Side Star Beach

Reception staff were friendly and very efficient during check-in; needed to fill out a form concerning COVID, which only took a few minutes, before being shown to our room. Reception's high standards were maintained after check-in; everything we asked for was delivered within an hour (extra pillows, items the maid hadn’t replenished, etc.) Rooms are really good: Comfy beds, modern stylish decor, decent size TV, plenty of storage space, kept clean by daily maid service. Free safety deposit box. Mini-bar stocked with beer, still & sparkling water, range of soft drinks (Coke, Fanta Orange, lemon, Sprite, iced tea) and tea making facilities provided. Decent bathroom; shower temperature can vary a bit when on full, but was fine when scaled back a fraction. Balcony isn’t the biggest though; but room 121 has great views of pool & sea. Hotel is decorated tastefully throughout, kept sparkling clean, and well-maintained. As are the grounds. There are three pools; the main pool, a smaller pool, and a kids pool. Sunbeds surround the pools, and were taken fast even with the lesser occupancy this season; sunbeds must be like gold dust any other year! Location is excellent: overlooks the sea front (sunsets are not to be missed!) with a path straight onto the front promenade, which if you follow left out of the hotel will take you to the old town within a 20 minute casual stroll. Food was good most days: we started off impressed with the food but as the hotel got busier we did note the standards slipping a little; what was one day a beautiful piece of turkey was a dried up husk the next. The standards did pick up towards the end of our holiday after a brief lull but we felt there wasn’t much variety and one days meal merged with the next. Plenty of choice of drink available at the bar, but service varied; some waiters gravitated solely towards those giving tips… I’m not against tipping, but I believe the policy should be to tip for good service received rather than tip to get service! Entertainment was decent most nights; highlights being a one-man band with a looper, a band on “White Night”, and dance act/belly dancer on “Turkish Night”. White and Turkish Nights see the outside area tastefully decorated with banners, balloons and a fountain in the pool. Suppose I should talk COVID briefly; hotel temperature checks you on the way in, baggage is disinfected on arrival, complimentary masks and sanitizer given on arrival, masks must be worn indoors, increased bar service, chairs cordoned off to ensure distancing, and gloves are provided in the restaurant to help yourself to food. Personally I found it worked well, and most people had no problem observing and complying with the measures. I felt much safer here than in the UK! Tip: Ask for prices in Lira, everywhere you go, Euro prices are always inflated! Even in the hotel: late check out would have been £5 higher in Euro to Lira for the same room! Thank you to all the staff at Side Star Beach hotel that made our stay fantastic overall, it was a much needed break from a gloomy 2020. I would love to return, and highly recommend the hotel.

Stayed here for a week in sea view room. Very impressed with cleanliness, facilities and staff, who were always friendly and remembered your drinks order. Every inch of hotel was spotless, cleaners were very thorough. Food was ample and always a good choice, I’m quite fussy eater but always found something delicious! Desserts were gorgeous. Lovely walk into Side old town, don’t miss Appollonik bar next to temple of Apollo, fantastic little bar and so friendly. You do get pestered waking in town by vendors but we found if you wear face mask they tend not to bother you. Gorgeous hotel and location and we will definitely be back!!