Reges, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Cesme — Hotel in Çeşme

Subject: Guest Review of Reges Marriott Luxury Collection Resort and Spa at Cesme, Turkey

Review: Our wonderful and memorable experience at the Reges Marriott started with the smooth on-line reservation process, where we used some accumulated Bonvoy Titanium Elite points for the five-night stay there. Even before we arrived, we received two “plan your stay” messages”, plus a “looking forward to your arrival” message from Onur Karili, the Guest Experience Manager, that included updated COVID information, followed by an “advance check-in” message. From the Head Concierge at the Swissotel Buyuk Efes in Izmir, we heard good things about the Reges Head Concierge, Serkan Arat, so when I replied to Onur Bey’s message I mentioned Serkan Bey by name. The Reges response included a gracious note from Serkan Bey. What made that stay particularly memorable was that we were joined by our son and his family from their home in Naples, Florida. Upon arrival, Berkcan Bey very efficiently handled our luggage and later showed us to our room. Cemre Hanim and Amelie Hanim at the Reges reception desk were most friendly and helpful. The complimentary glass of cold sherbet (fruit drink) was most welcome. The clean and spacious third floor room was very comfortable and the small balcony provided a great view of the resort, the beach, and the ocean. All of the extra pillows, linens, towels, and bottled water we requested were quickly provided. The fish dinner that first night at the Hemera Restaurant was served by Serkan Arici, who provided first-class service. Serkan Arat helped us with our successful plans to visit the sacred Meryem Ana Evi (House of the Virgin Mary) and the amazing ruins at Ephesus/Efes (recommend the carriage ride there), as well as with ferryboat tickets to the nearby Greek island of Chios, along with local restaurant recommendations, to include the exceptional Altin Kapi (Golden Door) in Alacati, where the owner personally took care of us. The Reges team arranged taxi rides whenever we needed that to restaurants in nearby Alacati or to bank ATM machines. Some of the best meals we had at the Reges came from the breakfast buffet. Head Chef Ahmet Cagdas Usta made wonderful omelet, eggs, crepes, and French toast that complemented the exceptional variety (and quantity) of buffet food. The most attentive of the several servers was Ahmet Karabag who really impressed us with his world-class service. To us, he was clearly a young man of great potential we’d like to see move up the ladder to restaurant and hotel management positions. During our stay we reserved one of their four beachside cabanas for two days, which was another great experience. Enver Bey took care of us impeccably throughout the day, bringing us recliners, towels, swimming slippers, and endless food and drinks. The excellent menu options provided a good variety at a reasonable cost. The wonderful spa included saunas, a steam room, jacuzzi, salt water thermal pools, and a variety of massages. The scrubbing at the hamam (bath house) experience was a highlight for my wife and granddaughter. The gym was well equipped with modern and clean exercise equipment and free weights. We had occasion to use the services of the hotel’s resident nurse, Tugba Hanim, and on-call Doctor Tuncay Yilmazer. We could not have gotten better, more timely, more appropriate, more low-cost medical care. Bulent Bey of the Reges team even picked up our medications for us. We were impressed when Onur Bey called to check to see how we were recovering. The housekeeping team led by Mrs Aydin Hanim and her assistant Nilgun Hanim did an excellent job cleaning and resupplying our room. Checkout went smoothly when we departed for the Adnan Menderes Airport. Post-stay, we promptly received a guest survey from Tayfun Baskurt, General Manager. Bottom Line: we can highly recommend that guests stay at the Reges Resort and Spa at Cesme. Like us, they can have a wonderful experience that will last a lifetime.

Bradley...

The Reges Hotel in Cesme has the potential to be a true 5-star property, but unfortunately, its service (or lack thereof) falls short of what you'd expect from a hotel of this caliber and price point. This is a Luxury Collection hotel, part of Marriott’s luxury line (alongside Ritz Carlton, St. Regis, etc), and it definitely does not meet the standards you’d expect at this level.

As seasoned travelers with Titanium Elite status, having stayed at numerous high-end Marriott properties, we’ve never encountered service as lacking as what we experienced during our 8-night stay at the Reges. Prior to arrival, the concierge reached out, asking if we had any special requests. We mentioned that two of us would be celebrating birthdays during our stay, but our email went unanswered. While we didn’t expect much, the complete lack of acknowledgment was disappointing. At other properties, we’ve been offered small gestures like a glass of champagne, a card from the front desk, or even just a verbal birthday greeting. It's those thoughtful touches that elevate a hotel from good to exceptional, and unfortunately, the Reges does not fall into the latter category.

Interactions with the front desk staff were consistently uncomfortable; it often felt as though we were inconveniencing them just by asking a simple question. On every occasion, there was no greeting when walking through the lobby — no "hello," no "good morning," just an unwelcoming atmosphere. The hotel bar was mostly unattended, and the lobby itself felt lifeless. While there were one or two staff members who were warm and accommodating, the majority seemed disinterested and unhappy to be there.

The service mishaps were frequent: requests for water went unanswered after housekeeping failed to replenish our supply, pressing the button for poolside service often resulted in no response, and the breakfast staff rarely offered the à la carte menu without prompting. Even small things, like being served coffee without sugar packets or a spoon, or not having napkins on our table, added up. What made it all the more frustrating was that outside the hotel, everyone we encountered in Turkey was incredibly kind and welcoming, so this wasn’t a cultural misalignment but specific to the Reges. For a property charging €800 per night, we expected at least the basics of friendly service but unfortunately, we received less than that. We’ve had better experiences at lower-tier Marriott properties.

That said, the hotel itself is stunning and exudes luxury. If the service had been up to par, this would easily have been a 5-star experience. The rooms are spacious with breathtaking views of the Aegean Sea, and the sunsets from the balconies were incredible. The two pools felt almost private, and the resort’s beach was one of the nicest we’ve visited, with perfect sand and no rocks. The breakfast buffet was excellent, filled with local Turkish food, though I did wish they had a better selection of drinks. The location is also a highlight — just five minutes from historic Cesme but far enough to feel like a tucked-away oasis. Complimentary valet parking was a nice touch. As of Sept 2024, there is only one restaurant at the property, as the other one closed.

Lastly, if you’re a Marriott Elite member, don’t expect any benefits or perks. Our suite night awards were denied even though the hotel was clearly not at capacity (it was actually quite empty). We received an “upgrade” that allegedly had a better ocean view, but it was the same type of room.

If you’re seeking a beautiful, luxurious resort and are less concerned about attentive service, the Reges is a solid choice. But if, like us, you value warm, friendly interactions and a welcoming atmosphere during your holidays, you might want to...

This review covers a 10 night stay in July 2022. This was our third visit to the hotel, having stayed previously in Sep 2019 and Aug 2020. I have reviewed it previously, and to summarise, it was – and continues to be – a very luxurious property with high end décor (think St Regis or similar), beautifully appointed rooms, great facilities (pool, beach, spa…) and solid F&B offerings. The proximity to the picturesque town of Alacati is another key attraction of the resort.

On our prior two visits the one major shortcoming was service. Staff were often too slow to meet requests, things would get forgotten, and there was no resolution or follow up when complaints were made. The positive aspects of the resort were enough to draw us back for a third time, but we set our expectations accordingly on the service front. Turns out we were in for a surprise. The hotel has brought in new management in the two years since our last visit, and they have really turned things around. The staff to guest ratio was noticeably higher, staff seemed much better trained, in fact the overall service level had improved so dramatically that it almost felt like we were staying at a different hotel! For example, previously when poolside I had resorted to walking up to the bar to make any drink or food orders, since it was almost impossible to flag anyone down otherwise. This time the attached call buttons to each lounger actually worked, and a member of staff would typically show up rapidly (within 1-2 minutes) after being called. There were no mishaps throughout our stay, the whole place seemed to work like a well-oiled machine, this seemed almost unimaginable given our prior experiences. Perhaps the one thing that could have been improved was pace of housekeeping, we would often return after being out at the pool or beach for 5-6 hours and find the room still not made up. That said, the room was always cleaned immaculately once attended to.

It was also good to see the hotel continues to invest in itself. The addition of the Patisserie serving a variety of desserts and treats throughout the day was a much appreciated one. Hemera – the beachfront restaurant – continues to offer a beautiful al fresco setting for dinner, with its ocean views and live music. I also like the fact that there is an abundance of loungers near the pool and beach, it never gets full up, we would often head down at 11am or so and be the first ones there! The weather was pretty much perfect – as it was last time – but it did get a bit too windy on certain days.

We once again stayed in an Aqua Pool room which was massive in size, and while these are ground level with no view, we did enjoy the very easy access to the pool/beach/playground for our young kids. No suite upgrade was provided (I’m a Platinum elite), however there were actually no suites available during some of my dates, so this was fair enough. The Marriott points rate for this property continues to be very attractive relative to cash rates, even after the recent points devaluation.

Overall, factoring in the recent changes, this resort is hard to fault. It ticks a lot of the boxes we look for in a beach holiday. Perhaps that one area is still falls shorts is on kids activities. There is a small outdoor playground and a not very interesting indoor ‘play room’, but no kids club (we saw a list of kids activities published but when we queried it were told this was not correct), and there are no water slides, splash pads, soft play, etc. Our two young kids still had a great time at the pool and beach though. We came in thinking this would be our final stay at this hotel – as we tend not to repeat destinations – but given the improvements made, I now find it hard to rule out a fourth...