Megasaray Resort Side

*A Huge Disappointment – Definitely Not the Five-Star Experience We Expected* We are a family of three, including our six-year-old daughter, and we spent two weeks at Megasaray Resort Side. Unfortunately, our overall experience was extremely disappointing, and I feel it is important to share an honest review to help other families make an informed decision. *Location* One positive aspect of the hotel is its location. It is reasonably well situated, and both Side and Manavgat are easily accessible by bus. This makes it convenient for guests who want to explore the surrounding area without having to rely on taxis or organise private transport. Unfortunately, despite this advantage, the hotel’s overall standard and the quality of our experience did not meet our expectations. *Room Allocation and Noise* Before our arrival, we emailed the hotel to request a quiet room. Unfortunately, upon arrival, we discovered that we had been allocated one of the noisiest rooms in the hotel, which was completely contrary to our request. We raised a complaint about the room, but the hotel was only able to move us to another room the following day. It was disappointing to have to deal with this issue immediately upon arrival, especially when we had contacted the hotel in advance and clearly explained our preference. We expected our request to be taken into consideration when allocating our room. *The Staff – The Best Part of Our Stay* First of all, I want to make it clear that our disappointment is not directed at the staff as individuals. In fact, some members of the team were the highlight of our holiday. We were particularly happy to meet Hilal from Guest Relations, who was by far one of the kindest, most helpful and most genuinely caring people we encountered during our stay. Unfortunately, she had to leave the hotel, and we were very sorry to see her go. We would also like to thank Firat from the entertainment team. His darts events were one of the few activities we genuinely enjoyed. Without them, our holiday would have been considerably more boring. Hilal and Firat really stood out from the rest. They made a genuine difference to our experience, and we are grateful to have met them. We would also like to mention Kübra and Tolga, who were very kind to us. Our daughter particularly enjoyed the mini club when Kübra was there. The management should appreciate these members of staff because, in our opinion, their kindness and efforts made a real difference to the overall experience. *Food and Restaurant Quality* Unfortunately, the food was one of our biggest disappointments. The menu was repetitive, with largely the same dishes served day after day. There were no noticeable themed dinner evenings to add variety. While this might be manageable for a week, it became extremely boring over a two-week stay. The quality of the food was also disappointing. Many dishes were excessively oily and greasy, and the overall variety was limited. The choice for children was particularly poor. There were very few child-friendly options, and these were practically the same every day. Our six-year-old daughter barely ate anything during our two-week stay because she struggled to find food she liked. We have stayed at other five-star hotels before, so we have a reasonable basis for comparison. Unfortunately, the food here did not come close to the standard we expected. *Housekeeping – Well Below an Acceptable Standard* The standard of room cleaning was extremely poor and fell far below what we would expect from a five-star resort. Basic cleaning tasks were repeatedly neglected. For example: - Our daughter’s bedsheet was not changed for three consecutive days. Instead, it was simply turned over. - The shower, toilet and washbasin were not properly cleaned. - The mirror and balcony door were also left dirty. - Dusting was not carried out during our entire two-week stay. - Vacuuming appeared to happen only when we were in the room and the cleaners came in while we were there. When we were out, the room did not appear to be vacuumed. We also had problems with the minibar. We were told that it would be replenished daily, but we repeatedly had to contact the staff to remind them. It was replenished consistently for a few days after we complained, only for the same problem to start again. These are basic housekeeping responsibilities, and we should not have needed to keep reminding the hotel to carry them out. *Maintenance and the Condition of the Hotel* The hotel seems to place a great deal of emphasis on its appearance, but unfortunately, the attention to detail and quality of maintenance do not match the image it tries to present. Some of the repairs and finishes we noticed looked extremely poor. In our opinion, certain areas appeared to have been repaired without the necessary professional workmanship, and the results were obvious even to someone without any technical knowledge. A hotel cannot be judged by its appearance alone. The quality of its maintenance and the condition of its facilities are equally important. *Heavy Rain, Leaks and Power Cuts* We understand that the weather is beyond the hotel’s control. Unfortunately, it rained for approximately one week of our two-week holiday. However, what made the situation particularly disappointing was the hotel’s apparent inability to cope with the heavy rain. Several areas of the hotel suffered from leaks, including: - The main restaurant. - The indoor swimming pool. - The meeting room where evening entertainment was held during bad weather. Buckets and towels were placed around the hotel to collect water. It was a very disappointing sight and certainly not what we expected from a five-star resort. The indoor swimming pool had to be closed on one occasion because of the leaks. We were actually using the pool when we had to leave because of the situation. There were also several occasions when the electricity went off throughout the hotel, which was frustrating and further affected our experience. We appreciate that exceptionally heavy rain can cause difficulties. However, we expected a resort of this category to have better-maintained facilities and more suitable alternatives when outdoor activities were not possible. *Very Limited Indoor Activities for Children* This was particularly frustrating for us as a family travelling with a six-year-old child. When it rained, there were very few indoor activities available. There was one pool table and one table tennis table, both of which were almost always occupied. With the indoor swimming pool also affected by leaks, there was very little left for children to do. An adult might find ways to pass the time, but keeping a six-year-old entertained indoors for long periods is a different matter. We chose a family resort expecting our daughter to have activities and entertainment available even when the weather was poor. Unfortunately, this was not our experience. *The Mini Club* The mini club was another disappointment compared with our previous experiences at other hotels. From what we observed, the children were often left to play on their own while some members of staff appeared more interested in using their phones or taking selfies than actively engaging with them. Our daughter genuinely enjoyed the mini club when Kübra was there. However, when Kübra was absent, our daughter did not want to go back. We understand that children need some independence and free play, but we expected a more engaging and attentive approach from the children’s entertainment team. For a resort marketed as a five-star family destination, we found this particularly disappointing. *Two Cancelled À La Carte Dinners* Our all-inclusive package included two complimentary à la carte restaurant visits because we were staying for 14 nights. Unfortunately, both reservations were cancelled by the hotel. The first was cancelled on Thursday due to the rain, and the second was cancelled on our final evening because of adverse circumstances. As we were checking out the following day, there was no opportunity to rearrange either reservation. As a result, we were unable to enjoy either of the two dining experiences included in the package we had paid for. We understand that unexpected circumstances can arise, but missing both dinners was another disappointment during an already frustrating holiday. We raised our concerns with Guest Relations. Although they were understanding and offered us a special table in the main restaurant, complimentary champagne and some gifts, no further compensation was offered. We appreciated the gesture, but it did not change the fact that we had missed both dining experiences. *Our Overall Impression* We have stayed at several five-star hotels, and unfortunately, Megasaray Resort Side did not come close to the standard we have experienced elsewhere. In our honest opinion, this hotel seems to be trying to present itself as a five-star resort without consistently delivering the level of food quality, cleanliness, maintenance, entertainment and service we would associate with that standard. Based on our personal experience, we would struggle to rate it above three stars. To put this into perspective, last year we spent one week at the four-star Estival Islantilla in Spain, and our experience there was significantly better. The food was more varied, there were more activities, and our daughter enjoyed herself much more. We came to Megasaray Resort Side for a two-week family holiday, expecting a relaxing and enjoyable experience. Instead, we encountered repetitive food, poor housekeeping, maintenance issues, leaking facilities, power cuts and very limited indoor entertainment for our daughter when the weather was bad. We know that no hotel can control the weather, and we are not blaming the hotel for the rain itself. Our disappointment comes from the overall experience and the way the available facilities and services fell short of our expectations. I rarely leave negative reviews. Usually, if I am unhappy with a hotel, I simply choose not to write anything. However, this experience was such a disappointment that I felt I could not remain silent. I sincerely hope this review reaches the hotel management and that these issues are taken seriously. The hotel has staff members who genuinely care about guests, and that is something worth preserving. However, kindness from individual employees cannot compensate for persistent problems with food, cleanliness, maintenance and family entertainment. My advice to the management is simple: invest in the quality of the services and facilities, pay attention to the details, improve housekeeping standards, and provide better activities for children, particularly when the weather is poor. Please also value the members of staff who genuinely make an effort to look after guests. People like Hilal, Firat, Kübra and Tolga deserve recognition for the positive impression they made on us. We wish the staff all the best! A very disappointing holiday, and certainly not the five-star experience we expected.

Extremely disappointing – definitely not a 5-star resort. Don’t fall for the reviews! I’m honestly gobsmacked. This hotel appears to have some of the best reviews on TripAdvisor, yet it is, without question, the worst hotel we’ve stayed at in Turkey. For context, we’ve previously stayed at: * Rixos Premium Tekirova * Lara Barut Collection * Nirvana Mediterranean * Nirvana Cosmopolitan * Lago Hotel * Titanic Deluxe Belek We’ve got plenty of experience of Turkish resorts, so we know what a good 5-star hotel should look and feel like. Unfortunately, this one falls well short. We booked this hotel because of the views, which were a big part of its appeal. The lobby looks lovely and gives a great first impression, but don’t let that fool you – the rest of the hotel is very dated and falls well short of what you would expect from a 5-star resort. I never normally leave reviews, but I feel I have to highlight what I witnessed because potential guests deserve to know about it. We have just watched the guest relations team go around the lobby asking 10 people for reviews. They then take the guests’ phones and leave 5-star reviews on their behalf. This is extremely concerning and raises serious questions about the authenticity of the hotel’s ratings. I would strongly advise anyone considering booking this hotel to look beyond the overall TripAdvisor rating and read the previous reviews carefully. Pay particular attention to reviews from accounts with only one contribution that go into great detail about individual members of staff by name. When you see numerous glowing reviews naming staff members, alongside what we witnessed in the lobby, it certainly raises questions about how these reviews are being generated and whether they genuinely reflect guests’ experiences. Is this review manipulation? Could it amount to fraudulent activity if reviews are being created or presented in a misleading way? I think these are fair questions that deserve answers. I cannot independently verify who wrote those reviews, but what I witnessed has seriously undermined my confidence in the ratings. What to expect from this so-called 5-star resort: * The hotel, apart from the impressive lobby, is very dated and in need of refurbishment. * A scruffy, unattractive walk down to the beach. * Flies everywhere, which is particularly unpleasant around food. * Polystyrene plates, completely out of place in a supposed 5-star resort. * No bottled beer available. * Long queues at the bars. * Virtually no service in the buffet restaurant. * A poor food selection with limited variety. * Food quality that is, at best, average. If you’re happy with a poor food selection, average food, plastic cups, long queues and little to no service, then perhaps you’ll be satisfied. But if you’ve stayed at quality Turkish resorts and expect the standard associated with a genuine 5-star hotel, I would seriously reconsider booking here. Regarding my ratings: I’ve deliberately given everything a 1 star to try to balance out the endless glowing 5-star reviews that, based on what I witnessed, I seriously question. To be completely fair, if I were rating the hotel purely on our actual experience, I would probably give most aspects around 3 stars. However, I feel strongly that the current ratings create a misleading impression, and I want to make sure potential guests see that not everyone shares the glowing opinion. What frustrates me most is that people could spend their hard-earned money booking this hotel based on its beautiful views and outstanding TripAdvisor rating, only to arrive and find an experience that falls well short of expectations. Our verdict: We’ve stayed at Rixos Premium Tekirova, Lara Barut Collection, Nirvana Mediterranean, Nirvana Cosmopolitan, Lago Hotel and Titanic Deluxe Belek. This hotel is the worst of them all, despite having some of the best reviews on TripAdvisor. I rarely leave reviews, but I feel this needs highlighting. Guests deserve honest reviews and genuine ratings so they can make informed decisions. Don’t fall for the views and the TripAdvisor rating. Read the previous reviews, look beyond the pictures, and do your research before you book.

I had a wonderful experience at Megasaray Side. The hotel offered excellent service, and the staff made my stay truly enjoyable. A special thank you to Mustafa, Gökhan, and Kübra from the bar team for their friendly attitude and professional service. Ali Osman from the main restaurant also deserves recognition for his outstanding hospitality. I would also like to thank Elif, Tolga, and Veronica from Guest Relations for their kindness, attentiveness, and dedication to ensuring guests have a memorable stay. The entire team contributed to a fantastic holiday experience. I truly appreciate their hard work and would gladly recommend this hotel to others!

I had a wonderful experience at Megasaray Side and would like to express my sincere appreciation to the entire team for their exceptional hospitality. A special thank you to Elif, Tolga, and Veronica from Guest Relations for their professionalism, attentiveness, and genuine kindness. They consistently went above and beyond to ensure that guests felt welcome, valued, and well taken care of. Their warm approach and willingness to help truly enhanced my holiday experience. I would also like to commend Tayfun, Selver, and Çağatay from the bar team for their outstanding service. Their friendly attitudes, positive energy, and dedication to their work made every interaction enjoyable. They contributed significantly to the relaxed and welcoming atmosphere of the hotel. It is the people who make a hotel truly memorable, and this team certainly succeeded in doing so. Their commitment to guest satisfaction reflects the high standards of Megasaray Side. Thank you all for making my stay so enjoyable and memorable. I would gladly return and highly recommend this hotel to anyone looking for excellent service and genuine Turkish hospitality. Everything is absolutely perfect 👌 The best

Title: Amazing Holiday – Food, Drinks & The England Boys Were Unforgettable! 🇹🇷🍻 We had an absolutely brilliant stay at the Megasaray Hotel in Side, Turkey! From start to finish, everything was fantastic and we couldn’t have asked for a better holiday. The food and drink were excellent 🤤🍹 — plenty of choice, something for everyone, and the drinks were always flowing! Whether it was meal times or relaxing with a few drinks in the sun, we were never disappointed. But honestly, the highlight of the whole holiday was the entertainment from the England boys! 😂🍻 They made the trip unforgettable with the laughs, the banter, and the atmosphere they brought every day. They really made the holiday something special, and we’re still talking about the memories we made! The hotel itself was great, the atmosphere was brilliant, and there was always something to enjoy. It’s the kind of place where you arrive for a holiday and leave already wanting to come back. Massive thanks to everyone who made our stay so memorable, especially the England boys for keeping us entertained throughout! Would we come back? Absolutely! 10/10 holiday. 🇹🇷☀️🍺