The Residence at TUI BLUE Sensatori Akra Fethiye

I had high hopes and expectations of this hotel after visiting the Sensatori next door last July, it exceeded them in every department! Arriving yesterday on the hotels first day was a different experience as there were only fifteen rooms booked, more people have arrived today but even so the resort is far away from anywhere near capacity and at times it does feel a little like ‘spot the guest’ and I figure we are about at a 2 staff to 1 guest ratio!! The hotel is spotless throughout and the winter maintenance is still getting it’s finishing touches (very discreetly) a wander through next door made me realise this hotel group is not reluctant to invest heavily to continually improve their offering! The high standard of food, drinks and service is better than we experienced last year and that had already set the bar at a high level, most of the other guests here are multiple returners and it’s really not hard to understand why. Having read previous reviews I was not surprised to see several cats and a tortoise roaming freely, luckily there were staff catching and despatching the cats constantly whilst leaving the tortoise alone :-) . I can see us joining the ranks of multiple returners and making this hotel a regular habitat. The pool is cold but nothing like the North Sea at home where people swim everyday for pleasure and health, I swam a lap (not a small distance!) today and plan to do two tomorrow whatever the weather!! I highly recommend this hotel to every couple out there and if you have any queries I’m always happy to help!! Ps I was joking about the cats 🤣🤣🤣 x

We love the rooms and close proximity to the beach at The Residence. Buildings overlook the pool which is designed beautifully but is very cold and can be challenging if used outwith peak summer months. What makes this hotel is the fantastic staff and level of service that they provide. There is a luxurious feel to some parts but falls short in other aspects. This is our fifth visit to The Residence and both of us are complete foodies. Sadly the standard has declined to what it once was. The best two restaurants Tao and Basclica are sited next door and you are only permitted to visit once. This year we decided to award a simple yes or no each time a meal was delicious. It didn’t even reach 50% in The Repertiore or Cupthea. On one visit to Cupthea I ordered Korean style crispy chicken breast. It was no different to goujons you could buy out of Marks & Spencer. To my horror the very same dish was in the hot buffet section in The Repertoire next morning at breakfast. For a hotel that claims to deliver culinary excellence this is just not good enough. This year our visit was tarnished watching guests distressed at a trap deliberately placed beside a litter of kittens in an attempt to remove them and their mother. The situation became worse when people were crying in the presence of management. I have read three or four reviews where management has responded with complete and utter lies. This is a particular example. “When cats are born on-site or choose to remain within the property, we ensure their well-being through cooperation with the local municipality and veterinary authorities. These organizations handle the necessary health checks, sterilization, and vaccinations to guarantee humane and lawful treatment” Since last year I have been attempting to make suggestions which would satisfy both cat lovers and guests who are allergic or not keen on cats. I have copied my email for all to see suggestions made. “As a previous guest at the hotel I have placed money into the donation box at reception. I am sure that the local animal shelter would be grateful for every donation they receive but I know that Akra and The Residence could do much more if they choose. As well as placing money in the box I make regular donations to HAYED the local animal charity in Fethiye. They operate feeding stations, arrange for animals to be sterilised (which is vitally important) and pay for emergency treatment using vets that are sympathetic to animals living on the street. I agree some guests have not supported your seed pencil initiative. This could be because animal lovers are aware that the municipal shelter has a high rate of infection and tragically cats and dogs never make it alive out of the facility. I am disappointed that at this time you cannot commit to a designated area for cats in the hotel. There are some suggestions I would like to make. 1. By not having a feeding station the cats are fed within the restaurant grounds. Responsible guests would stop feeding if they could go to the designated area. 2. Arrange a partnership with a local vet that would deal with any animal welfare issues. 3. Ask HAYED and your designated vet if they can offer advice and suggestions. When this is done allow it to be posted on the internet to prove that the hotel really does care. 4. Offer guests the option to help directly by paying for a female cat to be sterilised and show that the cats have been returned to the property. This will reduce the population and help manage the situation. If this was offered I would be delighted to pay for this first procedure and happy for any publicity that you may want to post through the internet. 5. Create an ambassador role with one of your staff that genuinely loves cats. They could liaise with guests / vets and HAYED. 6. Provide reassurance through internet / social media that during the winter season the cats are being fed and looked after. The hotel seems to be adopting an "Elephant in the room" approach which can increase anxiety and concern of guests no matter if they are animal lovers or not. It would be much better if The Residence owned the situation and was pro-active. If there was an insect or rodent infestation they would deal with it so why not manage the cat population and turn it into something positive for Akra and the hotel? In 2021 Jane Ashton, The Director of Sustainability for TUI awarded The Grand Azur Hotel in Marmaris The Stray Animal Award which is published on their Facebook page. Perhaps TUI would be willing to partner The Residence in improving the current situation? I have sent a copy of my reply to Gokhan in the hope that Akra hotels can move forward in a positive direction by introducing changes in all of their hotels. This would be a bold move and demonstrate that Akra stands head and shoulders above other groups. It also means that The Residence does listen to feedback and truly incorporates changes as you continue to develop your sustainability practices. I look forward to seeing you and the team in October.” Sadly every one of my suggestions were rejected IN FULL Management does NOTHING to help the situation. To see them replying to reviews claiming the contrary is being dishonest. This is unforgivable especially when it is to do with innocent creatures who many guests fall in love with.

We were a family group of 14. I would agree with all the 5 star reviews about the quality of the hotel. However I would like to extend a very special thanks to the staff. The level of customer service was outstanding at every level. In particular reception staff who were exceptional in their care and assistance when my sister fractured her leg and needed to stay in hospital. They assisted us with frequent calls via the hotel medical staff to support the treatment of my sister particularly when communication at the hospital was difficult and causing problems.

We had a wonderful holiday at this amazing hotel. We’ve stayed at the adjoining hotel several times and loved it but love this one more. Beautiful surroundings, good food, great staff and service. Having a la carte meals for breakfast, lunches and evening meals in an all inclusive hotel is always welcome. Balkon cocktail bar-such a gorgeous setting. The rooms are so spacious and the balcony, with sun beds, is a lovely touch. The pool areas were well set out and the drinks cool box was such a good idea although the staff did come round regularly to take drinks orders and bring fruit snacks. Everywhere was spotlessly clean. Thank you for ensuring that we had a wonderful holiday. We enjoyed it so much we have booked to return twice next year

We've just returned home from a lovely stay at the residence. We requested a room over looking the beach so we could have the afternoon sun and they were able to assign us one and so thank you for this it was perfect sitting and just watching the world go by. The service was consistently excellent. The food was good there were some misses however, the one that stands out is the french night and the beef bourguignon and quail. Not one we'd try again. But everything else was spot on especially the cakes in the lobby bar and Neoman. Like lots of reviews previously there aren't many faults at all however we are conflicted about returning due to the care and management of the cats at the hotel when it closes for the season. I understand there was a meeting between concerned guests and the hotel manager and they were informed the cats are captured and taken to the local pound (not a shelter) where they'll either be neutered and put on the street or worse (it's unclear). Whilst I understand they don't belong to the hotel and they are complying with the law, I feel a hotel brand with such standards in terms of sustainability and ethical responsibility (to the point where all toiletries are vegan!) I would expect more and feel if you want to live up to your reputation you would want to do more! this is an opportunity to do the right thing. This is all at managers discretion and I believe at the Akra Sorgan they are leading the way with taking care of their cat population all year round (unconfirmed but what I've heard). A few simple steps could make a huge difference for example work with local rescues and set up feeding schedules on the off season, I'm sure guests would even make donations to support this and begin a neuturing program to help control the size of the colony (again rescues would help). These things are doable and means a future more bright than the one being offered. There is a mum and 4 kittens at risk so I urge you act now and prevent the worse from happening. I've seen from social media group chats that lots of guests are not returning due to this reason so again please consider making a change and you'll bring those customers back. Lots of other hotels are leading the way and you could too. Apologies for this long review but basically the hotel ticks all the boxes, but for me as a customer I want and expect more especially if I'm giving you my hard earned cash. Please take some action.