Arum Barut Collection

We returned from our latest visit to the Arum on 19/10/19, after a stay of 11 nights. Once again we had a relaxing, pampered holiday. The first comment I have to make is to thank the staff at the hotel, not only for their hard work but also for their friendliness and commitment to ensure you are enjoying yourself and things are to the best standard possible. The phrase used most often by the staff this year was 'its my pleasure', which was accompanied by wondrful service. It is difficult to mention everyone but I wish to give a special thanks to Emre, front of house manager, for our wonderful room, Ahmet, Hassan, Emre, Mehmet and Senna for our wonderful service in the restaurant and bars. The staff stability is one of the reasons we return regularly, as it is with many other guests we meet. The food is presented beautifully with plenty of choice in the main restaurant, including a bbq outside and also 3 a la carte options, all is a good standard and thoroughly enjoyable. This year, as I have a 'special dietary requirement', guest relations issued a card with the option printed in Turkish, for me to show staff in the various restaurants. This made things less complicated and ensured I had less chance of confussion. It also meant that I did not have to be guided around the options by the senior chef each meal time, which can be both time consuming for them and embarrasing for me. As part of the upgrading that the hotel is undergoing,the selection of alcoholic drinks available has improved this year, with the options including some premium branded drinks, all in plentiful supply. The rooms are also gradually being upgraded, we were lucky to have been appointed one of these. It was bright and modern with a huge, extremely comfortable bed, a large bathroom with a walk in shower and really good lighting. It was a nice touch, to include a small bottle of wine in the room when the minibar was refilled as I am unable to drink beer, so the wine was a bonus for me. The hotel was spotlessly clean and the gardens kept beautifully organised and tidy. Housekeeping staff and gardeners continue to keep the hotel and grounds beautiful, working around thoughtless clients who do not use the rubbish bins, empty ashtrays or place empty glasses in the designated areas. As usual the number of sunbeds was adequate for the number of guests, even with the hotel being full, and it was possible to move the beds to the grass or remain by the pool. The beach area also has sunbeds to use which are free as they are part of the hotel complex. The beach itself is also beautifully clean and well cared for and with access to the hotel beach bar only being seconds away from your bed, it makes it an ideal option for all guests. The hotel is within walking distance to Side (about 45 mins), along the sea front or a taxi outside the hotel is approx 8 euros (if you do not want to use a Dolman). Side is a thriving town with many archeological sites of interest to go along with the shopping. If you wish to shop there are some local shops and bars within 10 mins walking distance from the hotel, which give a good reflection of the goods available in the area. We hope to return in 2020, this time to share the experience with our family.

Yes we are back at the Arum why? You may ask Reasons 5star service in every department the standards have never dropped in 15 years now named Arum Barut Collection offering superior bedrooms 5 Restaurants Al a carte Breakfast. This Hotel offers everything to need to make your holiday enjoyable Well done the A team at the Arum Margaret &Geoff UK

We stayed at the Arum Barut for a week at the end of October - a family of 4 (kids 10 and 6). What a beautiful and peaceful complex! Immaculate, well laid out, beautiful gardens, the whole place was lovely and felt very safe, especially for the kids to walk around. We had a big residence room in the Annex, with a pool view. 2 bedrooms and separate lounge area, plenty of room and very comfortable. I particularly liked the bathroom arrangement with the shower and loo being separate - very helpful with kids. Beds also very comfortable (and huge). Staff were very welcoming and friendly: housekeeping, bars, restaurants and reception. Particular thanks to the kids club staff - what a great job they do - my daughter was there every day of her own choice so it must have been fun! (thanks Chiko). The pool party was excellent, great fun too. We weren't sure about the tipping etiquette or how much or who to - hopefully no-one was offended and we tipped the right people! but guidance on this might be helpful. Pool areas were fabulous, never any shortage of sunbeds (it was October - not sure this would be the same at height of season) although the best beds did get snapped up early (some areas didn't get much sun at different parts of the day). Pool towels provided and can be exchanged daily. Water was freezing but didn't seem to put people off. All inclusive isn't our go-to as we like to eat out in the evening but the food was of a lovely standard, we could always find something we wanted and it was beautifully presented and fresh with lots of choice. the Turkish restaurant and burger bar were particularly good. As were the morning pastries and the Turkish coffees. The clientele when we were there were from all over Europe, which made for a lovely atmosphere. Thankfully there were no large groups or rowdy parties. The kids especially loved all the cats! The location is super - beach bar views at sunset are stunning. We walked into Side one afternoon along the promenade - about 40 mins (50 if you stop for ice-cream on the way). A lovely old town which I'd have liked to spend more time exploring. The entertainment was fun and reasonably low key which we prefer but things went very quiet at night - did everyone go to bed early?! But the bars were nice and we sat at the pool bar most nights - fortunately there were still a few other kids around so they kept each other entertained. Its lovely when the bar staff know your drinks preferences! All in all I'd have no hesitation returning to the Arum Barut, or one of their other hotels, thank you for a wonderful, relaxing and stress free holiday.