Turkey is a beautiful country. In August the sun shines bright, the beaches are warm, and there is no shortage of things to do both inside and outside the resort. Unfortunately, the Grand Park Lara Hotel fell far short of delivering the kind of experience that matches the setting or the previous reviews seen on Google.
Service & Staff
Quite frankly, the service was some of the worst I have experienced, and my family and I travel often. For 2025, we will have visited five different international locations. Around 7 out of 10 staff members were not only unhelpful but downright rude, dismissive, and aggressive. Simple requests, the kind of basic things any guest should feel comfortable asking, were met with irritation, hostility, or the dreaded automatic response of “no.” Instead of feeling welcomed, we felt like a burden. One has to wonder if it was because we were one of the only black families staying at the hotel, anyway I digress…
Of note, the beach towel staff, one gentleman in particular but both similar, were disrespectful, dismissive, and extremely rude. This was for something as simple as beach towels. If the owners of this hotel had seen, let alone experienced, what we went through, he would have been fired on the spot. Guaranteed. If you have a bad day, please leave it at home sir.
To be fair, I must commend the Spa staff and the cleaning staff, both for the cleaning of the generously sized rooms and the premises on a whole, they were professional, caring and kind. Sadly, they were the exception rather than the rule.
Food & Dining
The hotel boasts four restaurants as part of the all-inclusive package, but the food was underwhelming across the board. Bland, mass-produced, and completely lacking in flavour. It felt like seasoning was treated as optional. Compare this to meals we enjoyed outside the tourist areas of Antalya, which were rich, delicious, and full of authentic taste, and it is clear the problem lies within the hotel itself.
Family-Friendliness (or Lack Thereof)
This resort is advertised as family-friendly, yet my children (12 and 8) constantly felt restricted. They were told off for playing football, running around, or simply enjoying open spaces that seemed designed for children. I repeatedly witnessed staff shouting at children (mine included), who were doing nothing more than playing or asking questions. For a hotel marketed toward families, the message came across loud and clear: children are only kind of welcome.
Other Concerns
Adding to the discomfort, stray animals roamed the hotel grounds freely, cats in particular, of which my wife is allergic, and they were EVERYWHERE! Ironically with more freedom than the paying children. While some might shrug this off, it gave the impression of poor management and a lack of care for the guest experience.
And although I cannot say for sure, I cannot ignore the thought that perhaps the coldness of our treatment may have had something to do with the fact that we are a Black family. Whether intentional or not, that shadow lingered over the entire experience. Though one lady who had been coming to the hotel for years with her family noted they wouldn’t be coming back as the place had seen better days and it felt run down. “Not the Grand Park Lara of old” she said.
The Verdict
Halfway through the trip, my kids said, “We do not want to come back here.” My wife and I had already quietly agreed; that says it all.
This holiday could have been beautiful, because Turkey itself is breathtaking. But the Grand Park Lara Hotel particularly their people made it stressful and disappointing. Beautiful country, poor service, poor hospitality, poor food.
Of Note: Turkey’s tourism has been experiencing a sharp 17% decline in visitors annually. Based on what we have experienced at Grand Park Lara, I would not be surprised if that number climbs higher, no matter how many discounts they throw at potential guests.
Grand Park Lara, you need to fix up. Until then, I cannot recommend this hotel, especially...
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