Our Amazing Stay at Crystal Paraiso VerdeHello to everyone reading this review!
I totally get how tough it can be to choose the perfect hotel for a vacation. I usually spend hours scouring the web for reviews and photos, and it's a real treat when I come across a detailed review with plenty of pics. I'll try to make my own review as informative and visual as possible.
So, today I'm talking about the Crystal Paraiso Verde Resort & Spa in Beldibi, which is nestled in the Bogazkent area of Belek.
Belek has loads of amazing hotels, including the famous Rixos. In my opinion, the Crystal Paraiso Verde is one of the more understated options, and it's actually located a bit off the beaten path. However, I think it's definitely worth considering, despite a few minor drawbacks.
Price, Flight, and Transfer
We were a family of four: me, my husband, and our two kids, aged 17 and 8. We booked an 8-day, 7-night all-inclusive package from October 18th to 25th, with a family room featuring a two-story bed (this type of room is considered budget-friendly, with pricier options available). The package included flights, insurance, and a group transfer, courtesy of the tour operator Pegas-Touristic. Our flights were with Turkish Airlines from Vnukovo airport. We paid a total of 224,000 rubles.
The flight was smooth sailing, but I do want to mention the transfer separately. The thing is, it took a pretty long time – around two hours each way – and we had to ride on a small minibus (we got upgraded to a brand-new Mercedes on the way back, which was a nice touch, thanks Pegas!). The distance might not seem that far on the map, around 50 km, but trust me, it felt like a long haul.
Reception
The hotel lobby is really nice, it looks super presentable: there's a fancy chandelier, comfy chairs with tables (there are plenty of them, so everyone's got a seat), a few cozy sofas, and a stylish spiral staircase leading down to the first floor (which is where the good stuff is!).
The staff is super friendly, but I didn't hear anyone speak Russian at the reception - which was fine for us, anyway. However, some other guests did experience some communication difficulties, and my husband even had to act as a translator a couple of times. From what I recall, there aren't any Russian-speaking staff, so if you don't speak English, you might find it a bit uncomfortable.
I've got to say, the bathroom situation in the lobby area was a bit of an issue: the sinks were fine, but the toilets looked like they'd seen better days - there was a bit of a leak, and I spotted some rust.
Hotel Crystal Paraiso Verde: Room
As I mentioned earlier, our room was a Family one - it's a two-story bed, which is small but cozy and nice-looking.
The bedding was spotless and comfortable, and there were plenty of pillows. However, the blankets were a bit thin for my liking – I'm a bit of a cold sleeper, and I prefer a thick, warm blanket to get a good night's sleep. We asked the front desk for an extra blanket, and they kindly brought us a lovely thick one that we could use in addition to the one we already had. That was a nice touch!
The room had everything we needed for a comfortable stay: a mini-fridge with a free, restocked mini-bar (all non-alcoholic drinks).
The tea station was a lovely touch, and the TV stand and dresser combo really made the most of the space in my tiny bedroom. It's like they were made for each other.
The dresser itself is a real winner, with plenty of storage for my clothes and accessories. And the mirror above it is a great touch - it makes the room feel so much bigger.
And let's not forget the slippers and sewing kit - they're the perfect little extras to make this set feel like a real home.
The bathroom is tiny, but with the shower in place, it feels almost luxurious.
One thing that caught me off guard was the lack of certain toiletries in the room. We were given three bottles of body lotion and hair conditioner - which, I have to say, was a nice touch, as hotel toiletries often don't agree with my skin. There were also packets of cotton pads and Q-tips, as well as shower caps. But what was missing were the bottles of shampoo and body gel, as well as the bar of soap. Instead, we were encouraged to use the liquid soap dispenser on the wall near the sink, and a 2-in-1 body wash from the dispenser in the shower.
The balcony is small, but the view is shown in the photo below.
One thing I noticed about the balcony is that it's open to the surrounding balconies, so you can see your neighbors lounging around. Not a huge deal, since I didn't see many people walking by, but it's something to consider.
Crystal Paraiso Verde: Food
I've got to say, the food at Crystal Paraiso Verde is one of the highlights of my stay. There's plenty of it, it's delicious, and it's available 24/7. The spread is pretty diverse, too.
BreakfastWhen I walked into the breakfast area, I was greeted by the friendly staff and a table set up with champagne. It was a nice touch!
Breakfast was pretty standard: pastries, meats, eggs, fruits, and veggies. I was a bit disappointed that they didn't have waffles or doughnuts, but I was full nonetheless. It's worth noting that the omelets were a hit, but there was always a line for them.
They've got a great selection of yogurts in the kids' zone, like Activia with a yummy flavored milk and even 'Rasstishka'.
Lunch and DinnerThe lunch and dinner options are really impressive. They've got everything you'd want and more: soups, multiple types of meat and fish, including grilled options, veggies, fruits, salads, sushi/rolls, desserts, pizza, and tons more. I'll just show you some pics:
One thing that really stood out to me was the food options. Besides the main restaurant, there's a food zone right by the pool with tons of great stuff: gesleme, shawarma, ice cream in packaging and from carts, chicken dishes, salads, and more.
The beach bar-restaurant has ice cream, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and you can even order food from the menu. We didn't eat there, but we did grab some fast food and drinks from the convenience store nearby.
We fell in love with the coffee shop on the minus first floor of this hotel - it's a great spot for our family. They serve delicious coffee, ice cream, and desserts like Red Velvet, Honey Cake, Pavlova dessert, eclairs, profiteroles, and more. You can see the coffee options in the photo below. Plus, they had the most amazing fruit syrup.
There's also a cool beer bar with several types of beer and snacks to go with it: chips and peanut brittle. The furniture's seen better days, but for some reason, it kinda grew on me. The river's right next to it, and I loved sitting there, daydreaming, and reading.
Beach, Sea
Beach RoadWalking distance is pretty short, about 5-10 minutes at a leisurely pace. The path's in the shade and well-maintained. My husband and the older kid usually walk, and they're both happy with it. I took the younger one on the blue tractor – it's a real tractor with a trailer. For us, it was like an attraction, and the kid loves that tractor. He rides it often, and we only had to wait once for about 10 minutes. Otherwise, we'd arrive, and it'd already be there.
Beach LoungersThere are tons of them – it's hard to imagine a situation where someone wouldn't find one. They're placed at a distance from the water's edge, but we preferred to drag ours closer to the sea. There aren't any sun umbrellas or canopies, but in late October, they're not really needed. The loungers are new and super comfy.
We've got a pontoon.
Getting into the SeaThe beach sand's not perfect – it's got twigs and pebbles. But it's not a deal-breaker. I didn't see any trash or dirt.
I waded into the water at the beach, and at first, it was rocky, but then it gave way to sand. Some reviewers have mentioned that you need to watch out for coral, but my family and I didn't have any issues without it. The only thing that caught me off guard was how quickly the water deepened. For an adult, even if you're not a strong swimmer, it's not a big deal, but for kids, it might be a bit overwhelming. I did see some kids on the flotation devices, though, and they seemed to be having a blast.
The water temperature was pretty comfortable, considering it was late October. There were a few days when it felt like the water was layered, with a warm top layer and a cooler bottom layer.
The water was clean, but there was some murkiness to it.
Overall, it was a great place to swim, and I didn't have any complaints about the beach.
There were signs on the beach warning about sea turtles laying eggs, but I didn't see any turtles myself.
The Territory
The resort's territory is relatively small, but they've got everything: pools, water parks, a kids' play area, an amusement park (for an extra fee), several stages, and even a tiny zoo with birds.
I personally fell in love with the Snake roller coaster in the adult water park – I only rode that one.
I didn't have any issues with free sun loungers by the pool – there were plenty to go around.
The resort positions itself as a pretty party-oriented place, often invites DJs, and hosts lively parties. So, it's no surprise they've got several stages. During our stay (which was at the end of the season), only one stage was working, as you can see on the next photo.
And here's a photo of the stage that wasn't working when we arrived:
I have to say, the resort didn't forget about the kids. I don't have any thoughts on the mini-club or the quality of the kids' animation, though - we're a family who always travels together, so the kids are always with us. But the kids' pools and play areas are well-maintained, and there's plenty of interesting stuff for them to explore.
One thing I did notice about the overall territory is that it's clean, colorful, and has plenty of greenery. I really liked it. But let's be real, the territory is pretty small.
There's a mini golf course, which is a nice touch.
There are plenty of spots to sit and relax.
There's a medical center, shops, and a fitness center.
Entertainment
And yes, there's entertainment for kids. They have activities and events, but we're a bit lazy, so we didn't participate. We did attend one 'Butterfly Party' though - it was colorful, fun, and had a DJ and go-go dancers if you're into that sort of thing.
We stumbled upon a fun kids' parade with musicians and giant puppets once:
Internet
It's there, and it works in different areas of the resort, but with varying speeds. We got perfect coverage at the reception and by the main pool - it was fast enough for heavy games, movies, and no restrictions. We also got a decent signal in our room and the restaurant, which was great for watching YouTube videos, checking email, and using messengers. However, some games like Roblox kept kicking our younger son off.
We're all Samsung users with Android, so we connected without issues, but some guests with iPhones had problems. I talked to one woman who spent the entire vacation stuck in the kids' zone due to internet issues. The reception staff didn't know the cause, but said it's a known problem.
Shortcomings
These issues didn't ruin our vacation, but they did slightly mar the experience, so I have to mention them. Here's what went wrong:
1. A broken showerhead and clogged drain in the bathroom.
This was probably the worst part of our stay. On the first day, after a long drive, I was exhausted and decided to take a relaxing shower. I set the water, closed my eyes, and started to...