A three-star hotel in Turkey, heavily criticized on TripAdvisor, became the subject of a holiday experiment: a British tourist paid 595 euros to check whether the negative reviews reflect reality or are exaggerated.
YouTuber Ed Chapman paid €595 for a five-night all-inclusive stay in southern Turkey. Although reviews on TripAdvisor warned of flies and questionable food, his experience was more surprising than he expected.
Before leaving, he noticed the many negative comments on TripAdvisor.
A tourist reported that “salads and other cold foods were often left uncovered and flies would settle on them,” adding that “a lot of people got sick” during the stay. Another visitor wrote: “My bed was full of black flies. It’s not okay at all!”
“Looks like something you’d do if you were trying to cover up a crime”
However, the very low price of five nights, including Jet2 flights and all meals included, made Ed take the risk.
First impressions were not great. Instead of a double bed, he got two single beds and a makeshift couch. “Unexpectedly, I ended up with two single beds and a sofa cover. It looks like something you’d do if you were trying to cover up a murder.” he commented.
The mattress, although very firm, still ensured a good night’s sleep. The minibar was more problematic, claims the British tourist. “It looks like it was taken from the garbage. There’s a lot of water in it, it’s dripping… it doesn’t look healthy at all.”, said the tourist.
“The reviews said it was a disaster, but the reality shocked me. It’s still the cheapest all-inclusive holiday, don’t expect it to be perfect.” he added.
Modest food and an episode of food poisoning
Among the less successful aspects was the breakfast, “with anemic eggs, crispy beans and sliced cucumber sticks’.
In the nearby town, he came across several “fake” places with names suspiciously similar to well-known brands such as John Lewis or 7-Eleven, until he arrived at the Barracuda restaurant, where a full menu cost 34 euros.
“Probably expensive by Turkish standards, but for a tourist area I don’t think it’s much. It’s proof of quality foodhe said.
Later, he admitted that the culinary experience at the hotel also had consequences: “The next day I woke up with a little bit of food poisoning. Nothing serious, but it definitely affected my food since then. I don’t know exactly what it was.”
Despite the shortcomings, the YouTuber admitted that the value for money remains extremely advantageous.
“For 595 euros, of which 210 euros are flights, 300 euros for hotel and all-inclusive for five nights is a very, very good deal“, he said.
However, the tourist admitted that there is room for improvement: the food should be more varied, the rooms better maintained, and the equipment newer.
“It wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t amazing, but at this price, what could you expect?”, he concluded.
