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- Port River Hotel and Spa
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Port River Hotel and Spa
Turkey, Europe
Side
In a superb location between Titreyen Lake and the turquoise coloured Manavgat River on Turkey's Mediterranean Coast, this luxurious, family-friendly hotel is well placed for exploring the many attractions in the area such as Manavgat Waterfalls and the magnificent Roman & Hellenistic ruins at Side 8 km away. Just a short distance to the beach, the property features a range of activities suitable for most ages with activities for those seeking entertainment and sport as well as more relaxing pastimes such as a rejuvenating massage and hammam in the spa centre. Modernly furnished and decorated throughout, the guest rooms are decorated in muted tones and include a double and single bed for guests' comfort.
Facilities
- Darts
- Tennis
- Billiards
- Volleyball
- Beauty salon*
- Spa treatments*
- Massage*
- Steam bath
- Sauna
- TV lounge
- Please note some facilities may incur an additional fee
The Local Area
Tripadvisor Reviews
4.0 Very Good2,745 reviews
Excellent
55%
Very Good
18%
Average
10%
Poor
6%
Terrible
11%
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
awful hotel not a 5 star poor staff and awful food
Port River Hotel, Antalya – Very Disappointing Family Holiday (9th July – 16th July)
We stayed at Port River Hotel in Antalya from 9th July to 16th July for our family holiday, and unfortunately, it was one of the most disappointing hotel experiences we have had. The hotel advertises itself as a 5-star resort, but in our opinion it does not come close to meeting that standard. At best, I would rate it as a 3-star hotel.
Our problems started as soon as we arrived. We reached the hotel at around midnight after travelling with three young children. There was nobody at the entrance to greet us or help with our luggage. When I asked at reception, I was told there was no bellboy available, so I had to carry all of our luggage into the hotel myself.
Things then got even worse. Reception informed us that the hotel was overbooked and that they did not have a room available for us. This was completely unacceptable, as we had already paid for that night's accommodation and check-in officially started at 2:00 pm. Our room should have been ready regardless of what time we arrived. Instead of offering a proper solution, the staff simply apologised repeatedly and asked us to wait while they tried to sort something out.
At around 3:00 am, we were finally told that a room had become available because another guest had just checked out. The room then had to be prepared, meaning we waited even longer before we could finally get some rest. We also had to wait another hour for a baby cot, only to discover that it was broken and unusable. We had to wait until the following day before it was replaced.
The room itself was far from acceptable. It was clearly not cleaned properly. The floors were sticky and sandy, there was sand left in the shower cubicle, and the minibar fridge had not been restocked with drinks.
The facilities were also nowhere near adequate for the number of guests staying at the hotel. The swimming pool is far too small for a hotel with around 400 rooms. Even assuming just two guests per room, that's at least 800 guests, yet there are only around 280 sunbeds around the pool. Every morning became a competition to secure somewhere to sit, forcing me to wake up at 7:00 am just to reserve sunbeds for my children.
Dinner was another daily frustration. The evening meal was served between 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm, giving over a thousand guests just a two-hour window to eat. Finding a table was extremely difficult, and most evenings we had to clean and set our own table because the restaurant was clearly understaffed.
The staff throughout the hotel were generally unhelpful and, at times, quite rude. It was obvious they were overworked, but unfortunately this resulted in poor customer service and little concern for guests' experiences.
The food was another major disappointment, especially for families. There were very few child-friendly options in the buffet. The only consistent choice for children was chips. There was no dedicated children's section with foods such as pizza, chicken nuggets or other family favourites. The adult buffet was also very repetitive. Day after day the main protein choices were grilled salmon and grilled turkey, with very little variety.
Overall, we were extremely disappointed with our stay and would not recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a relaxing family holiday.
I am also sceptical about many of the positive online reviews. While I cannot say whether they are genuine or not, I noticed that many glowing reviews appeared to come from accounts with no previous review history. This made me question their authenticity. In contrast, almost every guest we spoke to during our stay complained about the food, overcrowding and poor service.
In summary, this hotel is overcrowded, understaffed, poorly managed and nowhere near the 5-star standard it claims to be. I would strongly advise families to look elsewhere.
Review by angura2017 London, United Kingdom
Do not stay here dirty hotel
Location nice to be quiet- woken up by trumpets every morning. Supposed to be a 5 star hotel and quite honestly I have been to 3 star hotels with better cleaning, food and staff . Paid for all inclusive and asked for a whole pizza for 7 of us and got told no when it is supposed to be all inclusive- no food to cater to children. Rooms are very small - compared to 5 stars we have stayed in recently this is minty cleaners don’t even clean the rooms they replace towels and leave dirty sheets laying around
Definitely not 5 *****
We stayed in this hotel in April 2026. This hotel is not 5⭐️. Old carpets on the floors. We had constant problem with magnetic card keys and every time we were going to the reception to sort this out ( from 4th floor). Staff at the reception not great. Room service staff, cleaners, bar service and waiters very friendly and welcoming. Food was very good,drinks as well. Hotel is too far from the sea. Sea side bar was closed and canopies over the sun loungers were not hung. There were in the hotel very pushy touts who kept stopping tourists and made us feel uncomfortable. Spa not great ( I mean place -room was not great decorated). Hammam and massages were great, girls done great job. 👏
Review by Alicja M Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Better than my first impression
📌 Please note: This hotel was part of a travel industry familiarisation trip, so this review is based on my observations of the hotel, bedrooms & facilities. Where I've stayed or eaten at a hotel, I'll always make that clear. Next up from my recent hotel familiarisation trip is Port River Hotel & Spa, located in the Sorgun area, just outside Side. Although we didn't stay overnight here, we had a good look around the hotel, including the public areas, bedrooms & facilities. ⭐ At a Glance 👨👩👧 Best for: Families & couples ✈️ Antalya Airport: Approx. 1 hour 🏙️ Side Old Town: Approx. 10–15 minutes by taxi 🛍️ Manavgat: Approx. 10 minutes by taxi 🚶 Walk to shops/bars: Not really - I'd recommend a taxi if you want to explore the local area. 🏖️ Beach: Approx. 300m away with a regular shuttle service. 💦 Waterpark: ✅ 6 slides 🍽️ Board Basis: Ultra All Inclusive
🛏️ Rooms The rooms were actually one of the biggest surprises for me. After walking through the reception and some of the public areas, I expected the bedrooms to have a similar style, but they were much more modern than I anticipated. They felt bright, fresh & immaculately clean. One thing that really stood out was just how spotless everything was- even the glass on the balcony was absolutely gleaming! The hotel offers Standard Rooms, Triple Rooms, Family Rooms & Luxury Jacuzzi Suites, giving plenty of options for couples & families.
🍽️ Food & Drink We didn't actually eat at Port River Hotel & Spa, so I can't comment on the quality of the food itself. However, we did have a look around the buffet restaurant & it looked well presented, with plenty of choice on offer. The hotel also has three à la carte restaurants serving Black Sea cuisine, South Anatolian cuisine & seafood, along with a beach restaurant, beach bistro, patisserie & snack bar, so there are lots of dining options available throughout the day.
🏊 Pools, Beach & Facilities The pool area had a lovely atmosphere while we were there. The waterpark was particularly busy, with lots of children clearly having a great time on the slides, so I think it would be a real hit with families. The hotel also has: 💦 6-slide aquapark 🏊 Indoor & outdoor pools 👧 Mini Club 🎭 Evening entertainment & live music 💆 Turkish bath, sauna & spa 🏋️ Fitness centre
🛍️ Something a Little Different One feature I haven't really seen in many hotels was the little indoor shopping avenue. There were several shops selling handbags, purses & other holiday bits, so if you enjoy picking up a few things to take home but don't necessarily want to leave the hotel, it's a nice little extra.
❤️ What I Loved ✅ Bright & airy reception ✅ Modern, spacious bedrooms ✅ Exceptionally clean rooms & balconies ✅ Great family-friendly waterpark ✅ Indoor shopping area
🤔 Things to Consider Although I thought the reception was bright & welcoming, I did feel some of the public areas looked a little dated compared with some of the newer hotels we visited. That said, once I saw the bedrooms, my first impression completely changed they were far more modern than I was expecting. If you're looking for a modern room but aren't too concerned about every public area being ultra contemporary, I think this hotel offers good value.
👨👩👧 Who I Think It's Best For ⭐ Families ⭐ Couples ⭐ Anyone looking for a good value all-inclusive holiday
💬 My Overall Thoughts This was definitely a hotel that improved the more I saw of it. My first impression was that some of the public areas felt a little dated, but the bedrooms completely changed my opinion. They were modern, bright & exceptionally clean & the attention to cleanliness really stood out. The waterpark looked like a huge hit with children & I thought the indoor shopping area was a nice touch for anyone wanting to pick up a few holiday purchases without leaving the resort.
Review by LauraatJustTravel Edinburgh, United Kingdom
FAKE 5 STAR HOTEL 3 AT ITS BEST
this is not a 5 star hotel food was repetitive no pork was served while we was there also cleaners just walk in you could not lock the door so we had to barricade with the chairs the astonishingly watched the cleaner fight to get in we ran out of soap in the dispensers and the cleaner would not replace unless a tip was given shame really as she was a nice lady the hotel gave my wifes mobile number to the reps who sell the trips and would not stop pestering her she had to barr them in the end but the hotel staff should not have given personnel information out i have complained about this to the owners of the hotel will not return we have lots of video and photos to verify all our claims along with the harassment from the trip reps who sit around the hotel lobby
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