Club Viva Hotel Review

Overall Rating

Clean hotel
Nice pool
Some great staff - especially the night porter (mamet)

No alcohol behind the bar - actually water in vodka bottles
Don't like complaints - will throw you out of the hotel
Food was very repetitive

We booked our first trip to Turkey two days before we left and were very excited about the 4* all inclusive Club Viva hotel. Even with some of the bad reviews we had read we were still very excited about our holiday and when we first arrived at the hotel we were impressed. The staff seemed incredibly friendly we had a fabulous room overlooking the pool and the mosque (which did not wake us up at 5.30 once). Breakfast was probably the worst meal of the day with very limited choice and the same thing every day. Lunch and dinner for the first few days was alright again there was little choice but the food was fairly tasty, but after a couple of days of chicken and chips 2 meals a day I would in hindsight have to say the food was awful (just because the lack of choice got boring very quickly). The main problem with the hotel is that the alcohol was so watered down. When I had read that this happened at this hotel I was very much in the mind of well I'll just have to drink more then but it is so watered down that this does nothing for you and it takes the enjoyment out of having a glass of beer etc. What is worse is that while the ice cubes are made from mineral water the bottles are watered down with the local tap water and after a few days everyone was ill to a certain extent. Some of the staff turned quite nasty after the first few days when they realised they were not going to get large tips everyday. It didn't help that there were some guests who were not on an all inclusive option. The service they got was very different to ours. The hotel does not like complaints and the moment that someone does they are tarnished for the rest of the holiday. We were very lucky in meeting a lovely group of people who made our holiday but they complained after too many nights of drinks without alcohol in and we were all threatened with being expelled from the hotel! In the end this didnt happen but after speaking to our rep we realised this was definitely not the first time this has happened - and often it is to do with problems with the bar. Saying all this we had a fabulous holiday and some of the hotel staff were fabulous, the night porter, one guy at reception and a couple of the waiters were lovely. Marmaris itself was a great resort and many a good night was had. When chatting to other people on holiday it seemed that all of the all inclusive resorts in Marmaris water down the alcohol - and our rep confirmed that Turkey and all inclusive doesn't really mix well yet. They just haven't managed to get it right quite yet. The hotel itself was very clean and the maid service was brilliant. The location isn't bad, the bus stops right outside the hotel and the beach wasnt too far away although the pool was lovely so we didnt leave it much! If you are prepared to have to buy your own vodka and occasionally eat out then I would recommend this hotel but be forewarned you won't be getting drunk in the hotel when drinking drinks made at the bar!

Members' Comments oncappuccinomonkey's Review

• andysav26 on 15th Oct 2005

  This hotel is so awful to be honest, its trash we went Aug 05 for the first 2 weeks, the staff are awful, watered down beer and spirits & awful food I would not recommed complaining as we were threatened with being thrown out! There was three of us and we were put in the cellar no balcony or nothing our room was cleaned once we later found out this was because they had no spare key, although to be fair the other rooms ere being cleaned on a whole just stay away from this hotel !!!
  Asavage Gdakin (Moaning Micheal Haughton)