IC Hotels Santai Family Resort

We really like IC Hotel and are here for the second time. The best hotel for kids for sure! We would like to say big thanks to all animation staff, they are all very attentive, lovely and they really care about children. Kadir is great, fun animator! Our son, Arthur made lots of friends here. We would definitely recommend this hotel for everyone who has children, as there are lots of different activities everyday.

We have recently returned from a week-long stay at IC Hotels Santai, and unfortunately, I have to say that we were very disappointed with our experience.

Negatives Booking and Pre-arrival Communication

Our booking was made for two families of four. Before arriving in Turkey, we wanted to ensure that our rooms would be located next to each other, so I contacted the hotel directly. The reception team advised that they could not access our booking due to security reasons and provided a number for the “booking team”.

After eventually finding someone who spoke English, I was informed that they could not assist because they only handle bookings made directly with the hotel, whereas ours was booked online as part of a package holiday. They advised me to contact the hotel reception again.

I did so, but was told they were unable to access the booking and that we should wait until check-in to discuss the room allocation. This was a relatively small request, but we wanted peace of mind before travelling and to ensure that our rooms would be next to each other.

Restaurant

The food selection was very good, with something different available every day. The meals were tasty and generally well presented. However, the restaurant seemed understaffed, with not enough tables available during busy periods.

Every evening at dinner, we had to wait for a clean table. Quite often, we ended up clearing dirty plates ourselves, finding clean cutlery, and getting our own drinks because there were no waiters available. There were also constant queues for fried eggs and omelettes, and the staff appeared to be taking their time rather than trying to reduce the waiting times.

Bars

The bars were consistently busy, with long queues throughout our stay. The drinks often tasted watered down and somewhat artificial, possibly due to the use of lower-quality mixers.

Lifts

Our rooms were located at the far end of the hotel, which meant we had to take one lift, walk across a corridor, and then take another lift to reach our room.

The lifts frequently broke down and were not always running efficiently. This was a major inconvenience, especially when travelling with young children and needing to return to the room several times a day.

Rooms

The rooms were very dated and showed visible signs of wear and damage. They were also not properly prepared for our arrival. We were a family of four (two adults and two children), but only one extra bed had been made.

The bathroom was extremely narrow; whoever was inside had to move aside to allow the door to open and for another person to enter.

Entertainment

The evening entertainment was basic and uninteresting. Considering this is marketed as a family hotel, there should be more activities and entertainment options available for children in the evenings.

Cleanliness

The hotel was generally clean; however, there was a noticeable unpleasant smell coming from the carpets in the corridors, which reminded us of cat urine.

Towels

I found it quite disappointing that a five-star hotel requires guests to use towel cards in order to obtain towels. This does not feel like a practice expected from a hotel of this standard.

Music

The music around the pool area was very quiet and only played in one section, which made the atmosphere feel rather flat.

Guest Service

I agree with some previous comments regarding the lack of interest shown towards guests. During our entire stay, we were never asked about our experience or whether we were satisfied.

Even at check-out, the process was simply handing back a card, with no “thank you” or “we hope to see you again”. The overall level of personal attention was not what we would expect from a five-star hotel.

Positives Very good selection of food, and the quality was generally good Always able to find sunbeds by both the pool and the beach Beautiful beach Ice cream hut was a great addition Convenient location close to the airport

Overall, while there were some positives, the service levels, dated facilities, and lack of attention to detail did not meet the expectations of a five-star family resort. We left feeling that the hotel has potential but falls short in several important areas.