Parkim Ayaz

A long review, just because I want to be fair and honest in my opinions of the Parkim Ayaz so that others know what to expect.

Positives This hotel is IMMACULATE - the cleanest hotel we have stayed in over the last 20 years and we have been to 5star and budget hotels. The location was perfect for us - as a first time visitor to the Parkim you arrive in 'the strip' (Brighton on steroids) right outside the hotel front door - DONT BE PUT OFF. The hotel is a huge place with the rooms behind the main building and remarkably the noise from the street is really not a problem as when your doors are closed you can not hear it. It can be loud until around midnight but if your doors are closed it really can't be heard. Our room was 1305 almost at the front of the hotel nearer the strip, and it was fine. Our room was lovely, huge, great partial sea view overlooking the Cozzy Beach pool. Big super king size bed, with an additional room off the main room with a double sofa bed which we did not request or need. Tea/Coffee facilities, good kettle, and replenished stock as needed (the stock is left outside each block so you help yourself to it, loo rolls, water, coffee sugar etc). Towels and cleaning every day unless you put your sign on the door to say do not disturb. Plenty of toilets around the building which are all regularly checked and cleaned and even the toilets nearest the beach were clean. The beach is just outside the back of the hotel with sunbeds and umbrellas and tables (no charge) and there are security staff on every entrance into the hotel checking that only those with a wrist band are entering the hotel and grounds. There is parking on site if you hire a car. Staff - they can not do enough for you, happy, smiling, friendly and look like they are enjoying their job. They do this even before you have given them a tip. They all look smart and clean and will answer any query you have with a smile. Security guard on beach entrance was exceptionally helpful when my husband had a medical emergency - he helped me and called for the doctor (hubby was fine) but he was there in seconds helping, as were other guests on the beach. Thank you to all that helped.

WIFI worked well even on the beach

Drinks - mega strong and we had to ask for 'small alcohol' in cocktails as they were far too strong to be nice. I have added this in negatives too but I guess some people may like strong drinks but there was half a glass of vodka in my cocktail which I found very unpleasant.

Negative The bed although huge was rock hard. So hard that I asked for 3 extra blankets to put under the sheet, on top of the two I had already got from the wardrobe . This is generally normal in Turkey, but was a huge let down as my priories on holiday are a comfortable bed and good food.

Food, bit of a strange set up here - so the main restaurant is outside the exit on to the back and walk past Denny's Steak House and then into the security gate to the other part of the hotel. I am sure there would have been a cut through but this was how we got there. I have reviewed Denny's separately as they are independent and not part of the main hotel. The food was awful - if you prefer salads and meats and cheese then you are fine. We went for breakfast on day 1, there is an omelette/eggs station which of course would deliver hot food, but there was no toaster or microwave. My husband ate bread and butter, I went without. We went for lunch to see if the offerings were improved but whilst there was a lot of 'hot' food on offer, none was even luke warm. We found the chips counter and even these were cold - however I noticed a huge tray of raw liver sat on the counter beside the cooked chips ! Maybe the chef left it there by mistake but it was on the 'hot food' serving area getting warm (nothing got hot) . I found some potato dish and some chicken in sauce but it wasn't even warm so we never ate there again.

Sun Beds Pool and Beach - we were facing the beach and as the sun rose just before 06.30 we watch people in the dusk, putting towels on beds! this happened around the pool too, and people would reserve beds, and then not reappear for half the day. There isn't really a shortage of beds, but as the Denny's Restaurant also has a small private section for their customers it is divided into two parts with Denny's in the middle section. Staff should not be allowing this to happen and there should be a policy in place to prevent this. The beach would have no beds left by 8.30 most days.

I feel the staff could do more to manage the binge drinking of some of the guests - we watched over the Cozzy Pool and a couple brought an inflatable Beer Pong game to play, and for 4hrs played drinking games in the pool, roping in others. Initially not a problem, adult fun, but this pool was for children too. The wife became so drunk she almost fell backward into the pool when trying to get out, and then promptly threw up all over the patio/sun bed area and then passed out for another 2hrs. Meanwhile her husband continued to replenish 20 cups of alcohol each game in the pool for hours. Drink was being thrown in the pool and the bar tender just kept on serving it. This should have been stopped, their loud alcohol fuelled games for the whole afternoon spoiled the day for others. His wife woke up, looked at the vomit and just walked off and left it there for the cleaners to hose down!

We have decided that All Inclusive is not for us, if it wasn't for the pain killers for the back, and Denny's and Mistral Steak restaurants the holiday would have been awful.

I give me score not on the tourists who were loud and greedy and ruined things for others, but on the accommodation food and amenities. (I can't blame Parkim Ayaz for greedy rude tourists) but maybe their staff could manage some of the issues better.

Once you check out your access to WIFI stops - be careful if you rely on the WIFI. Once checked out there is a luggage room with scales, a shower and you can keep using the facilities until you leave. Would I come again - probably note because I have been to Gumbet 3 times now, but if the bed had been comfortable and a microwave or hotter food then possibly as the hotel is beautiful, the location is great and the staff are amazing.

We stayed at Parkim Ayaz from 19th–29th September, having stayed here previously, and honestly, I didn’t think I could enjoy it more than I did the first time — but somehow, I did! From the moment we arrived, the whole experience was absolutely brilliant. The staff are phenomenal and genuinely go above and beyond to make your stay enjoyable. Nothing seemed like too much trouble, and there was always someone around willing to help. The food deserves a special mention, particularly from someone who is an extremely picky eater! 😂 I usually really struggle with food at all-inclusive hotels, but there genuinely wasn’t a single day where I couldn’t find something I enjoyed — and most days there were numerous things I liked. There was plenty of choice and I was really impressed. The grounds are stunning and immaculately maintained, and the facilities throughout the hotel are brilliant. Everything is clean, well looked after and has a really lovely atmosphere. Our room was slightly on the small side, but we had booked a promo room, so we weren’t expecting anything particularly large. For what we paid, we were more than happy with it. A huge thank you to the lovely lady who looked after our room 1505, just as you come out of the main foyer. I didn’t catch her name, unfortunately, but she was absolutely wonderful. Our room was always looked after beautifully, and she was such a lovely, friendly lady. Thank you so much! ❤️ The dining room staff were exceptional, particularly Vesap and the two young lads called Ali. Both Alis were absolutely unbelievable with us. They couldn’t have done more. Whether it was getting drinks, clearing plates, checking whether we needed anything or simply being attentive and making sure we were looked after, they were constantly on the ball. Nothing was ever too much trouble and they really did make our dining experience even better. They deserve a massive thank you! The cleaning staff throughout the rest of the hotel were also fantastic, and generally speaking, the whole team deserve credit for how well the hotel is maintained. The location was absolutely ideal in that you step out of the hotel and onto a street with plenty of bars, restaurants, and shopping! And at the back you step right onto the beach... What more could you ask for?! There were only two things I would mention, and neither would stop me from returning. The first was the noise in the area where our room was located. It wasn’t really noise from people being loud or partying — it was mainly doors being slammed by other guests and occasionally the maids. Some doors were shut so forcefully that it would actually shake our door and wake us up during the night. It happened several times, so this was definitely the only genuine issue we had with the room/location. I think something as simple as reminding guests and staff to be mindful when closing doors, particularly during the night, could make a big difference. The second was an experience at reception on our final day. My mum unfortunately lost her all-inclusive wristband and when we went to get a replacement, the response from one member of reception staff was quite disappointing. We were made to feel as though we were being accused of deliberately cutting the band off and giving it to someone else, and comments were made along the lines of what would happen if it happened again. The whole interaction felt unnecessarily accusatory and judgmental, particularly given that it was an honest mistake on our final day. It was a shame because the rest of the staff had been so lovely. But honestly, those are my only criticisms. Overall, Parkim Ayaz is a fantastic hotel with beautiful grounds, brilliant facilities, amazing food and, most importantly, some genuinely wonderful staff. We had an unreal 10 days and enjoyed ourselves even more than we did on our previous visit. I would absolutely recommend this hotel and, without a doubt, I would return again. A huge thank you to everyone at Parkim Ayaz who made our stay so enjoyable. ❤️ See you again! 🇹🇷❤️