ISIL CLUB BODRUM

We made a repeat visit after a 4 year gap. My wifes idea to go back. We really cannot find fault with the whole experience. The staff are attentive at all times but not to the annoying point. Just go with relaxation in mind and the days just flow past and the stresses at home just go away..Many thanks to all the management and staff.

Isil Club is set in beautiful wooded grounds on the coast, about 20 mins drive north of Bodrum. Bordering the sea it overlooks a secluded bay with wonderful views across the water of the town, Torba. We stayed in a kind of condo block that had three other neighbouring rooms & a balcony - whilst this was a couple of mins walk from main hotel it did have the advantage of being very near the rather superb pool ... where we spent most of the holiday! We had gone for an all inclusive package which wasn't something we'd done before - but it did make life simpler (even if we ended up half a stone heavier when we got home!!) The spread of food at breakfast, lunch & dinner each day was superb and generally centred around Turkish, Mediterranean & Middle Eastern cuisine. As expected it was a little "samey" by the last day of our one week stay - but we did have included a complimentary meal at one of the two 'haute cuisine' restaurants on the last night. The seafood mezzo & seabass & parmesan-crusted lemon sole main course were superb I have to say - and this restuarant is set up on decking that is actually over the sea which added an ambience & picturesque quality to our last night. All in all the rooms were clean & well appointed with a great shower & positively arctic air conditioning (much needed as the day temp was 38-39 Celsius at its highest!) The pool was pristine & very well looked after, as mentioned this was the focal point for most guests - however the seaside strand, seafront decking & pier were also great for sunbathing, swimming and general chilling out. There was also a spa where we had a Thai massage & traditional hammam (not that cheap but luxurious nonetheless - around 70 Euro for the full hour and a half treatment!) The real jewel in the crown for this hotel were the staff & the activities run by the 'animation team'. From the reception staff (like the unflappable Emré who dealt with most of my questions!) through to the bar staff (such as the ever-obliging Turhan and his cocktails) through to the super-efficient waiting staff in the restaurants & the cleaning staff who daily sorted out our room ... everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. Special mention has to go to Beverley, Momo & Serkan in the animation team - these guys ran gym classes, archery clubs and other activities in the morning, then usually a lunchtime game in the pool, followed by the aqua gym in the afternoon AND put on a show every night! This was of particular benefit to our 5 year old as the animation team also ran a kids club in the mornings & afternoons (special thanks to Seline who looked after our boy while we had hammam & spa!) ... and in the evening Bozy (a poor guy in a giant dog outfit in the 30 degree heat!) who would collect all the kids in a Pied Piper type circuit of the hotel and take them off for the Bozy show! After this the rest of the ents team put on a variety of shows - from dance, to drama, to comedy talent shows involving guests (if you were so inclined!) On a side note - if you're not more used to European timings around eating (evening meal starts at 7:45pm) and letting the kids stay up past 10pm then you might struggle a bit - but our chap is a night owl and loved it! And of course if the entertainments not your thing then you could just chill on the sumptuous covered terraces with the superb views and ever-present barstaff (and usually some live music which was pretty consistent good quality.) If you want to explore the locale outside of the hotel, we also found this easy to organise trips and caught a taxi to Bodrum to visit the castle and do some local sightseeing, as well as going on a great value all-day boat trip from Gümbet harbour (featuring some stunning scenery and beautiful pristine waters to swim in as well as ... all inclusive food and drink!!) All in all the hotel, the pool, the food, the sea and the entertainment really was a great package and highly recommended!

I stayed for 4 nights in July in this hotel ; rooms were clean and nice , but the pool was not clean enough , breakfast and dinner buffet were poor , almost nothing as seafood , almost non of the imported were free the quality of the food was maximum 3 star level so I can't say that I will recommend this hotel .

We enjoyed our stay here, decent but not amazing. Pretty standard rooms, the usual all inclusive food and drink. Nice clean surroundings. I like my beaches with pure sand, it was of the small pebble variety here. My favourite spot of the hotel was the lounging area by the pool after dinner, on the ipad with a cocktail in hand and live music every night..pure bliss lol.

My family had a great time at Isil Club and we’d readily stay there again. When compared with Paloma hotels, for example, Isil Club is quite small: despite this, its simple yet clever layout serves to incorporate all the essentials in properly segregated areas. The result is that the hotel and its grounds retain a calm well-ordered tranquillity. Moreover, it's spotless and beautifully maintained. The food, unsurprisingly, often differed from our English expectations, but it was not only plentiful and varied but was always delicious. The members of staff were marvellous. Aside from being diligent, they were considerate, friendly, and often volunteered help. The hotel’s location is fabulous, with beguiling views across the bay to Bodrum peninsula. Those views, I can guarantee, will captivate your attention. Moreover, that same bay, being sheltered and shallow-edged, is an idyllic place for swimming. Useful things to note: Representative: If your travel agent is Thomas Cook, your representative doesn’t routinely visit the hotel. However, if needed, the rep can easily be contacted, either by email, or via the website, or by cell-phone, or simply with the help of Reception. Location: The location of the hotel is such that there’s nothing of interest just beyond its gates. There’s only a highway. However, Bodrum is only a twelve-minute ride away, by Dolmus no.2. This dolmus is caught from a bus-shelter of multi-coloured glass, on the hotel’s driveway, about 300 metres uphill of Reception. The fare is 3.3 Lira to Bodrum, and so it's 6.6 Lira return. Beach Towels: Don’t pack any. They’re provided by the hotel, at no extra cost. Deposit Box: Each room has one, for protecting valuables, at no extra cost. Air-Conditioning: Each room has its own Air-Conditioner, at no extra cost. It is easily regulated. Bedrooms: We were accommodated in two villas near the tennis courts, and it must be said that the bedrooms are slightly lacking in design. Although they’re attractive, and although they’re comfortable, Fashion does unfortunately take precedence over Function. For instance: The beds are set quite low. This represented an unwarranted problem for my elderly quite-infirm parents-in-law when it came to access and egress. The wash-basins are shallow slipway basins of low capacity, which means that water readily splashes out onto the floor. The wall of the toilet-cum-shower is a large sliding entrance-door. It is made of glass which is not entirely opaque. This compromises privacy. Further, since the door is hung on a roller-mechanism, there are inevitable gaps between it and the rest of the wall. This also compromises privacy. During daytime, when chamber-maids clean the bedrooms, the front door of each bedroom has its turn at being left open for a while, understandably. This is not usually a problem: but here, it is. That's because mosquitoes, once indoors, are able to secrete themselves in the open-racked doorless wardrobes, in your clothing. In other words, it becomes necessary either to use repellent or to spend ages swatting. Do as we did: laugh at all these irritations, because they’re minor. As I remarked at the beginning, we would readily stay at Isil Club hotel again.