If you are used to relaxing in chain hotels where you know the high standard of service and services; if you are a connoisseur of "old-style" hotels; and if you are looking for a place to stay in Side (Turkey), then we can recommend Side Star Elegance 5 * to you. Until the fall of 2013, it was called Hotel Asteria Side 5 *. And now, despite the change of sign, he belongs to the Asteria Hotels chain. It should be said that this hotel was the first five-star hotel in the resort of Side. It was built in 1987. But the last large-scale renovation took place at the hotel quite recently, in 2015. What is this five star hotel? We will cover this in this article. The information base was not only the materials provided by the hotelier himself, but also the reviews of those tourists who had already visited there. First, let's say the following. The total hotel rating is 4 points out of five. But in the past two years, all hotel reviews have become positive. As a result, the resort’s overall rating rose to 4.7 points.
Location
The exact address of the Side Star Elegance 5 * hotel is: Turkey, the Anatolian coast, Side, Kumkoy district, the first line of the Mediterranean Sea. The nearest airport (Antalya) is 65 kilometers away. Reviews say the transfer takes an hour and a half. The center of Side is two and a half kilometers away. Kumkoy is actually a suburb of the resort. The Side Star Elegance Hotel is located next to similar Fives. Its neighbors are the Melas Resort and Horus Paradise hotels. Reviews give the location of the hotel five points. On the one hand, close to the city. If you wish, you can walk along the promenade. On the other hand, quiet and calm, a lot of greenery. To the beach go from two to five minutes. The transport connection with Side is simply wonderful. Near the hotel there are many shops, souvenir shops, there is even a pharmacy.
Territory
Side's first five-star Side Star Elegance hotel grabbed a huge chunk of the coast from the city. Its area is 42 thousand square meters. Many reviews mention that the terrain is uneven. But multi-level terrain is not a problem for weak legs. The Hotel Star Elegance offers all kinds of elevators, mini-funiculars and escalators. Many reviews are devoted to the interesting architecture of the three buildings. The entire territory is not revealed to the guest immediately, but gradually. Every day brings new discoveries - transitions, hidden arbors, gazebos ... The territory is perfectly landscaped. A lot of shade. The buildings - the main seven-story building and two additional five-level buildings - fit perfectly into the hilly landscape. There are scattered pools, tennis courts, an amphitheater, a la carte restaurants and other infrastructure. Many reviews call Star Elegance a hotel with a water park, while others give it the characterization of a SPA hotel.
Where guests settle. Recommendations
The number of rooms Side Star Elegance has more than four hundred rooms. Most of them are Double Standards. They come with sea or garden views. The hotel has rooms with additional amenities for people with reduced mobility. There is also a “Family Room” designed for families of four. A higher category of rooms is Deluxe. They come with sea views or direct access to the pool. The real pride of the hotel are "Suites." They consist of a cozy bedroom and a presentable living room. There is also one family duplex. It has two bedrooms. Just looks gorgeous two-level "Suite". It is interesting in that the bathroom has a jacuzzi. If you choose among the "Standards", then reviews recommend asking for a higher room in the main building, overlooking the pool. A wonderful panorama opens from there, and the bedroom is quite quiet. For more sophisticated guests, a deluxe room with direct pool access is a good choice. These rooms are located on the ground floor and feature a veranda with sunbeds - your own private beach.
Reviews about the equipment and service in the rooms
All ideas about living in a five-star hotel are embodied in the spacious and bright rooms of the Side Star Elegance 5 * hotel. Reviews say that even in the "Standards" there are all the necessary devices that provide comfort at the highest level: a plasma TV with satellite channels, a filled minibar, air conditioning, and an electronic safe. Not to mention such trifles as a hairdryer and an electric kettle. Each room has a balcony. It features - fast Wi-Fi. The deluxe rooms are more spacious (they can accommodate three guests). In addition, the bedroom is complemented by a pronounced living area. The biggest advantage of "Deluxe" is its own porch on the pool. But the content of the “Suites” is the same as in simple standard rooms. Their only advantage is the living room and a magnificent view of the sea. After all, they are located on the upper floors of the buildings. They clean the rooms every day very carefully, regardless of whether you leave a tip to the maid or not.
Nutrition
The concept of Side Star Elegance during the holiday season is Ultra All Inclusive. At other times - a simple “All inclusive”. In addition to the main restaurant, where the service is carried out in buffet style, there are also a la carte restaurants. During their holidays, Star Elegans Hotel is entitled to one of them free of charge. The choice has to be made between restaurants of Turkish, Italian, Chinese and fish cuisine. Throughout the territory you will find many different bars and cafes. And in the lobby, and near the pools, and on the beach. In addition, everywhere you will find smiling aunts baking gözleme, refrigerators with ayran and ice cream. Local alcohol, including distillates, is free and unlimited. When dinner at the main restaurant ends, a late snack is served at the Time Out Bar. You can also have lunch without taking off from the pool in the tent. But there are dishes without much sophistication, more similar to fast food - pizza, french fries, burgers.
Nutrition Reviews
Nearly all tourists who have visited Side Star Elegance in the past two to three years praise sumptuous dining. Unlike most Turkish all-inclusive resort hotels, where tourists are fed with semi-finished kebabs, they serve lamb, shrimp, fried and grilled fish, as well as other delicacies. Reviews report a wide variety of seasonal fruits. Take out on a tray and sweet cherries, and apricots with peaches, and plums. Watermelons and melons are present at every meal. If for medical reasons you need a diet, they will bring you dishes without sugar, gluten, lactose, etc. Vegetarians say that you can always choose something to your taste. At certain hours they give ice cream. On the sweet table, they not only compose odes, but also expose photos of various cakes, pastries and baklava. Bartenders are extremely welcoming and friendly. The waiters are quick. In the hall of the main restaurant you can always find a free table - both in the air-conditioned hall and on the veranda. To visit a la carte, you need to book your visit at the reception. Tourists praise the cuisine of Turkish and fish restaurants.
Beach
Side Star Elegance Hotel has a private beach. Between him and the buildings runs a promenade. The beach is covered with natural sand. According to reviews, it is small (only seventy meters), but wide. All space is lined with sunbeds and umbrellas. There are quite a lot of them, and if you come to the beach before ten in the morning, finding a place at the water's edge will not be a problem. The descent into the water is gradual, which is good for bathing children. The hotel provides beach towels.
Pools, mini water park
Despite the fact that the Hotel Side Star Elegance is positioning itself as a place of family relaxation, there is such a new feature for Turkey as Relax Pool. Only adults (18+) are allowed into this pool. This is the place to take a break from children's cries and splashes. Towels are issued from 9 am at the upper and lower pools. And you need to know this when going to the beach. You can still sunbathe in any place on the vast territory of the hotel, in the shade and in the sun - both on sunbeds and in hammocks. For little children have their own pools. For those who feel cold at + 26 ° C, there is an indoor tank. It would be incorrect to call two slides an aquapark, but teenagers like them, especially the one that is a continuous pipe. These rides work on schedule. There are separate pools at the Deluxe rooms - it is quiet and calm.
Vacation with children
Side Star Elegance 5 * hotel does everything to attract tourists traveling to Turkey with the whole family. For small guests, everything is thought out to the smallest detail. Starting with the fact that tourists with children are lodged on the ground floor of the first building so that they do not have to deal with the nuances of the hilly landscape of the hotel. The restaurant does not have a clear meal plan for babies. But there are high chairs for feeding babies. When you check in, you can even rent out a pram - for free. Children over four and under twelve years old can be bailed to children's animators. Teenagers are entertained in sports sections: they play with water polo, darts and the like outdoor fun. Parents who take care of their babies themselves can take them to frolic in a shaded, soft-covered playground.
Infrastructure at Side Star Elegance
Reviews claim that the hotel's services are consistent with its five-star status. Romservice is free here. The hotel has a spa center. Guests can take a steam bath in the Finnish sauna, Turkish hammam or Russian steam bath. But you will have to pay for massage services. Wi-Fi is in all rooms, its speed is excellent. The service of access to the World Wide Web is free. But network games in Internet cafes, as well as billiards with bowling, do not belong to this list. If you like tennis, bring your own rackets and ball. The hotel has a beautiful court. You will have to pay only for the rental of ammunition and evening lighting. The hotel is friendly to sports lovers. One of the pools is used for different types of "activity": there are classes in water aerobics, then a game of water polo. For adults, there is a team of animators. Very often, every other day, the hotel invites you to perform professional dancers and other artists. The lobby bar offers live music in the evenings.
Excursions from the hotel Side Star Elegance 5 *
Side was founded by the ancient Greeks, who left behind themselves wonderful specimens of their civilization. Therefore, to sit in a hotel and not to get into the city once, it is to show a low level of one’s culture. Moreover, you don’t have to go far. In the historical center of Side, there is an ancient agora with ruins of fortifications, a market, a public toilet and the temple of the goddess Tuche. It is worth visiting the ancient baths built in the 3rd century BC. Not far from the baths, an amphitheater, an aqueduct, and the Nymphaeum Fountain - monuments of the Roman era. And nature lovers should go along the Manavgat riverbed to look at the picturesque waterfalls.