Before I begin, I must say I am not a great fan of resort,
or all inclusive package holidays, I am an individual, traveller, like to do my
own thing, don’t like to be bound by set meal times, hate the mass feeding and
am not the lying in the sun and be BBQ’d type. This is the first time since my
daughter was a child that I have done anything like this type of thing and even
then we done apartment self-catering.
So it didn’t bode well for the Royal Atlantis Spa and
Resort. You of course quite within your
rights to ask to ask, “Then why the Hell did you book this holiday”, the reason
being two fold may dear old friends Wille and Siggi from Berlin were
celebrating their Golden wedding at this resort, they had been here two times
previously and said it was first class, to add to this it was also Wille’s 71st
birthday.
Also Linda needed a real break after having operations and a lot of
stress; she wanted a “relaxing holiday”! So we
booked a 2 weeks all inclusive Holiday in the 5 star, Royal Atlantis Spa and
Resort in Gündoğdu, near Side on the Turkish Riviera.
We had booked early, but not as early as our friends, but
still got an amazing deal. It was only €750,- p.p. for the 2 weeks.
We left for Hannover Airport for our 2 week jaunt, on the 04
November, we had a very early flight so I had decided to travel to Hannover
airport with my car and park it in the covered airport parking, for the
princely sum of €58,- for the 2 weeks.
Everything went like clockwork, dropped Linda off at the
departures and went and parked the car in the Parkhaus Ost. A short walk back
to the departures and found Linda in line.
Our flight with Condor was also very uneventful, we got
seats with plenty of leg room and as the aeroplane was only 60% full I even got
three seater row all to myself.
The food was the normal terrible packed breakfast, rubber
scrambled eggs , tasteless slice turkey gefugelwurst (sausage), soft white sweet roll. I never
have been a friend of airline food (unless traveling business class or above on
long-haul flights).
When we had left Hannover it had been quite cold, we arrived
into Antalya airport and the temperature
was good bit warmer than when we left Hannover at 05:00, it was 21°C and that
at 09:30.
We got our transfer bus and within 45minutes had reached our Hotel.
It is said that first impressions are normally the best, the
baggage was immediately picked up by a white coated porter (don’t Laugh), it
was taken to the reception and the wheels of efficiency took over. Our friends
had already been here a week and we asked if they were about? They phoned the
room and as there was no answer, it was surmised that they were out and about,
but the helpful receptionist asked if we would like to have a room in the same
part of the hotel as they had their room, we answered in the affirmative and
the room change took place. She then said our room would be ready at 12:00, but
if we wanted we could have a breakfast in the special restaurant specially set
up for early, late or those that had missed a meal. We got our armband and the
porter took us to the restaurant. We had a full breakfast (a wonderful change
from the airline food).
Boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, Turkish sausages, grilled
tomatoes, fresh croissants, rolls, bread. Tea, coffee, water, fruit juices, a
very good selection and very well cooked.
We then had a look around the complex and saw that it was
immaculate, the Travertine floors gleaming; we sat outside in the open area
between the patisserie and the reception and drank a glass of beer, it was by
this time well after 11:00.
We then done a bit of an Orienteering tour, just to get our
bearings, we sussed out the Spa area, the pools and ended up at the Lydia
restaurant that fronted onto the beach, we ordered a white wine and sat at a
table, people had started to come in, well that should be come under as the
sides are open, the cooks had started cooking and we decided to vacate the
table and go and see about our room.
We
went to the reception area and spoke to the nice receptionist; she then
inquired by walkie-talkie and said yes our room was now ready.
The porter took us up to our room, spotless, smelling of
freshness, fresh linen, the Bathroom spotless (we had hit on a jewel of a
cleaning lady), the fridge stocked with bottles of water, cola, lemonade, fruit
juices. We had been given the code for the room safe (safe costs €1/day). Unpacked we had a little snooze (we had been
on the road since 01:30).
We had enquired as to the number of our friend’s room at the
reception, so when we woke we rang them and Wille said he would meet us at the
reception at 18:00 and show us the way down to the main restaurant (Romance)
that is used for the evening buffet meal.
We went to our table, in all reality there are no reserved
tables, but Wille had made friends with the waiter that ran this section and
before any guests arrived he put glasses of wine on the table, thus they had
been reserved, wink, wink!
The main warm buffet starts off with two different soups (these
change each day) then comes a long row (25mtr) of chaffing dishes, fill with
all of the delights of the near orient, but also European dishes, there is a
section of 7 diet dishes in the centre, this is flanked on each side by two
bread tables, what a display and what a range
But today we started in the centre as here was the salad,
cheese displays, what an array fresh and preserved. Olives (at least 10
different types), filled artichokes, pepperonis, grilled aubergines and
zucchinis, cold meats and pâtés tomato salads, fresh salads of every imaginable
type and 8 different dressings. The cheeses no less extensive, it didn’t have
your blue cheeses or hard and coloured European ones but at least 15 different
sorts of local cows, sheep and goat cheeses.
I cannot remember what I had next but each day was
different, though each day had at least 2 fish dishes sometimes 3, one always
being fresh grilled trout, dorado or sea
bass, there was also a steamed fish and on some days, there would be deep fried
whitebait or breaded fish fillets to go
with the chips.
The main courses far too many and differing to remember, but
during our stay I remember seeing and eating boeuf bourguignon, veal casserole
, turkey, chicken, duck and my favourite lamb, we had it done in that many
different was, that I cannot remember all of them, but needless to say slow
cooked lamb shanks, lamb stew, lamb curry, spicy oriental baked lamb, köfta,
kebabs.
Not that the vegetarians
got short changed as besides the wonderful salad bar, there was always a
nice selection of warm foods, stuffed vegetables, braised aubergines and
courgettes, green beans with onions and tomatoes.
I must say that the food left nothing to be desired, it was
always, well cooked, fresh and very very tasty.
As I have said I am not normally a friend of buffet type
meals and much prefer a-la-carte, this we had on two occasions on one evening
the fish a-la-carte and the next evening the Turkish one. I can only say what a
pity they don’t do this more of the time as we got the last ones of the season.
As well as the wonderful food, the Hotel has its very own
Patisserie, this has a vitrine that is groaning under the weight of the sweet delicacies,
on top are trays of biscuits that you could have along with your teas various,
coffee, beer, wines and spirits. The area is also used as a general meeting
place to play chess, backgammon, cards, watch footy on the television, or just
chat. I would often go down and have a beer while working on my laptop. This
area served cakes, pastries and refreshments 24 hours -a-day.
On the lower interconnecting corridors is where you will
find the boutiques, shops, internet café, photographic shop, Jewellers and
souvenir handlers. As well as the former
this is also the area to get fit and healthy, there are saunas and Turkish
steam baths, massage rooms, 2 swimming pools, one fresh and one sea water. A
fitness suite, a doctors (just in case you overdo it) nothing has been left out
for those that desire going home a little fitter and healthier than when they
came (though I am sure that the cooks will try their hardest to make sure you
don’t)
In the lower area there is also a two lane bowling alley and
a couple of pool tables, as well as the show theatre which has something
different going on each evening, anyone for belly dancing?
The sardine frying place, the browning area is an area that
I don’t visit; it is cheaper to go to a sun studio back home why would I come
all the way from Germany to lie for 5 to 6 hours on a sun bed? I will walk
along the beach with my shirt off but refuse to waste my precious holiday lying
in the sun.
After the sun beds you reach the water’s edge (there isn’t a
great distance between the last sun bed and the water). Adjacent to the sunbeds
is a Parascending set up this like all of the water sports and the micro-light
flights are not run by the hotel but are in private hands so not part of the all-inclusive.
A 15 minute parascending flight will
cost €40,- and another €30,- if you want
the photographs and short video. The micro light cost €120, - for 30
minutes, the flights depend on wind and weather, but it looked fun.
The service in the hotel is first class and they go out of
their way to make your stay as pleasant and enjoyable as possible, they even
tried to get us into the kitchen to watch the bread being baked, alas it was
not to be, but we did get some good photographs of the bakers at work during
the day.
Making the pizza dough and roasting the topping
Our favourite baker, she also is the egg specialist at the breakfast buffet. This time we discovered her at a stall in the garden baking the filled fladen bread, an interesting filling, crumbly sheep's cheese with parsley, but sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon
Facet:
Q. Was it worth it?
A. 100% worth every cent.
Q. was the food good?
A. Yes, the cooks went out of their way to serve
international meals, which are varied and nutritious.
Q. Are the rooms spacious?
A. I have been in smaller but not many, but that being said,
on holiday I aim to spend as short a time as possible in my room. The balconies
are somewhat small with a table and 2 chairs; there isn’t much space for
anything else. The bathroom has everything that you will want, even a telephone
next to the WC.
Q. Are the rooms clean and cleaned regularly?
A. The room is cleaned each day, spotless, but one thing I
will take the hotel service personnel to task with, why must the bath towels be
changed every day? Even when I didn’t put it on the floor, but hung it on the
hook, it was still changed, they may have thought that they were doing me a
favour but they aren’t doing the environment any favours!
Q. Are the hotel personnel helpful?
A. I have never been in a hotel where the personnel went
about their jobs in such a friendly, helpful and efficient manner. Nothing was
too much bother; they were intent on making it as enjoyable as possible.
Q. Is the hotel programme interesting and well organised?
A. I will answer this in the affirmative, though I used very
little of the facilities, Linda did, as did our friends, Linda swam in the
indoor pool most days and took part in a massage programme. We didn’t book any
trips etc. through the hotel, preferring to do it off our own bat. But it is
all available and you are picked up direct in front of the hotel. Evenings is
also well taken care of with a full programme, dancing, show or Cinema, it is
all there. If you just want to relax and have a drink then there are a couple
of bars to sit in and chat away the evening.
Q. is the beach clean and safe.
A. The beach in front of the hotel very clean, alas about 1 km along the coast
towards an interesting small fishing harbour (newly made) there is a lot of rubbish
and junk lying on the beach and in the dunes such a pity.
Q. Now the million dollar question, would I do it again?
A. In all probability not, nothing to do with the hotel, it
is just I like to do things “my way”, I want to get up and not feel I am forced
to go down for breakfast (I didn’t on quite a few mornings) because if not then
you are missing out. It is the same for lunch, we often went out for the day
visiting archaeological sites and towns in the area using the local means of
transport the Dolmus. I like to visit small villages and towns far from the
tourist areas.
So that is it for me I do not like being regimented and like
to choose my meals from a selection of restaurants (even though a one we
visited in Altalya was not worth it the soup was terrible and overpriced).
I shall be going back to the area, but not to the beach,
next time off our own bat and up into the Taurus Mountains.
