Hotel Royal Dragon

If you are familiar with Royal/Stone Group hotels in Antalya Region, you should only know that Royal Dragon is probably the best now. Really well renovated an year ago, rooms are spacious, beds are super comfortable. The best part: beautiful large sandy beach with comfortable entry in the sea - perfect for kids. Well, kids won't be happy that luna park's gone but for their parents it provides a leisurely dinner :) Aqua park is really good and the pools are wonderful. Food is also great, fresh and tasty, with lots of choices. Late breakfast is almost as rich as the early one. Not a problem finding a table in the evenings. Well, if you prefer to stay at the pools have to reserve sunbeds early in the morning, as usual. Not such problem at the beach. Staff is good, but should mention that people in Royal Holiday Pallace /last year stayed there/ were definitely friendlier and speaking better English. Dragon is German oriented and if you don't speak German some misunderstandings are possible. Nothing interesting about the evening shows and daily animation, but I prefer peaceful places and this hotel is such a place. Lots of shops just in front of the hotel. There was only one inconvenience - early closing of the towel desk (Not all the guest go to dinner at 19:00, some stay at the beach a bit longer). Overall: Really good choice for summer holiday. Very good service.

Fantastic hotel perfect for families, food was brilliant all week, on arrival I asked about price of room upgrade and the brilliant reception staff and manager offered this free of charge! Ignore the negatives, yes there aren’t many English families here but everyone is friendly, great location also will book again!

We travelled as a family of 4 with myself, my husband and my 2 teenage daughters (17 & 15). Having been to Turkey several times in hotels like Aska Lara, Sherwood Dreams, Baia Lara and Limak Atlantis meant we were typically used to a high standard, however had not been to the Side area before this. Before we arrived, not going to lie we were very concerned after seeing many negative reviews regarding this hotel but we can honestly say we had an excellent time and can't understand what everybody is complaining about! We would say the hotel was predominantly 80% German guests but this did not affect our stay at all. Although towards the back end of the holiday more English guests seemed to be arriving which was nice! Despite this, all of the staff we encountered could speak English and were always so so helpful. Arriving at around 4am after a long journey we were generally tired but we were pleasantly welcomed by reception and the bellboy, who swiftly took our suitcases upstairs. They also offered us a chance to grab some food at the midnight restaurant if you wanted but we were that tired we just went straight up to bed. We had a family interconnecting room which consisted of 2 large rooms with a double and 2 singles. The balcony was small but still had enough room to fit a couple of chairs and a table in, however this didn't bother us at all. Due to our room type, it meant that we were unable to get a full sea view but I requested via email beforehand to have some sort of view, and we were granted a side sea view where you could also see the pool clearly. The beds were the comfiest I've ever slept in at a hotel and the aircon was perfect, especially with the heat being around 45 degrees on some days it came in handy (some nights even became to cold). Lovely walk in shower, very modern! The food in the main restaurant was brilliant, with so much variety. They had themed nights so different foods each night, but always had your basics like pasta, chips, burgers, salads, etc. We never had a problem finding a seat at the night time, we often came down at 8pm and this was never a problem but not sure what earlier would be like for getting a table. Big shout out to Tahir who was so helpful and friendly to us, making our stay even more enjoyable. A little tip goes a long way. Not really big breakfast eaters but for what we usually eat it was plentiful, cereals, yoghurts, toast, pancakes, doughnuts, even onion rings! For lunch, we never went to the main restaurant because the pool bar had everything we needed. A selection of KFC type chicken, pizzas, chips, kebab wraps (the man at the kebab stall was lovely and always willing to chat), fruit, crepes, pancakes, ice cream. Slushes and ice coffees were nice at the aqua bar, should definitely try. Pool was massive and stretched from the hotel down to the beach, with loads of bridges overhead to make it easier to get across to places instead of walking around. There were stairs dotted all around from top to bottom so you could get out of the pool from nearly any point. There weren't any lifeguards about though, so if you were to have younger children just keep an incredibly close eye on them. There was no "deep" end in the pool and so it was all the same depth. Pool was constantly cleaned through the night time. The shopkeeper on the bottom floor pumps up your inflatables free of charge to. There were pool activities going on through the day and the animation team don't pester you at all which we preferred, but if you wanted to participate you knew where they were. Music around the pool was always good as well, even my daughters enjoyed it. The entertainment at night was honestly one of the best, enjoyed every single show that was on. The ampitheatre tended to get very full (no surprise) but we always managed to find somewhere to sit even when arriving at around 9:45. After the main show had finished they always had live music at the beach bar, or a DJ depending on the night. Live music always finished at midnight but we ended up sitting around for a bit afterwards. The white party on the Wednesday night was brilliant. Played so many English songs and was inclusive for everyone. The beach was busy but whenever we ventured down we managed to get a bed. The sea was warm - so nice. However, the sand was absolutely boiling so beware. If you fancy a day trip out to the Old Town it's well worth a visit, lovely walk with some beautiful views of the harbour area and lots of bars and restaurants around, including Irish bars. The ancient ruins are nice to see but can be a steep walk, especially in the heat. Overall, a lovely stay and would probably return again! IGNORE THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS. I'm sure you will have a lovely stay!

We’ve just come back from a fantastic 7-night family holiday at the Royal Dragon Hotel in Antalya, and honestly, it exceeded our expectations. From the moment we arrived, the staff were warm, welcoming, and so attentive – we felt relaxed straight away. The hotel is absolutely beautiful, with striking architecture, immaculate grounds, and a real sense of space. Our room was spotless, spacious, and had a gorgeous view of the pools and beach. It had everything we needed – including a well-stocked minibar refreshed daily – which was a lovely touch. Housekeeping did a fantastic job keeping everything fresh and tidy throughout our stay. The food was another highlight. There was so much choice at every meal, from delicious Turkish dishes to international favourites. Everything looked so tempting and was well presented. A few things were a bit salty for our taste, but with so many options, it was easy to just grab a fresh plate and try something else. I really liked that they had a dedicated children’s dining area with smaller cutlery, plates, and a self-service drinks station – although it wasn’t restocked or tidied quite as quickly as the main restaurant. There are also a couple of à la carte restaurants that are not part of the all-inclusive package and require reservations. Regrettably, we couldn’t try them as they were fully booked. The hotel recommends making a booking at least 24–48 hours in advance. The pools were clean and well-kept, with plenty of loungers early in the morning. By mid-morning they filled up quickly, and while the hotel asks guests not to reserve them, this wasn’t really enforced. The water slides were a huge hit with the kids, though only open in two time slots (10–12 and 2–5), probably to avoid the hottest part of the day. The private beach is just a short walk through the hotel – soft sand, clear water, plenty of shade, and a bar close by. Towel service was easy too; you just swap your towel card for fresh ones between 8 am–5 pm. The entertainment team worked tirelessly to put on great activities for all ages. The evening shows were from outsourced acts, and the selection we saw was very good. They ran from 9:30–10:30 pm, which was perfect for families. The amphitheatre was well designed so everyone had a good view. There’s also a kids’ club, but my two didn’t stick with it – while staff spoke good English, most of the activities were in German, which made it harder for them to join in. This is very much an international hotel, with English-speaking families in the minority. It didn’t affect our enjoyment at all, but it’s worth knowing for families who might prefer a predominantly English-speaking environment. During our stay we used the hotel photographers. Though a little expensive, we have left with an array of stunning professional photos, which gives our younger members of the family lasting memories. We also used the salon, which was very reasonably priced, and I had a manicure and pedicure. We also made good use of the spa – again, reasonably priced compared to London. My husband and I treated ourselves to several treatments, including full body and sports massages and a full Turkish bath. Wonderful experience from the amazing team at the spa, and well worth looking into during your stay. Most of the time they have availability for the same or next day. The only real downside was that we never saw a TUI rep during our entire stay, which was disappointing. It would have been nice to have some contact or a welcome from them. Overall, we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The Royal Dragon Hotel is a perfect choice for families looking for comfort, quality, and fun in beautiful Antalya. We will definitely be returning!

I had a negative experience this year with this hotel, after seven years in a row of being pleasantly impressed by Turkish services. I mention this to point out that I do have some experience and a frame of reference when it comes to Turkish all-inclusive resorts. The main restaurant is more of a canteen than a restaurant – no atmosphere, no décor, and a very low, oppressive ceiling that makes you feel like you’re eating in a basement. The waiters were sour-faced and spoke no foreign language at all. One day I asked for water and was handed an already opened, half-empty bottle. Cleanliness was disappointing. If you go, take a look at the cart they use to bring the “clean” dishes into the restaurant – you might lose your appetite. I once picked up a supposedly clean plate from the stack only to find chocolate smears on it. And no, it wasn’t put there by another guest; it was clearly poorly washed. The overall attitude was unfriendly unless you tipped – and I mean in a very unpleasant, almost aggressive way. At the lobby bar this was most obvious: after a €5 tip you’d get a smile, without it you’d get frowns and curt remarks. Near the entrance to the amphitheater there was a constant, horrible smell that turned your stomach – not just once, but every time we passed by. If you go, do not accept a room under the lobby, especially if you like to sleep in the morning, because they start moving chairs early and you’ll hear it right above your head. I had read reviews mentioning all these issues before choosing this hotel, but I thought maybe those guests were just being overly picky. Turns out, I am now one of them.