Maritim Grand Azur - Fabulous hotel
by TripAdvisor Member chriss132
We have just returned from Marmaris, our first time in Turkey. We went half board at Maritim Grand Azur Hotel. The hotel was fabulous. Definitely looked the nicest hotel on the beach front. Our room had just been refurbished so was brand new - a bit of refurbishment still going on - but looked like it should be finished soon. Definitely worth paying the extra for a pool/sea view. The hotel was spotless and the staff all excellent and very friendly. Spa very nice. Drinks dearer in hotel but at least you can drink in peace there without being hassled. Hotel Beach Bar - food is excellent - would recommend this for lunches/snacks. Main restaurant - at least 7 different courses cooked outside each evening - absolutely gorgeous. Bread, salads, soups, mezes, desserts (far too much to remember) all buffet style inside (everywhere very very clean as well). Breakfasts also excellent.
Hotel attracts and mostly caters for couples/friends (had two 18 year old lads with us - didn't see anyone else that age in the hotel). There were a couple of younger families as well - but was beginning of season so may be different in the summer.
About 10 - 15 minute walk to bars/karaoke bars etc. The problem is you cannot walk anywhere here without being hassled by bar owners/shopkeepers and they don't take no for an answer! The market is even worse - prices advertised in £ but asked to pay in Lira at inflated prices so be careful. Money exchange short changed us as well so make sure they count money out in front of you as this is quite common I believe - just changed money in hotel after that. Also we were overcharged in a few bars as in many you just get your bill at the end of the night and its hard to prove what you have actually had. One bar told us they prided themselves in being one of the bars on the beachfront that don't rip you off!
Went to Bar Street once which is brilliant for the younger ones (try and find and join in the Thomas Cook bar crawl on a Sunday and Wednesday night as they are good fun. Again unfortunately have to pay over the odds for drinks (10 Lira for a bottle of beer - outside Bar Street they cost no more that 4 Lira a bottle).
Saying that, get the dolmus into Marmaris harbour which is beautiful with many cruise ships stopping there and lots of lovely cafes to sit and watch the world go by! The scenery is gorgeous and there are loads of boat trips to go on but always haggle to get them cheaper. The lads went on the quad biking trip (£23.00 each through rep - a bit dearer than on the beach front but they were fully insured - our rep said some say they are insured but are not really). They loved it and would definitley recommend this.
Icmeler is also very lovely and a bit quieter than Marmaris.
Overall, the hotel was fantastic but I would not return to Turkey as although everone is really friendly I don't like to feel I am being constanty ripped off as it puts a bit of a dampener on things. Listening to other holidaymakers that have been to quiter places in Turkey, the hassling etc. doesn't seem to go on as much there as in Marmaris - maybe because it's the main holiday resort.
I would just say enjoy it but be on your guard when you go out and be realistic about why everyone is being so friendly towards you.
A Wonderful Week
by TripAdvisor Member maggiemills
Just back from the Maritim Grand Azur 7th - 14th May and thoroughly enjoyed it although I would say it was a very good 4* not 5*. Everyone very friendly, including the Reception staff. Rooms were very clean and I'm convinced the sheets, or at least the pillowcases, were changed every day ! There was no mini bar charge, no safety deposit charge and no charge for towels and mattresses by the pool or the private beach which is something we have always had to pay for in other hotels.
The food at breakfast is very good (I would agree, though, about the bacon !). The variety at dinner was excellent and the salads and deserts are absolutely brilliant.
My only grumble is of some guests (mainly Germans) being treated differently i.e. having their specific table reserved in the evening and at breakfast time and the staff running after them like bees to the honey pot !!!!
I would definitely recommend this hotel and also recommend the VIP Cruise Day which we booked through our Rep where there are only about 20 people on-board with plenty of sunloungers - a great day out.
Nice Hotel BUT...
by TripAdvisor Member SurreyPaul
Where to start?
This was our 4th trip to Turkey in the last 8 years so I guess you could say we've grown to like the place. Unfortunately our stay at the Maritim Grand Azur turned out to be the worst of our visits to Turkey but it wasn't all down to the hotel. Anyone thinking of visiting Marmaris (or indeed Turkey itself) should read on...
I hope our criticism's act as a guide for would be visitors to Marmaris and are constructive for the locals and hotel itself.
Firstly, the hotel is very nice in general. The pool is excellent, the place is very clean and you can't really fault the hotel a great deal.
If I was going to pick holes it would be the food, which looks very grand, but after three or four days everything just seems to taste the same! After 5 days we chose to eat out just to get a feeling of something different inside us!
However, the hotel aside, what concerned us more than anything about the area was the constant and quite harsh hassling, rudeness and outright blatant sexual harrassment of the girls. My Daughter is 15 and was touched inappropriately twice inside different shops, and the constant rude inudendo was hard to take. Even my 11 year old was the focus of unwanted attention on a couple of occassions.
Tourism appears to be down in Marmaris and the locals asked me why on at least half a dozen occassions. I told them straight. Many of the local men are rude, hassling perverts. Nothing less I'm afraid. And frankly, its no wonder the Brits in particular are deserting the place in their droves.
The local traffic is also a nightmare. Take a taxi or bus at your peril, and hire a vehicle with a death wish. Seriously, its a scary, scary place to be on board anything. Even your feet.
I feel sad saying these things about Turkey. 4 visits in 8 years says something, but this was atrocious. As far as I'm concerned, the Turks need to join the 21st century where hassling passers by the the point of following them down the road, and touching up teenage girls is simply NOT the way to endear yourself to World of tourism.
Finally, even at a 5* Hotel, (and yes, we do come from London) you still got the same old (and so boring) "hello Del Boy" every day. Frankly, at a 5* hotel the staff need to learn some manners and appreciate that people do not appreciate being targeted because they come from one particular area of country. Don't they realise that they are treating us badly, insulting us and are just plain crass? Or maybe they'd like it if we referred to them all as "Mehmet the Kebab salesman"?
Turkey... beautiful country, some nice people, nice food, lovely beaches, reasonable prices... but I'm afraid, still a century or two behind Europe. EU membership? Not on this showing... What a shame.
Excellent
by TripAdvisor Member danyelle_tovey
We have just returned from a week at in Turkey and this hotel. I have to be honest Turkey would not have been out first choice but what asuprise it turned out to be. The hotel is fantatsic the rooms are spacious and airy with great views of mountains, sea dn the pool.
We are extremely fussy eaters but the food was a amazing with a great choice of fresh fruit and I mean fresh.
Pool was great with a lazy river which was hours of fun for us I must say. We would also recommed a terksih massage in the hotel the spa was value for money and a great experience.
What more can say great great great. We are not easily pleased but this place was well worth the money.
5 star???
by TripAdvisor Member chewed
Good points;
The food,the rooms(although we stayed in a suite), the food,the pools,the food, the free sun loungers, the food,the weather, the food, the genuine friendliness of the staff, the food!
Bad points;
Those yellow bands they put on your wrist to signify 'all inclusive',limited use of all inclusive at the beach bar, lack of entertainment at night (just background music while you dine),the bad manners of the Turks and Russians, the way the staff treat you like royalty when you cut the yellow band off on the last night and have to pay for your drinks!
The bad points are what makes this hotel a good 3 star, possibly 4 star at best.We stayed there from the 6th to 14th Aug 2007. Overall, we (2 adults and a 3 and 4 year old) had a good time there but we went out walking after dinner to find entertainment at other hotels. Talking to other English families, some had real horror stories to tell, our worst episode was drinking in the Beach bar on the first night, then realising it wasn't covered by all inclusive...not the end of the world.
The one outstanding point of the holiday was the food....so much choice, fresh, cooked in front of you, I didn't see anyone in the a la carte restaurant at all
Would I go back there?....Yes
Forum Posts
grand azur hotel
by patun
does anybody visited grand azur hotel marmaris?
Re: grand azur hotel
by marimar_72
yes i have,it`s a nice comfortable hotel,not too fancy,but really clean,with in walking distance to the beach front and it has many restaurants near by.
have fun
marimar_72
