BC Spa Hotel

We booked BC Spa Hotel Dalyan through Expedia/Loveholidays, specifically paying for a Double Deluxe room. Unfortunately, that is not the room we were given on arrival.

Instead, we were put into a much more basic duplex/budget room, which was shabby and clearly not what we had booked. We were told the room we had booked had been given to somebody else. We then had to wait 17 hours before finally getting the room category we had actually paid for.

What made the situation even more frustrating was that it appeared the problem was already known before we arrived. When the night receptionist handed over to the receptionist the following morning, she immediately said, “Yes, I know about your booking.” So this wasn’t something that suddenly came to light when we checked in.

We were then given several different explanations about what had gone wrong. At different points, we were told the hotel’s booking system hadn’t recognised the room category from the booking agent, that it was an issue with Expedia/Loveholidays, and that the guests in the room hadn’t checked out, meaning we couldn’t move until the following day.

Whatever the actual reason, it certainly felt as though the hotel had either overbooked or incorrectly allocated our room, and we were simply left to deal with the consequences.

There was no duty manager available. We appreciate it was a Sunday and that everyone needs a day off, but having worked in hospitality ourselves and being well travelled, we would expect someone to take responsibility for resolving a problem of this nature.

The receptionist did deal with us, but unfortunately we also felt that we were being fobbed off, particularly as the explanation seemed to change. We don’t blame reception for creating the original problem, but we did expect clearer communication, accountability and someone more senior to take ownership.

There was no offer of a refund for the difference in room price, despite us being given a lower-category room for a significant part of our stay. There wasn’t even an offer of a complimentary drink or any other small gesture to acknowledge the inconvenience. And to be clear, we’re not looking for freebies — it’s the lack of acknowledgement and ownership that was disappointing.

Most importantly, it left us feeling that once we’d arrived, our inconvenience simply wasn’t a priority.

The hotel itself

I appreciate everyone has different expectations, but we come to Turkey regularly and have stayed in plenty of hotels with fewer stars than this. Don’t be fooled by the 4-star rating. The overall standard certainly doesn’t feel like a 4-star hotel.

The hotel is looking tired and run down, with cracks and exposed/open cables that shouldn’t really be visible in a hotel of this supposed standard. Perhaps some of this is because we are towards the end of the season, or perhaps standards have slipped, but either way it doesn’t give the impression of a well-maintained 4-star property.

The breakfast is very basic. We are regular visitors to Turkey and are very familiar with Turkish breakfasts, so this isn’t a case of simply not knowing what to expect. The choice was still disappointing. Coffee was either from an urn and incredibly strong/thick, almost like treacle, or cheap instant coffee. There were no juices. There was a reasonable selection of salads, which looked lovely if you’re happy with cheese and salad, but overall the breakfast was underwhelming.

We were also told at 9:15am that breakfast finished at 10am and that we should be quick because they would soon be packing everything away. Not exactly the relaxed breakfast experience you expect on holiday.

There was no kettle in the room, and if you value a comfortable night’s sleep, you might want to bring your own pillow.

Our first night was particularly awful. After everything that had happened with the room, we were so frustrated that we barely slept. We were in a small, hot room with a noisy air-conditioning unit positioned directly above the bed.

The biggest disappointment is that we simply never got the chance to unpack, settle in and relax. We spent the first part of our holiday dealing with the room issue, waiting around and trying to get what we had actually paid for. That’s really not how you want to start a holiday.

The positives

• Close to the town and restaurants
• Two swimming pools
• Plenty of sunbeds — no early-morning sunbed wars!

Unfortunately, I’m struggling to find much more positive to add.

If you’re travelling on a very tight budget and don’t particularly care about comfort or hotel standards, you may have a perfectly enjoyable stay. But if you’re booking this because it’s advertised as a 4-star hotel, I’d suggest managing your expectations and being especially careful about the room category you pay for.

Thankfully, we only booked three nights before moving on to our villa. Had we booked this hotel for the whole holiday, we’d still be very relieved to check out and find somewhere more comfortable — and probably cheaper.

For us, this was a 2-star experience rather than a 4-star one, and the way the room situation was handled made an already disappointing stay considerably worse.

Good location, 2 star hotel, terrible breakfast, the manger is extremely rude and does not know how to run a hotel. The maids are nice but can't clean. The breakfast is the worst I have ever had.