Hotels of Kusadasi Part I – 3* & 4*

I have a confession to make. I am at a point in my life where I don’t care too much about hotels. They can be 2-star or five, the important thing for me when I travel is for it to have a  bed to sleep in and a decent bathroom. It’s not only about money. Maybe I can afford a 7-night’s stay at a five-star hotel. But why should I give so much money for a place to spend the night? I am all about exploring the place, and never spend almost any time in the hotel room (only sleeping), so I’d much rather spend that money on something like train tickets/fuel to get me to another city I want to visit, or for an entrance to a museum.

That’s what I think makes my life very difficult as a travel agent. People expect you to give advice on the hotels and that is none of my interest, honestly. I usually end up encouraging them to go outside, for a walk along the coastline or try something they’ve never done before, like parasailing.  But I had to participate in an info-trip which was all about seeing the hotels of Kusadasi from a travel agents’ point of view, so that you can sell them more easily when you get back.

There were hotel managers greeting us, showing us the best rooms they have, bragging about their business, enlightening the benefits of staying there while we took notes and photos. I am not until this day very good at selling hotels, but I thought I’d give it a shot and write short and honest reviews of the 26 hotels we saw and analyzed while in Kusadasi. I’ll also include a grade from 1 to 5 and I’ll be rating in its’ own category (3* hotels will only be compared to other three-stars hotels). The ratings will be based on whether I’d send my tourists in the respective hotel or not. Maybe someone can use the information. So here we go:

THREE-STAR HOTELS

1. ESAT Hotel – Grade: 3.9

This hotel was under renovation when we were there and was applying for four stars. It’s located in the heart of Kusadasi, close to the marina and beach. Food service is All Inclusive and there is a free shuttle service that takes you to the beach. It has a nice view from the rooms, which were pretty okay, and a panoramic view over the city from the restaurant.

Esat Hotel Kusadasi

2. Hotel FLORA SUITES – Grade: 3.9

Although it’s pretty far from the city center and the beach, free shuttle buses go around four times a day transporting tourists. I thought the rooms looked great, they were freshly renovated. The hotel has a private sandy beach section, where the umbrellas and sunbeds are free of charge. There are also two swimming pools and a basketball field next to the accommodation.

Flora Suites Kusadasi

3. GRAND ONDER – Grade 4.2

When you step inside this hotel, it’s like you’re home. I absolutely loved the way the place was decorated. It didn’t feel like a cold hotel at all, on the contrary, like a warm and welcoming friend’s house. The rooms are modest, but clean, and the view from the swimming pool is pretty cool too.

Grand Onder Kusadasi

4. PALM APART HOTEL – Grade 2

There is one pool and you can choose between bed and breakfast or half board regime. The rooms have their own kitchenette, which have pretty old furniture (the same in the room). I have to admit the hotel looked a bit messy, maybe they weren’t ready yet for full season, but I wouldn’t really send any of my tourists here. The beach is at a 5-7 minute walking distance.

Palm Apart Kusadasi

5. PIGALE BEACH Hotel – Grade 3.2

The hotel is right on the beach and has an outdoor pool as well. The sunbeds and umbrellas are free of charge on the beach. I thought the rooms were okay and clean, and you should also know that there is no one main building, but many smaller bungalow-style buildings.

Pigale Beach Hotel Kusadasi

6. SURTEL Hotel – Grade 4.5
It is a central hotel which has a very good price considering its’ position. Our group leader told us that the food is very good here, and although it doesn’t have its own private beach, the price-quality ratio is excellent.

Surtel Hotel Kusadasi

FOUR-STAR HOTELS

1. BATIHAN BEACH RESORT – Grade 4.5

We actually got to spend the night here and try the food. The rooms were very pretty and clean, the view was even more awesome. It has quite a few swimming pools, and the thing we loved most was the animation crew (we actually laughed our asses off), so be sure to check it out if you’ll stay here. It has a private sandy beach and the food is very tasty and varied.

Batihan Beach Resort Kusadasi

2. COASTLIGHT Hotel – Grade 3.8

The hotel has 78 rooms of which 60 have sea view. The rooms are pretty spacious, however the restaurant seemed too small to me. The beach is also too small and doesn’t have that delicate sand, but small rocks and boulders. Which tourists unfortunately hate, although I don’t mind at all.

Coastlight Hotel Kusadasi

 3. IMBAT Hotel – Grade 4.2

The hotel is next to one of the most beautiful beaches of Kusadasi, Lady’s Beach. It also has a small private beach, but since it’s petite, guests can go to the beach of the Grand Blue Sky 5* Hotel, because it’s under the same management. More than 100 rooms were renovated this year and look amazing. The non-renovated ones are almost the same as the new ones, except the bathroom looks a bit used, but besides that they are in great shape. There are no family rooms and no special shows for kids though.

Imbat Hotel Kusadasi

4. PANORAMA HILL HOTEL – Grade 3.2

As it’s name suggests, the Panorama Hill is nowhere near the beach. In fact, it is at a 40 minutes bus ride’s distance, compared to which the swimming pool is way too small. The hotel rooms look okay and clean, however the hallway gave me a hospital-feeling, which is never good..

Panorama Hill Hotel Kusadasi

5. SENTINUS Hotel – Grade 4.5

The hotel has a private sandy beach and beautifully arranged gardens. The rooms were stunning and although from outside it looks like a modest little hotel, it’s quite charming in a snug way. There are also two swimming pools, one for children and one for adults and it’s only 6 kilometers from the city center.

Sentinus Hotel Kusadasi

6. TATLISES Hotel – Grade 3.6

The beach is at a kilometer’s distance from the hotel and this accommodation is mostly recommended for groups. There’s no shuttle service, so guests have to take the Dolmus, local transportation system – which is a real experience in itself! The rooms seemed okay, but as you can see on the photos, it was pretty dark so we couldn’t really see that well.

Tatlises Hotel Kusadasi

7. ALISH Hotel – Grade 

The hotel is situated 100 meters from the sandy beach. It has a relatively small swimming pool and I especially hated the plastic sunbeds which I think looks awful in a 4-star hotel. All in all, the rooms were okay and it’s a big plus that the hotel has its’ own private sandy beach with free sunbeds and umbrellas for guests.

Alish Hotel Kusadasi

So tell me, what’s your take on hotels? Do you choose the very best every time or just need a place to put your head down after an exhausting but thrilling day of adventure? 

Stay tuned for part two when I’ll present the luxurious five-star hotels! 🙂

Note: this is not a publicity post, but an article based on personal opinion, not influenced in any way by either of the listed hotels. 

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