Tui Blue Grand Azur

“Very pleasant first experience in Turkey”

All inclusive package in a double room with partial sea views. Check-in was completed efficiently upon arrival with a mature male receptionist - having worked in hotels for many years, I must note that I found this experience uneventful, uninspiring and not particularly welcoming! Thankfully how… more

All inclusive package in a double room with partial sea views. Check-in was completed efficiently upon arrival with a mature male receptionist - having worked in hotels for many years, I must note that I found this experience uneventful, uninspiring and not particularly welcoming! Thankfully however, this is not how I rate the other services offered here. The hotel is spotless throughout, staff are courteous, polite and generally very accommodating. The buffet service of breakfast and dinner is well presented with a variety of dishes to cater for all travellers. As we seldom have need for food during the day whilst on sunny holidays, we are unable to comment on the lunchtime service. The pool area is very nice - clean and well cared for; the only downside however is the rule of not being allowed to reserve your chosen subbed with your towel. Don’t get me wrong - I fully endorse the good intentions, but it does become kinda’ ridiculous to find so many folks spreading themselves (& their towels) across beds before 0900 hours which is the time that rule is lifted! ….. . Yes, residents certainly benefit from not having to get up at an ungodly hour (as is normal practise in so many other hotels), but to find so many people” lying in wait” for 0901 did make me cringe 😬 Usual activities can be enjoyed during the day (darts, keep fit, volley ball etc), and the variety of entertainment offered during the evenings was enjoyable either as a participant or an observor. One noticeable plus for me at the Grand D’Azur is the absence of small (& often screaming) children. There is a children’s pool but this isn’t often used and when children did join us they were absolutely grand 👍 An interesting find - behind the pool bar, next to the external snack area is a lovely, well tended herb garden 🪴 There’s also an outdoor gym area, tennis courts and an indoor pool (all seldom used during our stay) .

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“Very good overall”

4.5 stars. Very good overall, I chose this as a kind of last minute pick. If you don't know Marmaris, it's a very touristy part of the Turkish coast. The hotel is a fair distance (around 1.5 hrs) from Dalman airport, so factor that into the flights you choose. There's one main outdoor pool at th… more

4.5 stars. Very good overall, I chose this as a kind of last minute pick. If you don't know Marmaris, it's a very touristy part of the Turkish coast. The hotel is a fair distance (around 1.5 hrs) from Dalman airport, so factor that into the flights you choose. There's one main outdoor pool at the resort and it really is a relief to finally stay at a place where you can relax poolside without smoking/vaping ruining it. There's also a "no-reserve" policy for the recliners. I did find though that generally unless you're out there by mid morning most of the poolside recliners are occupied. However, there are other (lawn) areas available as well. I enjoyed playing water volley ball a couple of times. There is also the beach, but I didn't spend much time down there. The beach itself fairly grainy/stony and I didn't find it that appealing. The main restaurant is decent enough and get very busy during meal times. Full credit to the staff in there, who work hard to feed and serve everyone. I didn't manage to try the a la carte restaurant. I only had an entry level room on the left outer side of the hotel. The hotel is situated between other hotels and on the left side there are two hotels and a side street which can generate a fair amount of noise (loud music, motor bikes, people yelling), but if you are up late, this is less of an issue. The room itself was okay, with good a/c and a decent bathroom. I thought though that the bed linen and towels felt a little coarse. One irritation though was how heavily room doors would slam shut (about as subtle as a sledgehammer). This is definitely not unique to this hotel, but I find it baffling that management think this is appropriate. Service from the various bars is quick and I enjoyed various (included) cocktails. Apart from that I had a massage in the spa and used the (pretty good) gym once. Anyway, don't want to discourage people, but I think it's worth mentioning a few things that might help some. It's still a pretty decent choice overall, but personally it's solidified my preference for resorts which are more isolated from their surroundings.

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“Grand Azur - Marmaris”

This was a return trip to the Grand Azur having been here in 2025 on holiday and thoroughly enjoyed it. The hotel is probably one of the best hotels in Marmaris. The food is good, the entertainment is great along with the animation team. Mustapha and Zafer especially go out of their way to make you… more

This was a return trip to the Grand Azur having been here in 2025 on holiday and thoroughly enjoyed it. The hotel is probably one of the best hotels in Marmaris. The food is good, the entertainment is great along with the animation team. Mustapha and Zafer especially go out of their way to make you feel welcome. The hotel rooms are spacious and clean. We had an issue with the sink when we arrived but it was fixed quickly. There is never a problem finding a sunbed and the hotel team ensure that people are not reserving them before 9am to give everyone a fair chance of getting one. Unfortunately, we did see people trying to reserve them anyway as well as the tables in the entertainment area and they seem to think it's their given right to do so. The only disappointment this time around was people smoking in the non-smoking entertainment area which caused a bit of conflict. Again, I think it's a clash of cultures where in some countries smoking is still a big thing whereas in the UK we are so used to not having to breath in secondhand smoke these days. Noise levels are fine and the entertainment at the hotel and nearby hotels stops around 11pm. The only thing waking us up was the call to prayer around 5am everyday so be prepared for that! The location is good and there are regular buses that take you from Icmeler to the harbour in Marmaris. Costs around 60TL per person and worth the money if it's a hot day. The Grand Bazaar is an experience, but not a pleasant one I'm afraid. People constantly hassling you to come and buy their goods. Be strong willed is all I will say!

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“Fantastic Food & Staff, But Not Quite the 5 Star Experience”

On arrival, we were given a really warm welcome. The receptionist was brilliant, making check-in quick and easy, and one of the staff kindly took our luggage up to our room, which was a nice touch after travelling. Our first impression of the room was that it was average. There were a few design i… more

On arrival, we were given a really warm welcome. The receptionist was brilliant, making check-in quick and easy, and one of the staff kindly took our luggage up to our room, which was a nice touch after travelling. Our first impression of the room was that it was average. There were a few design issues that became frustrating during our stay. The wardrobe doors fold out in a way that blocks access to the mirror, making it awkward to get ready. The bathroom layout also isn't ideal, as the toilet is positioned directly behind the door. The shower was fairly standard. It has a handheld shower attachment mounted very low down at around knee height, or a fixed rainfall shower head from the ceiling, but unfortunately the water pressure from the overhead shower was very poor. The biggest downside for us was the bed. Both of us suffer from spinal issues, and we found the mattress very uncomfortable. It wasn't until three nights before we were due to leave that we discovered we could request a mattress topper. This did improve things slightly, but we've definitely slept on much more comfortable beds at other hotels in Marmaris. The room includes a fridge, but it's not stocked. The hotel is clearly trying to reduce plastic waste, which we appreciate, but you only receive one bottle of water in the room. It's easy to finish it quickly, and it isn't replaced until the room is cleaned again. Our room overlooked the hotel opposite, which meant there was quite a lot of noise from children and activities throughout the day and evening. It wasn't ideal, but room location can always be a matter of luck. Overall, I'd rate the room 3 out of 5. It wasn't terrible, but there are definitely areas that could be improved, particularly the layout and the comfort of the beds. Moving on to the hotel itself, I honestly don't think I've ever stayed anywhere cleaner. Every part of the hotel was spotless throughout our 10-night stay, and the housekeeping team did an incredible job. Our cleaner was absolutely amazing, and our room was immaculate every single day. The chefs, waiters and waitresses deserve a massive shout-out. They are genuinely 5-star, and the food at this hotel is unreal. There was so much choice, everything was fresh, and we never struggled to find something we enjoyed. We did try the à la carte restaurant, but if I'm honest, it was really disappointing. Several other guests we met during our holiday felt exactly the same. The main buffet restaurant was far superior in both quality and choice. One thing that's easy to miss is the ice cream station. It's tucked away in the far corner behind what looks like the dirty pot collection area, so unless someone tells you it's there, you'd probably never know. It's a shame because it's a nice addition that deserves to be more obvious. The pool itself was lovely and there were always plenty of sunbeds available. We never once had to get up early or "fight" for loungers because the pool area is so spacious. The only downside was the temperature of the pool. Despite it being around 35°C every day, the water was absolutely freezing. It wasn't particularly inviting and made it difficult to stay in for long. We weren't the only ones saying this either. IF YOU SMOKE OR VAPE, DON'T EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO DO SO WHILST RELAXING BY THE POOL. The hotel has a very strict no-smoking policy around the pool area, and you have to walk all the way behind the pool bar to the designated smoking area every time you want a cigarette or vape. I completely understand why they have restrictions, but it did feel a little excessive. We've never experienced this anywhere else in Turkey, and several guests we spoke to agreed that perhaps a few designated areas around the pool would be a better compromise. Of course, this is just personal preference. For most of our holiday there were hardly any children around, which made for a really peaceful atmosphere. Unfortunately, on our final day, several families arrived and there was a lot of jumping into the pool, splashing water over people's loungers, books and belongings. One of our books ended up being ruined. We fully appreciate this isn't an adults-only hotel, so it's to be expected, but we definitely enjoyed the quieter atmosphere while it lasted. The drinks were another slight disappointment. The all-inclusive package only includes local spirits, and if you fancy a premium cocktail or branded alcohol, be prepared to pay around £11 per drink. We thought this was incredibly expensive. Drinks are also served in plastic cups around the pool, which, in our opinion, takes away slightly from the premium "TUI BLUE" experience. The snack bar was fairly average. It did the job, but compared with another hotel just a few doors down, the choice and quality weren't as good, and the drinks available there also seemed much better. The entertainment was probably the weakest part of the hotel for us. There was one fantastic evening – the White Party – which we thoroughly enjoyed. However, every other night seemed to follow exactly the same format with different performers but the identical playlist. I don't think I'll ever get "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" out of my head! We actually spoke to the entertainment team about it, and they explained that TUI has very strict policies on what music they have to play. During our stay, the average guest age was probably around 60+, and while there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, quite a few younger couples we spoke to agreed that the evening entertainment could do with appealing to a wider range of ages. One unfortunate incident happened during one of the evening shows when the chair I was sitting on collapsed underneath me, causing quite a nasty injury to my knee. The hotel's response was to offer for me to pay to see their doctor, but beyond that there wasn't really any assistance or gesture of goodwill, which was disappointing. That said, the entertainment team themselves were brilliant. The two guys who mainly ran the daytime activities and interacted with guests were absolutely fantastic. Their personalities, energy and friendliness genuinely made a huge difference to our holiday, and they deserve a massive thank you. The day beds are €80 for the day and, in our opinion, they're well worth the money if you fancy treating yourself to a more relaxing day by the pool. There are also lots of cats around the hotel, which we absolutely loved, although I appreciate that won't be everyone's cup of tea. One thing worth mentioning is that some friends we made during our stay did find a cockroach in their room, which unfortunately he had to deal with himself. Thankfully, we didn't experience anything like that, and as I mentioned before, our room was kept absolutely spotless throughout. Overall, despite a few negatives, there are some genuinely excellent things about this hotel. The cleanliness, the food and the staff are exceptional. Would I return? Probably not—but that's mainly because I rarely visit the same place twice rather than because I had a bad holiday. We still had a lovely time overall, and with a few improvements, this hotel could be outstanding.

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