Arum Barut Collection

Our first time in Turkey and the hotel did not disappoint. It was spotlessly clean, the room was spacious and had a nice balcony. The food was amazing with loads of choice. We tried both the à la cartes and the buffet restaurants and thought they were all great. The staff worked hard, were always polite, and there was no pressure selling or hassle anywhere around the hotel. There’s a few shops on site, a hairdresser, doctor I think, and a spa. I did the full spa experience with the 90-minute massage and honestly thought it was one of the best massages I’ve had, and I always book spa treatments at resorts, so very impressed with that. The hotel is also cat heaven. There are loads of really cute cats around the grounds and they all seemed well looked after, so credit to the hotel and staff for that. There is one large outdoor pool connected to an indoor heated pool, plus a separate slide pool. The main pool also has a swim-up bar. We never struggled getting sunbeds around the pool and it was mostly quiet and relaxing during our stay. We didn’t really use the beach. The beach area is huge with rows and rows of loungers stretching in both directions. Personally, I only really swim in crystal-clear water with good snorkelling and marine life, otherwise I tend not to bother, so the sea wasn’t particularly appealing to me. The entertainment was actually much better than you normally get at resorts. There were different acts on every night and activities during the day as well. We walked to Side to see the ruins, which took about an hour each way. Expect the usual shop owner hassle on the walk there, which gets a bit annoying after a while. The ruins themselves were genuinely worth visiting though. We bought the combined ruins and museum ticket. The museum is small but worth a look, the Temple of Apollo is nice and free to visit, and the larger ruins further along are excellent with plenty to explore. I’d definitely recommend going early because you could easily spend a few hours there. Unfortunately the amphitheatre was closed during our visit. One thing we didn’t realise until we left, because we arrived in the middle of the night, is that there are loads of shops directly outside the hotel. If you like shopping or browsing fake designer stuff, there’s absolutely loads nearby. Overall, we had a really nice stay. The hotel itself was excellent — clean, relaxing, good food, good entertainment, and very hard-working staff. The only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is really the location and beach experience. Once you’ve done the ruins there isn’t a huge amount nearby unless you travel further out, and the crowded beach with murky sea just wasn’t for me. That said, I’ve spent around six weeks in the Maldives over the years, so my expectations for beaches are probably unfairly high! If you want a relaxing poolside holiday with very good food, entertainment and service, you really can’t go far wrong here.

Best hotel ever staff were so helpful and friendly food was 10/10 I have no idea how the staff are all so professional. from front of house to cleaners/bar /and not forgetting Darts. The entertainment got us up dancing every night. If you go side it has to be Arum Barut

Entertainment and food were brilliant but we were left with a dirty room which was never resolved and rude staff. We arrived in our room to find our Toilet were filthy and had marks all down it. Sink and bathroom had hairs all over it. Our room clearly was not cleaned before we arrived. Spoken to 2 cleaners in the morning to explain and pointed it all out but did not want to help/spoke minimal English. All we got was an apology. Absolutely gutted about it after how much we spent on this holiday but defo not a 5 star. Will be uploading the images of the toilet and taking it higher

Arum Barut remains one of my all-time favourite hotels and somewhere that feels incredibly special every time we visit. From the moment you arrive, the service, atmosphere, and attention to detail immediately show what true 5-star hospitality should feel like. The hotel itself is a smaller complex compared to many large resorts, and for us that is exactly what makes it so perfect. It feels personal, relaxed, and welcoming rather than overcrowded or overwhelming. The staff genuinely make the effort to get to know guests and nothing ever feels too much trouble. The location is also ideal — just a short stroll into Side, which is perfect for evening walks, shopping, and visiting the beautiful old town and harbour area without needing taxis or transport. The food throughout the hotel is exceptional. Every restaurant is faultless, with incredible quality, presentation, and variety. Whether eating in the buffet or à la carte restaurants, everything feels premium and carefully prepared. The branded drinks and ice creams are another touch that really adds to the luxury experience and sets Arum Barut apart from many other all-inclusive hotels. The rooms are modern, spotless, and extremely comfortable, with everything you could possibly need. The hotel also works brilliantly for families while still maintaining a calm and luxurious atmosphere for adults. What really makes Arum Barut stand out though is the overall feeling of the place. It is elegant without being pretentious, luxurious without feeling formal, and the level of service throughout the hotel is consistently outstanding. We have stayed in many hotels over the years, but Arum Barut is the one we always compare everything else to. It remains our favourite for good reason, and we would return again without hesitation.

Our 8th visit and still absolutely love it! ​We just returned from our 8th stay here, and it remains our absolute favorite holiday spot. The cleanliness of the resort is top-notch, the food is consistently excellent, and the staff are incredibly lovely and welcoming. ​Overall, the service is great. The only minor downside we noticed this time was that the drink service at the pool bar in the evenings wasn’t quite as efficient as everything else. Last time Erkan and Adem were so fast and efficient making our favourite drinks. However, Omer the evening barman is an absolute standout—he is exceptional and made our nights so much better! We had the best cocktails at the pool bar during the afternoon by Furkan and Omer, real nice! We still highly recommend this place and will definitely be back for visit number 9.