chipped, in some rooms (such as the gym for example) there are huge mold spots on the ceiling, there are stains from leaks on the ceiling in the hall, the leather furniture in the hall is torn. Everything looks very unpresentable and absolutely does not correspond to the fact of a complete renovation. Judging by the vacationers, about 25% are Turks, and the rest are foreigners. However, only the reception staff and a few other people speak English, not to mention other languages. The rest don't speak or understand you at all. Including animators. Territory and location The hotel is in the Turgutreis district. We took a private transfer; the journey there took a little over an hour, and back it took 1.5 hours because the route from the airport to the hotel goes through the entire city and traffic jams must be taken into account. It is also worth noting that the hotel is far from the city center and it is impossible to get to the center by public transport on your own, only by taxi or some transfer from the tour operator. The hotel's territory is small and completely open to everyone who wishes. There are no fences, enclosures, or anything else that would allow you to feel private; the hotel simply has none. Along the coast of Turgutreis there is a long coastline where you can walk. The pedestrian path ends right on the hotel grounds. The biggest plus of the hotel, not because of its merit, but simply because of its location, is the incredibly beautiful sunsets! Overall, the area is green and it is visible that it is being monitored and cared for. The hotel has 2 outdoor pools - one at the main building, and also a pool at the water park. I can say nothing about the pool at the water park except that it is used as a full-fledged pool when the water park is not operating. And the main pool is quite large, but honestly, I had questions about the quality of its cleaning. Perhaps the staff cleans the pool at night when no one sees, but I have never seen the pool being cleaned. It stressed me out a lot, so I never swam in it. There is music on the hotel grounds, but the sound quality is poor. Number Perhaps the renovation only affected the rooms because the room was actually updated compared to the photos we saw when choosing the hotel. We had a room on the 0th floor (the floor level with the reception) and it was quite nice: a spacious room with a view of the surroundings, one double bed, one single bed, the room also had a TV, a mini-bar, and a safe. The bathroom was also renovated. The view of the surroundings is very specific: right in front of our balcony there was a tree, in the crown of which a bag was stuck at least a year ago. This also speaks to the quality of the area cleaning. There was no blanket on the bed again, only a light sheet. However, there were no blankets or extra pillows in the closets. I had to ask them at the reception. But this time they brought us bedding in linen. The duvet cover was bigger than the blanket in it. Also, there are no robes in the room by default. You need to ask for them additionally if you need them. The room also has a phone, it is probably only there for the fact that it exists because it doesn't work. There is also an air conditioner, working. In the bathroom, they brought us a whole set of hair balms from the amenities, but not a single shampoo. There was soap in the soap dispenser by the sink, but not in the dispenser in the shower. It never appeared during our entire stay! We didn't complain only because we always bring our own hygiene and care supplies, but this is absolutely not a normal situation! First of all, as soon as we entered the room, we noticed a bunch of mosquitoes on the ceiling in the main room and in the bathroom. About 20! I don't know where they came from, maybe they flew out of the ventilation. After a night spent in the room, in the morning I noticed a black spot on the bed of the second bed. It was not used and the appearance of the spot was more than strange. Looking closely, I realized it was a huge pile of ants! Regarding the quality of cleaning: they cleaned every day, but they didn't wash the floors every day. It was noticeable by the sand that remained in the room at the threshold. The bed linen was changed approximately every 3 days, and the towels were changed every day. The mini-bar must be restocked every day. However, I noticed that if the delivery person comes when someone is in the room, the minibar will be restocked with what you ask for. But if there is no one in the room, no one will restock the minibar for you. Overall, I cannot rate the room as excellent and matching the advertised 5 stars. Beach and sea The beach nominally belongs to the hotel, as the hotel grounds are open and the Tiana hotel beach is nearby, so people mix. The beach is sandy. If you like walking barefoot on the sand at the beach, this is not the place to do it, because there are always lots of cats and dogs at the beach who actively use the beach as a toilet. The sea on this stretch of coast is dirty - natural seaweed tides are contributing, and people themselves do not contribute to the cleanliness: I have noticed bags and fruit peels in the sea several times. The hotel has a pier with an entrance to the sea from the stairs. No one has checked the stairs for a long time: the anti-slip coating is only on the steps above the water, and it abruptly ends under the water. Be careful. There is also a pontoon from which you can enter the sea. But this is another pseudo-option, since the pontoon itself on the edges, as well as the steps in the water, are not cleaned and are covered with silt. The buoys are also all in the mud, by the way. In general, you can swim in the sea, but only if you don't mind the dirt on the beach, or on the pontoon, or if you are careful when entering the water from the pier. Food and drinks As has been said, the renovation in the hotel was not complete after all, as the administration assures us. And this is very clear from the condition of the main restaurant, the snack bar, the fish à la carte restaurant (the hotel also has a local cuisine à la carte restaurant, but we did not visit it). Tiles in rooms with chips, tables and chairs are worn out. On the main kitchen, we encountered dirty plates several times, so we tried to pay attention to the dishes before taking them to eat. Plates often came with chips. The cleanliness of the instruments is also under very big doubt. I have encountered sticky utensils or stained utensils many times, so I changed my utensils almost at every meal and was also very selective. In our case, the staff only approached us 2-3 times to offer drinks. Otherwise, you need to bring your own drinks, as the staff simply ignores you. The food is somehow always cold. While I carry the plate from the kitchen to my table, the food completely cools down or (more likely) the food is just not reheated. At the same time, all the food trays are on the turned-on stoves. We visited the kitchen at the very beginning of breakfast/lunch/dinner, as well as in the middle or at the end. The situation is the same. Although the food selection is diverse, the quality of the food is poor, the food is tasteless and sometimes even spoiled. From the plate, I usually ate only half if I took something new, not something familiar. It's just not tasty and unpleasant to eat. One day, at the end of the vacation, his wife found a spoiled mushroom. After this situation, we no longer ate in their restaurants; we had to go somewhere outside the hotel. There seem to be a lot of fruits in the hotel, but not all of them can be eaten. For example, we always took melon and watermelon. The melon was unripe every time. I want to specifically mention the cleaning of the tables: the cafeteria workers go around with carts and clean the tables very noisily, literally tossing cutlery into a pile. Leftovers from the plates will be thrown in the trash right in front of you, possibly with the trash can by your nose, when they clean up from the next table, and you will be trying to enjoy your meal. This is just disgusting! Many 5-star hotels have special enclosed areas with bins and shelves for dirty dishes. They will take your dirty dishes and will not spoil the appetite of people sitting nearby, but will take the dirty dishes to a designated place. No one has heard about this here, everything will be done while you are here, apparently so that you will leave sooner and not finish your cold food, because I remind you, your food is always cold! The hotel also has a snack bar. I can't say anything good or bad about him in general. The quality of the food did not satisfy me everywhere. There is also a pastry shop. It is a standalone building. While we were at the hotel, the pastry shop always smelled. Around the middle of our stay, it turned out that their sewage had broken, which is why there was a stench. About drinks: there are juices available, but don't expect high-quality fresh juices or just good juices from cartons. It tastes like diluted powders mixed with water. By the way, about the water: there is no bottled water in the hotel refrigerators, only individual cups. Some people are fine with it, some are not. Just a fact. They make good cocktails at the bar. At all the bars in the hotel. We also visited the fish à la carte restaurant. When making a reservation, they ask what fish you will eat - Dorado, sea bass, or salmon. We chose salmon, but they still brought us Dorado, and we were very surprised that we refused and asked for what we ordered right away. In the restaurant, they poured water into the glasses and asked what we would like to drink. We ordered cola. They brought us cola in a can and gave us straws. No glasses or dishes. Drink what is given. Service and staff Overall, I have already told you about the staff's work. But I want to add a couple of words. In the hotel, it seems the staff's work is monitored by photos. For example, you asked them to bring you robes, the staff brought the robes and photographed them, so to speak, checked off the task. It is normal when a guest request is executed. But when it comes to everything in the hotel, it looks strange. For example, I witnessed them mopping the floor in the hall. With a dry cloth. But at the same time, the rag and the floor were carefully photographed. Strange? Very. They don't even know about guest relations in the hotel. You will only be sent a form to fill out at the end of your vacation, where you can tell about your stay. But this does not concern your current hotel vacation experience, but will only be a review for the next field of work. Animation and nightlife The animation is very bad. The schedule has morning yoga, but you won't easily find where it takes place, and you won't be able to ask the animators because I remind you - they don't speak English. There is also darts and water polo every day. It really exists and is conducted. I can't say anything good about the evening program either. We visited the evening show once. Or there was nothing further, or there was karaoke by the pool. In general, it's just a very low-quality evening program. Spa complex Terrible. There is a gym, but it is hardly ventilated and there is mold on the ceiling. The Finnish sauna doesn't heat up well because the door doesn't close properly. The couple's [place/room] didn't work the whole time we wanted to visit it. Maybe there is a work schedule that I don't know about. There is an indoor heated pool. I can't say anything about him, we haven't visited. Result In my opinion, the actual level of the hotel does not correspond to the stated 5-star level. Our vacation was ruined from the very first evening. The food was tasteless and cold, the sea was dirty, the entrance to the sea was unclean, and there were no visible entertainments or activities, or I didn't want to participate in them due to a spoiled mood from other aspects of the hotel life. The room was not bad, but it also had its nuances. The travel agent recommended the hotel to us. After this experience, I have a question about how well the agent was familiar with the hotel's actual condition at the time of our booking. After such an experience, I would not choose this hotel solely based on a travel agent's recommendation and photos on the internet. I do not recommend this hotel to anyone. In the end, we couldn't continue the vacation in these conditions and spent an additional N € on another hotel. We really moved to another hotel that matched the stated rating and at least there you could eat peacefully! Therefore, the initial cost of the trip significantly increased in the end. Our vacation experience was terrible.

The hotel is simply beautiful, the rooms are spacious, comfortable, spotlessly clean, and the beds are incredibly comfortable. All the staff are very friendly and attentive, the food is delicious and varied, only the desserts are insufficient and tasteless in my opinion, but some people like and eat them :)) Unfortunately, the weather got a bit tense when the weather got cold, and with the breeze, we couldn't really enjoy the sea. We said we'd have fun in the evenings, but there's music, no DJ; they just put on an autopilot and play the songs we want, so we can't have fun. The songs that are played aren't very good either, so we get bored and have to go back to our rooms. I kindly request that something be done about this issue. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of the staff members for their friendly smiles and attentiveness towards us. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the snack chefs Çağrı Bey, Gökay Bey, Murat Bey, the hotel manager Ali Bulut Bey, and the entire staff whose names I couldn't list here.