Balmy Beach Resort Kemer

Problem with chairs - occupied by towels last year. Other things was great.

DO NOT stay here. This is not a 5-star hotel. I genuinely don’t understand how this hotel has a 5-star rating. It looks beautiful from a distance and photographs extremely well, but unfortunately the reality of our stay was very disappointing. The standard of the rooms, food and, most importantly, customer service fell far below what I would expect from a 5-star hotel. 1. The rooms The rooms already feel surprisingly dated despite the hotel apparently only being a few years old. Up close, our bathroom had significant limescale and the dark, organic wood aesthetic made the room feel gloomy rather than luxurious. It may photograph beautifully, but the finish and cleanliness simply did not feel 5-star. We stayed in a Signature Suite with a swim-up pool. The concept is lovely, but unfortunately the pool area had a noticeable smell of drains, which really took away from the experience. 2. The food The food was another major disappointment, particularly breakfast. The selection of substantial savoury food was extremely limited. On some mornings, the main options seemed to be boiled eggs or a very oily omelette. There were endless bowls of honey, spices, sweet items and garnishes, yet surprisingly little actual substantial food. Boiled chicken also seemed to make a regular appearance. There were also strange inconsistencies. I ordered a salad that was supposed to contain walnuts, but it arrived without them. Yoghurt labelled as apricot was bright pink and clearly appeared to contain strawberry. These may sound like small things individually, but they contribute to an overall lack of attention to detail that you simply don’t expect from a 5-star hotel. Food was also cleared away well before the advertised end of mealtimes and often wasn’t replaced. We quickly learnt to take dessert at the same time as our main meal because if we waited until later, there might only be two or three options left. The baklava was frequently completely gone by the time we wanted dessert. We normally ate at around 8:30pm, so this wasn’t because we were arriving at the restaurant exceptionally late. The meal times are also strange. Lunch finishes at 2:30pm and the snack bar is advertised as serving food until 4pm. However, when I went at around 3:30pm on one occasion, I was told there was no more food. I actually had to show staff the advertised times on the hotel information leaflet and push the issue before they eventually agreed to serve me. They did serve me in the end, but having to argue for something the hotel itself advertises creates an unnecessarily awkward environment. Between approximately 4pm and 7pm, there is essentially NO proper food available apart from a small selection of cakes. For an all-inclusive 5-star hotel, the variety, consistency and availability of food were nowhere near what I expected. 3. Customer service – by far the worst part This was easily the most disappointing aspect of our stay. From the moment we arrived, the reception staff made us feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. The atmosphere at the front desk was incredibly awkward. Nobody seemed to smile or make any real effort to warmly welcome guests. For a hotel claiming to offer a 5-star experience, our first impression was completely different from what we expected. My partner and I are a couple and had specifically booked a double room. On arrival, however, we were given two single beds. This was frustrating, but initially we accepted that mistakes can happen. We were told there were no other rooms available that evening and that we should return the following morning. The next morning, however, we were told that we needed to change rooms immediately because other guests were waiting for our room. We therefore had to pack everything up and move there and then, which resulted in us missing breakfast. What made the situation significantly worse was how it was handled afterwards. I raised the issue with the manager, Aukul Acur, and politely asked whether any form of compensation could be offered. We had only booked a five-night holiday, had spent the first night in a room that wasn’t what we had booked, and then missed breakfast because we were required to move immediately. His response was astonishingly dismissive. He shrugged his shoulders and simply told me, “everyone pays.” There was no meaningful apology, no acknowledgement of the inconvenience and seemingly no interest whatsoever in trying to resolve the situation. Regardless of the original mistake, this is simply not the standard of customer service I would expect from a hotel claiming to be 5-star. I do want to recognise that some of the food and drink staff were exceptionally lovely. In particular, Yusef and Sobor were wonderful – genuinely warm, friendly and attentive, and a complete contrast to our experience at reception. They deserve recognition for making us feel welcome. Unfortunately, a couple of lovely members of staff cannot make up for the overall experience. I have genuinely received warmer and more professional customer service at a Premier Inn in Liverpool. 4. Activities and entertainment The hotel advertises workshops, which we were genuinely excited to try. We asked about them on Friday and were told there wouldn’t be another workshop until Monday. If you’re only staying for a few nights, as we were, you may therefore not actually get the opportunity to participate in them. The overall atmosphere of the hotel was also surprisingly flat. The hotel itself felt quite small, and there was frequently slow, sombre music playing, which did very little to create a holiday atmosphere. Entertainment that was advertised as continuing until midnight would sometimes finish at around 10pm. On other evenings, lively music would play for perhaps an hour before suddenly switching back to slow or sad remixes. At times, it genuinely felt as though the hotel wanted everyone to go to bed. 5. Apparently, it wasn’t always like this Interestingly, we spoke to another guest from Germany who told us she had stayed at the same hotel only last year and considered it one of the best holidays she’d ever had. She had returned because she’d enjoyed it so much, but told us that this year she had noticed a significant difference. In particular, she felt that the food had changed and that staff were nowhere near as attentive as they had been previously. Obviously, that was another guest’s experience rather than our own, but it was interesting to hear because it reflected many of the issues we had noticed ourselves. Overall This hotel has enormous potential. It is visually impressive, photographs beautifully and has some genuinely lovely members of staff. Unfortunately, looking like a luxury hotel and actually providing a luxury experience are two very different things. Poor food selection and availability, questionable attention to detail, a swim-up pool smelling of drains, limited activities, a strangely subdued atmosphere and, above all, extremely disappointing customer service from reception made this feel nowhere near a 5-star experience. For the price and rating, we expected considerably better. I would not return and, based on our experience, I could not recommend this hotel as a 5-star resort. If you would like similar 5 star hotel with an actual 5 star feel feel I would recommend Serry beach resort in Egypt

We stayed for five nights in late September 2026. Let’s start with the positives. Thankfully, it is an adults-only (+18) hotel. There was a sense of calm everywhere, at all times, which made for a genuinely peaceful holiday. The music and volume levels contributed greatly to this. The staff, particularly those working in the dining area, were young, hardworking and friendly. Cleanliness was likewise excellent, everywhere and at all times. The rooms were a good size and nicely designed, and the beds were comfortable. There was very good coffee available. Every day, we enjoyed properly made, delicious espressos. The tea was equally good: well brewed and tasty at any time of day. Breakfast and lunch were adequate. Fortunately, the variety of salads and olive-oil-based dishes made up for what was lacking elsewhere. In the evenings, there was döner one night and seafood on another. Unfortunately, the döner was made from minced meat and therefore did not prove particularly popular. Likewise, the uncleaned crabs were largely ignored, as they were rather cumbersome to deal with and offered relatively little meat once you had gone to the trouble of getting it out. Langoustines would have been a much better choice. The prawns were a little tough from being overcooked, but they were fresh and were well received. The muhallebi at the à la carte restaurant was exceptional. The landscaping was very pleasant. Banana trees, Japanese roses and the Bey Mountains right next door made for a lovely setting. I am not particularly an ice-cream person, but the vanilla flavour was the real thing, and the caramel was not bad either. Judging by how popular that little cabin was, it is clearly well liked. Now for the negatives. When we arrived, we were greeted by a rather sour-faced, awkward young man. As luck would have it, he was also there when we left. First impressions are extremely important in a hotel, and I really think that young gentleman should be taken away from the front desk. There is also a middle-aged male waiter in the dining area. He seems to be an optimistic sort of person and tries to joke around and create a bit of banter, but he apparently does not understand that touching and hugging female tourists crosses a line into inappropriate and undignified behaviour. Then there is a young woman called Tugce at the bar. Whenever we saw her, regardless of the day, she was doing her job with a rather authoritarian facial expression and an extremely cold manner. Unfortunately, the swimming pool looked as though it had been left over from the 1990s. That typical blue-tiled pool feels rather out of place in the 2020s. Using tiles in more contemporary colours; navy, white, or even red (we saw a hotel with red tiles once and absolutely loved it) would have made it look considerably more up to date. The beach was unfortunately not particularly appealing because of the type of pebbly sand. The sea was calm enough for swimming in the mornings, but sadly became quite choppy towards midday. The selection of drinks was adequate. One of the bartenders, however, clearly had very little idea what he was doing. I ordered a Dry Martini and he poured a huge amount of dry vermouth into the shaker without measuring it, followed by the gin, of course. I stopped him and told him that I wanted no more vermouth than would fit in the cap. He then made it again. At another bar, we asked for a Pina Colada. It turned out they had neither coconut cream nor coconut milk. We suggested making it with Malibu instead, at least that would avoid using some artificial coconut syrup, but even that was not possible, so we gave up. Thankfully, we later had some perfectly decent Negronis made by bartenders who actually knew what they were doing. A DJ comes to the beach bar around sunset, but frankly, there is no need for him. The low-BPM, mediocre dance music was a long way from being anything resembling quality. On the other hand, the live bands on three consecutive evenings after dinner were not bad at all. To sum up, I would describe it not as a four-star hotel that narrowly missed five stars, but as a very straightforward four-star hotel. Nothing more. The quality of the guests staying there is much the same as the hotel itself: not particularly sophisticated, but broadly middle to upper-middle class. We certainly have no regrets about staying there. Would we go back? I don't think so. Not because there was anything fundamentally wrong with the hotel, but because the sea and the swimming pool simply weren't anything particularly special.

A beautiful setting with the sea on one side and mountains on the other. A lovely hotel - our room was great and had a huge bed - surrounded with beautiful gardens. The staff were all very friendly, helpful and welcoming and the hotel and gardens were always very clean. The food and drinks were excellent, with great choices and variety for both. There was entertainment every night, mostly a variety of very good bands. The beach is a little stony, but you can get into the sea via a walkway or a jetty. The pool is beautiful.

Our stay at the Balmy Beach Resort of Kemer was nothing short of exceptional. From the very beginning, we found exactly what we had been hoping for: relaxation, peace, tranquillity and a wonderful sense of elegance. The food was outstanding. As Italians, we can be quite demanding when it comes to cuisine, but the restaurant truly exceeded our expectations. Every meal was a pleasure and contributed to making our stay even more special. The sea is beautifully clear, while the beach is spotless, peaceful and very well equipped. The same care and attention can be seen throughout the resort: the common areas are impeccably maintained and the swimming pool is simply wonderful. We stayed in a beautiful room with our own private pool, surrounded by lush banana trees. It was an incredibly peaceful and charming setting and, without a doubt, one of the highlights of our stay. A special mention must also go to the staff. The housekeeping team was attentive, discreet and courteous, and the same warmth and professionalism were shown by the waiters and by every member of staff we had the pleasure of meeting. It was a truly unique experience, filled with beautiful moments and a wonderful sense of peace. We left with unforgettable memories and the feeling that we had discovered a very special place. A stay we will always remember.