Side Star Elegance

2/5 – Think carefully before booking if you are vegetarian

We stayed at the Side Star Elegance Hotel in Side, Turkey, for six nights as a family of five vegetarians on an all-inclusive holiday booked through Jet2.

I am writing this review because I believe future guests, particularly vegetarian families, should know about our experience.

VEGETARIAN FOOD – OUR BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Before booking, I had a lengthy telephone conversation with a Jet2 representative named Natalie. I specifically asked whether the hotel catered for vegetarians because this was important for our family. I was assured that vegetarian food was available, and based on that assurance I proceeded with the booking.

Unfortunately, what we experienced at the hotel was very different.

We were not asking for special or complicated meals. We simply expected a reasonable vegetarian choice as part of an all-inclusive holiday.

Instead, on many evenings there was little more than salad, fruit and bread. There were often two meat soups but no vegetable soup. Pasta was sometimes available, but there were occasions when there was no vegetarian sauce available – only Bolognese.

Some evenings had a few vegetarian options, but there was no consistency. One evening there might be something suitable and the next few evenings there was virtually nothing.

We were a family of five, all paying the full all-inclusive price.

I raised the matter with the Guest Relations Manager, who listened but explained that there were only around 25 vegetarians staying at the hotel. I found that explanation difficult to accept. The number of vegetarian guests should not determine whether they receive a reasonable choice of food.

Eventually, we became so disappointed and frustrated that we simply stopped complaining.

A VERY POOR FIRST NIGHT

Our journey also contributed to our disappointment.

We left home at 9.00 am and, following baggage delays, did not arrive at the hotel until approximately 1.00 am.

After travelling for such a long time, we went to the 24-hour restaurant and asked whether there was anything vegetarian available.

The chef simply replied "No" and made dismissive hand gestures.

For us, this was a very poor welcome after such a long journey.

THERE WERE POSITIVES

I want this review to be fair.

The beach was lovely and the swimming pools were good. The daytime beach bar actually provided much better vegetarian choices, including jacket potatoes, pizza, chips, salads and fruit.

Most members of staff were polite and hardworking, although communication could sometimes be difficult because of limited English.

The room was comfortable, although the bathroom arrangement provided very little privacy when sharing with another person. The hotel's layout also meant that getting to the beach involved several lifts and a fair amount of walking.

Freshly squeezed orange juice was also an additional €3 per glass despite the holiday being all-inclusive.

JET2'S RESPONSE TO OUR COMPLAINT

After returning home, I made a formal complaint to Jet2.

Jet2 opened a case and subsequently contacted me by telephone. During that conversation, I explained again that I had specifically asked their representative about vegetarian food before booking and had relied on the assurance that the hotel catered for vegetarians.

Unfortunately, Jet2's position was that they would not offer compensation because their criteria did not specifically state on the website that vegetarian food was provided.

I find this extremely disappointing.

I accept that I did not personally read every term and condition or examine every detail of the website before booking. However, I specifically asked the Jet2 representative because vegetarian catering was important to us. If a customer asks a representative a direct question before booking and relies on the answer, I believe that should be taken seriously.

I was also disappointed by the manner in which this was communicated to me. Before I had even asked about compensation, the conversation focused on the website criteria and why Jet2 would not compensate us.

Jet2 did say that our feedback had been passed to the hotel and that the hotel would look into the matter. I appreciate that they have at least raised the issue with the hotel, but this does not change our experience.

AND WHAT ABOUT THE HOTEL?

I also contacted the Side Star Elegance Hotel directly after returning home and made a formal complaint.

Unfortunately, the hotel has not responded to me at all.

I find this particularly disappointing. We gave the hotel the opportunity to respond privately and address our concerns, but despite our complaint, we have received no response whatsoever.

In my opinion, even if the hotel disagreed with our complaint, basic courtesy would have been to acknowledge it and provide a response.

FINAL OPINION

This is not a review saying that everything about the hotel was bad. There were some good aspects, particularly the beach, pools and daytime beach food.

However, for our family of five vegetarians, the evening dining experience was a major problem and significantly affected our enjoyment of the holiday.

If you eat meat, you may have a completely different experience and find plenty of food.

But if you are vegetarian, I would strongly recommend considering alternative hotels in Turkey before booking this one.

For us, this was a very disappointing experience and certainly not what we expected from a five-star all-inclusive hotel.

Rating: 2/5

I have just returned from our lovely holiday at the Elegance where I went with my daughter and 14 years old grandson. And what a great hotel it is! We had clean, well furnished rooms, with excellent aircon,and Huru, the lady who cleaned mine, went above and beyond to make sure I was well looked after. All of the staff are courteous and helpful including the Reception Desk and the Entertainments Team who do their best to keep you busy and give you a good experience. The hotel and its’ grounds are huge, but it’s always immaculately kept; from the cleaners to the gardeners, doing their best to take care of it all. Everywhere looks so pretty. There are several choices of pools, from quiet smaller ones to the main big one, which was the one we all enjoyed, as there was so much going on there. A couple of good, fun slides, lots of beds with parasols, and entertainment from the Team, who encourage you to join in. The water in the pool was the perfect temperature and we spent a lot of the day in it! There are also large fridges dotted all around the pool area and surrounding eateries, where you can just simply help yourself to soft drinks and water at any time of day or night. And not forgetting the ice cream fridges where you can also take what you’d like. The beach is literally outside the main pool area and it was lovely to be able to go there and try out the various activities on offer from local businesses; from parasailing to paddle boarding and jet skiing. We also booked on to a really great boat trip to Green Canyon where you can swim off the boat if you wish. There is so much choice of food and different places to eat at the hotel - and we particularly enjoyed our lunchtime food from around the pool area. The Elegance buffet restaurant has a mind boggling choice of dishes and everyone looked very happy with it all. The three of us are extremely picky eaters so we did struggle to find food we liked, although I’m pretty certain most people enjoyed their food, and it was really just us. We all loved the pancakes! Again the staff there work so hard. The back of the hotel leads to the beach and a long promenade with restaurants/little shops. We walked along the promenade the approx 2 miles into Side old town and were thrilled to be able to see preserved ruins from 2000 years ago! All kept under glass, so that you actually walk over them and can look down onto them! It was fabulous! All in all we had a wonderful time and I can assure you, you won’t regret choosing the Elegance!

BOOK IT - You will not regret it
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Wonderful stay made even better by Mustafa & Muhammer!

🇺🇸🇷🇺 I’m American and stayed at Side Star Elegance with my Russian family for 6 fantastic days.

Communication before arrival was excellent, our transfer was on time, and check-in was quick and easy. Staff speak Turkish, Russian, German and English, so communication was never an issue.

🏨 The hotel is easy to navigate—even after a couple cocktails/beers. Rooms were clean and comfortable, and the beach is absolutely GORGEOUS! The adults-only pool was a favorite. My only disappointment was pools closing at 18:00. Food was good with lots of variety, though seafood options were limited.

⭐️ The biggest highlight was the PEOPLE.

🍹 Muhammer at Ficus/Veranda Bar was OUTSTANDING! Amazing cocktails (his mojito is PERFECT!), but even better was his personality. Always smiling, welcoming and genuinely happy to see guests. His warmth, professionalism and positive attitude are exactly what 5-star service should feel like. Please give this man a money/cash bonus—and a big fan when he works outside! 😂 He’s an incredible asset to the hotel.

🫶🏼 Mustafa from Guest Relations was equally wonderful. I mentioned that I love baba ghanoush and was sad I hadn’t seen it. He spoke with the kitchen, and the next day—they made it happen! That small gesture meant so much. He listened, cared and made me feel valued. His English is excellent, and he is professional, kind and genuinely cool.

🥇 Mustafa & Muhammer didn’t just do their jobs—they made our vacation better. Please recognize and reward them!

😍 We’ll happily return. Next summer: baba ghanoush with Mustafa and another mojito from Muhammer! See you again, Side Star Elegance! ❤️