Xanadu Hotel inTurkeyWith the summer holiday's approaching, Suzanne Cohen suggests looking to Turkey for a memorable family holiday, as she experienced last year. Choosing our family holidayAlthough Turkey was not on our wish list of places to holiday (due to its high summer temperatures) we had heard so much about the Xanadu hotel in Belek we decided to find out more. With a tight budget to stick to, we were pleasantly surprised to hear that the all-inclusive resort was actually offering some reasonable packages. After comparing it to other holiday destinations, we eagerly booked our ten-night stay, excited at the thought of free-flowing food and alcohol, as well as ice-cream's for the kids.
Getting thereThe journey time is close to five hours but we were lucky to fly from Stanstead to Antalya airport direct as many flights make a stop off on the way. Our portable DVD player kept our two boys entertained and on arrival at Antalya airport we travelled in luxury to Xanadu thanks to the hotel's car service, cleverly filled with cooled bottles of water to drink. The resortHaving arrived in the late evening, we could not appreciate the full beauty of the hotel until the kids woke us up the following morning screeching in delight. Set amongst beautiful green pine forests and landscaped gardens, Xanadu is exquisite. Boasting columned walkways and Roman style pools, the five-star resort is reminiscent of ancient times. With all sorts of accommodation on offer, we opted for the family room in a bungalow which consisted of two inter-connecting rooms. FoodBeing an all-inclusive hotel, guests are not short of drink or food and if you wanted to you could eat all day. There are various restaurants within the hotel but we opted most days to dine with the kids by the poolside bar which served a delicious array of food. Whilst the kids tucked into pizzas that were readily available we stuck to the salads once we realised what lay ahead us in the evening. For at night, the central dining area turns into the most incredible buffet of food I have ever seen. As well as tables laden with every variety of food imaginable, there is several barbeque stations outside with chefs offering up different selections of fresh meats and fish. There is a separate children's eating area and by far the best bit for the kids was the endless amount of free ice-creams and slush puppies on offer. Activities and EntertainmentPool games and water sports are aplenty at Xanadu but if you want a bit of piece and quiet the hotel has a kids club and play area where you can drop the kids off. There is also a games room with snooker, bowling and computer games. The hotel has its own cinema and amphitheatre which turned into a kids disco at night. On certain nights of the week it is is also used to stage amazing productions such as The Lion King which the kids loved, despite the constant annoyance of mosquitos. Price guideApprox price for a family of four staying in the summer for 10 days is £3,250 in a bungalow family room. OverallI cannot fault Xanadu at all as it is the ideal holiday for families. Even though we did not venture outside the resort I believe there is plenty to see if you like a bit of culture. The only thing I would suggest is not to visit in August as the soaring heat was uncomfortable at times, although the hotel and bedrooms are air-conditioned.Find out more:
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