Today, based on the reviews of tourists, we will consider the Turkish hotel Alara hotels kum 5. Let's talk about the services that provide guests, describe the territory and, most importantly, consider the advantages and disadvantages of the hotel.
Where is it?
The Alara kum 5 hotel belongs to the Alara Hotels chain, which in addition to it includes five more complexes located on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. The nearest airport accepting international flights - Antalya - is 108 kilometers away. The nearest city to the Alara kum 5hotel - Alanya (Turkey) - which is in high demand among Russian tourists, is located only 28 kilometers from it. A few kilometers from the establishment is the warmest village on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey - Avsallar, protected by mountains from strong winds. The Alara kum hotel 5is located in the village of Incekum, which is most often chosen for recreation by people looking for clean air, a beautiful comfortable beach and solitude. Transfer from Antalya airport to the hotel takes an average of 2-3 hours.
Hotel address: D-400 Kadessi, Incekum village, Avsallar, Alanya, Turkey.
Hotel Description
Hotel Alara kum 5 (Turkey)was built in 2005. A complete renovation took place in 2011. The hotel is located 150 meters from the sea (on the second coastline), has an area of about 11 thousand square meters. It consists of two buildings - the main 6-storey building, which includes 2 blocks, and the 5-storey one with 25 rooms. The entire free part of the hotel is surrounded by green gardens. The air is filled with coniferous smells of the mountain forest and the sea breeze brought by a light breeze.
Description of rooms
The hotel has 232 rooms of different categories: 19 standard rooms (23 sq. m., accommodation - 2 + 1 people (extra bed - folding bed)), 2 rooms for people with disabilities (23 sq. m. m, capacity - 2 people), 4 suites (two-room suites without doors with a total area of 40 sq. m with individual design, a capacity of 3 + 1 people) and 27 family rooms (two-room suites with a door between the bedroom and the hall, with a total area of 33 sq.. m, with a capacity of 3 + 1 people (2 beds and a sofa)).
All rooms are modern in design and have a balcony with chairs and tables. Each room has a bathroom with all the necessary toiletries, central (in the main building) or individual (in the second building) air conditioning, telephone in the main and bathroom, hairdryer, TV with a Russian channel, safe and mini-bar (the use of the latter is for additional fee).
The furniture in the rooms is new, but there are complaints about old mattresses in which springs bulge or are broken, and pillows,feather in which strayed into lumps. The showers in the main building are in good condition, while those in the second are often moldy and poorly waterproofed. Also, many tourists warn that slippers are not issued in this hotel.
When choosing rooms at the Alara kum hotel 5, reviews recommend staying on the 3rd-5th floor, away from the disco, where it can be too noisy in the evenings. Also, tourists note that this hotel may not be suitable for allergy sufferers and asthmatics, as all rooms are carpeted.
Food
As in many hotels in Turkey, in Alara kum hotel 5- "all inclusive". The hotel has 2 restaurants and 4 bars in a relatively small area.
The main restaurant "Cleopatra" operates on a buffet basis. Breakfast - until 10 am, they offer muesli, scrambled eggs, cereals and breakfast cereals, milk, a small assortment of cold cuts, bread and greens. Until 10.30 late breakfast is available. Lunch - from 12.00 to 14.00, on the tables - 2-3 types of soups, several meat dishes (beef, chicken and turkey), 2-3 types of fish, vegetables (fresh and in the form of salads), several types of side dishes (usually noodles, potatoes, vegetable stew and porridge), for dessert - watermelons, melons, plums, peaches or apples, sometimes bananas and oranges (depending on seasonality). Dinner - from 19.00 to 21.00, the assortment of dishes is the largest for the whole day: several types of side dishes, 5-6 meat and fish dishes each (in addition to the lunch menu, there are dishes from the liver, lamb and crayfish), dairy products (yogurts, milk, kefir, cheese), several types of salads, vegetables andfruits.
According to tourists, the food does not correspond to the five stars of the Alara kum hotel 5. Reviews warn of monotonous, not always tasty food, the same thing is served for breakfast every day, for lunch salads and some dishes of the cold table are weathered and stale, in the evening you have to take a table 20 minutes before dinner, otherwise it will take 20-25 minutes hold in line. The most delicious dishes are prepared in the grill bar near the main restaurant, but there is only one brazier, so you need to wait 20-30 minutes for the order to be cooked. There are also many complaints about poorly washed dishes and stains on tablecloths and linen napkins. Dietary and children's meals are almost non-existent.
From the pros - efficient and polite waiters, delicious grill menu (there are dishes from meat, fish and vegetables).
Once during your stay at the hotel, by appointment, you can visit the fish or Asian restaurants operating on the "a la carte" system (choice of dishes from the menu) free of charge. Most tourists write that the dishes in the Asian restaurant are all too spicy, richly seasoned with spices. The fish restaurant offers an excellent varied menu, fish and seafood dishes are always fresh, tasty, beautifully served. The atmosphere in the restaurant is conducive to a leisurely pleasant dinner, accompanied by pleasant relaxing music.
Cafe "Visiting Marilyn", located near the night bar of the Alara kum hotel 5(Incekum, Turkey), will delight visitors with delicious oriental sweets, cakes, pastries,cupcakes and cookies. From 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., everyone can drink tea or real Turkish coffee and enjoy sweets, which, by the way, are always fresh and tasty here.
Between meals, you can have a snack, drink tea, juice or something from alcoholic drinks in one of the four bars that are located in the hotel lobby, on the balcony, on the beach and near the pool. In the bars near the pool and on the beach from 14 to 16 you can eat Turkish cakes and eat ice cream. All bars offer guests juices, water, soda, cola, beer, whiskey, cognac, martini, wine, sometimes tequila, there is no imported alcohol. After 10 pm and until 6 am there is an Irish bar located near the cafe, which has a more extensive alcohol card, bartenders make a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails for every taste. From 10 to 24 all drinks in bars are free, after 24 you can drink something only for a fee.
Services
Like any other hotel, Alara hotels kum 5 provides paid and free services to its guests.
Rooms are cleaned daily for free, bed linen and towels are changed 2 times a week, free Wi-Fi in the lobby with good speed (during the day you can freely watch movies and chat on Skype, in the evening the speed drops significantly), upon arrival they provide one bottle of drinking water per person. Each room has a safe for storing money and documents, at the reception you can leave things in the storage room. There is also a small fridge in every room.convenient to store fruits and sweets bought at the market or in the store.
Umbrellas and sun loungers are installed on the beach and near the pool, beach towels are provided free of charge once a day. At the bar by the pool, you can enjoy delicious sundaes at lunchtime.
Children under 3 years old are provided free of charge baby cots in rooms and chairs in restaurants, children over 4 years old can use the kids club and mini disco.
Small nuances about the free services of the Alara kum 5 hotel. Reviews of tourists warn that the rooms are cleaned qualitatively only when you leave a $ 1 tip, hygiene items are replenished after the maid reminds you of this. Drinking water is given free of charge only upon arrival, then it can be bottled in coolers installed in bars, or bought in stores or on the market (which is cheaper). To get beach towels, you have to argue with the hammam worker (who also gives out towels), who insists on paying for the bath before giving you what you want.
For an additional fee, you can use the mini-bar, give things to the laundry, invite a Russian-speaking doctor, go to a beauty salon, hairdresser, hammam or spa. On the territory of the hotel Alara hotels kum 5there are small shops with goods necessary for the rest and souvenir shops. Also, for a fee, parents, going on a romantic dinner or on an excursion, can leave the child in the care of an experienced nanny.
Tourists warn that the laundry,apparently, they do not always adhere to the necessary washing regimes indicated on the labels of clothes, since sometimes clothes are returned stretched, with small holes or shrunken by one or two sizes. There are also many complaints about the rudeness and rudeness of the hammam worker. On the positive side, the prices in these retail outlets on the territory of the hotel are reasonable, often they are lower than in other stores in the village.
Beach
Alara kum 5 hotel (Alanya) is located on the 2nd coastline. The beach is about 150 meters away; for the convenience and safety of the guests, an underground passage through the tunnel is organized. The hotel has its own small beach on the Incekum public beach, one of the best on the entire Turkish coast.
A beach with fine white sand without a single pebble. The entry into the sea is very convenient, smooth, at the bottom there is sand and small smooth pebbles. The sea is always clean and transparent in any weather (even with a small storm). Tourists in their reviews call the hotel's beach ideal, it is suitable for families with small children.
On the shore there are sun loungers with mattresses and umbrellas, towels are issued once a day. You can choose sunbeds closer to the sea under the sun or a little further, but under an awning that protects from scorching rays. There is a bar with fruits, soft drinks, juices, light alcohol (beer, low-alcohol cocktails), in the afternoon you can have a snack with cakes, ice cream and fruit salads. The bar is open from 10 to 17. Lifeguards are on the beach.
From the minuses - locals often go to the beachresidents who leave behind a lot of garbage and cigarette butts, so in the evening it can be dirty and uncomfortable on the sea coast. There are also complaints about broken sunbeds, as well as the fact that there are not always enough sun loungers and you have to take them early in the morning.
Pools
Alara hotels kum 5 has two outdoor pools for adults (one with a shallow area and water slides for children), one indoor pool with water heated during the cold season and one children's pool.
Near the pools for adults there are sunbeds with mattresses and umbrellas, a mini-bar. It is recommended to borrow sun loungers immediately after breakfast, as there are not many of them and there are not enough for everyone.
Some parents are frustrated that there are no lifeguards or staff around the pool with slides to keep the kids safe.
Holidays with children
One of the most popular places for summer holidays with children is Turkey. Alara kum 5 will help organize fun holidays for little guests.
For children under 3 years old, cots are provided in rooms and high chairs in restaurants. For babies, you can invite a professional babysitter if parents need to leave.
Children from 4 to 11 years old can have fun in the mini-club, where they can sculpt, draw, make crafts and even put on costume shows with the help of animators.
Contests are held daily for children, various games and fun are held, they arrange a mini disco in the amphitheater.
In addition, on the territory of the Alara kum hotel 5(Incekum, Turkey) near the pool with slides there is a playground that will appeal to the youngest guests. There are swings, a carousel, a slide, fabulous children's houses and a large sandbox, which has all the necessary items to create beautiful castles.
Adult Leisure
Adults will also find something to do. In the morning, animators perform water aerobics in the pool, and gymnastics with yoga elements on the beach. After lunch, you can go to fitness or play tennis (after sunset, at the request of the guests, court lighting is turned on for an additional fee). In the afternoon, you can play table tennis or practice your marksmanship with a game of darts. Guests can also use the sauna, which is open from 12 to 22 hours.
You can play volleyball on the beach, a large area allows you to organize real competitions between hotels.
After dinner, the amphitheater hosts a disco with an evening show program: performances of fakirs, oriental dances, comedy shows, contests and much more.
Guests note that the animation in the hotel is unobtrusive, but there are complaints about its monotony and inexpressiveness, as well as the vulgarity of the comedy show.
Tours
Turkey is attractive not only for beach holidays. Alara kum hotel 5has its own tour desk offering a wide range of trips. The most popular are jeep tours, a trip to the white city - Pamukkale - and to the Church of St. Nicholas (with a walk on a yacht over the sunken city), seaa park (a show of fur seals and dolphins, a pool filled with water from the Red Sea and its inhabitants) and shopping tours where you can buy Turkish textiles and leather items at a bargain.
On the beach there is an excursion bureau "Zahara", the choice of trips is about the same as in the hotel, the prices are slightly lower. If you take several excursions at once, then they make discounts.
Helpful tips
Many tourists in their reviews leave small recommendations for those who are going to this hotel.
Firstly, a warning to those who are going to travel with children under 3 years old - think in advance what the child will eat, as there is practically no dietary food in the restaurant. Most of the meals are either too fatty for these babies or heavily spiced.
Secondly, take a room in the main building, away from the disco, otherwise it will be difficult to fall asleep because of the loud music.
Thirdly, if you go to the hammam, then do not pay attention to the obsessive offers of employees to purchase any services for an additional fee: the quality of these services leaves much to be desired, and the amounts are quite considerable.
Fourthly, it is better to take sun loungers on the beach and near the pool early (you can before breakfast) so that later there will be no unpleasant surprises in the form of a bad place or a broken sunbed.
Fifthly, it is better to take not two, but three vouchers with you, since the first one will be picked up at the hotel, the second - in the "Anex-tour", this voucher can be returned only ifbuy a tour from them, which is more expensive than in other places.
And finally. Excursions are advised to take on the beach: prices are lower, excursions are longer. The exception is a trip in jeeps (cars are old, often break down and the program of this excursion in the "Anex-tour" is more interesting and richer).
Alara hotels kum 5, according to many tourists, does not correspond to the stars assigned to it. The main advantage of this institution is a magnificent beach and a close location to the coniferous mountains. But there are many complaints about the rudeness of the staff, poor cleaning in the rooms and the monotonous menu. If you are going to Turkey for a beach holiday and excursions, this hotel is perfect for these purposes, but if you are planning a first-class ultra all-inclusive holiday, then you should pay attention to other hotels.
