Novum Garden Side - All Inclusive

“Lovely family holiday”

We have just returned from an 11 night stay at the Novum Garden Hotel and had a lovely time. The hotel is an hour from the airport. It is a little smaller compared to other all inclusive hotels we have stayed in, which have felt more like resorts, however it had everything you need and more. The st… more

We have just returned from an 11 night stay at the Novum Garden Hotel and had a lovely time. The hotel is an hour from the airport. It is a little smaller compared to other all inclusive hotels we have stayed in, which have felt more like resorts, however it had everything you need and more. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful and made us feel so welcome, feeling like they were genuinely pleased to see us, were really bothered how our holiday was going, and even remembering our drinks orders. Pakize was the guest relations for English guests and was really kind, especially helping us out on our last day which was greatly appreciated. Our rooms were a decent size, comfortable beds and pillows, good air conditioning, and were kept spotlessly clean with a daily maid service (who were super friendly and helpful, although a little noisy in the morning). Water and full sugar drinks were supplied in the room minibar, but a sugar free option would have been nice. It was the start of season and the hotel was definitely not full, and therefore we did not have to worry about the 'sunbed wars' as there were always plenty of availability around the pool which I think would still be ok during peak season. The heated pool (the main larger pool is heated in Winter months) which being there in March/April was the sole reason why we originally picked this hotel, was supposed to be heated to 28-30 degrees however on some days this wasn't the case. People were therefore using the indoor pool which was too small for the amount of guests. I spoke with guest relations and the guy who walks round the grounds and they started heating the water almost straight away. This made our holiday as we could comfortably get in the water and the kids could enjoy playing all day. There are an abundance of lifeguards present at all times throughout the day which was great, and while they let the children play they did intervene if things were getting too rowdy. The water park is good, open 10-12 and 2-5, with a selection of slides and a children's area, toilets, and a small bar to grab a drink while the kids play. You are given pool towels however are only able to change them once weekly which I've never known before. This did mean starting off the day using damp towels as it wasn't warm enough to dry them yourself overnight, however they did dry quickly once laid out on the sun bed in the morning. My son used the steam room at the spa which he enjoyed and staff there were also very friendly, and while they did mention their services there was no heavy sell. The beach is a 5 minute walk through the grounds and over a little road, but it is lovely with plenty of beds and canopies if you want to shelter from the sun. The water is beautiful and quite warm with plenty of swimmers even at this time of year! There are changing cubicles and showers at the beach, and the toilets here are spotlessly clean to the point my children commented! But in fact the whole hotel is immaculate and they are constantly cleaning and wiping everything down! The beach bar also has a no smoking area which was very refreshing as smoking is allowed in all other outdoor areas and we struggled with this alot. Smoking seems to be popular with German and Turkish people and we couldn't even sit by the pool or sit outside for a meal or a drink without someone smoking near us. This has been an issue in all hotels we've stayed in, but it would be lovely if there were more no smoking areas so that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy being outside without being exposed to the risks of second hand smoke. There are plenty of drink options here with Efes being the beer available, and lots of choice of spirits and branded soft drinks. They have bottled water in your room and also at the beach, however they don't offer bottled water anywhere else and have water jugs around the hotel and filling stations around the pool areas with glasses or you can fill your own water bottle. This is a great idea although my kids didn't like the taste of the water from the filling stations. You can get food at most times of the day, which was always fresh and tasty. Breakfast had hot options like eggs however you like them, sausages (hot dog type), baked beans, different types of potatoes, waffles, pancakes, etc., and also lots of fruits and fresh pastries which were delicious! Lunch and dinner in the buffet restaurant was similar, with fresh salads, meats, cheeses etc., always goulash type dishes, fresh fish, vegetarian options, and meats like steaks, grilled chicken, kebabs, pizzas and fresh breads. They had an Asian night which was by far our favourite! There are chips available at every place for every meal (even breakfast) and the pool bar (food between 12-3) serves burgers and lovely hot chicken wraps, and also ice cream (12-6). The beach bar serves food 12-2 with lots of choice such as burgers, meat and vegetarian dishes, chicken nuggets, etc., and then pastries and ice cream 3-5. The patisserie is lovely serving nice coffees and teas alongside fresh pastries, biscuits, fresh waffles and crepes. The night time bistro is a great bonus serving fresh toasties, wraps, and spaghetti bolognese alongside alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. The hotel is mainly German guests with a handful of English people. Most of the staff speak at least basic English, but while some don't know any English at all we were able to communicate ok most of the time. The entertainment team really tried to include us, translating everything into English, however alot of the music was targeted towards Germans and we didn't know the songs which made playing some of the games difficult for us. There were quizzes or karaoke some nights and we had a few dance shows while we were there, although being in winter these were held in the conference room which was a little small and I feel that the shows will be much better when they're in the outdoor amphitheatre. There was darts and shooting every day and a ping pong table which my son and I enjoyed playing our own tournament during our stay. The hotel is only a few minutes walk to a large shopping area to grab some bargains too! We have had a really lovely holiday at the Novum Garden and we all agree that we would love to go back. Thank you to everyone who made our stay so special and we look forward to seeing you all again soon!

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“5*”

Really Really good, all staff so friendly helpful, very clean everywhere food, pool, everything i say 5**. I will go back again for sure

“A fantastic trip”

Recently returned from a 19 day break and what a fabulous time we had. The resort is beautiful with a huge pool at the top which has different depths mainly 1.25-1.4m. A middle pool with a waterfall and a lovely bottom pool. There is a nice side pool at the top which was a bit quieter. There is als… more

Recently returned from a 19 day break and what a fabulous time we had. The resort is beautiful with a huge pool at the top which has different depths mainly 1.25-1.4m. A middle pool with a waterfall and a lovely bottom pool. There is a nice side pool at the top which was a bit quieter. There is also a really shallow pool for toddlers. The pools were lovely and warm and very clean. Most fvthe pools were lifeguarded from 10 until 5 or 6 I think. You can get in them earlier if you want a morning swim. The waterpark is a really lovely feature and is open 10-12 and 2-5 with things there for all ages. It is literally seconds walk from the main hotel grounds. There are some sunloungers there and also a basic bar. The beach is a 5 minute walk which we didn't mind as it felt like a different holiday when you were down there. The beach bar does lovely food at lunch with ice cream and also drinks. Lots of sun loungers there too and the sea is incredibly warm. The food was amazing. So much choice and it was so fresh. My partner is a vegetarian and also had plenty of choice as there is a vegan station there too. The pool bar does amazing burgers at lunch but probably avoid the first hour or so as there was always a big queue. There is also the patisserie serving some lovely cakes in the afternoon. There was a Turkish pancake area but I never managed to get one as there was always a queue and it was way too hot to wait for me. They looked nice though and were authentically made. Ice creams were available in the pool bar 12-6 and we're delicious. Choice of a cone or tub. Ice creams were also available at lunch and during some of the afternoon at the beach bar. We went to the a la carte once which is next to the patisserie and it was really lovely. The main restaurant is busy with people walking around but it never felt too busy ( apart from maybe gala night). Don't forget the outside part of the main restaurant which do lovely omelettes in the morning and also have some great food in the evening. The drinks were fabulous with a really good range in the cocktail and mocktail menu and of soft drinks. Some big brand spirits are included too. The bar staff were fabulous and you never had to wait long. The lobby bar is lovely with views over the sea. The pool bar is near the bottom pool but my favourite was the terrace bar which is surrounded by fragrant plants and is lit up beautifully at night which is perfect for evening games. It is the best resort I have been to in Turkey for sunlounger availability. Yes there are the 5am nutters still but there's so many loungers, we still found good spots at 9am. The daytime entertainments were fun and varied. We can recommend the yoga and Zumba - even for inexperienced people like me, the instructors were really kind and didn't laugh at me too much 😂. There is a children's play park which although small, was enjoyed a lot by our kids and it was next to the pool bar so you can chill with a drink whilst they play. Mini disco is at 830 every night and although mainly in other languages, it didn't cause a barrier to the kids joining in and loving it. The beach evening entertainment followed at about 915/930 and the ones we watched were really enjoyable including Michael Jackson, acrobats and a magic show. The animation teams day off is Sunday so there is a live band that night but we headed into Side. The room and balcony was a good size and was cleaned regularly. There are a number of lifts getting up to the rooms if required. I found the beds really comfy and the air conditioning worked great which was important as it hit 45 degrees during our stay. The staff were incredible. They were so friendly and incredibly hard working. They really do make your stay so special and I want to pass on my thanks to each of them. Outside the hotel if you turn left and walk for 5 minutes, there is quiet a large area for shops which I think are better value than Side. There is loads of choice there with the usual clothing, football kits, bags etc. There are also some bars down there too. We went on the green canyon excursion which I can highly recommend. It made a really nice change to do an inland boat trip and it was a bit cooler with opportunities to swim and a really lovely lunch for about £80 for 2 adults and 2 children. We went into Side old town one night and it was a really lovely place with lots of history and glass pavements with ruins beneath, although it was incredibly hot and there were a lot of people there. The largest proportion of the guests are from Germany but there are a few Brits knocking about. It wasn't a problem at all and like largely British resorts, you nice different personalities. The staff seemed genuinely enthused when they found out you were British though - which is a nice change as not every nation feels like that about us! I generally say that I'd never go back to the same resort twice as i think there are so many different resorts to explore so why go back. But for Novum, I would make the exception. Everybody looks for different things from a holiday and will have different opinions but this place really ticked a lot of boxes.

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“Good Hotel, Good Experience”

Plethora of swimming pools and seating (particularly if you're not interested in lying on the sun bed). There is a sign that more sun beds can be planted across the swimming pool areas if you miss out. Aqua park is great fun but they close for 2 hours for lunch (why do life guards need 2 hours for … more

Plethora of swimming pools and seating (particularly if you're not interested in lying on the sun bed). There is a sign that more sun beds can be planted across the swimming pool areas if you miss out. Aqua park is great fun but they close for 2 hours for lunch (why do life guards need 2 hours for lunch if they're sitting around looking bored is beyond me), and they close at 5pm, which again is non-sensical. Private beach is spacious and they have a restaurant close by. All inclusive food is broadly ok, but felt repetitive at time; salads, vegetables and fruit is very fresh. Evenings they grill fresh meat and fish. There is a restaurant which you book; the starters are fine but the beef main is full of fat which I needed to send back. They offered steak fillet which was amazing. Evening entertainment every other evening is good (Michael Jackson show was by far the best) but the cocktails are hit and miss; they do not mix properly and feels each time you order the same cocktail there is inconsistency. Vast majority of staff either cannot or speak very little English but they are very attentive. A chap called Hakim was charming with the kids, he organises football and my kids loved him. Guest Relations is best placed to ask around the hotel; a sweet lady called Pakize has the best spoken English and works pretty much all week. She is very kind and helpful, she is best placed to help if you cannot speak Turkish or German. Broadly I would recommend this hotel, but manage expectations on food and lack of English across the holidaymakers and staff.

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