Acanthus Cennet Barut Collection

Coming to the end of an absolutely fantastic stay at the Acanthus Cennet Barut, if you're looking for a relaxing stay with fantastic food, drink and facilities you really can't go wrong. Arrived late on Saturday evening and the staff quickly got us checked in to our amazing penthouse suite with side sea view - awesome room - plenty of space for a couple to spread out and the view really couldn't have been much better, the jacuzzi on the balcony and the bottle of fizz waiting for us on arrival really topped it all off! Tons of choice for breakfast every morning with everything we ate being superb quality, if you fancy a change, the a la carte breakfast at the Maison Plage restaurant is also really, really good. Food and drink in general we're a real highlight, with lunch and dinner options for buffet or a la carte all being top drawer! We ate at all 3 a la carte restaurants and every time the food and service exceeded our expectations, special mentions need to go to Mehmet, Yusuf and the team at Safran for a couple of great nights as well as Ali and the team at Roku for a final special evening last night, with great service and laughter! (if you fancy a treat it's definitely worth checking out the wine lists, and in particular the Turkish wines from Kavaklıdere and Chateau Kalpak which were a real stand out). Guest services team were always ready with a smile whenever we walked past to say good morning, the team at the pool bar were always on hand with a cocktail and the hotel cats added a final special touch to an awesome stay. Highly recommend this place for a relaxing holiday, would love to return some day.

I’ve just returned from another fantastic trip to this wonderful hotel and it was as great as ever. This time I travelled with a friend on her first visit and she too was blown away. Everything about this hotel is first class, the food, drinks and hospitality. What really stands out is the people! There’s a true warmth in everyone we meet and nothing is too much trouble. There are so many people that help make our holidays magical, Yusuf and his brilliant team, Ali, Ferhat, Meliikee,Gizemm, Hasan at the lobby bar, Seyd, Bayraktar, Feridun, Cahit. Apologies if I’ve left anyone out! Hussain and his team at Lavanta, Yusuf and the team at Saffran. Ammet who looked after us at lunch every day and the lovely Hussain on security who always greats you with a smile. Looking forward to our return.

This hotel is utterly fabulous and we could barely find anything to fault. It’s in a super location (a lovely walk to old town) by the beach, the food is brilliant and the facilities are exceptionally clean. The evening entertainment was hugely fun and creative, and we loved the daily Pilates and Aqua spinning. Food - we ate in all of the à la carte options and reserved them using the app. We also ate frequently at the pool bar for breakfast and lunches which is a la carte but without the need to book. Turkish night at the main buffet shouldnt be missed! All food is fresh and high quality; beautiful salads, fruits and puddings to die for! The staff are 10/10 and work incredibly hard. A special shout out to Hassan the barman/mixologist at the Panora bar - he made our holiday even better with his quality drinks and cocktails (thank you for the Singapore Slings!) in fact, we became friendly with various members of staff who made us feel so welcome. The rooms are very comfortable, big cosy beds and excellent hot, high powered showers. Housekeeping is again very good and sheets can be changed at your request. We used the spa and indoor pool, as well as the outdoor pool. We had no problem finding sunbeds at 9am, although as the hotel became full at the weekend, there was less choice. There’s a large courtesy room with showers and lockers to accommodate late return transfers post check-out. Oh and the hotel cats are well looked after and respected, which made me very happy! I just love this hotel and it’s made us fall in love with Turkey. Don’t delay, book it now!

Everything was amazing, absolutely stunning. The animation team (Pilates, water gymnastics and yoga, the stuff near the pool - everything is just amazing

Acanthus Cennet Barut Collection is a beach side resort near the Harbour Town of Side approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes from Antalya Airport using a private transfer therefore coach maybe a little longer. We arrived in late evening and our Reception welcome was a little cold and rushed but as we had travelled the full day, we only wanted a cold drink and a warm bed. There was a bottle of wine in the room for us but it was warm and we were unable to open it as the cork screw was broken. We called for help and the staff member had to take the bottle away to be opened! We had a Sea View Superior Double Room that had a fantastic view. The room was lovely and spacious, clean and well equipped (we’ll forgive the broken cork screw). Unfortunately the duvet was very thin therefore we had to use the heating on a few occasions. The bed and pillows were very comfortable. Our walk around in the morning left us impressed on the overall cleanliness of the Hotel, the perfect condition of the gardens and lovely pool area. Pool was very cold and not used by many. The QR Code Self Service at lounger or Waiter Service around the pool was very good. There is a policy of not reserving loungers by the pool (clearly identified on each parasol) but the staff do enforce the policy meaning quests do reserve loungers (some couples taking 4) making it difficult on some days to obtain a longer by the pool which was very annoying. No problem with lounger availability at the beach. We joined the concierge app and communicated regularly receiving timely, but not always satisfactory responses. We also downloaded the Acanthus Cennet Barut Collection app which allowed you to view entertainment, book restaurants, view reservations etc. Lots of entertainment and activities around the pool area each day and always nice background music playing which we enjoyed. Unfortunately, as there are only 3 bookable A La Carte restaurants (which were only available to book from 9 am to 2 pm each day on the app) and if you didn’t book by 9 am, your options were limited or there was no available at all therefore we used the buffet Palmiye main restaurant or Maison Plage restaurant more than we expected too. The options and quality in these restaurants to be honest was fair. Standout meals for us was the Chateaubriand at Safran A La Carte with the food at Roka Seafood A La Carte coming a close second. There is a point of note to be aware off and that is; the Special Wines offered at the A La Carte restaurants are not included in the All Inclusive package. We were caught out with this as the waiter at Roka Seafood A La Carte recommended a wine to go with our meal and cost us 98Euro! The 98Euro wine was not worth the money or complimented the meal choice unfortunately! When we raised this with The Hotel Guest Relations Team, their handling of the issues was unsatisfactory and practically blamed us for not being aware of the Premium Drink Policy (even though this was our first meal during our stay!). Overall the general service and staffing attention was good - big shout out to Rahime in the Panora Lobby Bar Lounge Terrace and Huseyin at the Lavanta Italian A La Carte for their exceptional service. Evening entertainment was a mixed bag with some very good music acts and some not so good. We have been fortunate enough to travel worldwide and enjoy 5 star Hotel and Holiday experiences but unfortunately Acanthus Cennet Barut Collection falls a little short of 5 Star in our opinion but still a very good Hotel Resort.