Hilton Dalaman Sarigerme Resort and Spa

Review

I paid extra to upgrade to a sea-view room, but when I arrived at the hotel, the room I was allocated had no sea view whatsoever. The only view was of the pool and restaurant.

I raised this immediately with reception. Uğur on reception confirmed to me that the room I had been given was not a sea-view room. I asked him directly whether the room was advertised as a sea-view room on the Hilton website, and he said yes. I then asked whether he agreed that there was no sea view from the room, and he again said yes.

I was told the hotel was full and the only alternative they could offer was a smaller room, which I did not accept. I therefore asked for a refund of the additional amount I had paid for the sea-view upgrade.

The hotel refused and told me to contact Jet2. I contacted Jet2, who told me to go back to the hotel.

This is particularly disappointing because Hilton’s own website clearly distinguishes rooms advertised as Sea View from rooms advertised as Pool View, so these are clearly different room categories. (Hilton) Jet2 also specifically advertises sea-view rooms at this hotel. (Jet2holidays)

I paid an additional amount specifically for a sea view and did not receive what I paid for. Being offered a smaller room instead does not resolve the fact that I was initially given a room that even the reception staff acknowledged did not have a sea view.

I am extremely disappointed with how this has been handled. I would expect a hotel to either provide the room category that was paid for or refund the additional amount charged for the upgrade.

We have been coming to this resort for the past four years, so unfortunately, this most recent stay was particularly disappointing. After returning year after year, it is sad to see the resort seemingly going downhill rather than improving. As loyal returning guests, we expect to see standards maintained and the overall experience continue to improve—not deteriorate.

To mention the positives, Guest Relations remains excellent and continues to provide a high level of service, particularly in a region where this can unfortunately be lacking at other resorts. The entire valet team was also consistently courteous, professional, and helpful. These are areas where the resort should be commended.

However, the kids’ club was a major disappointment. Over the years, it appears to have received very little attention, care, or financial investment, despite the large number of families staying at the resort with young children. Meanwhile, significant resources have clearly been invested into the “Youngster Club,” which is exclusively for ages 10–15.

What was particularly frustrating was that the Youngster Club contains facilities that would clearly appeal to slightly younger children, yet when our daughter attempted to use them, we were told that they have a “concept” and that younger children were not permitted to enter at all. This felt unnecessarily exclusionary and, frankly, like gatekeeping for the sake of gatekeeping. It was even more difficult to understand given that there was essentially nothing happening in the kids’ club at the time other than children watching Netflix.

The kids’ club genuinely felt as though it was operating on almost no budget. The scheduled afternoon water-balloon activity did not even have water balloons. The evening games listed on the schedule turned out to be more Netflix. There was simply very little for children to actually do. The trampoline was closed on numerous occasions without any clear explanation, leaving virtually no physical activities available. Instead, the club seemed to rely heavily on video games and movies rather than providing the variety of supervised activities that families would reasonably expect from a resort of this standard.

The drinks were another major disappointment. The only genuinely excellent drink I had during the entire stay was at the Piano Bar, prepared by a fantastic mixologist whom I unfortunately never saw again. Most of the other drinks were extremely poor, and they were often served by visibly overworked staff who seemed frustrated and unhappy. While I appreciate that staff are under pressure, the overall quality of the drinks and service in this area was well below what we have experienced previously.

At the waterslide park, two of the slides were closed, which was yet another disappointment for the children. These may seem like small issues individually, but when they are combined with the lack of activities at the kids’ club, they significantly affect the experience for families.

The food is tasty, but it has become extremely repetitive. For guests with allergies or specific dietary questions, I would strongly recommend speaking directly with Guest Relations upstairs, as many restaurant staff do not have sufficient English to confidently address these concerns. We also noticed that a small number of staff seemed to push particularly hard for tips. The staff are undoubtedly hardworking and deserving of recognition, but given that the resort experience is clearly a team effort, it would feel much fairer to have a system that recognizes the entire team rather than creating pressure to tip individual staff members.

After four consecutive years of returning, this review is not coming from someone expecting perfection. Quite the opposite—we know the resort well, we have enjoyed coming here, and that is precisely why this year’s experience was so disappointing.

For loyal returning guests, the expectation is not perfection. It is consistency. It is seeing the resort maintain its standards, invest in its facilities, and continue improving the experience for guests of all ages—not heavily investing in certain age groups while leaving younger children with very little to do.

The resort has many genuinely excellent employees and some strong aspects of the guest experience, but based on our most recent stay, it feels as though the overall standard is slipping. After four years of returning, that is a very disappointing thing to see.