We wanted to treat ourselves to a nice one-week vacation in the off-season, as we didn't have any children and just wanted to go away as a couple. At the travel agency, Turkey was recommended to us for September, as it is still nice and warm in this region. When choosing a hotel, we stated that we like to be active during the day; my husband wanted to play tennis and I like large water landscapes for swimming. In the end, we decided on the Hotel Club Ali Bey Belek, which had its own tennis center with a coach and a large aquapark. At that time, it was the newest club in the Ali Bey chain. Here are our experiences:
The Hotel Club Ali Bey Belek (5 stars)
The club was located about 35 km from the airport and 45 km from Antalya. The 130,000 sqm complex, which was located directly by the sea, was truly a dream. Domed buildings in the Ottoman-Seljuk style, hand-painted tiles, and woodwork decorating the guest houses transformed everything into a small dream city. Everything was still very new and beautifully landscaped. I especially liked that the 452 rooms were not housed in a huge complex, but in one- to two-story guest houses. In between lay a beautiful park area that flowed into the pool landscapes.
Our room had a balcony and air conditioning, was very large, clean, and really nice; there was nothing to complain about.
The hotel had two pools, one of which was a quiet pool. The second pool, including a children's pool, was wonderfully laid out and nicely large. Sun loungers, cushions, and parasols were free of charge; bath towels were available for a fee.
In the air-conditioned main restaurant, the food was served buffet-style. We had full board, where food and drinks were included at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. During the day, you could buy drinks at the bar or in the Turkish café (which included a play corner).
During the day, there was animation and sports activities all day long. The hotel had its own tennis center with 28 top tennis courts. My husband took a tennis course here, where he and one other person had their own tennis instructor and were able to learn a lot.
In the evenings, there were various events and shows, as well as an open-air disco.
The beach of the Ali Bey Belek Hotel
The hotel had a long, wide beach that consisted mainly of sand and a little gravel. There were two bathing piers for entering; to the left and right of the pier, you could walk slowly into the sea with a shallow slope. In my opinion, the beach is ideal for children. Sun loungers, cushions, and parasols were free and available in sufficient numbers.
Windsurfing, water skiing, and parasailing, as well as banana boat and jet skiing, were also offered on the beach, all for an extra fee.
The Aquapark
The highlight of the vacation: On 15,000 sqm, there was everything a (water slide) heart could desire. 5 activity pools with 8 slides for adults (2 twisters, freefall, kamikaze, rafting, multislide, black hole, and galaxy) and 3 pools with 10 slides for children (0-2 years, 3-6 years, and 7-12 years). Furthermore, there was a sand pool, various figures: turtles, pirate ship, etc. Then there were 3 jacuzzis for 10 people, water massages, water beds, and rainforests.
In the aquapark, there was also a restaurant and a bar where we as hotel guests could also have our lunch.
Conclusion
The hotel and the grounds were really very beautiful, and we liked them very much. Only the restaurant in the main building was less successful. It echoed, and since mainly families with children were vacationing here, it was always very, very loud. The food was also very child-oriented, and I was a little disappointed that there were very few Turkish specialties here, but rather fries and spaghetti. It is really very geared towards families; we noticed that on the first day at the large buggy parking lot in front of the restaurant. The tennis center and the aquapark are brilliant; we spent beautiful hours here, and I am already looking forward to showing my children the aquapark. For us, it was a nice vacation, one week was just right, and with the aquapark and tennis center, it was a successful vacation.
Photos by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
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