We arrived here on the Monday around 4.30pm and were greeted well at the hotel by the bell boy taking care of our suitcases and then we were given drinks whilst we waited to be checked in.

They were aware of the fact we were a Honeymoon couple, so we were taken to our room which was sea facing and covered in flowers, and bedsheets were styled in shape of swans etc! Room was lovely and very clean (standard of cleanliness throughout was top class) and having a mini bar with some beer, water, and pepsi was fantastic!

Food wise - buffet was excellent. Although the food was very similar most nights, it was always cooked so well that we couldn't complain. You can go to the a la carte restaurants (Turkish, fish, cuban) - we went to Turkish and Cuban which were both very nice - however slightly similar to what you get in the buffet.

Pool bar was a welcome change with foods like pizza, toasties and chips available. Also they made freshly made crepes and waffles to have with ice cream, chocolate sauce etc - must try these - yummy!!

We spent some days at the beach, and others at the pool. Due to the fact it was a bit quieter at that time of year we never had a problem getting a lounger anywhere no matter what time of day it was. Also went to the indoor pool which was lovely and warm when the first few days we arrived were a bit colder to lie out.

Staff were excellent and always so helpful. We didn't tip constantly as we hardly carried any money and to be honest I would say don't feel like you have to tip all the time like others have said. We had several barmen help us out with drinks, and many times we used to walk into the lounge and our regular drinks were sitting or being made for us.

There's also a nightclub in the hotel, which was a bit quiet but it was fun to go to and have a bit of a dance.
The animation team were good, and it breaks up your night going to one of their shows. I have to say it was different to watch Grease in German and the songs in English but enjoyable none the less. The animation team (especially Ozzy) were friendly and always made a point of coming over to talk to us.

Mini bar was replenished each day which was excellent!

We took a walk into Side, we only managed to walk an hour and a half and then got a bus the rest of the way!! Not much in Side we felt as it was more of the same shop wise. Some of the ruins were pretty interesting though, but after our long walk we fancied getting the bus back. The little buses (white mini vans basically) were excellent. They stop for you anywhere and always toot in case you want a lift. V cheap also!

The only downside was at one side of the hotel was a little zoo full of birds mainly (with some monkeys). These birds get woken up usually by the call to prayer and then starts the rooster. If our door was open we could hear them faintly and it's pretty annoying!! If you're lower down and round the side a bit more then i'd imagine it could get a bit unbearable!

Also one strange thing was the bathroom had a window in it which you could see through to the rest of the room, therefore there were times where I could see my husband on the toilet. Definitely not the most appealing thing!

We'll definitely be back, however we think we'll be off to the next door hotel Alba Queen as we'd like to take our little girl next year and the Alba Royal is adults only.

This is a fantastic hotel, the staff and facilities could not be better. The personal touches make this hotel an outstanding experience. The food in the buffet restaurant is very good quality and the a la carte restaurants are superb. It was our wedding anniversary while we were there and the staff arranged for a romantic meal for two - it was beautiful. Everything was spotless and the beds were very comfortable. The rooms were nicely furnished and the towel arrangements were always a delight. I cannot wait to return next year.

After months of anticipation, the day finally came to travel to this resort all the way from Canada. We were interested to see how this resort measured up against the all inclusive resorts we have been to in The Caribbean. It didn't disappoint, but it didn't really live up to expectations either.

First off we're a married couple in our early 30's. We've travelled quite extensively and can adjust to pretty much any environment. I hate when I read reviews that say "we're easy to please, BUT" and then go on to nit pick over every little nuance that they possibly can. We are easy to please period. And we were pleased with this resort.

Check in;
It was a breeze. The entire process probably took 10 minutes, and the girl who went over all the details of the resort spoke rather good English. No line up when we arrived somewhere around 12:00 noon. We were offered a drink and a snack before the bell boy escorted us to our lovely room.

Room;
We were in room 2222 which had a stunning view overlooking the pool and the sea. The room itself was quite spacious and clean. Two single beds which can be pushed together. There was a nice balcony with 2 chairs, a table and a place to hang your swimsuits and towels after a day at the pool/beach.
Some of the negatives;
The shower leaked after every use and left a huge puddle on the bathroom floor. There is a giant window with a blind that separates the shower and the main room and it was broken so you couldn't close it. And every channel on the TV had horrible reception. We didn't complain about any of these things, but I felt it was probably worth mentioning as it might bother some other guests. To be honest, the view we had compensated for these annoyances, and in retrospect they probably would have moved us to a different room if we did complain. The resort seemed to be about half full.

The resort itself;
Well, the nice thing about travelling here in October is there is no fight at all for sunbeds. As I had mentioned the resort wasn't at capacity, so you could head down to the pool any time and get 2 beds together. Inside the resort there are 2 lounges, a coffee shop, a night club (small), 2 buffet restaurants and 3 a la carte. Also there is a game room where you can play cards, pool, cards, ping pong and even a bowling alley. Bowling will run you 10 lira per person for one game. The sign said for 1 hour, but that didn't seem to be the case. didn't try the spa, but people we spoke to said they enjoyed themselves there. All in all the resort is very clean and seems to be well managed.

Food;
This was one area we felt the resort really excelled in. Usually food in a all inclusive isn't all that much to rave over. But both my wife and I were very impressed with not only how tasty the food was, but how much of a selection there was. Being only there for 1 week, we didn't see too much of the food repeated like some other reviewers had mentioned. We did try the Cuban a la carte and it was disappointing. The service was nice, but the food didn't compare to what you could have in the buffet area. The food at the pool bar was also wonderful. The pizza's are delicious! As far as drinks are concerned, this resort falls flat. The only beer they offer is called Tuborg and it's bloody awful. The drinks are weak and there is a limited drink menu. Asking for something off the menu only resulted in confused looks from the bartenders. Oh well.

Staff;
Here's where our review will differ from almost all the others. Before we came here all we read on this site was how wonderful the staff are. We just didn't get the same kind of feeling. The bartenders don't smile, the waiters are grumpy and we just couldn't shake the feeling that we were just bothering them whenever we asked for anything. We did tip when we felt it was warranted, however that didn't happen often. We found out from a lovely British couple later on in the trip (who travel here yearly) that you should zero in on one particular bartender and a server at the beginning of your stay, tip them really well and you'll be taken care of. Maybe give that a shot.
The activity staff barely acknowledged us. They were much to busy fawning over the many German guests which seemed to make up about 97% of the people here during our stay. The only entertainment show that was worth seeing in our opinion was the Mama Mia show (which was fantastic) other than that the comedy show, Blues Brothers and Fire Show were forgettable.

Check Out;
We did have a small issue checking out. The guy barely spoke English and needed to charge us for bowling, but didn't know how to operate the debit machine. We didn't have any cash left on us, so this created an issue. After alot of confusion and frustration on his part he finally figured it out, but not before making us feel like we were a huge inconvenience by not paying with cash. That left a bad taste in our mouths.

To summarize, if you've booked here I'm sure you'll enjoy yourselves as we did. Just don't get your expectations up too high reading all the other reviews as you may feel a little let down like we did. I don't regret booking this place. We had a nice time. But we wouldn't return.

One more thing, GO TO SIDE! It has wonderful restaurants, tons of shopping and the ruins are worth seeing. You catch the bus (which is more of a mini van) just outside the resort on the main road and it takes you straight there in like 15 minutes.
Also, if you need a cheap airport transfer, book directly on a website called "Travel Republic". They are by far the least expensive, and I found them after doing extensive research on line. Only 30 dollars Canadian for a return trip for 2 people.

This was our first time at the Alba Royal and Turkey. We booked the Alba going mainly on the reviews that we read on TA, everthing stated was true. The hotel was lovely and we were greeted with a cold drink and some macaroons. We were given our room key and told to turn left, it would have been nice to have been told where the lift was, as it took us 10 mins to find it!! Our room was on the second floor 2329, which is at the back, and yes you guessed it by the ZOO!!! Although we had read that this could be noisey we were not that bothered. What did bother us was the noise that came from the Alba resort next door and the pray calls. On the first night we decided to have an early night as we had been up since 3am, when we arrived in our room about 10.30 it was like being in the middle of the disco even with the balconey doors shut. We asked to be moved the following day and in fairness they did offer us 2 other rooms one overlooking the Alba Queen's restaurant and the other on the first floor again at the back, so would have been just as noisy. We bit the bullet and stayed put!!. The rooms were of a fair size but the beds we found to be very firm, the window between the bedroom and bathroom was a bit off putting, even after being married for some years, I really do not wish to see my husband sitting on the loo anymore than I should think he wanted to see me! Having said that the room was cleaned to a very high standard each day and the mimi fridge topped up.
There was a great variety of food and you would have too be a very fussy eater not to find something to take your fancy. I can fully recommend the pancakes and waffles cooked fresh everyday at the Pool side bar ( just dont think of the extra pounds!) the desserts on offer are also well worth trying too. We booked the Fish a la carte restaurant which was very good with large portions, we never tried the other 2 so cannot comment.
The hotel appeared to cater more for the German guests than the English, this became quite clear from the service that was offered by the staff, even tipping did little to improve this situation, some english people were even ignored when asking for a drink etc, but on the whole we found the staff to be very polite and friendly. We had no problem getting a sunbed by the pool or on the beach, but there were still people getting up at the crack of dawn to put out their towels ( how sad).
I can fully recommend the hotel spa where I under went 2 and a half hours of pure bliss!! First a Turkish Bath followed by a Hot Stone full body massage, facial and a cup of apple tea, all for £55, dont be afraid to haggle either I did hense the price.
As many people have said the animation team are the best. The shows that were put on were very professional and they worked so hard all day, but always found the time to stop and talk to you even if you didnt join in with the games/sports that were on offer.
Whilst in Turkey we went on 2 trips Manavgat market & Cruise and Perge, Aspendos & Kursunlu. for those of us who enjoy history the Perge trip it a must, visiting a Roman city which in part is still standing and the Aspendos amphitheatre which is still being used today. The Kursunlu waterfall is also quite beautiful, but a word of warning for those with mobilty problems there is alot of walking over uneven ground and there are alot of steep steps down to the waterfall with no hand rails. We booked these trips through the Thomas Cook rep but would mention here that the prices quoted are in sterling, if you pay by credit card the cost is taken in TL, so when it it processed by the credit card company you can be charged a loaded exchange rate, just a tip to look out for.
All in all we had a lovely holiday and met some very nice people, would I go again? Yes to Turkey, but I think I would like to try a different part. Having said that I would go back to the Alba Royal but not for a few years.