My family and I had the pleasure of staying at the Rixos Downtown Antalya in beautiful sunny Turkey.
We had not stayed in a Rixos property before but had read the reviews on this growing hotel brand and were prepared to be impressed.

From the moment we stepped out of the car and entered the hotel, our expectations of what we were hoping to see and be met with were blown away.

We were greeted by the most efficient guest relations team who ensured we were whisked to a comfortable and beautifully designed lobby area where we sat, had a refreshing drink and completed the simplest of check ins.

We were taken through all the functioning areas and events the hotel had to offer by guest relations, all the most important details were covered and once armed with this information, we were then shown to our room.
Ours was a connecting room, one room for us as parents and one for our teenage son.
Both rooms were well equipped which you would expect from a modern hotel and a brand like Rixos. The amenities were excellent; a Nespresso coffee machine in each room, a well stocked mini bar and a balcony with amazing views over the perfectly manicured resort, its pools and onto the sea itself.

The hotel is very stylish and yet reminiscent of days gone by, huge sweeping staircases, an atrium with running water through a wonderfully relaxing rock garden, a grand and confortable lobby bar and the first of it’s specialist themed restaurants on the first floor, Terrace Meat A La Carte.

We ate here on our third night after booking with guest relations via Whatsapp, which they set up on our arrival that made contact easy and effortless from anywhere in the hotel or its grounds.

The menu is extensive, and I dare anyone to finish his or her meal? You really are treated to a dining experience, not just a meal, with 6 courses, should you choose to do so, and of course all brought to you with what we were now getting used to, the impeccable Rixos service.

We did as Brits struggle with the language when addressing staff, but most understood what we wanted or needed and it seemed to work well, a result no doubt of the rigorous training that the hotels put their staff through before they allow them to engage with their guests.
There are three specialty restaurants at this hotel, the one above and then Senses, the seafood restaurant and my favourite of the week, Turunc, the hotels Mediterranean restaurant.

Not only was the choice of food at Turunc on offer amazing from an extensive menu but also the setting is simply breath-taking. Set in the hotels grounds, a central serving station is beautifully designed and the tables surrounding this fan out in the open air so that you can dine under the stars and watch the sunset.

We absolutely loved it!

In fact, and this was a highlight of our stay, we could not fault the standard of service at any of the speciality restaurants; or the buffet, the pool bar, snack bar and even the hotels own private beach bar.  The level of service was so good, we wanted for nothing.

Service is important, get this right and you have won half the battle when catering for your guests, the other half of the battle must be to deliver a quality of food and bev that leaves your guests wanting more and yes, wanting to return.

This was the biggest surprise we found with our first Rixos experience, we could not fault the quality of the dining or the service from any of the hotels outlets.

We as a family travel extensively and always agree upon a favourite restaurant or bar during our stay. This was one occasion we could not.

My favourite as I have mentioned was Turunc, my wife loved the Terrace Meat A La Carte and my son loved the location, the vibe and the staff, (especially James) at the Aruna Beach Bar.
The beach club is a short walk away from the hotel and accessed via a community lift. It took us no more than 5 minutes to walk there and it’s something I would urge you to do; the setting is really quite incredible.

The hotel offers all guests a free transfer of around 30 minutes to The Land Of Legends theme park, which again guest relations can help you with.

Featuring a 5D Cinema which offers guests a unique experience, crazy river, wave pool and water coaster, 1300 metres-long Hyper Coaster with 115 km/h, The Land of Legends Theme Park offers a multi-sensory experience concept in Antalya.
If you haven’t been, then you should, it’s an amazing resort with a superb water park, themed rides, dining outlets, attractions and an incredible shopping avenue.

Once you have experienced the park, a coach will whisk you back to the comfort of the Hotel where a decision then has to be made, where to dine, but perhaps a drink first, but where to have that drink? You really are spoilt for choice at this super efficient property.

A hotel has one chance and one chance only to win over the hearts and minds of its guests, they don’t get a second chance, make a mistake and they risk losing an important returning guest, worse still, a bad review will often follow.

Here at Rixos Downtown Antalya, they have minimised these risks, a superbly efficient staff, a clean and wonderfully designed hotel and grounds, out of this world dining facilities and a fabulous private beach and bar ensures most guests leave with a smile on their face, a few more inches on their waistline and probably like us, an appetite to return again next year.

For more details on Rixos Hotels and the Downtown Antalya go to https://www.rixos.com/en/destinations