Fame Residence Lara & Spa Hotel - All Inclusive

Uk review from a family holiday (Turkey holiday no9!), including 3 children 6yr, 11yr, 14yr, adults 38yr 42yr 43yr and Nan 82yr (slight mobility disability) Fantastic holiday 5* all the way. Nothing wrong with this hotel, we thoroughly enjoyed this hotel and everything it had to offer. Location - 15-20 mins from Antalya airport we traveled with Four Springs Travel on a private transfer and they were great. The hotel is located in central Lara beach with good shops available outside the front of the hotel. It’s in between the Concord and a Delphin hotel on a lovely bit of Lara beach. You can only just about hear the ‘call to prayer’ from the nearest mosque speakers, so thought this location was perfect 5* few shops directly outside and in walking distance of larger markets and collections of shops each side, all across the main road 2-10mins walk from hotel. The local area outside is dusty and needs some improvement for the quality of hotels along this area, some uneven pavement and curbs also rubbish, but this is outside the hotel and is the same for all the expensive hotels in area just something that could be improved by hotels or government investing in the area. Reception/1st impression, security barriers then large fountain meet you as you turn into hotel from the main road. Then a grand reception revolving door, marble, porcelain with 2 glass lifts and a greeting table with drinks and snacks high ceilings and a tidy large reception desk gave a very impressive first impression. Reception staff spoke amazing English and checked us in so fast, and easy. Passports just checked not kept or copied then filled in names of each person staying in the rooms then 1 signature very easy and no concerns with how they used my information. Rooms, we had 1 x standard room 1 x family room. On 1st foor. This is important as the rooms on 1st floor look like they have much larger balconies 2 or 3 times the size of rooms higher up as the balcony’s stretch over the roof of the ground floor. Even numbers are pool/sea view, odd numbers land view. Rooms in general are great, clean tidy, nice decor, showers very big, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and body lotion provided, hand soap, hair dryer, mini bar with soft drinks and water only, tea coffee. Safe in wardrobe easy to use and free. Our standard room slept 3 (double bed and pop up portable bed) it was in the curved part of the hotel and had land view out front of hotel, no balcony and as it’s on the inside of the curve it’s quite small, probably the smallest room we’ve experienced in all the other hotels we’ve stayed in. The other room was a family room, sleeping 4 was 1st floor curved part of hotel intact the doors to each room were opposite which was good they kept us together as a family. Being on the curve but outside curve the room had much more room around the end of the beds and also had an amazing pool/beach view and massive balcony. Had double bed, pop up portable bed and a sofa bed. All beds soft and everyone had good night sleep. Aircon was good and could be left on. Room cleaning staff friendly and did fantastic job cleaning and tidying the rooms. Food/Drink. Amazing, delicious, variety, you have everything here. The buffet restaurants have so much choice and also present the food so nice, no one in our family got ill, we don’t ever worry about eating certain things or avoiding things, it was all good and prepared amazing and just lovely, you can always get something to eat anytime, something is open. Main Resturant, love they have a room for adults only, a family room with children’s buffet and then the main areas with inside or outside dining. The snack bar, beach bar, pizza, jacket potato and waffle bars all great and give variety for lunch and snacks, fruit stall is lovely, Turkish flat breads always being made. Then the extra special touches. Carts and baskets of food, cucumbers, rolls, pop corn, toffee apples, fruit bowls, nachos, nuts, candy floss, beef and chicken wraps all get brought to pool area and brought round the pool in afternoon on offer if you want to take from waiters. Different item each day, but a very nice touch. Al a carte restaurant, fish, Mexican, Turkish, Chinese, Italian. Extra cost €20 per adult €10 per child. Had use of al a carte free at other hotels so this is a shame. Only local spirits for drinks, 1 bar has premium, Jack Daniel’s, Smirnoff, Bombay etc extra cost €7-€10 for a 100ml (double double shot) had these at other hotels free so this is a shame. But available. Cocktails are great, the list isn’t massive but bar staff happy to make special request cocktails if they can. Some bars have slush machines. Ice coffee and coffee machines available to take own coffee always. Fridge with water at every bar. Alcohol strong and beer available is Carlsberg or Turborg. Very nice bar service just had more choices available Staff. Well this has to be mentioned and all I can say is amazing. Everyone here is so helpful, we are so happy with the service and conversations, so friendly and just can’t do enough for you. We do tip out regular waiters and anyone who stands out helping us, but can’t fault the fact they see we have 7 people and quickly find a table or make it happen by pulling a few together for us. Never was a problem. 7-7:45pm restaurant was busiest so go early or wait at evening meal time and then it’s more relaxed. Waiters Mustafa, Torfur, bar staff Kidur, Adan, roller skate waiter We spoke to spa team, guest relations, shop, bar, restaurant, cleaners, garden team, maintenance team all were so friendly. Beach. Lara beach, dark golden sand, soft in places mainly course - tiny tiny pebbles at sea edge. Loads of sea turtles egg cages, clean, tidy, lovely part of the beach, mornings, sea is clear and calm, then the water sports start and gets choppy and murky where the boats jet ski and people stir the sand up. But its blue flag, and gorgeous, can see the mountains to the right. Plenty of sun beds and walkways, showers on beach and it’s part of the hotel straight path through hotel, pools to beach. There is no wooden jetty like a lot of hotels in area but it has a floating raft with steps not to far out you can swim out to and jump off into sea. Water sports and scuba diving available from Fame beach. Pools and slides. I’m so pleased to review that there was no issues or problems for any of our children 6 and 11yr using all of them. Even though they say not suitable for 0-12yr or under 120cm The life guards were sensible and very professional they stopped people being stupid but still allowed the smaller children to use them even with armbands etc or going with parent. Think this is a good approach as part of the reason we choose turkey and its hotels is the pool aqua parks our kids love. No smaller slides or park for smaller kids, there is a park at beach but to far away for kids to use in evening away from the entertainment, Pools are clean, and massive, love the winding under bridge style with waterfalls and different level pools, jacuzzi pools just amazing pools all round and nice large sun shaded kids pool. Sun lounger. There are loads and loads of sun loungers and umbrellas for all. 6am was the earliest we saw people putting towels out, but still plenty front row beds still at 7:30am most of front pool beds will be gone soon after. 7:30-8am the pool manager will come round and collect all towels reserving beds even personal towels, clothing etc and take them all to towel hut for collection if you are not with your sun loungers. They are clear with signs everywhere that reserving sun loungers is forbidden before 8am. This is great as we saw someone reserve sun loungers at 6:30am the managers took all towels from the sun loungers at 7:30am this family arrived at pool 2:30pm! To find they had towels and personal items taken to towel hut. This is fair and think it should continue if your trying to reserve beds most of the day but not using them. There are still middle or rear sun beds available well into the morning starts to get full by 10am but there will still be some available if you ask the staff to help bring over beds and umbrellas from reserve piles if you really don’t want to set alarm. Beds are comfortable, and adjustable, beach loungers have thick padding. All feel strong and sturdy, didn’t see any broken beds or umbrellas. Entertainment. The entertainment team are fantastic, offering lots of activities for children and adults, volleyball, football, polo, yoga, water gym, hotel dance, disco, music mixed cultures but mainly English songs. But uncensored versions so few swear words in songs occasionally. Pool games, darts, table tennis, great evening shows, live music, dj, piano player, bowling, pool, arcade. Bowling €7, pool €7 30 min, €10 60min, €20 for 20 arcade tokens. Cinema with free film everyday. all the staff great at getting people involved and chatting being friendly etc. they give out bottles of the hotel sparking wine for winners of the games. Hotel had a very small number of English guests. 50% Netherlands 🇳🇱, 30% German 🇩🇪, 10% Turkish 🇹🇷 , 10% other nationalities Polish, Albania, Romania, Russian, English etc we were 1 of 3 or 4 English families in the whole hotel. Summery: Great all inclusive hotel, clean, tidy, lots available, great entertainment, great pools, lovely beach, food is great, drinks great, spa and gym very good, rooms very nice, staff very good friendly and helpful. Told not ultra all inclusive so extra costs for a la carte, bowling, pool, branded drinks. Sun beds not to be reserved before 8am but can after, unless your with your towels and beds earlier. Food and drink and entertainment little repetitive but they do try their best to change theme of food, daily entertainment changes are good with only slight differences with entertainment change on second week. Staff make this hotel and stay fantastic they all were so nice.