Detailed review-review: why Kemer Botanik Resort did not live up to expectations?

My husband and I fell in love with Turkey since our youth: we spent the first joint vacation in this sunny and hospitable country, a honeymoon. Then they began to come here with his son, as soon as he was 3 years old, since the children are idolized here and provide the kids with excellent service. We stayed in hotels of completely different categories: we started with triples, spent a terrific vacation in the luxurious Adam & Eve Hotel 5 *, and visited several other 4-5 star hotels several times. We like to try new things and explore the unknown, so we rarely return to the same hotel. This year the budget is limited, so for the May holidays with a husband and son of 7 years, they chose a relatively democratic option. Good reviews, location near the center of Kemer, beautiful photos and recommendations of a tour operator pushed for the choice of the Kemer Botanik Resort 4 * hotel.

Meeting and check-in

They got from the airport to the hotel by a tour operator bus, the journey took a little more than an hour. Arrived in the morning flight, so check-in had to wait until 14:00. Time passed quickly because we were allowed to leave our suitcases and set off to explore the hotel with access to all free services. Some tourists who came with us in the same group were settled before 14:00 as rooms were prepared. After talking with other guests, we found out that the magic $ 10 will help in organizing an early check-in, while prolonging the room for an evening check-out will cost $ 20.

Kemer Botanik Resort is decorated with notes of oriental flavor.

When checking in, the reception staff persistently tried to persuade us to enter the bungalows located on the beach. It sounds, of course, tempting - to wake up and first hear the sound of waves, leave the house on the beach and immediately into the sea. If we hadn’t read the reviews before the trip, we probably would not have missed this opportunity. But we already knew what these bungalows were from reviews - I’ll tell you more about them below. Naturally, we tried to refuse, but the administrator was persistent for about 10 minutes, talking about all the charms of these houses. We stood our ground, said that we paid for the standard number and we want to receive it without any replacements. As a result, the girl surrendered, and we received the originally booked room.

If the flight is evening or night, you should take care of a snack in advance. They became the witnesses of the situation that late guests who were late for dinner refused to feed, offering to wait until the morning or buy their own food in the nearest convenience store.

Location Kemer Botanik Resort

The hotel is located directly in Kemer, the nearest notable landmark nearby is a shopping center, located about one and a half kilometers. The location of the hotel far from the center on the one hand gave relative silence, on the other hand, made it impossible to be close to entertainment. At the same time, the small territory and the location between the two routes deprive the complex of charms of the remote club hotels: there is nowhere to walk, there are no parks nearby, and only the picturesque mountains towering over this part of the city save the landscape.

To the Kemer party center go about 15-20 minutes. On the main street a huge number of cafes, bars, clubs, gift shops, clothes, sweets, products. We were happy to get out here in the evenings: the noisy atmosphere charged with good emotions, although there were too many tipsy people for walking with a child.

A 15-minute walk is a small grocery market, where everything is much tastier than in the nearby markets. Several times bought fruits - unusually juicy, sweet, tasty. Sweets are fresh, just melt in your mouth, a lot of unusual tastes. Cheese is also good, goes well with wine. Also sell tea, coffee, nuts, fish, souvenirs.

Nearby there is a bus stop, from where transport departs for Kemer and to neighboring cities. By minibus we drove to Antalya, it took about an hour to go, the distance was 55 km. The city is noisy, heavy traffic, many shopping centers, shops, cafes.

Hotel Territory

The hotel area is small, although there are few rooms - about 100, so you feel pretty free. In addition to the Botanik Resort, there are 2 more hotels here, on the territory of which it is allowed to walk, and you can use the services only in your hotel. In general, the territory is small, there is absolutely nowhere to go for a walk, they moved only from one destination to another. Relatively a lot of greenery is only at the pool, the landscape is brightened up by the view of the mountains.

Tangerine tree in a grove with indescribable aroma near the hotel

The condition of the hotel corresponds to the declared category. The atmosphere is elegant, a chandelier hangs in the lobby: it looks fabulous, especially when the light is on. The corridors and common areas are spacious, it is clear that a talented designer had a hand in the design and the repairs were carried out efficiently.

However, time takes its toll, so a good and modern hotel used to be "tired" by June 2019. The furniture in the lobby is snow-white but a bit shabby. And that same chic chandelier does not turn on every day, and during rain it forms a puddle around it, as the roof leaks. To prevent guests from slipping, the floor is covered with old sheets. Tiles near the pool in some places with chips and washed joints. The common areas are cleaned - toilets, reception, the area is good, always clean, smells good, there are no overflowing trash cans.

The interior idea - the color of oriental luxury with a mixture of eco and high-tech - looks good, it's nice to be in the rooms and on the territory. The abundance of greenery is pleasing, especially a lot by the pool - it seems that you are not in the center of a large resort town, but in a lost corner near the mountains. Nearby is a tangerine grove: a very picturesque view and a pleasant aroma of fruit.

Entertainment and hotel infrastructure

The infrastructure cannot be called as developed as possible, but it is possible to find something to your liking. Outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate the fitness center, and children will enjoy playing table tennis. The gym is modest: a small room, just a couple of cardio machines, several rugs and dumbbells. Enough for a light load, but fans of serious training will have to forget about a comprehensive muscle pumping for a while. Electric cars and bicycles are available for rent at the rental office. They rented the last for a day, there are no complaints about the state of the art: comfortable, in working condition. Prices are almost half higher than street rental services offer.

In the evening, a show program begins with dance and vocal numbers, it changes daily - entertainment for an amateur, many watched with pleasure. From about 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. something begins between a disco and an open bar: they turn on music loudly and it is assumed that a party will begin in the lobby and near the pool. Musical accompaniment - Russian pop. This pastime was not particularly popular, for the most part only children danced.

An evening show at the Botanik Resort is suitable for easy entertainment, but not for every day.

For young people, it’s boring and not modern, but older people just preferred to sit quietly while drinking the offered drinks. More active tourists preferred to go outside the hotel and look for entertainment in Kemer, where there are plenty of good bars and clubs. We were with a child, but also preferred to leave the hotel during this period, because of the noise it was still not possible to fall asleep in the room, and our 7-year-old son did not appreciate the local disco with preschool children.

During the day, a team of animators conducts exercises, yoga, water aerobics, collects a team to play beach volleyball. Animators are funny, friendly, unobtrusive.

On Wednesdays, there is a traditional attraction for many hotels in the country - Turkish Night with national songs and dances. The performance is quite interesting, especially for those who are in Turkey for the first time, helping to get acquainted with local culture and history. Hotel staff offer to book a table for the event, for which you need to buy a bottle of wine - to taste a little better than served in bars. We did so, but later other tourists told us one life hack: you just need to arrive early, when most tables are still free and take your favorite, then you don’t need to buy anything, you can watch the show for free.

Wi-Fi paid, costs $ 2 a day, catches everywhere, even on the beach. The speed is good, the videos are loaded without problems. I was struck that the iron is paid - 5 dollars per hour. Even in Russian hotels, which are considered not to be the most customer-oriented, such a service is provided for free or simply placed on the floors of ironing boards with irons. In general, with the price of a ticket that cannot be called low, there are too many additional paid services: iron, internet, beach towels, bottled water. If you add up all the overheads, a good amount runs up: add a little more, and you can go to the hotel more expensive, but with good service and a large number of free services.

Animation and services for children

Strictly speaking, of the free services for children - only the pool. But our seven-year-old was already uncomfortable in it - too small, a small bowl suitable for kids up to 5 years old. The animation is rather weak, it is aimed at adults: sports games, exercises, non-child shows. Preschoolers like evening music: they dance with pleasure, but older children are frankly bored, they have already outgrown the time of matinees and dances to any loud music.

A modest playground at Kemer Botanik Resort is near the beach

Objectively, the hotel is not intended for families with children. For the first time we were in a situation where the animation is aimed more at adults, the child had nothing to occupy himself with, as there is no mini-club, play area or even a minimal playground. It was saved by the fact that the son had already grown up, was actively interested in reading and knew how to entertain himself. We met vacationers with children of different ages, from infants to adolescents. And everyone was under the vigilant control of their parents: there was no hope for the care of the animators.

Atmosphere at Kemer Botanik Resort

Hotel Botanik Resort is more suitable for families, especially aged. There are few youth, noisy companies during our vacation almost never met. This is a plus for families with children, since there is no noise at night, they got enough sleep. Hotel guests are mostly calm and balanced, they know the norm of alcohol consumption. Young people and partygoers will be bored, as special entertainment is not provided.

An important point for lovers of silence: there is a mosque near the hotel. Those who have already been to Turkey or other Muslim countries know that from mosques they broadcast prayer through loudspeakers several times a day. The earliest starts at 05:30 in the morning, with the windows open audible.

Pools at the hotel

The central pool is medium in size, but suitable for such a small hotel. Around are deck chairs with zones: often there were not enough empty seats. There is a small bowl for children: shallow and with special inflatable cuffs and sticks for safe swimming. Near the pool there are tables for which you can have a snack or a drink, taking your favorite drinks from the bar located right there. By the way, we saw how the water in the coolers of the beach and pool bars is poured from a hose, apparently, an ordinary tap. During our stay we did not hear about poisoning, but preferred to order drinks without ice.

The pool of the Botanik Resort is pretty big and pretty

The pool was not always cleaned with high quality. Several times noticed on the walls of mucus, plaque, dirt. Towards evening, hair was floating in the water, and there was small debris. They tried to clean the sun terrace near the pool during the day, so in appearance this area always remained pretty decent.

Beach: cleanliness, condition and arrangement

One of the main disadvantages and disadvantages of the hotel is the need to cross the road on the way to the beach, leaving the territory. The beach starts about 200 m from the hotel, walking is close, but the road increases the time to 5 minutes. Sunbeds and umbrellas are provided free of charge. Beach towels give out poor quality and old, unpleasant, given that their rental is paid - the cost is $ 1.

At the beginning of May, Kemer Botanik Resort always had enough places on the beach.

The beach at the place of entry into the sea is covered with small pebbles: pleasant to the feet, does not burn much when heated. And the main part is sandy: the sand is golden brown, clean. Sea water is unusually clear, transparent, with a beautiful azure hue. There was practically no garbage on the beach, at least in the morning it was always clean. By evening, people fill the surrounding area with garbage, but the staff tries to clean up in a timely manner.

The beach is not illuminated in the evenings, although bungalows with tourists are located on its territory. It's dark, but lovers of romance should go: the noise of the waves, the relative silence and the almost complete absence of people have their own charm.

Dining and dining at the Botanik Resort in Kemer

The hotel operates on an all-inclusive basis with three meals a day in the main restaurant. The choice is huge, it’s definitely not possible to go hungry. For every meal you must have:

• poultry, meat in different cooking techniques - fried, stewed, steamed, with vegetables, in sauces;
• fish a couple of times a week, mainly grilled or salted-smoked;
• greens, fresh vegetables and fruits - apples, oranges, grapefruits, grapes, melon, watermelon;
• more than 5 types of salads;
• stewed vegetables and grill, potatoes in different variations, pasta;
• with a dozen sauces - fresh, light, spicy, mayonnaise, spicy, cheese;
• For breakfast, they always offered several types of cereals, cereals, and egg dishes.

The desserts at the Botanik Resort were varied and tasty.

The quality of the preparation is the same as everywhere else in Turkey: tasty, but without a twist. A lot of spicy, salty, spicy dishes, the child had to choose food carefully. It is better to come to the beginning or middle of a meal, because about half an hour before the end of the set time, the ending dishes cease to replenish, you have to be content with the remaining ones. There is a glory about Turkish hotels that it is customary to eat half-eaten breakfast food for dinner, but modified. It seemed to us that the Botanik Resort sins the same thing: the ingredients of many dishes are similar, often served the same first courses for lunch and dinner. Sausages often looked as if they had been heated more than once.

The restaurant is quite spacious, there was always enough space even at "rush hour" with a maximum influx of guests. A bit dull, most of the furniture is squeezed and clearly needs to be replaced. The dishes sometimes came across with chips, and stains are visible on the glasses - it’s unpleasant, the appetite of such a service, clearly, did not stimulate. A couple of times the dishes at the distribution were frankly dirty: I had to sort through, probably, 5 plates, until we found a clean one. But the feeling of disgust is still there, I don’t even want to imagine how the washing process works. Getting a glass with lipstick prints in the bar is a common thing, by the end of the rest they even started to get used to such a “service”.

The all-inclusive system operates in three bars located:

1. In the lobby.
2. Near the swimming pool.
3. On the beach.

Alcoholic drinks are served free only of local production - beer, wine, local vodka. By the way, the latter is not poured into Russians, although it is available for guests from other countries: the separation according to nationality is unpleasant. My husband tried beer, concluded that it was powder, which other tourists agreed with. The wine leaves much to be desired - sweet and sour at the same time, quickly intoxicating, not at all like a quality drink. Cocktails are prepared on the basis of vodka: the appearance is not bad, but the taste is poor.Non-alcoholic drinks are frankly adjustable from powders - from the “UPI” category. Good coffee and tea are served in the lobby, located in the lobby of the main building.

The beach bar serves only drinks, there is absolutely nothing to eat, even for money. Quite inconvenient, especially if you want to spend a long time on the beach. Smoking is allowed, and many vacationers smoke from sunbeds, ignoring specially designated smoking areas. The staff is indifferent, does not make comments.

Wellness and spa at the hotel

Hammam barkers, very intrusive, once seduced me to visit. The atmosphere in the spa area is not bad: clean, bright, friendly staff. The procedure was performed efficiently, the massage is wonderful, it completely relaxes, but instead of the promised 90 minutes of the session, I received only 60. To my bewilderment, they explained to me that, apparently, I didn’t understand something and the session lasted an hour.

Spa at Kemer Botanik Resort recommended

She attended a massage at the spa center of the Botanik Magic Dream Hotel, located in the same area as the Kemer Botanik Resort. I definitely recommend specialists - they worked professionally on problem areas of the back. Extraordinarily polite and attentive, it is felt that the masters know the technique very well. In addition to the classic, I tried peeling and foam massage - beyond all praise, complete relaxation. The prices, of course, are overpriced: outside the hotel the procedure costs about $ 10, here for the massage + hammam complex they ask for $ 16.

Kemer Botanik Resort Room Overview

Settlement is offered in the central building with standard rooms and in separate bungalows. They are located on the beach, but choosing them is only unpretentious to the comfort of the guests. Appearance is rather shabby, and inside the atmosphere of the nineties. The bungalows are small wooden houses, inside are also lined with wood - there is no hint of design. We talked with the tourists who lived here - they rarely clean it, upon checking in the bungalow turned out to be dirty with unwanted garbage, the rest of someone else's rest in the form of wrappers was found behind the bed. There is air conditioning, but in the evenings it is pretty cool because of the sea breeze. In the low season, it is probably quite uncomfortable and cold due to lack of heating. More like a recreation center in the suburbs, the bungalows in the resort you imagine a little differently.

We chose a standard room: approached for the price and equipment. The view from the room to the pool and mountains: from conversations with other guests, we realized that we were lucky. Some rooms were on the -1 floor with a view of the fence: when checking in, ask for other options, it’s uncomfortable, damp, dark, it smells like sewage. By the way, the rooms are on our side, but on the ground floor it’s also not very pleasant: the view is not even on the pool, but on the lounge area, where people are constantly and probably always smells of kitchen. There are still rooms with views of the road and the sea. According to the stories of other vacationers, there is noise from the road, and in the evenings there are screams from the street.

Nice Standard Room at Kemer Botanik Resort

The room is spacious enough for the standard: the three of us lived and did not experience a feeling of crowding. Noise isolation is mediocre. The windows overlooked the pool: during the day, even with the balcony door closed, the cries of the amusing children are heard, in the evenings - the noise of a disco and rare tipsy companies. Often at night the noise came from the road, although our windows looked on the other side. The walls between the rooms are thin, conversations and the normal life of the neighbors are not audible, but any increase in voice, loud laughter, roar penetrate through unreliable partitions without problems.
The room is equipped with:

• air conditioning;
• TV - shows several Russian channels;
• mini fridge;
• a small safe for documents - paid;
• by phone.

It can be seen that the rooms are old: spots on the walls, furniture in places in chips. The interior is made in the style of "expensive, rich", so the outdated repair was striking even more strongly, from the series "remnants of former luxury". The chair-bed provided for the child was unfolding with difficulty and made such sounds that it seemed as if it would fall apart at any moment. Our bed was comfortable, albeit small

The bathroom is very comfortable with quality fixtures. Pleased with the shower - large, wash in comfort. The water pressure is excellent - not in all hotels, there were no problems with hot water. Hygiene products are provided: shampoo, balm, shower gel and soap. The quality is normal, the allergy did not appear. When checking into the room, they found disposable slippers according to the number of guests, after which they were never replaced. There are no gowns for whom this item of home clothes is needed - grab your own from home.

Among the minuses - poor cleaning, when checking in in the corner of the shower found black mold. Towels are bad: old, do not absorb water, leave fluff and villi on the body. They asked for a change - they said that at the hotel all the towels are the same. Upon arrival, they found a burned out bulb of one of the lamps - changed the next day after contacting the reception. But the situation is unpleasant: an unprepared room speaks of the quality of service, from a 4-star hotel you expect no such moments.

Bed linen was not changed in the first week of rest even once. When they were already desperate to wait, they turned to the administrator. The next day, the bed was changed, but after the situation repeated itself: until the end of the rest we never saw any more fresh linen. The balcony is spacious, with furniture: a table and two chairs. Its main feature is a wonderful view of the mountains, they were admired daily with great pleasure.

Housekeeping

The cleaning schedule is excellent - we always had time to clean up before dinner, while we were on the beach or by the pools. One thing: do it infrequently. Without reminders and calls to the reception for 14 days, the maid visited us only 4 times, 2 more times after talking with the administrator. This problem was not only ours: our neighbors, for example, once every 3-4 days put out an overflowing bin in the door, apparently, to attract attention. Once a pizza box in front of the door of one of the rooms on our floor lay right in the corridor aisle for a day and a half. They cleaned well, the main problem arose with towels: they were changed only if you throw them on the floor. For some reason, the maids ignored the bathroom, almost never cleaned the plumbing and did not rub the shower stall: it is clear where the mold got from there.

Reception, service and friendliness of staff

The staff is friendly, the work of the bartenders was especially pleased - always smiling, friendly, positive-minded, ready to joke and laugh. Almost half of the employees speak Russian; there were no problems with negotiations. It should be noted the courtesy, correctness of the staff - scandals were not noticed throughout the rest, even with problem guests.

Luxurious chandelier in the lobby of Kemer Botanik Resort

The only irritation was caused by hammam employees who were obsessively offering services: they approached daily, advertised, and tried to bark by all means. Also, questions are prompted by responding to requests: sometimes it was necessary to remind, for example, of the need to clean. Despite the friendliness, the desire to solve all the problems of the guests was not felt. The purpose of the staff is to try to persuade the guest to accept the circumstances and not hope for better conditions.

Hotel Kemer Botanik Resort 4 * did not live up to expectations, especially in comparison with other Turkish hotels famous for infrastructure, hospitality and service. In a 4-star hotel you do not expect to see dirty dishes, shabby furniture and water in bars from the water supply. The situation with the cleaning of rooms and removal, or rather disregarding garbage, changing linens, and the quality of towels are also unsettled. Globally, rest does not spoil such moments, you try not to pay attention, recharge with the sun, sea and the feeling of vacation. But for a lot of money, comparable to a vacation in Europe, I want to get the appropriate services. Parents who want to take their children to the sea and at the same time relax on their own should clearly choose a different accommodation option.

With the initially worthy parameters of the hotel - a beautiful interior with a twist, a good location, a large pool - it seems that unprofessional management, the desire to save on trifles and the incompetence of staff will soon lead to a decline in the complex. Among all the tourists we met, there was not a single regular guest: the lack of loyal customers says a lot. We concluded for ourselves that we will not return here anymore. If we break our tradition of exploring the new, suddenly deciding to come to a trusted hotel one day, we will definitely choose another option.

Watch the video: Clarion Hotel & Suites Istanbul Sisli Restaurant (April 2024).