Tusan Beach Resort

We stayed at Tusan Beach Resort for 7 nights, this was our first time visiting Turkey, coming from the UK.

The hotel itself is bigger than we expected, but everything is laid out well so it’s easy to get around. The rooms were cleaned thoroughly with fresh towels every day and we had a room overlooking the main pool and the sea, which was a beautiful view! The hotel also has several shops on site selling souvenirs, clothes, football shirts, barber etc, which was a nice bonus if you wish to stay on site.

One of the biggest highlights of the holiday was without a doubt the entertainment team. A huge thank you to everyone on the team, but a special shoutout to the girls Lana and Mel and the two lads who did the announcements in the evening shows too! Fun activities from morning to night like pool surf games and table tennis/ dart activities, and engaging evening shows, with team always being super friendly and enthusiastic in everything they do. The entertainment team would also come and ask to sit down at tables with us occasionallly for a chat to get to know the guests, which is something very cool as we haven’t experienced this at other hotels. The evening entertainment was amazing, starting with kids shows and having bingo nights, a Turkish night with traditional dancing, and the incredible Mongolian acrobatic show.

The pools were great, the children’s pool is nice and shallow, although it’s set some distance away from the main pools and involves some really slippery surfaces, so parents need to keep an eye on younger children, but also on themselves! The beach is right next to the pool, which is always really convenient. It’s quite small in length, but we already knew that before arriving so it wasn’t an issue. The first few metres into the sea are quite rocky and harsh, but once you’re further out the sand is soft, the sea stays shallow for quite a distance and it’s lovely and calm with hardly any waves, but some dirt at times.

The food was good overall, with plenty of choice each day, but after a while it did become repetitive. We also chose to book the included Turkish à la carte restaurant, but it just it didn’t feel much different from what we had the previous nights. Every night it was difficult to find a table outside, and the smoke from the industrial barbecue overtook more than half the outside area, which was unpleasant if you sat too close.

The bars and restaurant staff worked incredibly hard and were always polite. Occasionally there was a bit of a language barrier, where they had to call multiple people over, and some of the ladies working on the coffee/ juice bar did not seem like they wanted to be there. Reception staff were also friendly, and check-in was smooth with a good introduction to the hotel. We only found out about things like getting into Kusadasi or visiting the water park after asking ourselves. A small welcome guide of things to do nearby would’ve been really helpful. Kusadasi is also worth it if you plan to dedicate a few hours for clothes or accessories. It’s only about a 10-minute ride on a cute little local bus from outside the hotel and has plenty of shops, restaurants and places to take pictures.

Howsver, some parts are beginning to show their age, particularly around the table tennis and pool table area, and yes the gym basically does not exist it’s some machinery you would find in a park. The area on the side of the restaurant terrace overlooking the sea also looks quite run down and could do with some maintenance, especially around the pier, which didn’t feel particularly stable in places. The corridors leading to the rooms were quite dark even during the daytime, and also it would have been useful to receive two room key cards instead of just one.

Tusan Beach Resort gave us a brilliant first experience of Turkey. It’s a clean, well-kept hotel in a lovely sunny beachfront location with friendly staff, excellent entertainment and a great atmosphere. We’d recommend our own friends and families to come, and we’d definitely consider returning in the future, especially as the kids were asking us to stay for a few more nights!

Where do I even begin…

Our family summer holiday was, quite honestly, ruined from the moment we arrived. There was no general welcoming, helpful advice on breakfast, lunch times etc. Activities in and outside the hotel, nothing. It was here’s your key the lift is over there.

We checked in with high hopes, but as soon as we walked into our room our hearts sank. It was filthy. There were squashed bugs stuck to the ceiling, the bathroom was dirty, and the walls were so paper-thin that you could hear everything from neighbouring rooms. The mattress was unbelievably hard. I genuinely considered sleeping on the floor because it would have been more comfortable.

We contacted EasyJet to raise our concerns, and instead of the hotel handling the complaint professionally, we were confronted by staff asking why we weren’t happy, as though our concerns were unreasonable. Eventually they agreed to move us to another room, but it was on the fifth floor. Travelling with two young children, relying on just two constantly overcrowded lifts, made this far from an ideal solution.

The food was one of the two positives (the second being making it through the week and going home) but if you have asthma or any respiratory condition, I would strongly advise avoiding this hotel. Every evening, the smoke from the restaurant was overwhelming. It genuinely felt like standing next to a bonfire while trying to eat. I’ve been home for two days and I’m still coughing. Breakfast was also extremely repetitive unless you happen to enjoy eggs every morning.

The staff were consistently rude and uninterested. On several occasions we were completely ignored while simply trying to order a drink. Basic customer service seemed non-existent.

This hotel is advertised as five-star, but I honestly wouldn’t even rate it as two. It is tired, dirty, badly maintained and desperately needs renovating. More importantly, it needs staff who understand the meaning of hospitality and customer service.

This review doesn’t even cover everything we experienced during our stay. I’ve never been on holiday before where, after arriving on the Saturday, I was already looking at flights home by the Monday because we were so unhappy.

Another huge disappointment was that the hotel made no effort to tell guests about local attractions or activities. We only discovered there was a water park less than a five-minute drive away while we were on the transfer back to the airport. It felt as though the hotel only wanted guests to stay on-site and spend more money there, rather than helping families make the most of their holiday and create special memories with our children.

Please note, there is no ‘fitness’ aspect to this hotel. There is no gym whatsoever. Strange, for a 5 star resort..

Overall, this was without doubt the worst hotel experience we’ve ever had. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone, especially families expecting a genuine five-star experience.