Wyndham Garden Lara

The hotel is split into two areas, with a main road separating the hotel from the pools, beach, daytime activities and evening entertainment. There’s a free shuttle bus running between the two sides, although it takes about the same amount of time to walk if you’re able to. Activities catered for all ages and there was always something going on throughout the day and evening. The food was amazing with a huge variety available, including themed nights which were a great touch. The kids pool area was brilliant with slides, climbing features and the huge tipping water bucket which the children loved. Plenty there to keep kids entertained for hours. Security was actually active too - wristbands had to be shown before being allowed entry which made the hotel feel very safe and secure. Great location, fantastic atmosphere and overall a brilliant hotel.

We booked our holiday through Jet2 for a week 17-24th May. We were a group of 4 adults and we selected the family room. We paid around £885 which included private transfers and pre booking our flight seats. The transfer time to the hotel was around 20min. This was at 2000hrs so maybe the roads were quiet but it is a short journey. Check in was easy and straightforward. just the usual passport details and we were taken to our room. We had room 7107 which was on the corner overlooking the pool. The room was very good. Two bedrooms, one with a double and the other with two singles. There was also a large spacious livingroom and a good size bathroom. The balcony was a little small for 4 adults. Not a big issue. plugs in the room accommodated USB etc. Mini bar was stocked with soft drinks and water. We only recieved 2 cans of beer the day before we left so not sure how that works. We just took drinks to our room from the pool bar which was fine. There is shampoo and body wash etc in the bathroom. (it was fine for me but apparently my wife preferred her own). Hairdryer was fine as well apparently. The air con was fine for us in the room. Although the outside temperature when we were there was only 17-18degrees at night. We split our week either at the beach area (which is about a 10min slow walk or short journey on the bus). Beach area was better for day time entertainment in our opinion but we didn’t really like the music at either pool area. Just our preference would have been for more well known music. Lifeguards are attentive and will whistle for “pool or water slide violations”. We liked them. The water slides at the hotel are good for both adults and children. The pool is still quite cold but that is understandable for May. There is a smaller enclosed pool at the Ramada but we didn’t try it. At the beach you can jump off the pier and climb back up using the ladder. It was a a good way to get directly into the sea and quite fun. again there are lifeguards on the pier for those swimming. We found the food overall to be very good. It is repetitive but the quality is good and the selection is good. We had no complaints regarding the food or alcohol. (although my wife wasn’t too fond of their local vodka). We booked the Mexican restaurant via guest services and we really enjoyed it. The staff are really good. There is a massive workforce of cleaners, gardeners, maintenance and waiters. They were all very accommodating and helpful. The resort is very clean with hardly any leftover food or drinks left unattended that you can sometimes find at an all inclusive resort. We also got a massage - we paid 70 euros for 90min bath and massage. The price is probably negotiable so see what you can get. The massage was very good. My wife used the beauticians within the hotel lobby and she would not recommend due to price changes and quality of service. I can’t review the evening entertainment as we were usually back in the apartment by the time it was really starting as we prefer to go to bed early and get up early. Wifi is free and available throughout the hotel and even down at the beach area. It was fine for our needs but can drop in and out sometimes. There were loads of shops around the hotel to purchase any of your turkish bags, clothes and football tops lol. Most shops take GBP and Euros. I probably wouldn’t bother with Lira. (Although I did use Lira to tip some of the staff within the hotel who I thought were worthy and working really hard) We were able to secure a late checkout when leaving. We paid 55 euros and were able to keep the room to 7pm which was ideal. There is a luggage storage if required. Overall I would definitely recommend this hotel for value for money, staff, cleanliness, transfer time from airport and facilities.

Had a great stay. The food and drinks were amazing the staff were super friendly and. Looking forward to booking again soon.

We stayed at the Wyndham from 9th to 16th May as a family of four with an 11-year-old and a 16-year-old, and honestly had a brilliant time. We arrived late at night and were welcomed by a really friendly receptionist who upgraded us to a two-bedroom suite. After a long day travelling, it was a great start to the holiday. The room was massive and much bigger than we expected. The suite had a twin room for the kids, loads of storage space, a huge bathroom with an excellent shower, a big living area with sofa bed, TV, table, fridge stocked with drinks, tea/coffee facilities and a large balcony overlooking the entertainment area. The main bedroom also had its own balcony access and plenty of storage. Everything was spotless. Our 11-year-old made a friend on the first day, so most of the holiday involved pools, slides, mocktails, ice creams and staying in the water as long as possible. One thing we really liked as parents was the number of lifeguards around the pools and slides. They were constantly paying attention and it definitely made it easier to relax. The buffet restaurant had loads of choice every day and the food was always warm and fresh. We also used our free à la carte meal at the Italian restaurant across in the Ramada. Both hotels basically share facilities, which was a huge bonus. The Italian restaurant was lovely and a nice change from the buffet for a night. The beach area was another big highlight. The hotel’s private beach section is huge and has pretty much everything you need down there: another pool, kids’ slides, bars, food places, pizza, seating areas and loads of sun loungers. You never really had to go looking for food or drinks because they were everywhere. The Wi-Fi even worked properly down at the beach which surprised me. What really stood out though was the Guest Relations team. My son accidentally left a jacket behind one evening which was important to him. I explained the situation to Guest Relations and they genuinely went out of their way to help, including checking CCTV. They found it and returned it to us the next day. They also sorted us out with a late check-out before we left which made travelling home with kids much less stressful. On our final day they even phoned the room to check if everything was okay and ask if we needed anything else. We travel a few times a year and have stayed in a lot of hotels, but the level of customer care here really stood out. Big thanks to Cem, Asiye and all the staff. Everyone worked incredibly hard and it showed. Would definitely return.

When we arrived, only 2 of the 6 à la carte restaurants were open. A third opened the day before we left, but the rest remained closed throughout our stay. The outdoor BBQ grills beside the buffet — which had always been open on our previous visits — were never opened at all. The Chef even promised my wife they would be available “in a few days”, but this never happened. There was also no evening entertainment by the beach, despite it being a nightly feature on our past trips. The beach bar next to the pizzeria was closed as well. We were not informed in advance that these facilities would be unavailable. When I asked why so much was shut, I was given various excuses, including “the weather” (despite temperatures between 23°C and 29°C) and “lack of demand”. When I requested the hotel manager’s name, Guest Services refused to provide it. Overall, it felt like the hotel was cutting operating costs at the expense of the guest experience. Positives: The hotel was spotlessly clean, and most of the staff were friendly and genuinely good at their jobs. Negatives: There was no dress code enforcement — men were allowed into the restaurant shirtless, and women in bikinis. One of the Guest Services staff, Katerina, was consistently unhelpful to everyone, and a woman working in the lobby bar (wearing a polo shirt) always seemed to be in a bad mood. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t return. I really missed the Turkish and seafood à la carte restaurants and the evening entertainment by the beach — the things that made previous stays special.