Bilnur Apartments

Prior to our stay all the previous reviews reviews had us really excited however while I don’t dispute that the Bilnur is a nice hotel I think the charm was a little lost on us. On arrival we were ignored by reception staff who were more busy chatting on their mobiles than getting us checked in. After standing in the sun for approximately 10 minutes we were checked in and taken to our room, it was an attic apartment in the old block. The apartments in this block seem to have been recently renovated and they have done a brilliant job, they are really well presented! The one draw back about being in the attic rooms was the balcony was hidden by a really high wall and there was no line or bar to hang your wet towels/ swimwear however we made do using the balcony furniture. The apartments were ‘serviced’ everyday by the cleaners. I use the term serviced loosely, the maid would make our beds and that was about it. Even our foul smelling towels were only changed twice. The pool area is nice, it’s great to have decking round the pool as it made a nice touch. There was only one row of sunbeds (those closest to the pool bar) that were in the sun all day, the others were in the shade early afternoon. As with most hotels you get the standard towel reservers and the sunny row was always first to go although, despite being reserved first thing most sat empty until late afternoon which felt a bit bittersweet when you were sat in the shade. The food at the pool bar was amazing! My family tried the chicken wraps, tuna sandwiches, fried ice cream. I am a vegan so stuck to chip buttys which wile basic were very nice, the bread was always fresh! I would advise to stay clear of the airport sandwich service this hotel offers, they weren’t very nice at all considering the increased price. The staff at the Bilnur all seem lovely however having stayed in other small and friendly hotels we felt that this one lacks a personal touch we have received in others. We felt slightly pressured in to having the Sunday roast which we did actually decline due to not fancying one in the heat but it didn’t seem to go down very well. All in all if I was looking for a very cheap week in the sun then I would return to the Bilnur for a basic base to facilitate this however if your looking for more of a personal touch then I would recommend looking else where.

I stayed with my wife and two boys for the last 11 days of Aug. I stayed with my family for the last 11 days of Aug19, the biggest compliment i can give is that i would be happy to stay again and most of the people we spoke too had been returning for many years and had become very close. THE HOTEL AND ROOM Very clean and well kept, the adult pool is a good size with a very small child pool/bathtub, again all very clean. We stayed in the Old block in a loft room which are the larger of the complex and were a good size, we moved the dining table and chairs out to the balcony which made plenty room inside. The downside to the loft is the spiral staircase to get there which is like something off Ninja Warrior, especially on return from the bars of an evening. They are obvs not as modernised as the new block and there was no maiden to dry out our swim suites and towels and no toaster or TV with few cooking facilities, but given how cheap it was to eat out we were not concerned. LOCATION The walk to the beach is only 5/10mins but on a hot morning feels more like 15/20. But you can rent 3/4person scooters for £5per hour or £20 fro the day. But be conscious the highway code doesn't hold any jurisdiction in Turkey. FOOD The food in the hotel was great, the two chefs were not only extremely pleasant but made the best Quesadilla’s and a fine steak. ENTERTAINMENT There was some entertainment dependant on the number of table booked such as a Turkish night and steak night. STAFF Akan may look like a Mexican Drug Lord and so i understand why he may have intimidated some, but he was a genuine nice guy and no ask was to much. We were greeted every morning by the sound of “Hello my friend, hello darling” with his mischievous smile and pot belly. However i did see a quieter side of him when he was announced as an unbeaten pool player with a personal cue to boot only to be beaten by me, a terrible player but with a half cut confidence from a belly full of Effes and Pina Colada. Ali is not only sculpted from the hand of God himself but is just as beautiful on the inside. As well as being the eye-candy for the girls he again couldn't do enough My family took a personal shine to Taz who is currently learning English by watching Peaky Blinders so has a slightly Turkish/Brummy twang and calls everyone darling. As he covered the night shift he would listen to us drunken ramble on our return from the bars most evenings without it feeling like a chore. Overall a nice little place for the price and felt safe and welcome at all times.

We arrived around 3 am to be greeted by a lovely young lad. We were shown to our room quickly and given some water and milk so we had refreshments after we rested! The guys at Bilnur were all lovely, completely laid back and couldn’t do enough to help/advise. We got a late check out so didn’t need to leave our room until 7 which was very handy given we didn’t fly home until midnight. Highly recommend the Quesadillas, enough for a family of 4 to snack on! Our view from room 210 was lovely, can’t wait to return next year!!!