Gold Island Hotel

“excellent choice for family vacations”

Such a nice hotel with great infrastructure Everything was good, no complains, price to quality ratio is 100500/100 All needed is there - big pool, slides and kids club for children, meal is good, few bars - at the hotel, beach and pool, sea view comfortable rooms, 2 private beaches ( 1 is with ac… more

Such a nice hotel with great infrastructure Everything was good, no complains, price to quality ratio is 100500/100 All needed is there - big pool, slides and kids club for children, meal is good, few bars - at the hotel, beach and pool, sea view comfortable rooms, 2 private beaches ( 1 is with access to amazing avsallar beach that we love mostly) and pleasant staff. We are looking forward to come over!

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“Stunning hotel with amazing drinks, but major service and food letdowns”

We recently stayed at the Gold Island hotel and had a really mixed experience. While there were some absolute standouts that made our holiday special, there were also quite a few frustrating elements that stopped it from being a perfect stay. On the positive side, the hotel building itself is stunn… more

We recently stayed at the Gold Island hotel and had a really mixed experience. While there were some absolute standouts that made our holiday special, there were also quite a few frustrating elements that stopped it from being a perfect stay. On the positive side, the hotel building itself is stunning and quite impressive. One of the absolute highlights was the freshly made Gözleme (traditional Turkish flatbread)—the lady making them is incredibly talented. Unlike many all-inclusives, the spirits and cocktails here are great and super strong. The staff at the bars were incredibly friendly; the lobby barman deserves a special shoutout for being brilliant and mixing up fantastic drinks, and the pool bar guys also need a special shoutout for being absolutely excellent. Having an onsite Starbucks and handy convenience shop was also a massive bonus. We also loved that the hotel boasts two private beaches. This was a huge plus, as the main beach was always packed, whereas these private spots let us escape the crowds and enjoy some space to ourselves. The standard evening entertainment was outstanding, featuring high-quality acts like a circus, dancers, acrobatics, and even a motorbike stunt show. As for the room, housekeeping kept it clean every day, though we did find it a bit quirky that they folded the duvet at the end of the bed instead of traditionally making it. The fitness center is also well-equipped with everything you need. However, the rest of the hotel staff really brought the mood down. While the bar staff were lovely, the reception staff, cleaners, and kitchen staff were all quite rude and unfriendly. It got to the point where we actually ended up playing a game with each other to see if we could get a smile out of any of them by being extra friendly—but no luck! (Yes, we were that bored by the end). The food was also a major letdown. It really wasn't great—the selection was quite small and basic, and almost everything was bland. When we first arrived, they changed up the specials each day, but then they seemingly forgot to do this for the rest of the week, which was a shame. For example, the cakes looked amazing but completely lacked any substance or flavor. It took us a lot of time to find what we liked, and it would have been much better if there were more options. To make matters worse, the "hot" food at the buffet and snack bars was consistently lukewarm or cold. We actually noticed on our last day that the buffet's hot plates weren't even turned on, nor were the heat lamps above the food. Another massive downside regarding the entertainment is that they use their outdoor event space for private functions. There was a wedding hosted there during our stay, which meant the usual entertainment was cancelled. The only alternative provided was the World Cup on the screens, which we didn't care for at all. Because the hotel is completely isolated and there is absolutely nothing around the local area, you can't even get a taxi to find something else to do. As a result, our last two nights were incredibly boring, just sitting around the quiet hotel bars. Even the hotel lobby itself is centered around a lovely grand piano, but we didn’t see or hear anyone play it the entire time we were there, which was a bit sad and felt like another missed opportunity for some atmosphere. There were several other downsides to the property as well. We booked a double room but were given twin beds that literally could not be moved together, and parts of the hotel are starting to feel a bit dated. There was no cocktail or drinks menu to look at, and the wine was awful. Also, if you're a decaf drinker, the onsite Starbucks doesn't stock decaf. And while the gym was well-equipped, the air conditioning didn't work at all, making it feel like a sauna every morning. We also felt a bit misled by the advertised amenities and the pricing logic. Multiple restaurants are advertised, but only two were actually available—and you had to pay extra for one of them. The Club Aquarium and its adjacent restaurant appeared to be completely closed, and the long, enticing lap pool is strictly reserved for swim-up room guests. We also inquired about booking a beach cabana—which was literally a wooden shack with a bed—and were quoted a ridiculous €90 for the day. They tried to justify the price by saying it included free drinks, completely ignoring the fact that the hotel is already an all-inclusive venue! Lastly, the service culture felt a bit exhausting. The pool towel tokens can only be collected from the spa (which is nowhere near the pool), meaning you have to brave a sales pitch to book a treatment just to get a towel. There were annoying canvassers around the pool, and staff would knock on the room door to drop off drinks expecting a tip, even though they were entering to refill the fridge anyway. Customer relations weren't much help either, usually just passing us off to reception. It's also worth noting that this hotel predominantly caters to German and Russian tourists; even our Jet2 rep was surprised we booked here, noting that English guests rarely stay. Overall, Gold Island is a beautiful property with great drinks and lovely private beaches, but it is seriously let down by basic, cold food, miserable staff outside of the bars, dead evenings if a private event is on, aggressive upsells, and minor service hiccups.

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“Great Hotel and Food, but Disappointing Entertainmen”

The hotel was beautiful, clean, and very well maintained. The housekeeping staff changed our bed sheets every day, which we really appreciated. The food was surprisingly good, with a wide variety of options every day. On the entertainment side, however, it was quite disappointing. The hotel website… more

The hotel was beautiful, clean, and very well maintained. The housekeeping staff changed our bed sheets every day, which we really appreciated. The food was surprisingly good, with a wide variety of options every day. On the entertainment side, however, it was quite disappointing. The hotel website says there is a disco, but there actually isn’t one. In the evenings, they would make lists for guests who wanted to take a bus ride of about 20–25 minutes to a nightclub outside the hotel. There were also a few evenings with a DJ, but unfortunately the music choice was not appropriate for the atmosphere. At one point we were listening to Ave Maria and blues music while the dance floor was full of people wanting to dance predominant women. We kept asking for some Turkish music, but the DJ completely ignored the requests and continued playing his own playlist. I would also like to mention the bar manager, who was very friendly, fun, and always in a good mood with a smile on his face. He always did his best to find a solution and help the guests. Other than that, the hotel was very good overall. The beach and the swimming pool were also excellent.

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