Wyndham Garden Lara

We recently stayed at Wyndham Garden Lara in Antalya for a 6-day family holiday as a group of seven (six adults and one child). Unfortunately, despite the hotel having good facilities, our overall experience fell well below our expectations due to repeated issues with customer service and communication.

Firstly, staff members were often rude, dismissive and made us feel as though we were inconveniencing them whenever we asked for assistance. What made this particularly upsetting was that we consistently observed the same staff members treating white guests with significantly more warmth, patience and friendliness than they showed towards our family. This was especially noticeable amongst several reception staff throughout our stay.

The buffet restaurant offered a good variety of food, and the waiting staff were generally willing to help. However, the service was incredibly slow. Every single day we would be asked what drinks we wanted, yet we would routinely wait well over 10 minutes without receiving them. On every occasion, I eventually had to leave the table and chase someone for our drinks, which became a daily frustration and took away from what should have been a relaxing dining experience.

One of the most unpleasant experiences occurred during check-out. A member of the housekeeping staff unexpectedly swore at members of our family who had stayed in the family suite. This happened without any clear explanation or provocation and left us completely shocked. It was an unacceptable way to end our holiday.

The hotel facilities themselves were generally of a good standard. The spa was clean and well presented, and I had booked a massage treatment. However, despite specifically requesting a male masseur for my own comfort, my original appointment at 9:30am was delayed and rescheduled to 1:00pm. Whilst I understand that unforeseen circumstances can happen, this significantly disrupted the plans for the rest of my day.

For Muslim families considering this hotel, it is worth noting that many guests walk freely throughout the hotel in swimwear, including inside communal areas. Whilst we fully respect that everyone has different customs and holiday preferences, this was different from what we had personally expected and made some members of our family feel less comfortable in certain areas of the hotel, and was not something we had anticipated based on our understanding of Turkey as a Muslim-friendly destination. Families with similar values may wish to be aware of this before booking.

Our experience with the bar staff was equally disappointing. We only discovered on our final day that a wider range of drinks, including alcohol-free cocktails, as well as ice cream, were included as part of the all-inclusive package. None of this had been explained during check-in, meaning we missed out on facilities that we had paid for throughout almost our entire stay.

When we finally decided to make use of the bar on our last day, we queued for over ten minutes before ordering seven alcohol-free mojitos for our family. The member of bar staff visibly rolled her eyes and looked at us with obvious frustration, making it very clear that she felt we were inconveniencing her. Again, we did not observe the same attitude being shown towards other guests who were ordering drinks before or after us.

Another disappointment related to the hotel’s à la carte restaurants. During check-in we were informed that we would be able to dine at either the Asian or Mexican restaurant during our stay. However, when we later tried to make a reservation, we were informed that guests staying fewer than seven nights were not eligible. As our holiday was only six nights, just one day short of the requirement, we were disappointed that there was no flexibility, goodwill gesture or attempt to accommodate us, particularly as we had been given incorrect information when we arrived.

Overall, whilst Wyndham Garden Lara offers good facilities, clean accommodation and decent food, the attitude and professionalism of many members of staff significantly impacted our holiday. A hotel can have excellent amenities, but customer service ultimately shapes the guest experience, and unfortunately ours was overwhelmingly negative.

I would not return to this hotel, nor would I recommend it to friends or family, primarily because of the consistently poor customer service we experienced. I hope management takes genuine steps to improve staff training, communication with guests and the overall standard of hospitality, as the hotel itself has the potential to offer a much better experience than the one we received.

We have just returned from our second trip to Wyndham Garden Lara, and once again we had the most fantastic holiday.

Room: We stayed in a family suite for two adults and three children. There was plenty of space for all of us, and the room was cleaned to a very high standard every day.

Food: There was an excellent choice at the buffet throughout the day. Our favourite place to eat was the beach restaurant at lunchtime. We tried two of the à la carte restaurants – the Asian and the Italian. The Asian restaurant was okay, with average food and rather slow service. The Italian, however, was outstanding, with attentive staff and delicious food. Looking back, we wish we'd tried the Mexican instead of the Asian.

Bars: There can be queues at the bars, but nothing too unreasonable. Some drinks are branded – for example, the rum is Captain Morgan's – while the vodka and Malibu alternatives are locally produced. The cocktails can be quite sweet, but they're still enjoyable. Our favourite was the Strawberry Mojito.

One small downside: Our only criticism isn't really the hotel's fault. The biggest frustration was that it seemed only the British guests queued properly. Whether it was for food, drinks, the slides, activities or even the lifts, queue jumping was common. If your children are taught to be patient and wait their turn, it can be frustrating to watch others being encouraged by their parents to push in.

A huge positive: We genuinely made lasting friendships here. We met up again with friends we made during last year's visit and also made plenty of new ones this year. We have created magical memories with our children. The people, especially around the beach pool, were some of the friendliest and most genuine we've ever met. We joined in with darts, water polo and many of the organised activities, which really added to our holiday.

Staff: The entertainment team are absolutely outstanding. There are far too many to mention individually, but a huge thank you goes to Yunas and Merry, with an especially special mention for Tolga. They are all fantastic, but Tolga will always hold a special place in our hearts. He has endless positive energy, is wonderful with children, and is a real credit to the hotel. The entertainment team work incredibly hard from morning until night.

Hotel slides: The slides are great fun, with lifeguards always present to keep things safe and organised. As mentioned above, queue jumping can happen here too.

Beach & Splash Park: This was our favourite place to spend the day. There was absolutely no need to get up early to reserve sunbeds, as there were always plenty available throughout the day. Don't spoil your holiday by setting alarms unless you're determined to get a spot by the hotel pool.

The beach is beautiful, with plenty of shaded loungers. The sea is crystal clear and perfect for swimming. Water sports are available just next door, and there's also a lovely bar on the pier with plenty of sun loungers.

Towels: You'll receive towel cards on arrival, which you exchange for towels. These can be changed as often as you like either at the hotel spa or at the beach towel station.

Check-out: We had hoped to keep our room on for our final day. We were advised it would cost €70, subject to availability on the morning of departure. Unfortunately, the hotel was fully booked, so we checked out at 12 noon, stored our luggage in the lobby and used the spa showers before leaving. We still had full use of all the all-inclusive facilities right up until our transfer to the airport.

Overall: We would absolutely return again and in fact, we're already planning to come back next year. This hotel ticks so many boxes for us as a family, and we genuinely love it. Another amazing holiday filled with wonderful memories.

I’m glad to say that we had an amazing time here The food is very nice Plenty of variety The staff were amazing and the place is spotless Constantly cleaning Pool’s welcoming and clear We had a family suite which is well worth the upgrade They are huge Shops and amenities are a stones throw away 30 minutes travel from the airport Honestly well worth the money plus you can use everything at the sister hotel next door Would highly recommend