Hi holidayblooze, I am going to Side in 4 weeks time I will do a write up when I return, and let you know what things are like there.

Thats great thank you beachlizard enjoy! x

Hi holiday blooze,

No need to stay 10 mins walk from the centre!

We have stayed here, and think it is just perfect, except there is no pool.

http://www.beachhouse-hotel.com/

Available to book direct or, if I remember correctly, it used to be available thru' Thomson Small and Friendly.

Thank you Ludd but we definately need a pool! Having just come back from OD this week it was 54deg so we will melt without the pool (is not a big beach fan) looks lovely though....

Got back from our second visit to Side last Friday (booked for next July on Saturday, and will look at late deals for October).

We normally go half board anyway, and the Arum is around a 30-40 minutes brisk walk from Side (took us a lot longer along the beach, but it was hot!). So can't really reccomend any place for you to stay - although October, if we do go, will be s/c or b&b, and ideally very cheap so will let you know!

Anyway, I would reccomend taking euros to this resort. By reading this forum, a lot of people don't think they are necessary, but we have found (admittedly very few) shops that only accepted euros.
There are some really nice places to eat in the area, generally depends on personal entertainment taste more than anything, as the bars and restaurant staff are all very different!

We love this resort, if we had the money we would buy an apartment somewhere near, and the daughter is planning to drag her friends there after A-levels (told her to finish GCSEs before she starts planning that, but oh well ).

Oh, and I agree about needing a pool. It did get very hot (shade temperature was around 39-40), and our 9-year old daughter hates sand, so a pool is (if we want a quiet holiday) a must for us.

LOL! Im not a sand lover either, can't stand the stuff anywhere other than below my ankles it makes me gag!

does using euros make it a lot more expensive?

keep us informed, I will look up some hotels and get some opinion of the 'experts' as to how good they are...

Euros doesn't make it more expensive, you only need a small amount (think we took around £100, left over from previous holidays).

Pools are very rare in the centre, so in all probablity you will need to look a tad further out. Many of the hotels are more than a ten minute walk from the centre, and a large number of the smaller ones don't have a pool. This place is a relatively short walk and has the required pool, gets generally good reviews, and people seem to feel it's good value for money
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g297968-d638264-r36474946-Can_Garden_Hotel-Side_Turkish_Mediterranean_Coast.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT

This small hotel is very centrally located in the old part, is a b&b basis, basic, but does have (unusually for the location) a plunge pool to cool off in. Depends what standard of place you want, but perfectly situated to make the most of eating out
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g297968-d314895-Reviews-Tuana_Pension-Side_Turkish_Mediterranean_Coast.html

Similar style to the previous example, central old town, bigger-looking pool - might fit the bill?
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g297968-d593257-Reviews-Hotel_Lale_Park-Side_Turkish_Mediterranean_Coast.html

I was looking at Side and found this hotel which gets good reviews right in the centre of side with a small pool, think a lot of Dutch people use it.

http://www.hotellalepark.com/at.your.service.html

Side Kervan Hotel...10 mins from center, i've been 5 times, I know alot about Side, where to go etc...feel free to ask me anything

Great hotel for kids you would love it, close to most things really, its a Thomas Cook Hotel (the best Travel agent ever haha) I hope to be working in Side soon

Laura



http://www.sidekervanhotel.com/