IC Hotels Santai Family Resort - All Inclusive

“Excellent family resort with really good all round facilities..”

We stayed here for 10 days and, in terms of being fully inclusive, wanted for nothing. In the main restaurant there is a large selection of food, deserts etc and, if you can’t find what you want there then there was an outside area where BBQ stuff was cooked. There were also several snack bars dott… more

We stayed here for 10 days and, in terms of being fully inclusive, wanted for nothing. In the main restaurant there is a large selection of food, deserts etc and, if you can’t find what you want there then there was an outside area where BBQ stuff was cooked. There were also several snack bars dotted about the complex, some open till 11.30pm, serving both food, soft and alcoholic drinks. Add into that, the ice cream hut ( which gave out decent branded lollies and ice cream, included in the all inclusive ), you’d be hard pushed to be hungry around here..a really top class effort by the catering / bar staff and nothing was ever any bother for them..all the staff were really friendly and helpful, regardless of w It is worth mentioning that if your looking to leave the complex and wander to a nearby local bar / restaurant, go for a stroll after dinner etc then this place is not for you because there are none / nowhere to go..this area is surrounded by other hotels and golf courses and that’s it..no fake clothes shops etc, you’ll have to go into the nearby town or Lara Beach for that ( approx 15 mins in a taxi )..the footpaths outside the complex are also in a really poor state and walking on the road is somewhat of a lottery.. There are a few shops on the complex ( near the main restaurant ) and they sell the usual crisps, snacks, juice, pool floats etc ( and loads of other random crap you’ll never need ) but they are massively massively overpriced..save yourself some money and make sure you pack all the essential things like sun cream etc cause you’ll save having to sell a vital organ to pay for some here.. I totally respect the fact people go into business to make money, and have the right to charge what they want..at the end of the day, if you don’t want it then don’t buy it..I get that..just take my advice folks, don’t forget the essentials cause the prices are scandalous.. Within the complex are loads of activities, an aerial adventure, water park, games room, large kids club area, football, tennis etc etc..the beach is also no more than a short walk from anywhere with the hotel area itself..if your idea of a good holiday is not leaving the complex itself then this place is perfect, it just wasn’t quite for us because we would have liked to go for walks etc..I do fully accept that this is not the hotels fault, it’s just something we didn’t notice when we booked.. We had a swim up room which was really handy..the room itself was clean and tidy, had a fully stocked fridge ( which was filled every day ) and all the other basic things you would need on holiday..yes there were the usual dirty marks on walls, a good lick of paint wouldn’t go amiss and the furniture looked like it had been dug out of an 80s retro skip but you can easily see beyond that if it’s kept clean everyday.. Now to the disappointing side of things, which, in all fairness wasn’t much and shouldn’t totally distract from the really good stuff on the complex.. On the second day we were there it rained, a lot..the rain was classed as “ dirty rain “ because it essential turned all the pool water dark green ( combination or algae and sand ) and guests were not permitted to use any of the outdoor pools until they were treated and cleaned.. The hotel cannot be blamed for the fact it rained, nor the fact the rain turned the water into something you’d expect to find Shrek in but was disappointing was the lack of communication to guests about when the situation would be resolved..my wife repeatedly asked guest services about the issue as we wanted to book trips and were keen to do it on days the pools were out of action..the problem was that guest services always told you the matter would be resolved the next day, even when the next day came and it wasn’t fixed..it took the hotel 4 days to put out any sort of notice informing guests about the pools ( and when they would be ready for use again ) and meant we missed out on doing a trip, thinking the pools would open, when they weren’t.. We did try and raise the issue with OnTheBeach who were totally useless and told us because we had gone in “ quiet season “, and that the hotel had to, at times, carry out essential maintenance, we had to essentially “ suck it up buttercup “..I’m not sure how every outdoor pool being closed at the same time classed as “ essential maintenance “ but hey ho.. Secondly, late check out..oh dear..our flight home wasn’t till 21.40hrs and check out is 12pm..we asked the hotel, 36hrs before we were due to check out, if we could stay later..they told us they could not tell us then and we had to return, on the morning we were leaving, before 12pm, to see if we could extend the stay till nearer pick up time.. We tried to explain that we had children and it would be really helpful if we could know, before the morning we left, if we would have to pack up and be out before 12pm or not..those of you reading this, who have kids, will know the logistical challenges of trying to organise checking out on time and the benefit of knowing, in advance, if you have a bit of extra breathing space or not..there is also the issue of where do you go, if you can’t stay a bit longer.. The lady on reception remained adamant that she could not help us but yet when my wife asked to speak to a manager and threatened to complain ( stating surely the hotel must know who’s arriving at the complex on the day we left, and whether would could stay longer ), he pressed a few buttons and bish bash bosh, he discovered our room was available for us to stay in till 5pm ( albeit at a cost of £95 for 5 extra hours ).. The two things above cast a bit of a shadow on what was a really nice stay on a well run complex..we wouldn’t return here but that’s down to the location rather than the quality of hotel..

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“Honest revised review”

We stayed for 10 nights (but spent 2 elsewhere) over the Easter holidays. Initially I had wrote a review saying I didn’t reccomend, and this was due to the noise levels on an evening and lack of soundproofing! However I acknowledge that that review was made with little sleep and frustration so thi… more

We stayed for 10 nights (but spent 2 elsewhere) over the Easter holidays. Initially I had wrote a review saying I didn’t reccomend, and this was due to the noise levels on an evening and lack of soundproofing! However I acknowledge that that review was made with little sleep and frustration so this will be more balanced. This hotel was made for kids! I wouldn’t stay here if I didn’t have a little one! But I do, so this was perfect, The ice creams are all branded, and plentiful! It’s an excellent set up with stand alone ice cream shop that kids can go to. The kids club is fantastic, huge and plenty of activities - we never left our daughter which she normally asks us too, but this was so big that adults could accompany kids and watch them take part in activities. The kids who are left, are given a band to wear, if they try to leave an alarm sets off, a staff member goes round checking bands against there register. Kids entertainment team were very friendly and tried to engage all children. Pools - while we were there we were aware that a couple of pools would be heated, and the splash park, the splash park was closed but the Aqua park pool was lovely and warm and able to use even on a colder day. The kids pool was great fun for them. There was a big sand storm and pools were closed for cleaning (non heated pools which we wouldn’t have used anyway) and the silence pool had to be drained and cleaned - I really feel for the hotel because they had just got it up and running!! What I will say is the indoor pool was BALTIC!! Why so cold!! Spa - lovely and my daughter had her fist spa experience 🙂 Entertainment - when outside you cannot get away from… at all! We went to bed one night and were all doors shut all we could hear was the music. We were on the opposite side of the complex to entertainment the furthest away and could hear it crystal clear, my daughter was upset she was so tired and couldn’t sleep through it, some thought needs to be given to where the entertainment is held! To put it in perspective, I wear ear buds every night and have for around 20 years, they did nothing.. Beach - it’s a beach…. Nothing spectacular! Food - really nice, never had a bad meal, plenty of choices (we stayed at land of legends nickelodeon hotel for 2 nights and the food at IC SANTAI was everyone’s favourite) Snack bar - lovely sat by the beach eating lunch, especially on a sunny day. Rooms - we had 2 rooms, the first was larger had 3 solid beds and a camp bed. (There was only 3 of us) so clearly a room set up for 4, I felt it was fine size wise an there was plenty of room to move around, however this room was near the elevator and it was a contact stream of people passing talking, our doorbell was pressed numerous times, we moved after 2 days to room 3389, a corner room with two balconies, nice views, MUCH quieter, but unfortunately still not enough soundproofing between rooms!! We heard conversations, every time our neighbour coughed, the baby waking in the night (which we are not complaining about) The problem with this room was it was set up for 2 so a camp bed was brought for my daughter the camp beds are tatty and uncomfortable I wouldn’t put any adult on them and I think it’s VERY poor standard for a 5 star hotel!! Overall we really enjoyed this holiday, would we return…. I’m honestly not so sure, we wouldn’t return to turkey at Easter again due to the amount it rained, and I can only imagine how noisy this hotel would be in summer, perhaps a October half term get away… with plenty of ear buds. I would rate a 3.5 if I could, it deserves more than a 3, but probably not as much as a 4 due to the tatty bed/noise/indoor pool temp

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“Not as Advertised”

I’d tighten it slightly, sharpen the tone in key places, and make it read more like a composed but firm review rather than a list of complaints: We stayed at IC Santai Family Resort from 27 March to 3 April as a family of two adults and two children (booked via Jet2holidays). At no point during b… more

I’d tighten it slightly, sharpen the tone in key places, and make it read more like a composed but firm review rather than a list of complaints: We stayed at IC Santai Family Resort from 27 March to 3 April as a family of two adults and two children (booked via Jet2holidays). At no point during booking were we offered a room upgrade, and we were assured that a standard room would be sufficient. In reality, once two extra beds were added, there was barely any space left to move. This room type is simply not suitable for a family of four. Allocating it as such reflects poor planning and a lack of consideration for basic comfort. Food selection is varied on the surface, with plenty of desserts and fruit. However, for guests with gluten intolerance, the options are virtually non-existent. I requested bread, which was taken from a freezer, reheated, and served mouldy. This is not a minor issue but a serious hygiene failure. An apology was offered, but no effort was made to properly address or compensate for the situation, which is unacceptable. A major disappointment was the complete mismatch between what was advertised and what was actually available regarding the children’s facilities. We were led to believe that the water slides and splash park would be operational—this was a key factor in choosing the hotel. In reality, only two slides were running, and even those with very low water pressure. The rest were closed, and the splash park had no water at all. Despite this, these facilities are still marketed as fully functional, and at no point—either during booking or in direct email communication with the hotel—were we informed otherwise. Our children were extremely excited about these features and were left deeply disappointed. This is, quite simply, misleading. Finally, while the Turkish bath itself is of a high standard, its management is completely unacceptable. There is no supervision whatsoever. Taps are left running at full flow all day, with no staff intervention. Children frequently leave the water running, and this continues unchecked. I found myself repeatedly turning off taps every day—something no guest should have to do. At a time when water conservation is a serious and widely discussed issue, allowing this level of waste is indefensible. This is not a minor oversight; it is a clear failure of management and responsibility. Operating a successful hotel does not justify the careless waste of natural resources. In summary, while the hotel has some strengths, the issues around room allocation, misleading information, dietary provision, and basic operational standards are significant. For a hotel of this level, these shortcomings are not acceptable.

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