Barut Lara — Hotel in Muratpaşa

Full disclosure. I’ve worked in the travel / hotel industry for over 30 yrs. Lived, worked and visited too many countries and hotels to mention. Husband not so well travelled - he loves good service, fresh good quality food and value for money - he hates feeling bad he’s been ripped off. His favourite holiday spots The Old Course Hotel, St Andrews, Bahia Del Duque/Casa Ducales Tenerife and Sandy Lane, Barbados - all which we return to often. He is very picky and hard to please. Unless it involves golf. Teenage son 15. Likes to eat and sleep.|We all agree we will be return to Bayou Villas. We loved it. |Things we loved. |1. 1 bedroom villa amazing. Going to book a 2 bedroom next time. |2. Spotless. |3. Facilities incredible. |4. Spacious. |5. Bottle of moet and wonderful Turkish delicacies on arrival in our room. Very nice touch. |6. Large bottles of gin, vodka and whiskey all premium in room on arrival. Impressive. |7. Stocked and restocked fridge with drinks and snacks - great touch. All part of all inclusive. |8. Snicker bar plus Milk and dark chocolate in fridge replenished daily. Equals happy chocoholic husband and teen. |9. Chewing gum loved by my teen replenished daily. |10. Bang& Olsen blue tooth speaker. Definately getting one when we get home. Loved it. |11. Hair straightners. Meant I didn’t have to bring mine. |12. Room service. Oh my god. Just incredible. We had breakfast most days in weik which we loved ( although some outdoor fans would be nice as we prefer being outside, other outdoor restaurants have fans, definately needed in Weik). But as teen couldn’t get up it was so easy to order whatever he wanted when he did see daylight. Several times we ordered lunch by our pool via WhatsApp. Sushi, salmon tartare, burgers, steaks, noodles, pasta etc you name it they’ll make it. Quality and choice incredible. One day we just fancied fruit and champagne (rose). We WhatsApp and hey presto. Teen enjoyed ordering midnight /1am pizzas or entrecôte via WhatsApp after we’d gone to bed. |13. The service. Staff are amazing. |14. Return vip airport service as we stayed over 7 days. Really nice unexpected surprise. Amazing fast track through the airport all the way to the premium lounge. |15. Uk premier league games shown in the cinema under the lobby in the main building. You can take in drinks from the nearby bar. Games also shown on tv in room - not sure if this is all games. But we saw the charity shield. And the Spurs v PSG games here. |16. Golf cart service. We loved. Need a lift just WhatsApp. |17. Bike for every villa. Teen loved. |18. WhatsApp service. We all loved. |19. Padel. Enjoyed by my Hubbie and teen |20. Running track with water stations. Enjoyed daily by Hubbie. |21. Large TV’s in room and bedroom amazing. (Maybe adding some apps such as Netflix if possible in Turkey would be an extra nice touch ). English news channels and another channel showed English movie most nights. As tvs are Apple TVs adding apps shouldn’t be difficult. |22. Giant bath tub. Loved. |23. Shower. Incredible. Really the best shower ever. |24. Bvlgari toiletries. Amazing. |25. Gardens beautiful. |26. Water slides. Great. Although the boys only went once. |27. Beach pavillion. Doner kebabs on the menu. Amazing. Hubbie still dreaming about them. Accommodating my teens obsession with your duck pancakes which weren’t on the menu at the beach incredibly kind. Nothing better than doner kebabs, sushi, duck pancakes, fruit platter and champagne on the beach. |28. Beach party on the Thursday night. Brilliant. Our teen made some friends and had a great night. |29. Daily football match for teens. Much appreciated. |30. The patisserie. We didn’t find it until day 4. But wow. Amazing. And the mini patisserie at the Villa lobby bar. A lovely touch. Cakes amazing. |31. Spa and Turkish spa looked amazing. Promise we’ll try next time. Indoor pool looked great. Perfect for when weather cooler. |32. Villa lobby bar staff. Really great. Shame I’m so bad with names as there was one particular guy ( he was working Sunday and Monday evening) who was really great and always remembered what we liked. |33. Tennis courts. Great. But too hot to use on this occasion. |34. The fair night on Tuesday evening. We stumbled on this after dinner. It was really good fun. Never seen anything like this before in a hotel. |35. BBQ cook your own food, restaurant near the beach. Great novel idea. Our teen loved cooking us dinner. |36. Iro sushi. Just like yo sushi back home with plates moving in front of you. Really novel fun evening. |37. Mid morning Turkish tea and amazing cakes in the lobby bar. Fruit tart was my favourite. Very English. Although we also loved the baclava. |38. The Drifters tribute band. They were fantastic. |39. In room chess set. |40. Individual room scent. |41. Stocked bedroom fridge. |42. No birds. No flies. No mosquitoes all week. I have no idea how you manage it. Even when we had food outside. - no flies. Not one. Lights on in evening and doors open. Normally I’m paranoid about insects. Not one bite. This alone is a reason to return. |43. Love the fridge, safety deposit box and fruit platters at the beach pavilion. |44. Not sure if I’ve mentioned this. But vip seating in amphitheater. Nice touch. |45. Room service. Amazing. Quality. Choice. Amazing. Being able to lie by the pool and order a snack/ lunch/ dinner/ cocktail etc. amazing. |46. Check out midday. You let us stay in our villa until we departed at 6.30pm. I know this isn’t always possible. The fact it was made us hugely grateful. And cemented even more our decision to return. |Things I would improve but wouldn’t stop me 100% returning and recommending to everybody I know. Not one is a complaint. Just a suggestion |1. Fan on terrace at Villa. And outside in Weik. |2. More shade on terrace at Villa. |3. Architectural - maybe if you are building more think about an outside shower. |4. 3rd sun lounger. 1 for each occupant. We only had 2. But I’m sure if I’d asked you would have brought an extra one as nothing is too much trouble. |5. We brought our own inflatable chairs with we paid euro 5 each to have blown up in shop. Some inflatable mats in each villa would be a nice touch for the pool. |6. Cool box or mini fridge for outside villa. |7. Option of a floating pool tray as seen in promo video so we can eat in pool. But you are so amazing I’m sure if I’d asked you would have accommodated me. |8. An extra do not disturb sign for the service entrance door in the kitchen. As our son was sleeping in the living area it would have been nice to close off the kitchen area with a do not disturb sign on the main door but please enter on the service door. We could then close kitchen door and the kitchen could be entered/ restocked without disturbance. An easy fix and would make a big difference. |9. A managers weekly cocktail party in the lobby bar. This is such a lovely area and seems under utilised. Many hotels in the Caribbean host weekly managers cocktail parties - a great way for guests to mingle. Think this would be a nice touch. Just for an hour one night a week. As we never saw more than 5 other guests all week in the villa zone even though you were full. |10. Sandals restaurant. Lovely to see the lobster tank. We got excited by the idea of lobster. Disappointed to discover 250 euro per lobster. Maybe extend 1 per stay per villa. |11. Beach pavillion. We were allocated one on the back row. So couldn’t see the sea. After a couple of days you did manage to get us one a row closer. Lots of empty beach pavillions. Maybe allocate based on who wants one. |12. The dance troop in amphitheatre on the Friday we first arrived. Watching a little girl dance as Barbie to an adult Ken was very odd. We left early. But hey each to their own. |13. A whole lemon and a lime in the fridge daily which we could cut up to put in our drinks would be a nice touch. Again I’m sure you would have done it if asked. But maybe a nice touch in the future for all guests. |14. Glasses for the outside pool area - pool friendly. I felt self conscious about our clumsy teen using cut glass crystal glasses in the pool area. |15. I wish you had Diet Coke and diet sprite on your menu. Personal preference as I’m not a fan of Coke Zero and full fat sprite. Just a personal request. |16. A ceiling fan in beach huts would be a nice touch. |17. Foot shower on beach, great. It would be good to have a full body shower as you leave the beach. |18. Add a comments section to room service app. Eg. Ice bucket or no onions on my burger etc. would be helpful. |19. Akdeniz restaurant. We ate here our last night. Food very good. But no atmosphere. Maybe add some background music. ||Transparency. We have done ikos Oceania in a medium category room. Hubby wasn’t impressed at ikos, as we found the food tasted the same at every meal. But we did like ikos wine choice eg Provence Rose. But we were equally happy with Turkish rose here. Villa Rooms, entertainment and service much better at Bayou. |Love. Love....

Why I gave this hotel 3 stars, starting with the good points:

I stayed at Lara Barut with my 6-year-old child from February 21 to February 28. We stayed in the Lagoon area, where the rooms were beautiful, modern, and spacious. The shower was excellent.

During the first few days, it was very cold outside, and since the pool and the main restaurant are located in the main building, this was very inconvenient for us. We had to walk outside while wet and wear jackets to the restaurant.

The indoor pool was heated, though it was a bit chilly for my daughter. The water in the pool was salty, which is good in some ways, but it stung everywhere. Outdoors, there is one heated pool with saltwater and another large pool with freshwater. We were lucky to swim there once, but getting out of the pool was freezing cold. In summer, I imagine it would be perfect.

The spa treatments were very expensive, so I didn’t risk trying them. However, the hotel offered a complimentary 10-minute massage, and it was amazing!

The food in the main restaurant was always excellent and very tasty. Desserts were outstanding. On Tuesdays, there was sushi, and on Wednesdays, seafood—all very fresh. The juices were delicious and not watered down.

Overall, aside from the negative experience I will describe below, our stay was good. The staff at the dessert counter always served with a smile, and many waiters in the main restaurant were very welcoming. The reception desk was not very informative, but I learned more about the hotel from the lady at the desk near the entrance. She spoke Russian and was very polite.

The room cleaning was great; the housekeeping staff cleaned daily. The hotel grounds were perfectly clean, with no litter anywhere.

The kids’ club was nice, though limited in activities due to the winter season. The animators were friendly, but my daughter only went there twice because most of the children were younger, and she didn’t find it very interesting.

My absolute favorite was the cat house and its caretaker—a wonderful man who takes care of 50 cats at once. The cats were all so cute, and we are so grateful to him for his work! My daughter adored visiting the cat house.

Now for the downsides: The biggest and most disappointing issue that partially ruined my stay and impression of the hotel was the behavior of one staff member in the restaurant. It was rude and unacceptable for a hotel of this level. When I went to get sushi, one staff member made it very clear that he was unhappy with how much sushi I was taking. He then spoke to another staff member, and they started whispering and smirking, clearly at my expense. I was so upset that I was brought to tears and had to complain about him. I hope action was taken, but I wasn’t informed of any outcome. The general manager apologized, but that was the end of it. The location of the Lagoon rooms was inconvenient for the winter season. Do not choose this area during colder months, though this was my mistake. The non-alcoholic cocktails were not tasty, and the selection was very limited—only four options. In the main restaurant, long lines formed in some areas. For example, every morning, I had to wait 15 minutes for an omelet. The waitstaff were sometimes overwhelmed and appeared very tired. There didn’t seem to be enough staff during peak hours. It was impossible to get a reservation for the à la carte restaurants. I tried logging in at 9:00 a.m. sharp for several days, but the system always said there were no available tables. Due to ongoing renovations, one day the dining area smelled strongly of paint, which made it unbearable to eat breakfast there.

In summary: Our holiday could have been amazing if not for the one instance of rude staff behavior. The hotel is beautiful and well-maintained, with stunning views. The cat house is a gem! The location is also great.

I am not sure if I would return, as my overall impression was spoiled, but I am still grateful for...

🌴 My spouse and I had one of the most special and high-quality vacation experiences we've ever had at Lara Barut Collection. 💫 Everything was thoughtfully planned, sincerely designed, and executed with exceptional professionalism. This wasn’t just a hotel stay — it was a true, top-tier hospitality experience. ☀️🌊

🎧 A huge thank you to the DJ girl who kept the energy alive from start to finish. Her sets elevated the sunset vibes at the beach to the max. The music choices, transitions, and her energy brought every space to life. 🪩💃🌅

🤝 Although Sinan from Reception wasn’t the one who greeted us initially, he upgraded our stay by providing a perfect room. Quiet, spacious, and exactly what we needed — it was the ideal start to our holiday. 🛏️🌟

🧼 Housekeeping (HK) Department – A heartfelt thanks to these often unsung heroes who ensured everything was spotless. ✨ Our room and all public areas were sparkling clean every single day. Fresh towels were replaced daily, beds were perfectly made, and the bathrooms were pristine. The cleanliness significantly enhanced our comfort and satisfaction. 🙌🧽🧺

👔 Karahan Bey (F&B Müdürü) – sadece bir yönetici değil, sıcakkanlı yaklaşımıyla adeta bir abi gibiydi. Onun varlığı oteldeki birçok detayın neden bu kadar kusursuz olduğunu anlamamıza yetti. Hem arka planda organize eden profesyonel bir akıl, hem de ön planda her misafirle sıcak bağ kuran nadir bir yönetici. Otelin ruhunu temsil eden isimlerden biri. 🍽️🤝👏

🍹 Koray (Mayo Beach) – His custom cocktails and respectful, polite approach made every moment by the beach a pleasure. The drink quality was excellent, but his attentive attitude was even more memorable. 🎨🍸

🍷 Yasin Kaya (Bar Chief) – The heart of the bar operation. Everything ran like clockwork thanks to his silent yet strong leadership. 🫡 👔 Teoman & Haluk (Bar Managers) – These two incredible professionals didn’t just manage the team — they set the standard. Their coordination, staff leadership, and attention to guest satisfaction made the bar one of the most consistent and enjoyable parts of the resort. 🍷👏 🍽️ Serkan (Restaurant Bar Chief) – Fast, well-organized, and solution-oriented in the restaurant bar area. His time management and friendly attitude stood out every time. 🍷⏱️😊

🍽️ Chef Harun (Kuyu Restaurant) – That evening wasn’t just dinner; it was a ceremony. The flavors, presentation, and attentiveness combined into an unforgettable dining experience. 👌✨

👨‍🍳 Chef Baran (Sushi Restaurant) – This name deserves special recognition: I’ve experienced over 50 sushi restaurants, but the dishes created by Chef Baran were by far the best. The balance of flavors, technical mastery, presentation, and attention to detail... everything was truly top-tier. 🏆🍣

🥂 Ahmet (Bartender) – A true gentleman 👔 His cocktail balance, polite conversation, and high service standards brought even more soul to the resort. 🍹💎

💖 Guest Relations (GR Team) – They were always attentive and helpful. The WhatsApp support was especially efficient and made communication effortless. 💬📱 ✨ Enes, Saida, Tuğba, and Fulya – Your patience, solution-oriented approach, and genuine kindness played a key role in making our vacation exceptional. ✨ Sahar and Merve – Your behind-the-scenes coordination, grace, and professionalism made everything run smoothly. 👏🌟

🚫 A note of honest feedback... The gentleman at the GR desk on the beach unfortunately did not meet the high service standards shown by the rest of the staff. His distant, cold, and disinterested attitude felt out of place in such a warm and welcoming atmosphere. We hope this feedback leads to positive development. 🌱

💙 A sincere thank you to the entire Lara Barut Collection family. This trip wasn’t just an escape — it was a reminder of what it means to spend time with truly professional, kind, and high-quality people. We are already looking forward to choosing this hotel again for our next...