“How many slides, mom?”

“Huuuhh?? Wake up, Alina, your son is asking you a question. What was the question? Oh, yes, something about the slides.”

Looking by the bus window, I am so anxious about our next hotel, wondering if it will raise to last year’s level, if we will enjoy it, if the food will be great (my kids are so picky), if we will have a room big enough for all 4 of us, if they will get bored or not. And he is asking me about the slides!!! Jeez!!!

“Love, I am sure you will have plenty of slides to have fun with, and also activities to keep you and your brother busy.” Maybe I will be lucky enough this year to have one hour with your father alone, or read more, or even stay in the sunbed more than 5 minutes, I keep dreaming but just for me.

“I hope they will have ice-cream!” I hear the other crystal voice.

“I am sure they will, hon’. All kind of ice-cream and cookies.” I answer back while my worries increase. Oh, this second hotel we stopped at looks just great, I hope ours will be comfortable and good as well.

Riding the transfer bus from Antalya airport to Ela Quality Resort Belek, I cannot lower my expectations and the fear of disappointment. Last year hotel, Sueno Deluxe Belek, all brand new, was a great experience. We loved it and wanted to go back, but there was no availability by the time we decided to book.

So both of us adults are anxious about our current choice, while the kids are excited and carefree. They just want to swim, ride the slides, have fun, play, eat ice-cream and enjoy themselves. Pfff, it’s good to be a kid!

We are getting closer to our hotel (we are the third stop on the route), we enter the facility and our coach is being checked at the entrance gate by security (having domestic problems in Istanbul and Ankara, they took extra measures for guest safety).

Then the coach stops in front a majestic building, tropical plants and palm trees, several buildings aside overlooking the pools and lake area. It looks great, for now! I am easing my worries a little bit!

That unforgettable smell of sea, tropical air, perfumed scent is kicking in. I finally breathe. I realize I am happy to be there. It really does not matter after all how great the hotel is. We are on holiday, we all together and healthy, thank God!

Reality check, Alina! Get the luggage, the husband and the children and go inside for the check in.

Anyone who has ever stayed in a Turkish or Arabic hotel knows that the entrance to the hotel is sometimes overwhelming, both luxurious and majestic, and sometimes kitschy (we have had our share of kitschy hotels).

At Ela Resort Quality we encounter same majestic atmosphere, high floors, modern furniture and design and friendly staff. They welcome us with their traditional Turkish delight, chocolate, juices and sparkling wine.

Yuhuuu, sparkling wine! Bring it on!

THE RESORT

Ela Quality Resort Belek consists of the main building (hotel), villas “Lake House” and deluxe villas and suites. The main building has standard rooms, standard rooms with sea view and whirlpool, family duplex and interconnected rooms, as well as rooms for disabled.

We had to choose between a double room in the main hotel building (advantage – most restaurants, stores were nearby; disadvantage – it was probably a bit noisy) and a double room in a villa, “Lake House pool view”, overlooking the pool. As price difference was about 200 euros/stay, we chose the villa accommodation because we are looking for peace and tranquility, and indeed, it was so quiet and relaxing every morning and every evening. Wouldn’t you? Here is the look of the Lake House pool villa:

The two-floors pool view villas “Lake House” have two apartments on each floor. We stay at the villa entrance, practically on ground, same level as the reception of the hotel, but in fact it was the 2nd floor of the villa. Near the villa there is a staircase that reaches down to the lower levels and the pool.

The resort is huge and very well taken care of. I worried for nothing, the resort is simply great!

 

Beautiful green gardens

 

Entertainment and relaxation facilities stretch over:

• 6630 m² outdoor pool area, 5 water slides and outdoor children’s pool
• 3 230 m² and 4 water slides, children’s water park,
• indoor swimming pool 210 m²,
• an indoor children’s pool is 20 m² in size,
• football fields (one for adults, one for children),
• trampolines for children,
• beautiful gardens and flowers,
• tennis and basketball courts,
• amphitheater for the evening performances,
• night clubs and pier,
• sensory path for stepping barefoot,
• quite large beach (270 m) with enough sunbeds and umbrellas, hammocks everywhere, and even beach suites
• Everland Q Kids Club (our personal favorite and most loved attraction from Ela)

 

 

THE ROOM

Standard double room overlooking the pool includes a large king bed and two extra beds, placed both sides of the double bed. So it was a breakthrough the children’s dream to sleep with us!

The wardrobe is large, on the left wall of the lobby, and has enough hangers for a family of 4 (I never have enough hangers for my dresses, shirts, Florin’s shirts and pants).

From the entrance hall, on the right, there was the bathroom – all dressed in marble and wood. The boys had a pleasant surprise finding out that they had their own kids vanity set for bathroom, one bag each, filled with small bottles of shampoo, shower gel and body lotion, plus special children loofah and mascot plush clubhouse teddies white ELA sign, one on each extra bed.

The room also has a large terrace with a table and two chairs, perfect spot for the morning or afternoon coffee, with a splendid view over the pool and the other villas.

The room is clean and quiet, exactly what we were looking for. Except for one day only, when we had unwanted small guests in the bathroom, some ants, but we called the reception and reported, so in the afternoon when we got back from the beach, they were gone.

Rooms at the villas called “Lake House” have the following facilities:

• double bed,
• air conditioning,
• mini bar (stocked daily with 2 beers Carlsberg, 2 Coca Cola, 2 Fanta, 2 Sprite, 2 cans of milk, 2 bottles of mineral water and 2 still water),
• digital safe,
• TV satellite,
• telephone,
• iron and ironing board,
• working desk,
• bathroom with bathtub,
• bathrobes and slippers (including children’s slippers),
• hairdryer,
• cosmetic mirror.

Maximum room occupancy: 3 adults or 2 adults + 2 children.

 

THE FOOD

Like any other resort in Turkey, the resort has a main restaurant, Enderun, where we had lunch and dinner and sometimes breakfast, but also several a la carte restaurants for dinner where we were could make reservations for a fee.

But from previous experiences, we avoid a la carte restaurants, mainly because of our children, as they are really picky eaters and the menu is limited to them (not to say extremely limited) vs. All Inclusive menu in the main restaurant.

We do not eat much, food is not the reason we seek All Inclusive services in Turkish resorts, but finding everything that you need in just one place. The child-friendly resorts also help the parents have a real vacation too. No need to hustle with meals, leave the beach and find a suitable restaurant or tavern, wait to place an order, wait for the food, and if – God forbid’- children do not like it, order something else and wait again, while the child is screaming that he is hungry.

We like this buffet option, we can take the boys around so they can choose what they want to eat, to taste, they experience the place…

As for us, adults, we had a lot of choices: all kind of fish (me and Florin would eat fish at every meal, if possible), chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, various side dishes, salads of all kinds, soups, cheese, fruits, vegetables, cakes and various desserts. Plenty to choose from, you know… All Inclusive.

This time, for desert, I admit I only ate ice cream, which was fantastic, and different kinds of baklava, for desert.

At noon, as the boys are grown and do not take their mid-day sleep anymore, we have lunch at Kalamata Pool Snack or at Pearl Bistro Snack. Satay salmon skewers (mmmm…), burgers, pizzas, kebab, grilled fish, salads, sweet corn, baked potatoes with different toppings, pasta, gozleme, ayran etc.

Pastry shop opens from 14.00 to 18.00, usually children got their ice cream, we got our afternoon cappuccino. Countless bars – one near the reception, near restaurants, Pool Bar, Beach Bar, were waiting for us with cold draft beer, martini, gin and whisky, and so on. The cocktails though were not great at all!

I also wrote about our personal favorite place from Ela, Everland Q Club (children club, restaurant, playground, shows etc.), as this definitely deserves a separate review!

In conclusion, although the resort is not as luxurious as Sueno Deluxe, we had a great holiday and we would come back at any time. We have uploaded a short film and some more pictures of our stay.