I chose Ulusoy Kemer Holiday Club HV-1 in Turkey's Kemer town for its stunning hills, lush greenery, and proximity to the sea. The hotel truly is right on the beach, and I was pleasantly surprised by how easily accessible it was from my room. It took me just two minutes to get from my room to the shore.
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So, let's talk about the groundsxa0
The hotel's grounds are relatively small, but that's not a bad thing. Everything is very compact and easy to navigate. I'd say Ulusoy is a hotel with a single street – it's that compact!
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The hotel's divided into zones, each with its own color scheme. We were given a room on the blue street, right next to the amphitheater.
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I think the best street in the hotel is the pink one – it's got a big courtyard, and you can't see into anyone's balcony from there.
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It's ridiculously green – that's a major plus in my book!
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The kids loved it here. Everything is within arm's reach, so you won't get lost. They have a great kids' club area. The childcare staff are really good with the kids and always come up with fun activities.
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Animals in the hotel:
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1. Birds in a big enclosure.
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2. There are plenty of cats around. Next to the entrance, there's an aquapark.
I'll admit, it's not the most comfortable setup, but the surroundings are pretty dull. However, near the pool or the sea, there's no space for even the smallest aquapark.
So, this is your only option. Plus, it's nice to have some shade here, thanks to the nearby trees.
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I was really happy to see that they have several fridges on the premises. Help yourself to as much water as you want. You don't have to wait for the mini-bar to be restocked or ask someone for help.
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The Amphitheater is small but spacious.
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The pool is a decent size. Animators often host water competitions for guests at Ulusoy. The pool area has plenty of loungers, but they're usually taken by early morning.
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Diningxa0
The hotel has a restaurant with two areas - a small indoor space and a larger outdoor area. The outdoor area is basically right on the water, which is amazing.
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One thing that really stood out to me was the air quality in the evenings – it could get pretty stuffy, and we had to eat dinner in the dining room a few times. I loved that all the essentials were already set up on the table, so we didn't have to scramble to find anything.
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Since most guests have kids, the restaurant had plenty of high chairs available, which was super convenient. The food was great – we had a good mix of meat, salads, and desserts. The only thing I'd say was missing was a bit more fruit.
We got soup every day, and it was always delicious – I'm a big fan of their soup selection!
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One of the best things about the property was the outdoor café – it was open all day, and we loved grabbing a coffee or hot chocolate and sitting down with a pastry whenever we wanted.
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One thing that really stood out to me was the variety of food options available. They were baking fresh bread, and at certain times of the day, you could grab ice cream, doughnuts, and other treats.
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Beachxa0
The beach itself was decent, not too narrow and not too wide.
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One thing that was a bit of a letdown was the limited availability of lounge chairs, especially in the morning. There's a nice pier, though.
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There are a few paid shalas right on the beach and one on the pier. The sea is amazing! The entrance is smooth, but be careful not to step on any of the occasional large rocks.
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Entertainmentxa0
There was a kids' disco going on pretty much every day. Every evening, there were performances in the amphitheater, all put on by visiting troupes. I have to say, it's a real showstopper!
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We also had a Turkish night, a foam party, and a white party.
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The gymxa0
The gym is small, but since there's hardly anyone using it, there's always space. The equipment isn't brand new, but everything works fine.
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............................. So, the bottom line is... .............................
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Prosxa0
- The greenery is amazing!
- The proximity to the sea is great.
- The food is top-notch. There are plenty of snacks available on site.
- Bottled water and ayran are available anywhere.
- The room was great.
- The evening shows are fantastic.
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Consxa0
1) As the days went by, the number of tourists kept increasing! It got so crowded that you'd bump into people on every street corner. And to make matters worse, 20% of the guests had brought or rented strollers.
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2) I love kids, but...
When we got back home, collapsed on the bed, and said in unison - SILENCE!
But in the hotel, it was a different story - screams, shouts, and crying every second. Every minute, someone would be yelling 'Mama, I need to go to the bathroom' (or something to that effect).
I'm not exaggerating, 99.9% of the guests with kids (1-3 kids). There were a lot of moms with babies as young as 3 months.
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3) The cats are everywhere. Especially in the restaurant! Let me tell you, it was pretty frustrating when I'd come home and find my cat had knocked over all the dinnerware (and even sat on them with his paws). It was a constant scene.
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4) The aluminum beer kegs were always left outside. And, of course, they were in the direct sunlight. Temperatures would reach 40 degrees Celsius. I have no idea what kind of damage the metal was doing to the liquid (or what the consequences would be).
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5) The same thing happened to the water bottles. The plastic was exposed to scorching sunlight every day. We'd occasionally take a few bottles and put them in the fridge.
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Travel Date: 2017.
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Duration: 7 nights.
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Price: 45,000 GHR/107,000 RUB.
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Overall, despite the drawbacks, we really enjoyed our stay at Ulusoy Kemer Holiday Club HV-1.
But honestly, I'd recommend visiting during the off-season (spring and autumn). That way, you'll have more space and fewer kids around.
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P.S. ~ You can check out my other travel reviews here:
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ "WiTu's Travel Reviews" ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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"Travel somewhere you've never been at least once a year."
(The Dalai Lama)
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