Novum Garden Side - All Inclusive

“Lovely family holiday”

We have just returned from an 11 night stay at the Novum Garden Hotel and had a lovely time. The hotel is an hour from the airport. It is a little smaller compared to other all inclusive hotels we have stayed in, which have felt more like resorts, however it had everything you need and more. The st… Más

We have just returned from an 11 night stay at the Novum Garden Hotel and had a lovely time. The hotel is an hour from the airport. It is a little smaller compared to other all inclusive hotels we have stayed in, which have felt more like resorts, however it had everything you need and more. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful and made us feel so welcome, feeling like they were genuinely pleased to see us, were really bothered how our holiday was going, and even remembering our drinks orders. Pakize was the guest relations for English guests and was really kind, especially helping us out on our last day which was greatly appreciated. Our rooms were a decent size, comfortable beds and pillows, good air conditioning, and were kept spotlessly clean with a daily maid service (who were super friendly and helpful, although a little noisy in the morning). Water and full sugar drinks were supplied in the room minibar, but a sugar free option would have been nice. It was the start of season and the hotel was definitely not full, and therefore we did not have to worry about the 'sunbed wars' as there were always plenty of availability around the pool which I think would still be ok during peak season. The heated pool (the main larger pool is heated in Winter months) which being there in March/April was the sole reason why we originally picked this hotel, was supposed to be heated to 28-30 degrees however on some days this wasn't the case. People were therefore using the indoor pool which was too small for the amount of guests. I spoke with guest relations and the guy who walks round the grounds and they started heating the water almost straight away. This made our holiday as we could comfortably get in the water and the kids could enjoy playing all day. There are an abundance of lifeguards present at all times throughout the day which was great, and while they let the children play they did intervene if things were getting too rowdy. The water park is good, open 10-12 and 2-5, with a selection of slides and a children's area, toilets, and a small bar to grab a drink while the kids play. You are given pool towels however are only able to change them once weekly which I've never known before. This did mean starting off the day using damp towels as it wasn't warm enough to dry them yourself overnight, however they did dry quickly once laid out on the sun bed in the morning. My son used the steam room at the spa which he enjoyed and staff there were also very friendly, and while they did mention their services there was no heavy sell. The beach is a 5 minute walk through the grounds and over a little road, but it is lovely with plenty of beds and canopies if you want to shelter from the sun. The water is beautiful and quite warm with plenty of swimmers even at this time of year! There are changing cubicles and showers at the beach, and the toilets here are spotlessly clean to the point my children commented! But in fact the whole hotel is immaculate and they are constantly cleaning and wiping everything down! The beach bar also has a no smoking area which was very refreshing as smoking is allowed in all other outdoor areas and we struggled with this alot. Smoking seems to be popular with German and Turkish people and we couldn't even sit by the pool or sit outside for a meal or a drink without someone smoking near us. This has been an issue in all hotels we've stayed in, but it would be lovely if there were more no smoking areas so that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy being outside without being exposed to the risks of second hand smoke. There are plenty of drink options here with Efes being the beer available, and lots of choice of spirits and branded soft drinks. They have bottled water in your room and also at the beach, however they don't offer bottled water anywhere else and have water jugs around the hotel and filling stations around the pool areas with glasses or you can fill your own water bottle. This is a great idea although my kids didn't like the taste of the water from the filling stations. You can get food at most times of the day, which was always fresh and tasty. Breakfast had hot options like eggs however you like them, sausages (hot dog type), baked beans, different types of potatoes, waffles, pancakes, etc., and also lots of fruits and fresh pastries which were delicious! Lunch and dinner in the buffet restaurant was similar, with fresh salads, meats, cheeses etc., always goulash type dishes, fresh fish, vegetarian options, and meats like steaks, grilled chicken, kebabs, pizzas and fresh breads. They had an Asian night which was by far our favourite! There are chips available at every place for every meal (even breakfast) and the pool bar (food between 12-3) serves burgers and lovely hot chicken wraps, and also ice cream (12-6). The beach bar serves food 12-2 with lots of choice such as burgers, meat and vegetarian dishes, chicken nuggets, etc., and then pastries and ice cream 3-5. The patisserie is lovely serving nice coffees and teas alongside fresh pastries, biscuits, fresh waffles and crepes. The night time bistro is a great bonus serving fresh toasties, wraps, and spaghetti bolognese alongside alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. The hotel is mainly German guests with a handful of English people. Most of the staff speak at least basic English, but while some don't know any English at all we were able to communicate ok most of the time. The entertainment team really tried to include us, translating everything into English, however alot of the music was targeted towards Germans and we didn't know the songs which made playing some of the games difficult for us. There were quizzes or karaoke some nights and we had a few dance shows while we were there, although being in winter these were held in the conference room which was a little small and I feel that the shows will be much better when they're in the outdoor amphitheatre. There was darts and shooting every day and a ping pong table which my son and I enjoyed playing our own tournament during our stay. The hotel is only a few minutes walk to a large shopping area to grab some bargains too! We have had a really lovely holiday at the Novum Garden and we all agree that we would love to go back. Thank you to everyone who made our stay so special and we look forward to seeing you all again soon!

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