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Crystal Palace Luxury Resort & Spa

Peri Sokak No:271 Yavrudoğan Mahallesi, Colakli, Manavgat 07550 Turkiye, Colakli, Turkey

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Overview

Pros
  • On a lovely, sandy beach, set a 20-minute drive from Side

  • Clean, light rooms with free minibars, balconies, and electric kettles

  • Buffet and a la carte dining options, including a 24-hour restaurant

  • Large main pool with five waterslides and separate kiddy sections

  • Big, pleasant spa with free areas and a wide array of treatments

  • Daily entertainment program, complete with professional evening shows

  • Kids’ club with a shallow pool and small buffet restaurant

  • Small but well-equipped fitness center with music and TV screens

  • Water sports (for a fee), two tennis courts, and mini-golf

  • Movie theater showing free movies with subtitles

  • Two meeting rooms with audiovisual equipment and catering services

  • Free Wi-Fi throughout the property, including at the beach

Cons
  • Only some bars have imported drinks

  • Food gets mixed reviews

  • Fees for use of tennis equipment and court lights

  • Some may find the music around the main pool too loud

Bottom Line

The 509-room Crystal Palace Luxury Resort & Spa is an upscale all-inclusive property with large pools and an active entertainment program. It offers direct access to a great, sandy beach with loungers and a snack bar serving a small buffet and afternoon sweets. There are a fitness center, tennis courts, and mini-golf, but the highlight here is the spa, which offers a long list of body treatments and free access to a hammam, sauna, and snow, salt, and steam rooms. Food at the main restaurant is good but can get repetitive after a few days, and the a la carte eateries get mixed reviews. Rooms are clean and appealing, with classic Ottoman-inspired decor, balconies, minibars (replenished daily), free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs. In this price range, sister property Crystal Tat Beach Golf Resort & Spa has a mellower vibe.

Map

Peri Sokak No:271 Yavrudoğan Mahallesi, Colakli, Manavgat 07550 Turkiye, Colakli, Turkey

Full Review

Scene

Busy resort with a lively atmosphere around the central pool area

Set on just over five acres of land, the Crystal Palace Luxury Resort & Spa is relatively compact by Side all-inclusive standards. The main building and its four adjacent blocks take up roughly two-thirds of the property, while the rest is occupied by the main pool and the amphitheater, which leaves little space for gardens. With all main outdoor amenities concentrated in a somewhat compact area, foot traffic is almost constant around the pools, and there is generally music on the main deck. Add to this the fact that the hotel is mostly popular with German and Russian families (although we also saw plenty of young and older couples) and you get an atmosphere that can be a little too bustling for some. 

Interiors are classic and elegant for the most part, though some may find the abundance of golden finishes a little too ornate or even dated. The lobby is particularly opulent, with a grand white-marble staircase, an eye-catching chandelier, and lots of golden accents on handrails, pillars, walls, and the ceiling. The spa, however, has a more contemporary style that combines mood lighting and Buddha statues with eclectic architectural elements such as poly-lobed arches and twisted columns. 

The Crystal Palace has a comprehensive all-inclusive package and is a good pick for those wanting an active vacation without breaking the bank, but for a little bit more money the IC Hotels Santai offers a wider range of family-friendly room types, more expansive grounds with quiet adult-only areas, and an excellent kids’ club. Sister property Crystal Tat Beach Resort & Spa has a more relaxing vibe and similar prices, but all imported drinks are an additional charge. Travelers seeking something more luxurious may want to compare prices at Bellis Deluxe Hotel, which has a lovely pier, stylish rooms, and varied dining options. 

Location

On a great beach between tony Belek and historic Side

The Crystal Palace is located on a quiet street in an area home almost exclusively to all-inclusive beachfront resorts. The property is almost at the very end of the resort area west of Side, and while there are a few shops selling accessories, clothes, and shoes within a five-minute drive of the hotel, little else of general interest can be found in the immediate area. The city of Side -- known for its stunning historic ruins, beautiful sunset views, and charming seaside cafes -- is just a 20-minute drive away. Other local attractions, including the Manavgat Waterfalls, Aspendos, and the archaeological area of Lyrbe, are all within a 30-minute drive of the hotel. Antalya and the airport are just under an hour away.

Rooms

Ottoman-inspired rooms with good amenities and balconies; many have sea views

The hotel has 509 rooms spread over five buildings built perpendicular to the beach, which allows for some sort of sea views from the majority of rooms (357 of them, to be precise). The decor style has strong Ottoman influences, with gold ceiling moldings, golden finishes on wooden furniture, and classic Turkish paintings on walls. Laminate floors and tufted armchairs add a touch of elegance, while the dark-brown palette and white walls manage to balance out the golden ornaments. 

Rooms are equipped with a good range of amenities, including flat-screen TVs with a few international channels, electric kettles with free instant coffee and tea, air-conditioning, and safes. Minibars are stocked with water and sodas, and they're replenished daily free of charge. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, and the signal was strong and reliable in our room. Bathrooms are simple but clean, with textured white tile walls and floors, walk-in showers (plus jetted tubs in Junior Suites and Honeymoon Suites), and a range of toiletries, including hair conditioner, cotton swabs, combs, and loofahs. 

Families can choose from an array of room types, including Family Rooms -- which have two bedrooms (some with bunk beds) -- Pasha Suites, also with two bedrooms, plus a kitchen and two bathrooms, or Junior Suites, which have sofa beds in the living areas. Rooms overlooking the gardens are smaller by at least 54 square feet than those with partial of direct sea views in all categories.

Features

Kids’ club, several pools, spa, sports facilities, and a varied entertainment program

As a family resort, the Crystal Palace offers a wide array of amenities for children of all ages. The two-floor kids’ club features indoor and outdoor spaces, including a cute pool with water features and small animal-shaped slides under an awning, a dedicated restaurant with a small buffet, and a colorful arts and crafts area upstairs. Only children 4 to 12 years old can take part in the daily activities, but younger guests can access the kids’ club as long as they’re supervised by an adult. There is also an entertainment program for teens that focuses on sports and group activities. 

The main pool is large and pleasant, with an area for activities, sports, and games, and plenty of loungers and umbrellas. Music is played several hours per day around the pool, but it is generally not deafening, and there are quieter areas away from the hustle and bustle. There is also a water park with three slides for adults, as well as two smaller ones for children on a separate deck. The indoor pool is long enough for a few quick laps, and the water is heated when the weather is too cold for the outdoor pools to be enjoyable. 

All guests are offered free access to the hammam, the sauna, and the steam, snow, and salt rooms located in the spa. There are also 12 treatment rooms -- including some with private hot tubs -- where guests can get a wide array of massages for a fee. The fitness center is also located in the spa area, and although it is a little small, it has enough cardio and strength-training machines for a full workout. There are also several outdoor sports facilities, such as tennis courts (there are fees for lighting and loaner equipment), a mini-golf area, a beach volleyball court, and an array of motorized and non-motorized water sports (for a fee). 

The entertainment program includes pool games, sports, contests, and evening shows. There are also live music several times per week at the Irish Pub, and a movie theater with two screenings per day in different languages with subtitles. 

All-Inclusive / Food

One buffet restaurant, five a la cartes, and several snack joints

The hotel offers a comprehensive all-inclusive package that covers all local and some imported drinks until late at night. The main buffet is open 24/7, and offers a varied buffet for all three main meals, as well as a smaller spread overnight and for late breakfast. We found plenty of tasty options during our stay, but some guests have complained that it can get repetitive after a few days. There are five a la carte eateries as well, serving fish, Italian, Mexican, Ottoman, and Asian cuisines, and guests are offered one free dinner at each per stay, except at the fish restaurant, which is always an additional charge. 

There are several snack corners where guests can get small bites and sweets during the day, including a patisserie, a “gozleme” corner (Turkish flatbread), and a full snack bar by the beach, complete with a small buffet, waffles, ice cream, and pancakes.