Viking Nona Beach

The Viking Nona was advertised as a 4* hotel and the package we had was all inclusive. On arrival immediately found the receptionist did not speak English, (the language barrier was to be a constant issue throughout our stay as we found out).

The hotel offers free WiFi however what is not mentioned at the time of booking is that this is limited to the reception area only and if you want WiFi in your rooms or around the hotel it will set you back 18 euros each for seven days so not the best start being ripped for an extra 36 euros.

We booked a double room but for some reason it had an extra single bed in it, which proved to be a help as the double bed was so uncomfortable my wife could not sleep in it, the mattress was old, worn out and with hard spots in numerous areas.

The air conditioning was found to be in the same worn out state and did not work consistently, with the unit only pushing out a very low volume of air, it varied from cool to luke warm which given the temperatures made getting a good nights sleep impossible, we had to resort to sleeping with the balcony door wide open to gain some relief with night time temperatures at 24 Celsius being cooler than the room.

There were no tea or coffee making facilities in the rooms, this was due to " an issue" in the past which led to these being removed apparently, so if you wanted coffee you had to trek to the dining area and use the machine.

There were no plugs for the bath or the hand basin so i had to try to make my own out of the paper soap dish in the bathroom to be able to shave in the mornings, the shower unit is also old and consists of a shower head and tap configuration in the bath whilst the shower was powerful the shower head would not remain at the top position without being held there it was also very slippy in the bath as the bath did not drain well and after a shower you were almost ankle deep in water care must be taken in getting in and out as floor also very slippery with no non slip mat or covering.

The room was in a tatty state with water staining visible on the walls below the air conditioning unit, there were also chipped plaster patches around the patio door reveals. The architrave around the entrance door was loose and showed to be attached via silicone sealant with a patch of missing plaster around the right hand side.

Food was found to cater to mainly Russian / Eastern European taste consisting of rice and a minced meat dish from the previous evening served as part of breakfast, there was also hard boiled eggs salad and a variety of cold meats and fruit available which was not particularly appetising. There were fried eggs and omelettes cooked but these were usually over done and luke warm The evening meals consisted of the same /very similar fare, however the lunches were reasonable to be fair with cold chicken and other meats with fresh mixed salads and fruit plus the usual sweet treats but as we did not want to be tied to a time when out and about we decided to forego this and eat out for breakfast and evening meals.

The drinks were limited to Tuborg lager, non branded vodka and Gin and soft drinks, everything else was extra and not covered, in addition the beach bar was also not covered under the package, overall this was not what we expected for an all inclusive package and felt we were misled completely.

Given the above issues i would rate this Hotel as 2* at best it is tired, tatty and in need of refurbishment and investment, the staff were indifferent at best and rude at worst with no consideration given to guest satisfaction the language barrier being a big issue, as well as a lack of training. The one shining light was Firat who took the time to engage with us and converse at length whose English very good, he also arranged a Turkish Bath and spa which was very good but unfortunately he was not on site all the time and worked between other Viking hotels The overall experience with the hotel was so poor that i would not recommend anyone to stay here unless you like being hit with extra costs for a 2* service. We will not be returning and will not be recommending this chain to anyone.

The major positive of this hotel is its location - a stones throw from the pebble beach across a small pedestrian path and straight into a clear turquoise sea (be aware though that it shelves steeply, so caution is needed if visiting with children). Head right as you exit the swimming pool area and the promenade leads directly into the marina. It is also only a short walk to the shops and nightlife in the centre of Kemer. As for the hotel itself, it was fine for a hotel with this classification - clean, tidy and quiet in the sea facing rooms. The staff were generally helpful, especially Natalia on reception and her colleague Ogulcan who went above and beyond, even going as far as carrying a new fridge for the mini bar to replace ours that was broken. Overall the food and drink was the standard all inclusive fare - perfectly acceptable if a little unimaginative. The client group when we were there was quite mixed (Romanian, Serbian) but predominantly Russian. On the downside, it is in need of a little attention and some sprucing up. The staff were mainly young, with little English spoken, which led to some confusion at times - they need a little more training. In general though a good holiday experience.