Hi amy,
The children were well catered for at easter and in summer when you go the mini club house will be open, they were painting it when we went. what i saw were kids having fun and I saw them having kids cocktails after the mini disco and the staff had decorated the glasses like adult ones in different styles in nice glasses.There is popcorn for the kids and ice cream all day long.you will not need to fork out cash all the time!!

Hi Rose-lee,
You will get the tea and coffee at breakfast but have to pay for fresh orange juice, but they have the imitation juice in machines. you have to pay for gateuax at 4 euro during the day but get cake and biscuits for an hour at 4 o clock. I know this because we had special bands and the first ultra all inclusive guests to arrive and the majority were still on thw winter system.The bar prices were displayed on the tables for them and they were really expensive and some were on half board at the time.

There are only 3 al a cartes in winter and be sure to get i the queue early.
The italian and turkish were nice but the main dining room is lovely and the food excellent.

violet

Just one more thing Violet, may sound silly though LOL do you get breakfast in the winter period or do you have to wait till 10am?

Hi rosy-lee
Yes you get the breakfast and just have to pay for the fresh squeezed orange juice, it will tell you the times on the website, basically you get all meals and late night snack which is soup and some other snacks in the dining room from 11oclock till midnight.There will be some form of snacks during the day outside of the meal times, you will not go hungry.
The reason we picked the delphin was for the 24 hour all-inclusive and the brochure mis-lead us and that was the reason for contacting trading standards because after several weeks i was getting nowhere myself.
Easter was early this year and the year before we had stayed at the barut Lara and had everything as per brochure and we expected the same this year. Our son is 14 and stays up and we like the choice of the later bar etc and branded drinks.
You will have several cocktails included, beer, local gin vodka, and brandy to name a few but I like baileys and whisky which we did get in the ultra all inclusive. There are some wonderful staff in the hotel and great staff in the lobby bar and having treated them respectfully and using manners that some nationalities forget to do, we got looked after so well and they knew what we drank before we spoke!! The odd tip goes along way and although not sought it is greatly appreciated.
We are going back to the barut next easter and the delphin next august as these hotels are first class and hard to beat! Any questions feel free to ask, but you are in for a lovely holiday!
We went to Cuba last xmas and had such a dreadful time and xmas 2008 will see us try turkey for the first time at that time of year, we are having our first xmas at home in 4 years this year.

HI Violet,
thanks for all the info, we have never done all inclusive before having been put off when we have stayed half board and seen the masses queuing for what looked like swill (slight exaggeration) in spain at 3 star oooerr listen to me, i sound like a right snob, im not i can assure you LOL
We have never had xmas away from home either so this will be a first, we are really looking forward to it and after reading the reviews (they sound too good to be true) we really cant wait. We said if this is good we may try in the summer as well, having read a few posts about people using the Barut and liking it so much we may try there.
The first choice brochure does say all inclusive 24hour this is the first choice winter sun new turkey brochure, still even if it is as the winter period as the hotel states we wont mind. Thanks for the offer of more info no doubt i will take you up on it, in fact just thought of something, whats the transport to the hotel? Is it coach? I think i read somewhere it could be taxi.
thanks again
rosie

Hi rosie-lee
The transport is by air conditioned coaches and the beauty is that it is only 20 minutes max from the airport.
I know what you mean about the spanish so called all inclusives, we have done a couple but you honestly cannot beat the turkish ones for value. I would not consider them now and the only thing close to turkey is mexico but that is mega money and having been caught in a hurricane there in 2005 that is off our list too!!
If while you are there you want to take a stroll to walk off all the excesses of everything why not go and take a tour of the Barut Lara, they do them each day at 4 o clock. you need to take a passport and get it returned after the tour. The barut is ultra modern contempory where the delphin is over the top luxury. We have a suite booked at the Barut next easter and you can even have breakfast in bed!!You can tour any hotel that takes your fancy and i love to see the hotels and what you would get at each one, sad really, i am addicted to my hols!! we only go all inclusive and have been 9 times to turkey. the hotels in lara are the best, all 5 star luxury and in various styles.
We toured the concorde ( not to keen) and the royal wings at easter but should have been going to crete this august and have changed it to the limak lara and we did not visit that one. Luckily a lady went to look at it for me and reported back to give it the thumbs up! I am planning a tour of the Titanic on our next visit.
If you type in to google delphin palace lara look through the list it pulls up till you see the holidaycheck site and press on translate this and you can read german reviews loosely translated and see many photos of the hotel.
That will keep you busy for a while!!
Regards violet

Hi Violet

It will be great if there are a few more English at the Delphin Palace next year. I am not expecting that many at the Xanadu this year.

It is good news that there may be a few teenagers around, you know yourself that happy children lead to a great holiday for us parents.

I cannot wait to go to turkey this year, the lack of sunshine makes me very fed up. It is funny you mentioned the titanic because i was looking at that as well. But all the great reviews made me choose the D Palace.

We are flying out of Gatwick with Thomas Cook. The only flights seem to be late at night.

Do you really want to spend christmas at home? You could always try Orlando. We did that two years ago and it was a magic time of year to be there, and it was warm and sunny.

Hi wendy
We have had 3 holidays and really cannot afford another this xmas as I have to pay the balance of my easter holiday on the 6th january. It will not be to bad as we get to visit our grandchildren, either they have been away or we have the last few xmases and they are looking forward to us staying. My daughter from my first marriage lives 2 hours away and we are going for an indian on xmas day, my dad and mum and several other members of the family. I daresay I will miss going somewhere warm!
We had 3 weeks in mexico over xmas in 2004 and that was wonderful and then a wonderful xmas in Cuba 2005 and then the awful one last xmas and we are trying to get compensation for that because it really was bad.
We have next easter to look forwards to and we know what to expect having been to the Barut before and the luxury of the suite and all the extras you get will be great! It was more expensive than the Delphin because of the suite and it is a select property.I got a reasonable price because I booked in febuary this year and it has gone up nearly £400 since then.

We should have been going to florida xmas 2008 with my daughter and kids but decided it was not hot enough and my husband wanted a more chilled holiday, having a stressful job!
My daughter is off to new york for a month nexy week to stay with her friend lucky her, they have a pool and the kids love it there! her husband is only going for 2 weeks though.
My son was pleased when I said you had booked and it will be great if other teens are there and they can all hang out together, because sitting with your parents is not cool!! We are happy when he is happy.
regards Violet

Hi Violet

Seeing as you have been to this hotel you might be able to answer the question as to which side of the hotel is the best.

We have booked a side sea view and requested a top floor room, looking at the pictures on TA the choice is overlooking a concrete hotel or open wasteland!
Not that we will be doing anything but sleeping in the room, it is still nice first thing to throw open the balcony doors and watch the world wake up.

Citizen

Hi citizen,
I know you are getting excited about your forthcoming trip, having seen you on trip advisor too!!
The best side would be overlooking the spare land at the side of the hotel. on the other side you look over the fame residence hotel. If you contact the hotel ask to be looking out to the Riva Diva hotel and you should be okay! This side gets the late afternoon sun and will be great having a nice cold beer on the balcony and it overlooks the relax pool so is peaceful.
I hope you are not scared of heights?? The lifts are glass and you look down onto the lobby area and it can be scary, like you we requested a high floor and got just that, on the top floor in the roof space( 8th floor )and my hubby was scared of the open attrium as he has a fear of heights. It worked out in our favour in the end as we got a junior suite which was superb and on the corner with a huge wrap around balcony, king size bed and jaccuzzi bath etc!! We had a great view of the fireworks twice from the Riva Diva!! You are in for a great holiday and will not be in the room I doubt for long, the side sea view room we were first offered at a charge was useless, you had to strain to see the sea and the balcony was so small that you would have had to take turns to sit on it.and not worth the £ 124 that the hotel wanted ( They are not all small i might add ) and by waiting we got the suite for free!!
We were in heaven but I would not have paid the money to have one, £22 per person per night in the brochure low season!!

Have a great time Violet

Hi Violet,

Could you try to answer a couple of questions for me please

I have booked and paid for a full sea view & requested a high floor.
I have contacted my travel agent to change the top floor request to low floor (I cannot do height's ) she is going to contact the hotel for me. I am also going to do this myself as well. What about sea view?

Are the balonies larger at the bottom & go smaller the heigher you go up?

Also dress code??? It's going to be very hot for long trousers!

You have been very helpful with all the info you have been giving thank you

Diane.

Hi Violet,
You mentioned ringing the hotel and asking for views looking out to the Riva Diva to another poster, i was wondering Firstchoice told us they had no sea views coming up they must have all been booked, so can i still ring the hotel and ask for a sea view? And if i can how would i pay for it. Your a gem, a mind of info, so glad i found you :))

Hi Violet

What did you tip with, lira or euros? Did you leave anything in the room for the cleaners? Some AI we have been to we were not allowed to tip others we have. I keep reading on this site that the turkish prefer euros.

My daughter wanted to know what sort of films they showed at the cinema, i suppose it has air con.

I am glad i am not the only person who has more than one holiday a year. i almost get embarrassed when people say " your going away again"

We have booked california for next easter, and the Delphin Palace for next summer. We did Euro Disney this easter. We have had two trips to Budapest (dental work for me) but it was lovely and hot. A week in Oct to New York (free flight via hubbys work), and this morning i booked flights to Madrid for this august bank holiday(now i need to find a hotel with a out door pool).

Flordia is great fun in october we did it 06, it was up in the high 30s. Your son would love the holloween evenings at universal and bush gardens, Fright Nights and Howl o Scream. You go through haunted houses and get chased by zombies and people with chain saws, great fun and not for the feint hearted. The make up on the monsters in universal is amazing.
Back to turkey before we get told off for going off topic

What is the age group for the disco at the Delphin Palace ( i think my daughter is concerned that she may be dancing around with 3 year olds to Bob the Builder)!

thanks Wendy

Hi Diane,
The sea view rooms with full view I am not sure of the size pf them, the large balconies on the end are the suites, If you are on a very low you will be directly over the outside seating for the restaurant and so I would request 3rd or 4th floor, my husband was okay with that height but still kept away from the rails!! and because the balcony was huge he was okay but not being troubled myself by heights myself I love a nice balcony. You will get more noise with the full sea view rooms because of the ampitheatre being in that area but the shows never go on till late at these hotels and the Disco is on the bottom floor. I would ask for a quiet room anyhow!!If you do not like the room you can ask to be moved and it may take a day or so but they aim to please!!

The e-mail address is info@delphinpalace.com

website http://www.delphinpalace.com

I e-mailed them several times and mostly got a reply but if after a couple of days you have not recieved one just e-mail again!

Dress code,
Long trousers for the al a cartes and not sure of the main restaurant now that it is summer but if so you can nip and change after the meal. They will not accept flip flops in an evening either.
You will be fine I am sure,
regards violet

Hi rosie-lee
The hotel may have sea views available but the tour operator may have used all their quota. If you contact them via e-mail and enquire on the price they will be able to tell you if any are available. We looked at one as I said and it was not worth paying the extra for but once you have paid you are stuck with it. Personally I would see what you are allocated and ask once you are there if you can move to a sea view but ask to see it first. You may be happy with what you are given!! You can pay by credit card or english money, or euros but it would not be the best way because of paying commission to get them. A nationwide credit card is useful for holidays because they charge no fees ( a travel expert on tv recommended the card so I have one for hols.)
If you want to contact the hotel I have posted the addresses above on the other reply.
regards violet

Hi wendy,
It is best to take Euros as everything is priced that way, my husband had a hair cut and gave the guy lira that the hotel had given us in exchange for english, but he got his change in euros! It is best to ask at the exchange bureau here for some one or two euro coins for tips as getting small change is hard to get hold of. The coop have pouches with one euro coins, We tipped the maid on leaving but I gave her some lira half way through and an easter egg!! We tipped the bar staff an odd euro or two and gave a good tip on leaving.
I paid to keep the room on because of a late flight and used english for that. there is little need for money at the hotel really unless you are going to have spa treatments or pay for the bowling alley etc.
The cinema shows films that are not always out yet here, they have one german and one english a day and I am sure it will have air conditioning
The games room with the 2 lane bowling alley is good and has snooker tables etc and even has a bar in it.
Your daughter need not worry about the disco being full of small kids, you are supposed to be 16 to get in but we had a word with the relief manager after our son was turned away and he gave the go ahead. It is not huge but as some good music and even we enjoyed it!! The music in turkey is quite good and some of their music is played.You even get waiter service in there with branded drinks. At the barut he had no problems getting in the disco and I pointed that out to the manager and it worked a treat! we just assured him that he was sensible.

Our son took a wireless laptop and used it for free in the lobby bar, so he was pleased to keep in touch with friends.

Florida sounds great in october you will have to tell us all about it over a drink!

Well I have got carried away on here again, time just flies

regards violet

Thanks Violet, i may email them to see if they have any and if so maybe wait till we are there hoping they will not all have gone by then, I am assuming it wont be as busy at xmas as it is during the summer, any ideas on that? Or is it always busy.

HI rosie-lee
I would think the hotel will be busy at xmas, it was full over easter, when we went they said we were the first english guests and that over winter there had been non. Firstchoice only used the hotel from may this year, so that will change for this winter.How many are in your party??
The staff like to brush up on their english and they are so nice,
In the lobby bar they had a duo on 6 evenings a week and people got up dancing, and the room is really plush and I am sure you will be happy to spend your xmas there. Lucky you!!
You can wish your life away dreaming of holidays and with this rotten weather i am doing just that! 7 weeks today we shall be on our way to lara for 2 weeks and I am ready now!I have found more photos of our hotel and while not luxurious like the Delphin it is growing more appealing with the great German reviews. There are several short videos of it to and it looks great.
Do you go for 2 weeks?? are you there for new year as well??
I will be asking you how it went and we may decide to go next xmas, but I am also considering the Hemera in side which we stayed in several years ago and is a sister hotel to the Barut Lara, it has just been completely refurbished. It is currently 4 star but they are looking to be a 5 star now.
Well I had better go,
regards Violet

Hi Violet,
Glad to hear it should be busy, would hate to be the only ones there (some hope judging by the reviews) Yes, we are going for 2 weeks and we come back new years day, so will see the new year in there too which i am looking forward to. Will tell you all about it. A question for you, a friend of mine booked her hols with first choice and paid her deposit, then found the same holiday on their website £250 cheaper, can she get them to match the web price. We did, i found the holiday on their website but couldnt book a sea view, so i rang our local branch and they said all sea views had gone and they could match the web price, but we obviously hadn't paid a deposit at that stage. Any advice please.

Hi rosie-lee
Once she has paid the deposit there will be little she can do about it.
If going with first choice it is best to look on the eclipse website as they are the same company but usually cheaper. I book on-line for us and my dad and have never had a problem yet- touch wood.
It is always annoying if the holiday goes down after you book, The flight from Manchester is full for xmas and has been for a while with both thomas cook and fisrt choice. You do know the weather will be abit hit and miss?? Someone we spoke to a couple of years ago said it was t- shirt weather in december but the evenings will be chilly, you will not need to venture out so that will not be a problem, it will be much warmer than here!! At easter you can still see the snow on the mountains yet it can be 28 degrees round the pool!
regards Violet