Review of Mukarnas Spa & Resort Hotel 5*

We stayed as a family of four (2 toddlers) from the 7th to the 14th July 2016 for a family break. It was my daughters (2 year old) first holiday and our 4th visit to Turkey — I'm just so glad it wasn't our first as it would have put me off Turkey for good. Summary: The holiday was a big let down for us, overcrowding was the main reason for our disappointment — if your planning to visit, avoid during busy periods (July/August) the facilities are inadequate for high guest volumes. You will likely spend a large amount of time queueing. Very popular hotel with Turkish, Russians and Germans — the hotel/Okurcalas area appears well suited to such guests. Location — not a great deal to see or do locally — a long way to Antalya and 30 miles from Alanya. Hotel grounds: The hotel is beautiful and the grounds team do an excellent job of maintaining the gardens, the landscaping is excellent — a well planted and manicured grounds. Spa: If there is one thing you should spend your money and time on it is a trip to the spa — we make a habit of visiting every hotel spa we stay in and the Mukarnas spa experience was delightful. The Indonesian masseuse we had was excellent as were the spa staff themselves. We had an excellent package deal consisting of a Turkish bath, face mask and oil massage and it was just what was needed to relieve the stress of our stay. Sauna and steam rooms are available for guest use as well as a what looked like a well equipped gym and the indoor pools which are worth a visit if you need a break from the sun/sun lounge sardines… Which brings me onto… Swimming pools: The hotel has 3 outdoor pool areas: a large 1.4m deep pool, a water slide pool area and a children's/baby pool area. We stuck with the shallow baby pool which also has 3 mini slides. This was my kids favourite area. The pool areas are nice however there is not enough capacity for the number of guests at the hotel. Getting a pair of sun loungers for our family of four was incredibly difficult, we usually settled for just one. Beach: The beach is probably a better option for those wishing to sunbathe with a little more peace and the sea/jetty is a great place to take a dip. The beach is much like the rest of those we've seen around Turkey — rocky. The beach bar is much quieter than the others too. There is a play area for kids here but it was too hot during the day (July) for them to play there. One of the neighbouring hotels is closed so the beach is pretty quiet. There are a number of semi private pergolas/beach huts around the hotel which can provide a great place to relax and get away from the crowds. Play areas: There are a number of play areas for kids including table tennis, giant chess, jungle gyms, trampolines. Children are well catered for although the hotter months may be best avoided.