Barut Hemera

Was really impressed by our stay at the hotel. Arrived late and tired and had a really quick check in (no drink offered though) and then whisked off to room by one of the staff, who went through everything in the room. Room was amazing and overlooked the main pool and entertainment, which was a little worrying but the entertainment finished at 10.30pm so that was fine. Was nice to be able to sit on the balcony and watch from there some nights. Plus points: As mentioned, the room was lovely. Nice bathroom and shower. Only downside was having to prompt the cleaners to replenish the shampoo etc and some items of towelling were taken and not replaced, but a call to reception sorted that out. Nice big balcony with somewhere to put your wet clothes. Room had an easy to use safe and a mini bar that was replenished every day. Lots of room for all your clothes. The beach had a no smoking section and an over 16s section, which was a nice touch but unfortunately was not policed so in reality was pointless having it. Hotel also had an adults only quiet pool which was really nice. No issues getting a sun bed there. All the food and drink were amazing. Used the buffet a few times both for lunch and in the evening and good quality; if anything, there was too much choice, but assume it all gets eaten by the different nationalities. At the buffet restaurants you were also offered drinks. We also had sit down with menu lunches at the area near the beach, the burger place and the Italian. The Italian was my particular favourite and was usually quiet as was a bit of a walk and I don’t think people realised it was open at lunchtime. Breakfast was also really good. You had an omelette station if you needed and fresh fried eggs on the go all the time. Lots of choices of milk. Only downside was the service was hit and miss. One guy we had was amazing and would offer refills etc but others you had to wait ages. All the a la carte restaurants were amazing, both in terms of quality of food and drink but also the service. Was just a shame there were no shows every time we went as it deprived others from going. We arrived late at night and were hungry and were worried we’d missed the food but were told they had an all night restaurant which was a god send. Didn’t have a massive choice but more than enough for what we needed. There was also a bar open all night. The gym was really good; lots of choice. Possibly could do with an extra running machine though as people were queuing for it sometimes. The tip boxes around the hotel were a good idea. It’s nice to give tips to particular people but also nice to put money in a box that benefits all. It was my birthday while we were away and they left a nice bottle of sparkling wine and some fruit in the room which was a nice touch. We were also in the Italian that evening and they brought out a big cake. Side was only a 30 minute walk away so went there one day and there was a promenade that took you there. You could also walk in the opposite direction. Minus points: As mentioned, was great that they had an over 16s section on the beach but people with children kept going into it and the staff did nothing. A couple of times a guest would point out the sign to people but it shouldn’t be up to guests to do this. When my wife questioned this at guest relations, she was rudely asked if she didn’t like children……despite us having two children and my wife working in schools for over 30 years. Her only point was why have the section if the staff did nothing?? Booking the a La carte restaurants was a nightmare. Went on the app and there was nothing available. Went down to guest relations the following morning and they booked three for us. As we were staying for 10 nights we asked to book a couple for the following week and were told we had to go on a waiting list?? We kept checking to see if we would be allowed to book any more and nothing available so in the end contacted guest relations and they booked in a couple more. What made it more annoying was firstly we were told before we arrived that the booking system worked and then every time we went to the a la carte restaurants there were always empty seats with no shows. You could take as many towels as you wanted; they were all over the place. Not great for the environment with the number of towels being replaced but also there were some guests that were taking lots of them and then placing them on different sun beds on the beach so they could move around from one to another depending on where the sun was. Should really be a rule that you only get one towel per person. The rooms were paper thin. For the first 7 nights it was fine as we either had really quiet neighbours or empty rooms but the last three nights were horrible as had really noisy neighbours on both sides. To be fair, when we brought it up at reception when we checked out the guy said if we’d let them know they would have moved us, but as we’d ‘settled in’ we thought of all the hassle of moving everything. Did make us wonder if they knew the rooms were so paper thin or maybe particular parts of the hotel? Anyway, the pluses more than outweighed the minuses and we would definitely be looking to come back. The food, drink, facilities and staff were all amazing.

MWe returned to Barut Hemera in October 2026, having had a fantastic holiday here in 2025. Unfortunately, this second visit has left us with very mixed feelings and, ultimately, the decision that we won't be returning. Our first visit had been such a positive experience, particularly because of the friendliness and attentiveness of the staff, which was the main reason we chose to return. Accommodation When booking through Thomas Cook this year, we were unable to secure two rooms of the same accommodation type. This meant my elderly father and young adult son were allocated a room together in a separate block from myself and my daughter. I had emailed Guest Relations beforehand to ask whether it might be possible to accommodate us in neighbouring rooms. Their response was polite, explaining that as we had booked different room types, this was unlikely and would also depend on availability. We understood and made the best of being in separate blocks. We were allocated a lovely room overlooking the adults' pool, with a jacuzzi, which we made particularly good use of during the three days of torrential rain and thunderstorms! Restaurant service Unfortunately, our experience in the buffet restaurant got off to a disappointing start. On our first evening, we sat in the 16+ section and encountered a waiter whose attitude made us feel that everything was an inconvenience. We repeatedly had to ask for drinks and for plates to be cleared. Sadly, on our second evening, we were seated in the same section and served by the same waiter. His behaviour was frankly rude. When I politely asked for a spoon, he told us to fetch one ourselves. When I explained that there weren't any in their usual place, he remonstrated with me. His manner made us feel extremely uncomfortable and completely unwelcome. It was such an unpleasant experience that we decided not to return to that section of the restaurant. Whether this was simply an individual attitude problem or something else, it certainly wasn't the level of hospitality we had experienced on our previous visit. More generally, we found service in the buffet restaurant slower and, at times, rather chaotic compared with last year. Thankfully, we found a lovely waiter at breakfast whom we returned to each morning, and another friendly and professional waiter in the evenings. There were, of course, some staff who really deserve a mention for making our stay more enjoyable. Gaye, Umer (who looked after us so well at the beach when we ordered drinks using the QR codes), Ahmet, Turget and Mustafa at the beach bar all treated us kindly and made us feel welcome. Thank you to them. The illness that sadly overshadowed our holiday This is the part of the review I really hadn't anticipated writing. Three out of the four of us became extremely unwell during our stay with what appeared to be a particularly nasty sickness and diarrhoea bug. It left us confined to our rooms, unable to eat, drink properly or enjoy the holiday we had looked forward to. Even after returning home, we have continued to experience symptoms. I appreciate that illness can happen when travelling, and I cannot say with certainty where or how we picked it up. However, having travelled regularly over the past 8–10 years, including numerous visits to Lara Barut and Voyage Belek, I have never experienced anything like this before. It was particularly disappointing that when checking out and explaining to reception how unwell three members of our party had been, there was very little in the way of sympathy or concern. Guest Relations did, however, telephone our room to check on us and offer room service, which we appreciated, although by that point we were so poorly that it wasn't much help. The positives It would be unfair not to mention the good things about Barut Hemera. The hotel itself is lovely, the grounds are beautiful and the à la carte restaurants served some really lovely food. The staff at the Olive Restaurant also kindly accommodated our request to celebrate my son's birthday and provided a birthday cake, which was a lovely touch and much appreciated. There are undoubtedly some excellent members of staff who work hard to make guests' holidays special. Our final thoughts We returned to Barut Hemera hoping to recreate the wonderful holiday we had enjoyed in 2025. Sadly, the experience fell short in several areas. The inconsistent service, an extremely unpleasant experience in the buffet restaurant and, most significantly, the illness that affected three out of our four family members meant that what should have been a relaxing family holiday became something quite different. There are many positives about this hotel, and it is a shame that our experience has ended this way. However, when you spend your hard-earned money on a family holiday, you hope to come home with lovely memories, not spend much of your time feeling unwell. Sadly, despite the hotel's many good qualities and the lovely staff we encountered, this will be our last visit to Barut Hemera.

First time visiting this hotel. Jet2 advertise hotel as Lux Collection therefore we expected similar to other Lux Collections hotels. Check in - no offer of a drink Room - we had booked a superior double room and the room we were allocated was a lot smaller. Room wallet, holds room key, had our room number with tippex over the number and a new number written. We went to reception to raise issue about the room and after showing pics of room we booked they asked us to return after breakfast as it was now after midnight and they had no rooms available. Next morning we were allocated the correct room, i.e. the room we had booked. No explanation as to why they allocated us a far smaller room and my issue with that is they probably thought we would just have accepted the smaller room. Reception staff in the morning though were very nice and helpful. Food - lunches at the beach bar, Italian and Burger bar were absolutely amazing. Buffet restaurant in the evening was okay, some evenings better than others, À la carte restaurants, unfortunately could not get booked into any of them! Staff - at all restaurants and bars they were all very amazing. At all times the staff provided excellent service and they are all a credit to the hotel. Patisserie, good service but small selection of cakes on offer. Entertainment - not to a high standard except for one evening when African band performed at the beach bar stage. The other nights entertainment was at the pool bar and you could hardly see the acts due to poor lighting. Room - fridge, no extras like crisps, chocolates, etc. Bars - no crisps provided just selection of nuts. The small extras like crisps, mini bar stocked with chocolate etc along with better entertainment is what we expected from a Lux Collection hotel. Overall our experience was good, we enjoyed our stay and the hotel staff contributed to that. They were always willing to talk to you and that was very nice. The hotel is nice, has easy access to walk into Side as long the walkway at the beach, and we would gladly return to experience the great lunches and staff. Entertainment though has to improve.

An Unforgettable Stay at Barut Hemera ❤️ We stayed at Barut Hemera from October 17th to 24th, in room 2304, and it was truly a wonderful experience! From the very first moment, we felt welcome and cared for. The hotel exceeded our expectations in every way. The service was outstanding, the food was excellent, and the entire atmosphere made our holiday truly special. We would especially like to express our sincere gratitude to Margo and Sabina at the reception. Their kindness, warm smiles, professionalism and willingness to help made us feel very welcome. A special thank you also goes to Berkay and Mustafa, our wonderful waiters in the restaurant. Their attentiveness, friendliness and excellent service made every meal even more enjoyable. It is the people who make a hotel truly special, and Barut Hemera is fortunate to have such wonderful employees. Thank you to the entire team for making our holiday so memorable. We left with beautiful memories and a sincere desire to return. Barut Hemera is definitely a place we would love to visit again! With gratitude and warm regards, Your guests from Latvia ❤️

Location - First time in Antalya and Side. Transfer from the airport was lengthy with lots of waiting around and I wish I had paid for a private transfer instead. Went into Side once during the week and it was pleasant enough but a typical Turkish market town I would say. The surrounding area of the resort is highly commercial, with many resorts packed in, however inside this resort felt very private and serene. Atmosphere - a very chill vibe in this place on the whole, obviously attracts a certain type of traveller and I liked that it was not overly crowded by a certain type of tourist who like to drink all day long. It felt like a very safe and civilised experience with no issues from the patrons. Facilities - no issues with getting a sun lounger, especially if you are able to go to the quiet pool where there are plenty. The beach area was great too, really nice comfy loungers and drinks could be ordered straight to them which felt so luxurious. During our stay we got stunning weather and swam in the clear, warm sea, absolute bliss. The kids club (Bary Star) was a let down. We went once and didn't bother going back. The ladies there did not engage with the kids, or do fun things with them and made them do chores. I'd say for young kids it's probably ok, but not for over 5 or 6 years old as there is nothing to do. Some of the staff there were not very friendly to me as the parent and gave me very bad vibes when I saw them around the resort. Shame for a 5-star hotel. Food - was really nice, especially the A La Cart options which I would book more of next time. The buffet could get really busy but we never had to queue long and the quality was really good. The standout facility for us was the patisserie, this is such a unique offering and we really made the most of it for great coffee, amazing cakes and treats for the kids, sitting under the gorgeous green canopy outside. The spa is by far the best I have ever come across I could have spent every day there! The therapist I had was amazing and the hammam experience was incredible. Everything was kept very clean around the resort. Staff - bit of a mixed bag. Most of the staff are very friendly, polite and work tirelessly to help make your holiday five star. However, there were a few who were grumpy and did not seem to really like patrons, maybe it's because they work such long shifts but some of them seemed to just not like being there, or maybe they assume who will and will not tip so they reserve their effort... I would also say that all the staff should be told not to assume that just because someone isn't speaking Turkish that they do not understand it. A couple of times, the female staff (older and younger) were making comments about the guests to each other in Turkish. Everyone is free to have your opinion but to be saying comments about guests while they are there assuming they can't understand is just extremely rude. There are exceptional staff too, such as most of the breakfast service and the patisserie staff were outstanding, and the spa. But the kids club staff (not the entertainment team) and some of the serving staff at the beach bar need to not talk about guests and make it so obvious. Room - the room was actually lovely, better than similar resorts I have been to, spacious and made up every day if you wish. I may be tempted by a swim up room next time though there were young families in some of them making lots of noise so I'm not sure. This also I'm sure spoiled the Quiet Pool for some as they are right behind that pool. Overall, me and my children really loved the week there. My only feedback would be that ALL staff need training on how to give every guest the same amount of respect and care. Me, as an Asian single mum, at a very high end resort, have as much right to it as the European dad who seemed to get lots of smiles and attention.