IC Santai - Belek, Turkey 

When only considering the lobby and outside of the hotel, this hotel would be 5 stars. These areas are well developed and extremely enjoyable. The rooms, however need some additional attention. Despite the fact that we were in a junior suite, the room was disappointingly basic. In fact, the only things that would suggest the room was a suite were the view and the bath robes. Air conditioning was an issue all over the hotel. It was evident that they were attempting to conserve electricity, which is a positive thing, it was, however at the expense of their guests. Elevators and many of the other indoor areas were unbearably hot. The Belek area in general caters to Russian clientele, so if you go expect limited English speaking skills. Food at the hotel is abundant and there are a variety of places to eat including some themed restaurants (Italian, Sushi, etc.) , but be prepared to only be allowed to eat at the themed restaurants 3 times during a week long stay. So, a majority of your meals will be at the buffet. Another downfall is that many of the restaurants are two restaurants in one; for example, the Mexican and the Chinese restaurants are together - a little odd if you ask me. There is an unfurtunately small amount of Turkish food served at the hotel, which may partially be due to the large number of Russian guests since it appears to cater mostly to them. If you do go, don't overlook the Turkish Bath. It's a worthwhile experience. The pool area was incredible although the "swim up bar" is not actually a swim up bar. It just happens to be in the pool area. The beach does not appear to be originally a sand beach as along the shoreline and in the water is entirely rock while the upper part of the beach is brown sand that we believe the hotel brought in. Overall, we had a very relaxing and enjoyable stay, however, in hind-sight, we would have chosen a different location - most likely Side rather than Belek.

We spent 4 glorious days at the IC Santai. Everything is included in the room rate except for the special restaurants and spa treatments. However, the Turkish cuisine in the dining room is so delicious I don't know why you would want to eat anywhere else. Everything was fresh and plentiful and each day the variety changed. Service, beginning with registration and fruit drink, was impeccable. Our room was most comfortable with a view of the water and balcony. A welcome tray with wine and fruit arrived shortly after check-in. The hotel was immaculately clean. We arrived in Turkey just when the new non-smoking law was enacted which made an evening in the disco lots of fun with breathable air. There were plenty of lounge chairs and shaded areas at the beach.