Hilton Dalaman Sarigerme Resort and Spa

Having read the great reviews beforehand, we were disappointed with our recent stay. This hotel is not a patch on other 5* hotels in Turkey with a similar price point and there is so much that can be improved upon. Positives: Short transfer from Dalaman airport; grounds are well maintained, rooms are well sound proofed and beds are comfy. Negatives: The hotel was taken over by delegates from two large conferences whilst we were there. The large company stands at reception were overbearing and it completely spoiled the ambience. Conference attendees took over the buffet dining room, cafes, evening entertainment etc and made it easy to forget we were actually on holiday and not at our work. Interested staff were few and far between, despite tipping, which is very unusual in Turkey and one of the ladies at the beach ice cream shack was downright rude to any guests who were not Turkish, even to children. Areas were not cleaned thoroughly and food that had been dropped at an outside table in the buffet restaurant was there for 3 days before it was cleaned up. Towel areas away from the main pools/beach were not always replenished either. Despite being huge, the buffet was average and we are not fussy eaters. We ended up paying for 3 of the speciality restaurants and going into town to eat which we had not expected. Basic stuff was missing e.g crackers for cheese. You only get them at breakfast but not lunch or dinner time. The snack bar offerings were a hit or a miss too e.g the macaroni dish at the Vento snack bar was in fact Kraft cheesy pasta and the Caesar salad at the Breeze snack bar was the poorest example of this dish I have witnessed anywhere. We tried the Italian, Turkish and Teppanyaki restaurants. The service was good at all three. We found the food at the Turkish restaurant to be the best and the Italian disappointing. The chef at the Teppanyaki restaurant was engaging and interested and we enjoyed the experience.
The evening entertainment was limited for a resort this size and the Breeze outside sitting area could be improved greatly by offering a mix of seating options for guests of differing ages/abilities. The focus seems to be on cramming as many high bars/stools into the area as possible, therefore, if you can’t climb up on these stools then you don’t see the show. Table service was not common throughout the resort, unlike other Turkish hotels, and long queues formed at bars at certain times. Lastly, our balcony/view was really disappointing. We were in Room 1335 which looked onto another building/ entrance road so all we saw was concrete and parked cars and not the ‘garden view’ as advertised. Only a tiny portion of the balcony had sun for a short time in the day so our swimwear was never fully dry. The wooden partition between the toilet and shower also had white surface mould and despite the room being a good size, there is very limited drawer space. For the first time ever, I had to keep the majority of my clothing in my case due to the lack of drawer space.

We are back from yet another fabulous holiday at the Hilton resort: 9 years and counting! The amenities are amazing and always tidily kept, the location is great, food always fresh, tasty, and superbly prepared, not to mention the fabulous drinks and cocktails. The entertainment programme is refreshed and pleasant. Gym facilities are, as always, spotless. But… all of this makes just for the basics. The true asset of Hilton Dalaman is the people they employ, who cannot be more happy to help, and who are the true incarnation of the amazing Turkish hospitality. We are so thankful to each and every one of them: always smiling and attentive, always so hard-working. Most of them speak English superbly well (surely better than my clumsy attempts at Turkish…although, I try!) Those who are not as fluent, make up in gestures and smiles. Our special mention goes to our amazing friends (in alphabetical order): Eray, Fatoş, Özer, Şenel, Tuğçe, and Uğur – what a great team of managers! Each one of them has a special place in our heart, along with inner jokes, and so much kindness. Massive praise also go to our bar staff: Cansu (Terrace Bar) and Sinan (Breeze Bar), Caner and Ebru at the Beach Bar (what would we do without them?!) And what to say about magic Gökçer, the master mixologist! We very much missed not seeing Duygu (Citrus and Lake houses) and Yusuf (now at the Golf Club) more often, but we appreciated so much that they tried their best to touch base with us at their shift change-time. We also missed seeing much of Husseyn at the outdoor Sarigerme Restaurant (blame our weird schedule): he is still our hero. Thank you for all your love, Hilton Dalaman. We feel we are part of the furniture now, and we would not want it any other way.