Senza The Inn Resort and Spa

I have never written a hotel review and consider myself pretty flexible and easy going as a traveller. However, I have never experienced anything like this as a well travelled person. On arrival at the hotel I was told there was no available room it was midnight. I had my two young children with me who were tired after leaving for the airport at 9am that day. When I got angry the receptionist shouted back at me and told me he would not help me that it was not his problem there was no room there was no empathy no concern that I had booked a holiday and there was no available room and they were not sure what time a room would become available. I booked my holiday as a package through Thomas cook. This is not acceptable if there was no room I should not have been able to book the holiday!

I had the Thomas cook rep WhatsApp me before arriving into turkey. Advising to contact if any issues. On arrival into the airport when looking for my transfer to the hotel I was advised that Thomas cook has stopped operating in turkey for 3 years. They use Turkish agency instead. I complained that there was no room available until 3:30am and my kids and I did not sleep until 4am! They claimed they were speaking to hotel management to try and help me but was more bothered about trying to sell me holiday tours. I told them I was booking seanlaya dolphinworld I had already emailed them direct and got prices. He proceeded to try and sell me the dolphin show for 50 euros each for my two kids and I. I sent a snap shot of the cheaper set prices emailed directly from the manager of seanalya. These are the prices advertised on their website! The price of 50 euros x 3 people nearly covered dolphin show and sea park entrance he claimed to be unsure of prices of sea park. After sending him the snap shot of the set cheaper prices his messages went quiet and I didn’t get a response. However, my phone broke later that day so he may have messaged again.

Food is ok usual for all inclusive. Variety of food but as with all inclusive can become routine and boring. Won’t starve at the hotel! Water park slides at hotel is good for my kids and I and the kids pirate ship pool they are fortunately enjoying the pool. However, our experience and their first holiday has been ruined by the rudeness of staff they seem to cater and be nicer to Russian guests, as soon as I speak and they hear I speak English their faces are rude no smiles and whatever I say they are not helpful and don’t really appear to be listening to my concerns.

Example of this is yesterday afternoon I went to reception to confirm time of late check out on day I depart. A lady and man on reception rude didn’t really bother listening to me explaining I was being compensated for not having a room and that I was having late check out as a gesture of good will. They repeated told me it was ten euros per hour after check out time of 12pm. That I should just check out at 12 after repeating 5 times I was having late check out and 12pm is not late check out another male staff member appeared the same man who told me on arrival there was no room and was rude when I got angry telling me not his problem and that he would not help me for being angry and then went to give the person behind me their all inclusive band and stopped assisting me. He said he remembered me having no room then went to discuss with management in the back room a few minutes later he reappears and tells me that I can check out at 3pm at this point I couldn’t be bothered to argue anymore so I agreed as it’s better than nothing. Just beware when booking this hotel if your not Russian and are English they do not care, shout back at you and don’t fully resolve any problems.

This is the first holiday where I am looking forward to returning home. The floor around pool is very slippery and flooring around hotel and is dangerous for kids. I was promised an upgraded sea view room I tipped the worker at reception despite there being no room and he promised a sea view room. When we were taken up to our room that was eventually ready at 3:30am the luggage man said if not happy with room can change at 8am the next day to higher floor. The reason he said this I realised when we got into the room was despite the staff promise of a sea view room it in fact looked into their car park. I rang reception to change room at 8:30am the next morning, was informed no room availability till 3pm. I do not understand their room booking system surely as a hotel they would have a system where they know who is checking in and out and have some sort of an allocation system? They should not be over booking and then leaving guests with no rooms especially travellers with young children! Moved into a second floor room after speaking to the manager however air con was intermittent they did to be fair send someone in to look at the air con and when I had issues with the safe they came and sorted it out straight away so there is a positive here! Battery of safe was changed promptly so it worked again. However, when requesting for help with the safe/aircon at reception same rudeness and spoken to and looked at rudely when I was simply asking for help.

The first room provided at 3:30am was being finished cleaned by cleaners as we stood outside waiting they smeared some dirt on the step leading into the room and didn’t remove it completely and the shower head still had the previous stays dried shampoo on it and the shower floor had dried shampoo/soap on it. I took pictures and sent to Thomas cook rep unfortunately I cannot upload the pics as my phone is broken. So not only did we not have a room on arrival , promised an upgrade after accepting my tip the room allocated was not as promised (sea view) and was dirty. We spent the night in here as my kids were exhausted at 4am and just needed a bed to sleep in!

I witnessed the difference in staff’s assistance and attitude to Russian guests compared to English speaking guest (myself) when I was queuing behind some Russian guests at reception waiting to enquire about my late check out time. The Russian guests had some issue and the male in family went off to discuss with manager in his office. The male and female receptionists were smiling and speaking to them in nice kind tones whilst the female family member checking in was clearly disputing their issue. I never got this same customer service throughout my stay unfortunately, all staff were rude and didn’t really listen or help my issues.

We went to ‘chicken world’ their snack restaurant yesterday for first time. Food is table service. Took a long time to get served, when we got served food didn’t come together. My daughter got her food first and then needed the toilet. I am in my own and they are too young to be left alone so I took both my children to toilet, I informed a waiter that we were going toilet and not leaving. When we returned daughter’s food had been cleared and our drinks and table has been cleaned. I complained to a waiter again he brought out this time my sons food first after another half hour I went to the manager and complained he gave me two plates of different food that we had ordered that was on top of a food heater shelf that the lights were off for. My kids had a few mouthfuls and left the restaurant hungry after waiting there for 2 and a half hours.

I was given free internet and safe (gesture of good will due to room issue on arrival) for my stay and late checkout till 3pm despite being promised by Thomas cook rep it would be till 6pm (time of my transfer) however, due to my phone being broken I cannot contact him and I haven’t seen him in reception since the first day when he arranged to meet me but then left me with his colleague who did not have any idea of my issue I did not wish to repeat the issues of not having a room and the rudeness of staff. The rep told me he was in a meeting and that he would meet me later however kids and I went to the pool didn’t want to waste anymore time it was midday at this point and two young kids wanted to get in the swimming pools.

This hotel has the potential to be a very good hotel the size and atmosphere the evening entertainment is good. Just customer service and room booking system and restaurant serving needs to be better otherwise they shouldn’t advertise as 5 star and also ice cream is not free I feel if advertising as ‘ultra all inclusive’ this would be assumed to be included.

I’ve been to Senza Alanya and had a amazing experience and the entrapment team was so friendly and we had so much fun I would recommend anyone to come and enjoy themselves here