Susesi Luxury Resort

Having stayed at other 5* resorts across Turkey (Arum Barut Side, Hilton Dalaman, Titanic Deluxe Belek, Limak Lara), we came to Susesi with the usual expectations of what a 5* in Turkey is like. There is a lot to love about this hotel and, in many ways, it delivers a fantastic holiday. However, a few key areas prevent it from reaching the same standard of service and overall experience as some of its competitors.

The Food – A Real Highlight

The food was excellent throughout our stay. As a family with two vegetarians, we were delighted by the variety on offer and never struggled to find plenty of options at any meal. The buffet restaurant had a different theme each evening, which kept things interesting and meant there was always something new to try. There were several live cooking stations which we enjoyed and if other nationalities could queue properly (!!!) it would have been perfect.

We also visited the Turkish and Indian à la carte restaurants, with the Turkish restaurant being our clear favourite. The food was superb and the service from Abdullah was outstanding – friendly, professional and genuinely welcoming.

A special mention also goes to Hasan, one of the younger waiters working in the outdoor buffet restaurant area. He consistently delivered exceptional service both at breakfast and in the evenings. There was also another waiter in the same area, a smaller gentleman with glasses, who was equally excellent. These staff members really stood out and showed what great hospitality looks like.

General Service – The Biggest Disappointment

Unfortunately, outside of the individuals mentioned above, service was the weakest aspect of our stay.

Many staff members appeared stressed, unhappy or simply overwhelmed. This was particularly noticeable around the Ada Bar, which was closest to our accommodation. More often than not, staff seemed miserable and we genuinely felt like we were inconveniencing them by asking for drinks and food service. There was no warmth to service.

Compared with the warm, attentive and proactive service we've experienced at the other hotels mentioned above, Susesi fell well short. Whether the hotel is understaffed or there is a wider issue with morale, something doesn't feel quite right.

Bar service in the wider hotel was often slow, and even after a full stay we still couldn't work out what the actual queuing system was supposed to be. There were times when it felt as though service depended on whether staff recognised you rather than who had been waiting longest. It's a shame because this aspect significantly impacts the overall guest experience. We did notice a number of staff members distracted and using personal mobile phones during our stay as well as being on video calls. When we went to be served during these occasions, we felt like we had annoyed them by requiring service due to disruption of their call. It was very strange!

Drinks – Excellent Quality

The drinks themselves were fantastic. There was a great range of branded spirits, cocktails, speciality coffees, flavoured syrups, milkshakes and soft drinks.

Children were equally well catered for, with lots of options available throughout the day. The quality and variety of drinks certainly matched expectations for a luxury all-inclusive resort.

Accommodation – Great Space, Needs Updating

We stayed in one of the Triplex family rooms, which was perfect for our family. Having three large bedrooms, four shower rooms and a living room gave everyone plenty of space, and the layout worked brilliantly.

That said, the rooms are beginning to show their age and could benefit from some updating. It would also have been nice to have a sun lounger on the balcony, especially as some neighbouring rooms appeared to have them.

The lake villa area itself was lovely, but we do think the Ada Bar operating hours should be extended. Opening at 8am for coffee would be ideal, and remaining open later than 5pm would make a huge difference. Once it closes, the area feels quite isolated from the rest of the resort's bar facilities.

Air Conditioning – Not 5-Star Standard

This was probably our biggest issue with the accommodation.

We arrived late at night to find our room sitting at 26°C, which is far from ideal after travelling in the Turkish summer heat. Everyone was hot, tired and desperate for somewhere cool to unwind before bed.

Maintenance attended twice during our stay, but despite their efforts we could never get the rooms much below 22°C. It appeared that the system was functioning as designed rather than actually being faulty.

For a luxury resort in Turkey during peak summer, we simply don't think this is good enough. Having experienced significantly better air conditioning at Titanic Deluxe Belek, Arum Barut Side and Hilton Dalaman, this felt like an area where Susesi needs investment and upgrading.

Facilities for Children

Our children loved the ice creams, ice lollies and waffles, which were a big hit throughout the holiday.

The water slides were great fun, although they were quite a distance from our accommodation and lake pool area, meaning we didn't use them as much as we otherwise might have.

The kids' club looked excellent, with impressive facilities. We only used it a handful of times with our four-year-old for activities and face painting, but everything we experienced was positive. Staff seemed friendly and kind.

Pools, Beach and Cabanas

A gesture that was greatly appreciated was the hotel's offer of a complimentary beach cabana for part of our stay. This gave our family extra space to relax and was a thoughtful touch.

One challenge around the lake pool area was the availability of sunbeds. Like many resorts, there seemed to be a daily routine of guests reserving beds all day without actually using them, which occasionally made finding space difficult.

The beach itself is beautiful and we spent some very enjoyable days there. However, the beach bar lacks the wow factor found at comparable resorts. Compared to places like Arum Barut Side and Titanic Deluxe Belek, it felt more like a café than a premium beach bar within a five-star luxury resort.

The location and setting are excellent, and with a little more investment and creativity this could become one of the standout areas of the hotel.

Overall

Susesi Luxury Resort gets a lot right. The food is excellent, the accommodation is spacious, the drinks selection is impressive and there are plenty of facilities for families. Our family had a great holiday.

However, the inconsistent service, disappointing air conditioning and a few missed opportunities around the beach and lake areas mean it falls short of being truly exceptional.

This is why our verdict is 4/5 rather than 5/5. The frustrating thing is that the hotel already has the foundations of a fantastic resort. With some investment in staff support and training, improved air conditioning and a few enhancements to guest facilities, Susesi could genuinely compete with the very best resorts in Turkey.

Rating: 4/5 – Could Be So Much Better.

Don’t get me wrong there’s nothing terrible about this hotel and overall we enjoyed our holiday however luxury it is not. When compared to the hotel Titanic in Belek we stayed at last year it’s not even in the same league.

Check in is stated as 2pm on the paperwork you receive when you arrive but we were immediately told it was now 3pm which was disappointing as after 12 hours of travelling we just wanted to get to the room.

I don’t enjoy having to get up early every morning when on holiday just to get a sun lounger by the pool or beach but if you don’t there’s no chance of finding enough for a family of 4. Allot of people keeping the towels from the day before so they could bag the best pool loungers before the towel station opens at 8am. Positives the pools are big and not overcrowded the splash pool for kids could do with being abit bigger with more shade.

The restaurant at breakfast and especially evenings are too busy you’ve got to walk round and around to find a table then ask someone to clear it of dirty plates before you can sit down. With so many people in the restaurant at one time it’s chaos and can be quite overwhelming. There’s people pushing in, kids running around, queues for the more popular food it’s certainly not luxury. Staff looks sick of their lives obviously it’s a busy time of year and there’s just not enough staff. Long waiting times in the restaurant for drinks to be brought to the tables. The majority of staff speak little English I asked for a straw for one of the kids and got given a tooth pick. Not enough food choices for kids in the restaurant. The baklava was great however most of the deserts looked allot nicer than they tasted.

Kids club area was good we never left the kids but you’re welcome to go in and play on the soft play or the watersides during the day with your family. This is where the small water slides are based however it would be better if there was some near the splash pool.

Entertainment Kids mini disco wasn’t bad but wasn’t great either my 5yr old wasn’t interested in most of it. The shows were abit hit and miss but that can be the case in most hotels and depends on personal taste. We never stayed for any of the later entertainment so can’t comment on the quality of that.

On a positive note the rooms were a decent size and cleaned daily. Fresh towels. Housekeeping did a good job and the minibar is stocked daily.

Take everything you need with you as the shop on site is a rip of 25 euros for a small pack of nappies!

Bowling area had some games like air hockey which was nice and some games for older and younger kids however you have to pay for these most are 1 euro per game. Bowling was available at 7 euros per person per game At other hotels all these games are free and included in your all inclusive.

Overall it’s not a bad hotel however for the price I’d not go back.

We would like to wholeheartedly thank the whole Susesi team for an amazing holiday experience! We had an amazing stay and would recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a luxurious holiday in Turkey. The hotel itself is beautiful, modern and exceptionally clean. Every area is well maintained, and you can tell that every staff member truly cares about providing a great experience to the guests. The service was outstanding! Everyone was incredibly kind, welcoming and always willing to help. We would especially like to express out gratitude to Semina from Guest Relations. She went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time during our holiday and made us feel like the most important guests she had. She regularly checked on us throughout our stay, helped us organize activities and made sure nothing would come in the way of our comfort. She truly made us feel valued and welcome. The food deserves special recognition as well. The main restaurant was incredible – a large variety of delicious, beautifully presented dishes made sure everyone was able to find their favourites. Everything was fresh, flavourful and constantly replenished. The a la carte restaurants were also excellent and making reservations was easy. Even the paid a la carte restaurants were reasonably priced and offered great value with the Turkish restaurant standing out as one of the highlights of our stay. A warm thank you to the entire Susesi team and to Semina for making our vacation so enjoyable. We left with wonderful memories and would happily return.