Well I have spent all day on the phone to First Choice and I am getting nowhere fast.

They have now confirmed that the food is being prepared and cooked at Sun City and transprorted via vans. They state that they have a food hygine company over seeing the process every day. They have told me that the only option I have if I want to change hotels is to pay an admin fee and any difference there is in price - don't think so.

I am going to speak to Trading Standards tomorrow and see where I stand. My holiday has changed based on the fact that I booked Olu Deniz Resort based on the excellent food reviews and didn't book Sun City based on their poor food reviews.

Again I will let you know how I get on.

I am not one of those people who moan about everything but I am really frustrated by this last minute hassle. End of rant

Ah well - nothing I can do!!

I have spoken to both trading standards and ABTA and both have said that they are allowed to cook the food off site and transport it in!!

All we can do now is go and hope that we can't notice the difference. We have never stayed at this hotel before so therefore didn't really know what to expect anyway and there still seems to be reviews kicking about that everything is still beautiful.

The holiday is what you make it and as we are travelling with another family, I'm sure we will have a smashing holiday

I will provide an update for everyone when we return on the 11th July but for now I am not even looking at another review until we come back.

Don't know what I have been worrying about anyway, there haven't been any bad reviews regarding the drink woo hoo

Gordon

Absolutely Zoso, I'm sure you will have a fabulous time.

Da do Ron
do you know when the kitchens were shut down ? just wondered if it was before or after our stay on 5th - 12th of may ?
Katherine

We too have booked this hotel through Portland Direct on the back of fantastic reports from people who return year after year. However, having read many reviews commenting on the falling standards we are seriously concerned. I telephoned Portland Direct on 27 May where they informed me they had not heard of any complaints? I am still waiting for them to contact me regarding their investigations? (which apparently takes up to 7 days). I would be interested to hear from anyone else who has recently visited this hotel.

thats a lie, we called the hotline last year when we was there,and asked to be moved, the report I left was fairly acurate from our perspective , and we were slated for it, thank all the other reports for rose tinted spectacles. we love Turkey, speak turkish, etc, but that place was a disaster waiting to happen, sorry guys.

I am one of those sad souls who stays at Olu Deniz Resort every year at least once usually twice its my Spring Bank and October half term retreat.i generally book direct with the hotel and the General Manager usually gives us a few quid discount.The things that made the place special- familiar staff, manager and his family who welcomed us like old friends, fantastic food and teatime in the Olive garden seem to be the things that have gone. I can't believe its been taken over-if I wanted aRussian experience I'd holiday in Russia. If i book a holiday in Turkey I want a Turkish experience with Turkish running it. The fact they've halved the staffs wages incenses me - the hotel must have been making plenty of dosh as it was always well booked in fact last year I had to spend four days in the owners villa up in the hill as I left my booking late and the hotel was full the last four days (villas fab by the way). was due to go out there but will watch the reviews and maybe its time to move on- can any saddos like me that have been six years on the trot and go this year please add their reviews so I can make a decision and which other hotels would people recommend????

oludenizdollz - We are going on the 26th of June and I have been on the phone to First Choice for days.

The Ice Cream is now only between 13:30 and 15:30 apparently and I don't know about the tea in the olive garden as I have never been before and didn't ask the rep out there.

I managed to speak to her and she confirmed that there have been complaints about the food but she says that its not the quality of the food thats been a problem just that they changed the menu and repeat customers like yourself didn't like the new stuff. She also added that they (First Choice) approached the new management about this and she stated that they are now starting to bring back some of the things people had come to expect over the years. Hope this is true as the reviews have always been good. I just got my tickets in today and the name of my rep is the same as the person I have been dealing with so really hope she wouldn't lie to me if she knew she would be meeting me in 3 weeks time.

We are still looking forward to our holiday as we have never been and didn't really know what to expect anyway, but I do feel for people like yourselves who have been going year after year and then suddenly everything changes.

I really do hope that you still have a great time if you do decide to go and I will put an honest review on here as soon as I get back on the 11th July.

Enjoy

I am a repeat customer going to this hotel and dont like what i'm hearing.I have been visiting this hotel 2 or 3 times a year for six years now with my daughter who is now six.This hotel was the best in oludeniz for food and I dont understand why they closed the kitchens and got rid of all the staff.If i'd known about the changes I would probably have booked to go elsewhere.

Hi EmmaLauren are you from Scotland with a pretty little blonde haired girl.
If so I'm the lady with Maryam and Shardonnay. I'm nearly always there May around 19th I fly out for ten days then I usually return in October around the time of the Airgames/Paragliding Festival.

Came back from olu deniz resort hotel may 30th, first time in turkey and also went to this hotel because of previous comments. To anyone going there this summer all I can tell you is dont worry. Food didnt suit everyone but we found it acceptable. Yes there was evidence that the bar staff were inexperienced but the night we left there were some new bar staff who seemed to know their stuff. The restaurant staff we found very hard working and helpful. They could be seen to be getting more confident as time went on and yes were being scrutinised by managers. We didnt have any probs with room, towels replaced and folded into fans and roses on beds. Hotel is clean. Only criticism was glasses round pool area. After we mentioned this we noticed the last day that plastic ones were given at relaxing pool bar. Almost world war 3 round pool as 1 german chap was hogging parasols and wrapping towels and wraps through parasol frames and taking 2 for each bed. He caused problems and aggravated us with his booming voice. Reception were helpful. Loved the swinging seats and the summerhouse/bean bag areas when you need a cool retreat. There were return guests and I can appreciate their disappointment. We didnt have anything to compare it with. Ice cream was only for 1hr a day, dont ask for baileys u need to ask for creme de creme. We had a lovely holiday. Main complaint for us was lack of evening entertainment. We were not impressed with efforts of entertainment staff. I think managers were trying to sort it. We tended to stroll thru resort at night and visited some of the bars. Loved the resort and were thinking of returning next year. Dont know which hotel though wanted to try bed and breakfast.

Well that`s just settled it then,was looking to book this today so thought i`d nip on here to check out the reviews,glad i never booked it without checking it out on here 1st back to the drawing board me thinks!!!

Burgers hot dogs pizza and salad available in Olive garden, as well as delicious pancakes with variety of flavours. Water and coffee you can help yourself at both pool areas as well as drinks from bar. A la carte was lovely around relaxing pool area. Very reasonable we thought.Cost us £2.50 each. Check price though before you book. You book at guest relations nr reception and pay afterwards. When you go into restaurant check out the stir frys and barbequed food being cooked at the far end. Scotch pancakes made there fresh at breakfast.

Well Beemerbabe I am not too sure the reviews are so variable. I've been on about three/four review sites and Some people are reporting there's no problem and they have had a fab time!!! I emailed the hotel and they say there have been teething problems but they are addressing them. It is an absolutely stunning hotel-beautiful grounds and ideally placed you walk out the rear gateway straight on to beach/promenade area. Theres nothing like sitting on bean bag on the beach with a cocktail and a full moon shimmering on the sea. Taurean mountains to the back of you - a little bit if paradise on earth!!!!!

THANK YOU SUNNISANDI.
I am off on the 16th june. I have been reading the reports over the last couple of weeks and could just sit and cry. Yes I booked after reading the reports. Luckily we have not been here before so dont have anything to compare it to. I am so pleased for sunnisandi report as now i feel a can breath again and now there is hope again. I always say a holiday is what you make it, There are two familes going and we will make the most of every minute.I do find it quite amazing tho that i have contacted thomas cook and like zoso with first choice they also have received no complaints ?????? (thats a nice easy answer for them)

Different story with Thomson... Booked resort with them for July and received a letter yesterday explaining change of management, sent to "avoid any confusion in resort" apparently. Letter lists the changes, as far as Thomson are aware, as;

Windsurfing is no longer foc in all inclusive package
Gala meals are fortnightly, not weekly
Imported alcoholic drinks are now chargeable (think the hotel was listed as ultra ai so used to be free?)
(ETA) Ice cream available between 13:30 and 15:30

According to them, everything else is the same as listed in current brochures. Mentions nothing about food being provided off-site, however, nor any complaints. Ends with "the Olu Deniz resort hotel is still a fantastic choice"... but they would say that
I am reassured that at least they seem to know there has been a change, unlike some operators, it seems

Well Paula, all I can tell you is that we are considering booking for same time next year at the Olu Deniz resort hotel. We felt it ws a lovely resort, we didnt pay a lot for two weeks and have looked at some b and bs and with the prices for meals and drinks we feel like we had value for money. It may not be the same as in previous years but we worked out what it would cost to buy drinks meals etc and it will cost much more.The bars and restaurants in Olu Deniz are more expensive than Hisaronu. The dolmus to Hisaronu was approx £2 and is a short ride away. We went there a couple of times during the day and have decided to be a bit more adventurous next time and go there to sample the nightlife and a few restaurants although we didnt bother this time. We went to the hotels private beach (blue lagoon) and were disappointed but the dolmus is free and you can walk back in approx 30mins. You can have a roll and cold drink free but thats it. But it is more shallow etc for children. We didnt really like it. I liked the main beach but we took swim shoes and did need them. Very beautiful though. We booked a boat trip which cost £6 each. A lunch was included and it lasted from 11am to 6pm. We booked from "pegas" and the young man Mehmet was very helpful. The paragliders add interest to the resort. They land on the walkway near the beach but that isnt a problem. We got used to watching them in the air and on tvs around the resort. I didnt fancy it I shake two steps up on a ladder. Lots did have a go though. Anything I can help with Id be glad to. Ive been in the same situation once when I booked for Egypt and got stressed out reading reviews just before we went, in our case then it was would the hotel be finished, thankfully it was and was great. Thanks to reading reviews we went into spice boys shop and bought some fruit teas and spices and told him he was famous, being talked about online. He had a good spray for mosquito bites. Have a great hol.You have read the reviews but at the end of the day you can go there and be prepared to make it a good holiday.

Hi sunnisandi you have eased my mind. With the recent bad reviews I was thinking of changing my hotel. It is only myself and my better half going as the kids are now old enough to go on holiday themselves. We were really looking forward to this break and booked as the reviews were fantastic. However after the takeover they have changed. Can you tell me if you tried the A la carte resturant and how often you can book this? Also how was the evening entertainment and the quality of the alcaholic drinks on the AI as reviews have said they are watered down. Any other information would greatly received. Cheers

It's interesting to see that Portland Direct have issued a letter regarding certain changes to the hotel (received 6th June) after I contacted them on 27th May with grave concerns I had, when they claimed they had nothing to report regarding changes with the hotel facilites. ( Intersting to note that in said letter they omitted to mention the fact that the food is being transported from the Sun City Hotel.) I have been on the phone almost daily since 27th May and still Portland insist there have been no complaints? Really? Can anyone tell me otherwise?. Portland inform me that to alter my booking will cost me £35 per person (x4), plus the extra cost incurred, (which is inevitable). On the same day I received this letter I also received notification that I must pay the balence of my booking by 19th June!
I dont know what to do!!!!! If I pay I commit, and agree to the booking, If not I am not sure where I will stand?
It is is causing me great worry and I don't want this for the next 10 weeks before we are due to go!, then fly out full of trepidation and then find myself trapped somewhere I'd rather not be, through no fault of my own!!