If you’re looking for an extravagant getaway for adults, the KoruMar Hotel De Luxe (also known as the KoruMar Deluxe Hotel) in Kusadasi is a fantastic option. Read on for a detailed review of a 7 night, all-inclusive stay at this gorgeous hotel.
Upon arrival at the KoruMar Hotel De Luxe, we were treated to a gorgeous lemon drink. Someone also offered to help us take our bags to our room. This was such a wonderful way to start our holiday. It was clear from then that hotel guests are treated well. Staff at the front desk were very helpful and explained where everything was, and times for meals etc.
Double and twin rooms at the KoruMar Hotel De Luxe
When we arrived our room had been made up as a double room, rather than a twin room. We didn’t really want to waste any time in the room as we were ready for the pool. A quick trip to reception meant they could sort this for us while we were off having fun. When we returned to the room the beds had been changed as we’d asked them to be.
What’s in the room?
The room itself was really spacious, having two single beds, a desk, a table with chairs and plenty of wardrobe space. As two women on holiday together, it was nice that we could spread out and have plenty of space for all of our things separately. Extras in the room were a television with satellite tv channels and, a mini fridge which was stocked with soft drinks at no additional cost. These drinks were replenished each day and that was a nice extra for us. You could also order room service if you wanted to, with a menu and prices provided in the room.
Are the beds comfortable?
The beds were incredibly comfortable and for the most part, we both slept fairly well for the duration of our holiday. Our only negative here was that the room was freezing at night, whether we had the air con on or not. The beds only come with a really thin sheet instead of a duvet and this was something we struggled with. We both ended up sleeping in the robes which were provided in the room to stay a little bit warmer.
En suite bathrooms
Rooms at the KoruMar Hotel De Luxe have en suite bathrooms, which is perfect for any holiday. The bathroom came with a huge shower, which was much bigger than we needed. Along with the toilet, there was a large vanity area with sinks and mirror, with storage space underneath. We used this for our suitcases as it meant being able to put dirty clothes away straight away when we’d worn them.
Rooms with a view
Depending on which area of the hotel your room is in, you might be lucky enough to have sea views. These also give stunning views of Pigeon Island and Kusadasi Castle. Unfortunately, our room was on the other side of the hotel, giving us a view of a cliff and a hospital. All rooms have a private balcony and although ours didn’t have the best view, we did use it a few times during our stay. If anything, the balcony was great for drying towels and swimwear overnight.
Apart from the beds, we really couldn’t fault our room. It was spotlessly clean, spacious and ideal for a week away.
WiFi
The hotel offers free wi-fi access. We got details as we checked in on how to use this and what the password would be. Although I didn’t plan to be on my phone all of the time, it was nice to have the option of free wireless internet when I needed it. This was ideal for having to check emails or make phone calls via Facebook messenger when I needed to.
All-inclusive benefits
Breakfast
Breakfast was one of my favourite meals each day while staying at the Korumar De Luxe hotel. This meal is served in the smaller of the two restaurants, however, we were always able to get a great table. The restaurant has huge glass windows and you’ll have a wonderful view of the Aegean sea and the cruise ships coming in for the day.
I found there to be a really good choice of food for breakfast. British guests might be disappointed with the lack of ‘full English’ items however, there is plenty to make up for that. Each morning there would be eggs, some kind of sausage, freshly made omelettes and pancakes. You could choose from a range of fish dishes, salads and cheeses along with things like fresh honey and various breads. Although we never went crazy at breakfast, there was enough choice to have varied meals and be set up for the day.
Lunch and dinner
Lunch and dinner were a bit mixed, being served in the main restaurant each day. Food was a mixture of traditional Turkish cuisine, show cooking and a buffer to help yourself from. Once seated, servers would bring you any drinks you wanted and were very good at keeping these topped up if you wanted.
I really loved the variety at lunch and dinner. You never knew what would be there from one day to the next. You could always rely on there being a fantastic salad, fish and cheese to choose from, as well as so many different hot foods. Think stews, goulash, pastas, cooked vegetables and meat and fish dishes. There was more show cooking at dinner compared to lunchtime. You could expect things like Turkish kebabs, freshly cooked salmon and sushi being freshly made. It would be hard to get bored of the food at this hotel, as there was so many dishes to choose from.
What I will say is that there wasn’t much for children. However, I think we only saw 4 or 5 children at the hotel during our stay so this might be something that’s done more in the high season. However, chips were always available as well as Chinese noodles, which I really liked.
Food at the pool
At the far left end of the pool is where you’ll find the bar and snack bar. Food here was served roughly from 11am until 3pm, which also covered some of the main lunch period. It was nice to have options. This meant not leaving the pool area and getting dressed properly again to go to the restaurant. The snack bar served a range of smaller meals such as sandwiches, kebabs, pizza and burgers and chips. This was a great option if you didn’t fancy a heavy lunch.
À la carte restaurants
The hotel does offer a la carte restaurants however this isn’t something we experienced during our stay. You might need to pay extra for this depending on your package and tables can be booked at the reception desk.
All day drinks
The great thing about being on an all-inclusive package is not having to think about the cost of drinks. After breakfast, we generally headed down to the pool to relax. We were able to get drinks from the pool bar. Drinks included local wine, beer, spirits and non-alcoholic drinks as well as cocktails.
The bars had menus which clearly stated which drinks were included with an all-inclusive stay. Some drinks you had to pay more for. Although not big drinkers, we were able to get exactly what we wanted each day. This mainly consisted of soft drinks like coke for around the pool, bottles of beer and wine at dinner. We were also able to get little cartons of ice-cold water.
Cocktails at this hotel are strong. This is maybe why we didn’t have as many as we maybe would have otherwise. One that I asked for was at least 50% vodka and just a bit too much for me.
Sunbathing and swimming
If you’re anything like us, you’ll want a nice hotel where you can sunbathe and cool down in the swimming pool when it gets too hot. We visited Kusadasi in June and the temperatures averaged between 26 and 30 degrees.
The outdoor pool area itself is fairly large, with plenty of space around the outside for sun loungers. The hotel didn’t seem massively busy at this time of the year and we never struggled to get a sun lounger. Some areas were better than others, depending on what you wanted. Sun loungers closer to the snack bar didn’t quite get the sun enough at times. Sun loungers at the far end of the pool got the majority of the sun as it moved around during the day.
The pool is huge and there is plenty of space for everyone. At one end, near the bar, is a small children’s section with a slide. This isn’t a huge family hotel and the pool is designed with adults in mind. I don’t like deep water so I was happy to see that there are a few different entry areas with steps, where I could just stand in the water. At this time of the year, the pool was a little bit chilly once you first got in however, you soon got used to it. The water was extremely refreshing after soaking up the sun for a few hours.
Towels were available to borrow from a little hut and we didn’t have to pay for this. We were given tokens to be able to borrow the towels, which we then got back when we returned them.
Leisure and entertainment
What can you do during the day?
Something I loved about the KoruMar Hotel De Luxe was that the staff weren’t too pushy. We were asked a few times if we wanted to take part in some games such as archery during the day but left alone if we didn’t want to. This hotel also has a wide range of modern facilities such as gym, tennis court and activities such as petanque, snooker and table tennis.
Evening entertainment
As we visited out of the main tourist season, the evening entertainment was lacking. The entertainment consisted of a range of singers or drinks in the bar. One one night, a football match was being shown. None of it interested us so we opted for a walk into town on those evenings instead. As a few children were staying at the hotel during this time, there was a small ‘disco’ put on for them.
During our 7-night stay, we only caught one of the acts, towards the end of the week. A lot of the entertainment is done on the outside stage, which. is located at the far right of the swimming pool. It’s an open-air stage and there are seats set up but you can also see some of it from one of the bars in the hotel. The show we saw was a group performing with fire and fireworks to music, which was actually pretty spectacular. The show was exciting, had great music and was suitable for almost everyone.
Book a spa treatment
One of the reasons why this hotel appealed to us so much was because of the extensive spa facilities. Being on a holiday without our children, my friend and I wanted to treat ourselves and what better way than to do it in the spa.
During the day, staff from the spa will talk to guests around the pool. You’ll be able to find out more about the treatments on offer, the packages available as well as the most important thing… the prices. Haggling seems to be absolutely fine in Türkiye and quite expected. Always give this a go, if you feel comfortable, rather than pay the prices being asked for initially.
After considering the options for a couple of days I decided on a traditional a Turkish bath. As my friend who I was on holiday wanted to experience the spa too, we negotiated a good price as a package for the two of us. This was such a fun experience and one I won’t forget for a while. The Turkish bath consisted of being scrubbed from head to toe, covered in bubbles then rinsed off quite vigorously afterwards. While maybe not the most relaxing treatment, I did actually come out of it feeling fairly chilled.
What is there to do nearby?
Kusadasi is a popular location for tourists and you’ll find quite a few things to do nearby. You can easily walk into town from the hotel, although the walk back up can be a bit of the steep side. However, the hotel’s superb location means you don’t have to stay on site and use the facilities of the hotel if you don’t want to. Here are some ideas of things to do in Kusadasi:
- Explore Ephesus
- Relax at Ladies Beach
- Discover Pigeon Island
- Shop at Kusadasi Bazaar
- Visit the House of the Virgin Mary
- Enjoy Aqua Fantasy Aquapark
Would I stay there again?
As all-inclusive stays go, this one was great. Although maybe not as suitable for families, the KoruMar Hotel De Luxe was perfect for a trip with a friend. The combination of style, comfort and facilities was just what we were looking for. The pool and sun loungers were ideal for a day of relaxing and the food was always fantastic. This is a great hotel if you want the choice of doing additional activities but don’t have to. It would definitely be an option should I want to go back to Kusadasi.
Find out more about Kusadasi:
- Things to do in Kusadasi
- Staying at the KoruMar Hotel De Luxe hotel
- Exploring Kusadasi at night
- Kusadasi boat trips: what you need to know before you book
