Novum Garden Side - All Inclusive

Recently returned from a 19 day break and what a fabulous time we had. The resort is beautiful with a huge pool at the top which has different depths mainly 1.25-1.4m. A middle pool with a waterfall and a lovely bottom pool. There is a nice side pool at the top which was a bit quieter. There is also a really shallow pool for toddlers. The pools were lovely and warm and very clean. Most fvthe pools were lifeguarded from 10 until 5 or 6 I think. You can get in them earlier if you want a morning swim. The waterpark is a really lovely feature and is open 10-12 and 2-5 with things there for all ages. It is literally seconds walk from the main hotel grounds. There are some sunloungers there and also a basic bar. The beach is a 5 minute walk which we didn't mind as it felt like a different holiday when you were down there. The beach bar does lovely food at lunch with ice cream and also drinks. Lots of sun loungers there too and the sea is incredibly warm. The food was amazing. So much choice and it was so fresh. My partner is a vegetarian and also had plenty of choice as there is a vegan station there too. The pool bar does amazing burgers at lunch but probably avoid the first hour or so as there was always a big queue. There is also the patisserie serving some lovely cakes in the afternoon. There was a Turkish pancake area but I never managed to get one as there was always a queue and it was way too hot to wait for me. They looked nice though and were authentically made. Ice creams were available in the pool bar 12-6 and we're delicious. Choice of a cone or tub. Ice creams were also available at lunch and during some of the afternoon at the beach bar. We went to the a la carte once which is next to the patisserie and it was really lovely. The main restaurant is busy with people walking around but it never felt too busy ( apart from maybe gala night). Don't forget the outside part of the main restaurant which do lovely omelettes in the morning and also have some great food in the evening. The drinks were fabulous with a really good range in the cocktail and mocktail menu and of soft drinks. Some big brand spirits are included too. The bar staff were fabulous and you never had to wait long. The lobby bar is lovely with views over the sea. The pool bar is near the bottom pool but my favourite was the terrace bar which is surrounded by fragrant plants and is lit up beautifully at night which is perfect for evening games. It is the best resort I have been to in Turkey for sunlounger availability. Yes there are the 5am nutters still but there's so many loungers, we still found good spots at 9am. The daytime entertainments were fun and varied. We can recommend the yoga and Zumba - even for inexperienced people like me, the instructors were really kind and didn't laugh at me too much 😂. There is a children's play park which although small, was enjoyed a lot by our kids and it was next to the pool bar so you can chill with a drink whilst they play. Mini disco is at 830 every night and although mainly in other languages, it didn't cause a barrier to the kids joining in and loving it. The beach evening entertainment followed at about 915/930 and the ones we watched were really enjoyable including Michael Jackson, acrobats and a magic show. The animation teams day off is Sunday so there is a live band that night but we headed into Side. The room and balcony was a good size and was cleaned regularly. There are a number of lifts getting up to the rooms if required. I found the beds really comfy and the air conditioning worked great which was important as it hit 45 degrees during our stay. The staff were incredible. They were so friendly and incredibly hard working. They really do make your stay so special and I want to pass on my thanks to each of them. Outside the hotel if you turn left and walk for 5 minutes, there is quiet a large area for shops which I think are better value than Side. There is loads of choice there with the usual clothing, football kits, bags etc. There are also some bars down there too. We went on the green canyon excursion which I can highly recommend. It made a really nice change to do an inland boat trip and it was a bit cooler with opportunities to swim and a really lovely lunch for about £80 for 2 adults and 2 children. We went into Side old town one night and it was a really lovely place with lots of history and glass pavements with ruins beneath, although it was incredibly hot and there were a lot of people there. The largest proportion of the guests are from Germany but there are a few Brits knocking about. It wasn't a problem at all and like largely British resorts, you nice different personalities. The staff seemed genuinely enthused when they found out you were British though - which is a nice change as not every nation feels like that about us! I generally say that I'd never go back to the same resort twice as i think there are so many different resorts to explore so why go back. But for Novum, I would make the exception. Everybody looks for different things from a holiday and will have different opinions but this place really ticked a lot of boxes.