Labranda Mares Marmaris

THIS SHOULD NOT BE A 5-STAR HOTEL. We stayed here as a couple from October 5th to October 12th. Our impressions of the stay are identical, and they align with what we heard from other guests.

Cleanliness – no complaints; kudos and thanks to the lovely, always-smiling housekeeper who cleaned our room. Surroundings – beautiful views, lots of greenery and vegetation. The room in the main building was nice, showing no visible signs of wear, and the minibar was restocked daily. A plus was the large balcony, which included a clothes drying rack. Unfortunately, there were some rather odd practical issues: no power outlets by the bed and only one bedside table for two people—a quite dysfunctional setup.

Some bartenders were very pushy about receiving tips. A bartender would place drinks directly onto the tip jar to force a reaction, and if we didn't tip, he would give us a rude, hostile look. Tipping should be voluntary, not coerced. The draft beer and wine were very good, but the cocktails were so sweet that we’d had enough after just two days. There was no selection of premium-brand alcohol. Cigarette smoke in the restaurant completely ruins one's appetite and the overall atmosphere. It shows a total lack of respect for people who are trying to eat. In good hotels—especially 5-star ones—a complete ban on smoking outside of designated areas is standard; one should expect exactly this level of policy in any hotel that claims to offer a comfortable experience.

There is a major issue regarding the number and availability of sun loungers on the beach and by the pool. For some reason, the pier closer to the town was practically devoid of sun loungers. Spots are being 'reserved' en masse with towels, and the staff does absolutely nothing about it. In other establishments, abandoned towels are simply cleared away by the staff—here, there is no apparent willingness to address the issue. I suspect that the high number of positive reviews stems from the fact that guests can win a discount on a massage or special drinks in exchange for posting an online review—a practice that is prohibited by both Google and TripAdvisor and violates their terms of service. Food is a matter of personal taste, but in our view, the dishes simply lacked flavor and character. There was a lack of seafood, and the menu was repetitive—one day they served chicken kebab, the next day beef kebab, and the day after that, skewers. It was much the same with the Turkish pide, where only the toppings (salami, spinach, cheese) were changed. Another drawback is the timing for serving snacks: offering them between 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM defeats the purpose, as it overlaps with lunchtime. A much better arrangement would be from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. And now, the most important point: The claim that this property has air conditioning is a complete JOKE. With the temperature in the room reaching 27°C and the air feeling stiflingly heavy, I was told at reception that they had simply turned the air conditioning off because it was late and it was only 20°C outside! Why should the weather outside matter to me? Opening the windows wide didn’t help at all—the air remained completely stagnant. It was impossible to get a good night’s sleep. The absolute low point was the staff’s "solution": they offered to bring a fan into my room! A fan—in a supposedly five-star hotel? It’s utterly embarrassing. I asked the reception desk to send a confirmation of my complaint to my email address—I have yet to receive anything. Because of this, my stay was a major disappointment. I would never recommend this place to anyone, and I intend to seek compensation through my travel agency.

Lovely hotel, staff are great and a nice birthday gift from the team.