Hotel Aqua — Hotel in Marmaris

What an amazing hotel this is! Five star hotel, five star service! We arrived at 4am and were delighted to be greeted with freshly prepared cocktails and a cold dish awaiting us after our long journey.

We had chosen to stay in a mountain view room, which surprised us by also having a lovely view of the sea. Our room was spotless, spacious and well equipped with slippers, sewing kit, towels, fully stocked fridge, toiletries, an ashtray and matches on the balcony, hair dryer and more. The beds are extra large and very comfortable. Sadly we had requested extra pillows but they were not provided

The air conditioning in the rooms is unfortunately not all that great, and a few nights it was uncomfortably warm. The whole system seems to need an upgrade as many other guests also noticed this. I think a five star hotel on the hot Turkish Riviera should have powerful air con as standard.

The shower is a powerful waterfall design which was a delight to use. Towels and linens were replaced twice a day if required.

The very best thing about this hotel is the wonderful service at the bars! The staff are beyond incredible. So attentive, and nothing is too much trouble. From bringing endless cocktails and food from the all inclusive menu, to providing shoulder rubs as we enjoyed the views from the sunset bar over the beach. We also absolutely loved being joined by the friendly local cats on site for belly rubs.

The private beach offers incredible views, and the sea was lovely and warm. There were always plenty of sunbeds available at all times.

The entertainment was fabulous. From acrobats to bands, to dance troupes and more. All made even better by the fantastic Entertainment Team who provided us with so much laughter and fun, and made us feel welcome throughout our stay.

The facilities on site are brilliant. Especially the wonderful couple at the Market Shop inside the hotel. I loved visiting them a few times each day for cigarettes, snacks, souvenirs, swimming/snorkeling equipment, advice and help. They always went above and beyond, and were so warm and friendly. I was very touched that the beautiful woman running the shop gave me a handmade friendship bracelet as a parting gift!

We also visited the hotel hairdresser and beauty salon. I had my hair braided and eyelash extensions applied. My partner had a full Turkish shave with haircut and facial treatments. The prices are great, and the service is exceptional! Highly recommended!

Also on site is a stunning spa offering a range of pampering treatments, packages and services. We enjoyed the 70 minute full body, facial and head massage, also focusing on our acupressure points. I was delighted with the skill of these ladies! They put me at ease despite having to be completely naked for our treatments, but most of all took into account that I have spinal disease and specifically tailored my treatment to this, being extra gentle with the affected area to not cause discomfort, and applying a lovely healing balm to the damaged parts. Afterwards we continued to relax in the spas indoor pools, thoroughly enjoying the whirlpool and waterfall sections.

The WiFi was good throughout the site, even reaching the beach. However there was one day when the hotel Internet would not connect at all. We found this incredibly frustrating as we have family back home we needed to be in touch with. We also couldn't connect our firestick to the hotel WiFi, as the hotels login process isn't optimised for these devices. There are a few English speaking television channels available in the rooms, mainly offering movies.

There is a wide range of food available in the main buffet restaurants, including an exquisite array of delicious dessert foods. We preferred to eat lunch at the Palm and Sunset bars though, and loved the evening barbecue by the pool providing traditional Turkish kebabs.

We'll...

This place was a mixed bag, at best a 4-star. It definitely wasn’t a 5-star experience.||*Special shout out to Kubra and Bagar who were absolute stars and a credit to this place! ||Pros:||- The location was great!|- The staff were really lovely and attentive, except for reception and the BBQ chefs.|- We had a room that wasn’t refurbished, but it was fine.|- The beds were comfy.|- The shower was really powerful.|- The balcony was small but private.|- The pool area was nice but busy.|- The public areas were spotless.|- The drinks were all good.|- The entertainment was great on the few nights we went.||Cons:||- The food was really disappointing! This was from day 1 and not because of all-inclusive fatigue. Most evenings, we went for the BBQ because the restaurant wasn’t great and preferred the snack bar for lunch for the same reason. We were really looking forward to some Turkish dishes and grilled meats, but we didn’t get them.|- The BBQ was the best option, but the servings were really small (it’s not self-service!) and the servers rude.|- The drinks service was hit and miss dependant who was serving; When it’s good, it’s very good.|I’ve never seen so many staff employed at once.|- The restaurant layout wasn’t the best. It felt like you were sitting on top of each other, and it was like a slalom course to get food. On the first morning, I was shoulder-barged by one of the older guys looking after the teas. He didn’t even acknowledge me!|- It’s supposed to be 24/7, but the meal times are really tight. Usually with AI there’s always food available if you’re claiming 5-star service. We arrived here after dinner service ended at 9:30 pm and were offered nothing. I did find that they do nuts, but you have to ask.|- The sunbeds were a bit of a hassle. Luckily we don’t usually lay by the pool, but it’s the typical sunbed hogging. In our first week, we heard a couple of door slams at 4 am and thought it was people coming home late until we heard the sunbed scrape not long after 🤣🤦‍♀️ A couple of times, we went to the beach in the afternoon and easily got a bed|Trying to sort out a late checkout out at reception was frustrating. Having to go back 3 times in order to secure 4 hours for £50.||They weren’t very helpful or friendly on when I checked out with 3 hours to kill, and I asked if someone could put our bags in a luggage room. They said they would, but then they left us standing around for 10 or so minutes, completely ignoring us. I had to go back up to get our bags, and when I did, they treated me like an inconvenience; hardly 5 customer service!||On the bright side, we had a fantastic introduction to Turkey! Ichmeler is absolutely lovely. There’s a special mention for the Reflections bar on the corner as you walk out front of the hotel towards the road. The host was super friendly, the music was great, and you can even change money if you want.||Now, let’s talk about the shops. We loved 3 Sisters - they were super helpful. We also found Galaxy Shoes and Best Bargain Buys, which are great places to find some great deals. But be warned, Mr Cheap might not be as cheap as you’d hope. They promised a discount, but you don’t get it at the till, and it ends up being more expensive (arguably better quality, though).||Overall, I wouldn’t come back to this hotel, not on a good package - But hey, we’ve seen other people here who come back year after year and love it. So, it’s all about...

Booked this as I saw it had 5 stars on trip advisor, and they weren't fibbing! This is the best hotel I've ever stayed at and we've visited 5 star (not trip advisor rating though) hotels in various locations.

From the moment you arrive at the hotel, nothing is too much trouble for the staff. We arrived about 5am and were very tired, thirsty and my teenage daughter was hungry. They took our bags, quickly checked us in and immediately checked if we wanted something to eat or drink.

The room was lovely, big, clean, quiet, air conditioned and the beds were very comfortable. Snacks and drinks available on the mini bar and always replenished.

After reading reviews, I was concerned we wouldn't get sun beds by the pool, however we were always able to find some, even after being put on a half day trip. The pool was a nice size and very clean as well. Access to the private beach is at the back of the hotel, separated by a promenade which runs along the beach, (perfect for those after dinner strolls,). Plenty of sun beds, access to showers, water is shallow and calm. We even saw the hotel bring down drinks for the hotel guests.

The water taxi to marmaris is just outside the hotel and was 125 Turkish lira (about £4 each) and a lovely 40 minutes ride. At the time of our visit it was 40 degrees, so a bit hot to be wandering about. We did find marmaris a bit too much for us. Constantly being called to go into shops, bars and restaurants and I even got sucked into buying some trainers which aren't that good. We did visit the castle, had a quick drink and were making out way along the marina to get a water taxi back and didn't have to go that far, as there are loads of water taxis and this one was better than the first.

Food in the hotel, lots to choose from! Restaurant was big and well laid out. Never had problems getting a table and staff were very attentive. I've been on a diet forever and the salads were amazing, so saved some space for the amazing waffle shack. Covered in chocolate sauce and strawberries, you could even have ice cream with it. At lunch we didn't want to always get changed so had a pool side snack, my daughter liked the pizza and I like the flatbread. There was even a Turkish pancake lady who did savoury ones, but we didn't try them and inside there was a patisserie.

We also booked the al la cart restaurant, book early - we booked it on our first morning (Wednesday, as I wanted to celebrate my birthday on Friday) but couldn't get into it until Monday. However, we found an invitation to sit in a special area waiting in our room, with a birthday message for my birthday. I was even presented with a birthday cake on both nights. Just let hurst relations know if you are celebrating something special.

The entertainment was lovely. The animation team were really friendly and always invited everyone to join in but weren't pushy. We preferred to watch. Evening entertainment was outside, always tables available and once again waiter service to the tables. The shoes were good and sometimes there were 3 shows in the evening after the children's mini disco.

I did try the spa and had a massage. They were really fantastic and it was reasonably priced.

All in all, I would love to return to this hotel. Can't fault the staff and service you will receive and one of the best locations with everything on...