violet123 wrote:

Anyone who thinks 5 star luxury is a holiday from hell is being stupid, maybe not to there liking yes but to say that is ridiculous.

I don't think there is any need to be insulting! Just because I think a 5 star luxury holiday would be my idea of hell does not make me stupid, what a horrible comment!

And just for information I have been in plenty of 5 star hotels and I would not like to stay in any of them. Not that they don't look nice or that there is anything wrong with them but it would not be what I want from a holiday. Why do people always assume that if we don't go to a luxury hotel we must be larger louts who want to eat English food. I don't want to meet up with British people, get drunk or eat English breakfast, chips, pizza or any kind of other rubbish, I don't need to be entertained or sit in a British setting. but you know if people do want to do that then so what? It is their holiday too. You are right Blondiescot, some of these posts do sound very snobbish don't they?

Kedi
You indeed started this debate!! if you have been to MANY 5 star hotels as you say and would not like to go to any why did you do just that then???

A holiday from hell is going to Mexico and on the second day of your 2 week DREAM trip you end up in a school for 5 days. Fancy sleeping on the floor with cockroaches for fellow guests with no lighting and little food which is what happened to us during Hurricane Wilma in 2005. So please do not be offended if i said people are stupid because really 5 star luxury is not an holiday from hell!!

In my opinion it is although I guess it would be far preferable than your terrible experience in Mexico!

I said have been in many 5 star hotels, when I lived in Turkey we would go in for dinner or drinks if one of my husbands friends or family were working there. I have never had a holiday in one, it just doesn't appeal.

Violet123

My understanding of what Kedi said is that she had "visited" many 5 star hotels but would not want to stay in them. I think you have misunderstood this comment!

Kedi
Yes I mis-read your post sorry! I do now understand what you mean but were you ill from eating there?? I do not want to get into another battle about that but if you ate there you must have felt safe to do so!! This is my main gripe that not you but others imply this??

No, I wasn't ill but I have never been ill from food in Turkey (so far anyway!). I wasn't overly impressed with some of the food but other places it was quite nice.

I somehow feel this topic is going round in circles. We are all different with different backgrounds, likes and dislikes. That is why things are so varied and thank God too. What a boring old world otherwise. Don't judge people their choice is their choice. We go B&B for now but I would love to be able to experience 5* AI super duper luxury, but its not in our price range at the moment. Who knows I could love it or dislike it but at least I have tried both worlds and that I feel is when I can have a truly valid opinion based on personal experience. Although who is to say I will be right as there are so many variables involved in this debate we will never draw a definative conclusion.

Keep the peace!
Ruth

Kedi
The turkish man we met was very surprised how good the food was at the Barut lara in april and his plate was always full of food. It was his first time in an hotel in turkey for a holiday. He has an english wife and 2 teens so they were really trying to please the teens who had a great time.They all loved the hotel and were sad to leave.They own a place in Istanbul but live in the UK. We went bartering with them for Jeans because he was turkish we felt happy doing this and we enjoyed their company, his wife speaks turkish fluently! We did notice we got extra special treatment in the hotel when we were with them!!!! The service is excellent anyway though and being repeat guests we got extras that even they did not get!!
Sorry if I offended you or anyone else, but i am passionate about turkey and indeed have recommended it to many people who themselves have taken to the country to!!
It is like the smoking versus anti smoking debates that get started, they are issues that cause people to speak their mind!!

I hate the implication that by staying in a hotel and eating in their resturants it is the ruination of a countries tourist industry.

The point i was trying to make is i often stay in nice hotels B&B and i have eaten there even though i was not AI. Just as i often eat out.

I have done self catering in the past. But i must admit it is a treat for me not to even wash a coffee cup up. I love going down to breakfast instead of getting breakfast for the family. I love it even more when it is warm and sunny and i can eat outside with a lovely view. AI is a relaxing holiday and for my two weeks in the summer holiday it is what i enjoy.

You can still have a lovely relaxing holiday staying in self catering accommodation - we did in June, and like you, I didn't even wash up a single cup! We ate out for every meal and it was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable holidays I've ever had, without spending a fortune.

I think everybody has been S/C B/B H/B A/I but myself I would rather do H/B or A/I I like to roll down stairs to breakfast there and waiting, in the evening no walking around trying to find a decent restaurant, a trip in the lift and dinner waiting and with A/I I will enjoy all the facilities, drinks day and night, food until 1am, cakes and ice cream all day, beach bar with snacks and drinks and the best part I don't have to keep on going into my pocket.

For those who say you are only getting what you have paid for, this is true but the same level of H/B hotels cost nearly as much.

I have been pricing up A/I and H/B to majorca and 3* hotels cost more than what I am paying for the hemera and even some S/C accommodation is more expensive.

I think I have a bargain.

I have been to many 4and 5 star AIs in Turkey,Mexico and the Dominican republic and have enjoyed them all but the best food I have had in Turkey is at the Loveboat Restaurant while staying at the hotel above it ,the Devamli.This was better than the Hemera food which is also a Barut hotel.
I am off to Icmeler on Friday and staying B&B for the first time and I am looking forward to eating in different places each evening.
I like to go away 4 times a year and cant afford to go AI all the time.I will probably only go AI in Sharm in future but thats my choice.
I dont drink and my husband shouldnt drink and AIs are too much of a temptation for him.

Kedi...

I am 100% behind you on this debate and some of it smacks of snobbery!!!

We were told of the A1 issues many years ago by a wonderful Turkish guide we had on a two day trip to Ephesus.

Each to their own and depending on family circumstances. When my children were tiny we used to stay in hotels that were "full board" breakfast lunch and dinner because it suited us and still went out and explored the area we were staying in.

But never in a million years would I want to stay in a 5* all inclusive in Turkey I could think of nothing worse!!! (not knocking those that do)

There is nothing we love more than dining out each night in different taverna's with the locals and discovering different areas each time we go and meeting new people. We've never had an upset tummy either from 'eating out' Kedi (Touch wood!).

Nobody likes an alcoholic beverage better than me, but I would not dream of going into a place that had karaoke/break dancing/people dancing on the bar/'English breakfasts served here'. I go to Turkey, to experience Turkey.

My family are football mad (its in the veins) and we do love to watch the football if theres a match on when we're away. A few weeks ago, we watched a match in the middle of Bodrum bizarre at night, having a meal (Turkey V Germany) surrounded by Turkish families. Does that make me a 'lager lout'??? I think not.

Thank goodness we're all different, and do not like the same things...

1 more week and we're on our 5th visit this year

MyHeartBelongsToKadi wrote:

Thank goodness we're all different, and do not like the same things...

Exacly right! Lucky you - 5 times in one year

Violet, now you have explained about your "holiday from hell" I understand what you mean - at least ou have alwasy had good holidays in Turkey.

Kedi
Yes I have and I hope to have many more !!
3 of which are already booked and I am waiting for the winter 2009/2010 to come on sale to book for easter 2010!!
Antalya is an all year round destination and we love april there! Just ready after the winter to re-charge our batteries!!

I have never been to Antalya but I agree Turkey is lovely in Spring.

I think the person that made the comment that staying in a 5* allinc hotel is someones idea of hell should maybe think of the people starving in africa and asia before they make such a flippant comment.

We should all count ourselves lucky that we can holiday at all.

And as for dining out with the locals,it doesnt happen for the vast majority of us because we are on holiday and eat where all the other people on holiday eat.... IE,the tourist restaurants that people want us to eat at to keep them afloat... or am i wrong?

If we were to eat where the locals eat wouldnt that defeat the object of this thread?

Surely any restaurant you dine in would help "keep them afloat"!!!

yes but if you go off the beaten track as people are sudgesting then we are not doing our bit for tourism because those restaurants are not expecting us anyway.... they make their living out of the locals so in efect if you eat in a locals restaurant you are doing a tourist restaurant out of business