Grand Yazici Club Turban

By sheer luck, we found ourselves at the Grand Yazıcı Club Turban Thermal after Jet2 gave us the chance to switch our original Tenerife holiday (after discovering they had just started construction on the hotel). What began with stress and uncertainty turned into an unexpected blessing. This was the paradise we didn’t know we needed. Stress didn't exist during the 9 nights we stayed here. There was no manic sunbed dash in the morning - yes, beds were reserved but between the adult pool, kids pool, main pool, beach and jetty areas, there was so much space for everyone that you wouldn't have known just how many people were staying at the hotel. We set up at the main pool every day and barely went anywhere else, there was so much on offer that apart from a few trips to the beach, we had no need to wander. Food: Breakfast... was a hearty offering of pastries, fresh omelettes, cooked breakfasts, crepes/pancakes, SO much fruit, yogurts and cereals - there was something for everyone. Lunch...plenty of choice again, lovely fresh salads and usually a good variety of meat selections (turkey/chicken/beef etc). The real crowd pleaser was the kids buffet located in the corner of the main restaurant which had its own smaller section where kids could choose their own food. My independent 3 year old loved choosing her own food (also available at dinner time). What was really nice to see was the branded jars of baby food in the fridges which would be great if you are weaning or going out for the day with a little one. Lots of milkshake cartons and fruit here too - a big hit! We mixed up eating at the buffet and trying the other restaurants which were all located around the main pool. The kebab was a BIG hit and we also enjoyed the food at the Steak House. Dinner...always lots to choose from. We experienced some of their themed nights - sushi night was FAB and really stood out - I didn't know what to expect until we got there (unless there was some way of finding this out that we weren't aware of). Might be an idea so that people don't book their A la carte and miss out on something. Food at the buffet was great, tasty, loads of variety and puddings were stunning to look at (bit hit and miss with flavour but there's always something for everyone) - they usually have a "special dessert" each night and their chocolate souffle was *chefs kiss*. A LA CARTE - you get one reservation per 7 days according to the booking information. Book these as soon as you arrive to avoid having to wait - we would have liked ours earlier into our stay but there wasn't any room by the time we remembered to do this. I'd read a lot of reviews which recommended the Italian and they weren't wrong. The food was delicious but there was SO MUCH (not something I usually complain about but a full pizza after whole a bowl of pasta, starter and bread/oil was never going to happen!) Definitely recommend - chicken alfredo is so nice and the restaurant is on the sea so views are just lovely. The hotel itself was just amazing. There was so much space and things on offer. The coffee shop, patisserie, ice cream parlor and bubble tea were central to everything and we could have iced or hot coffees whenever we wanted them. I was pregnant so didn't get to work my way through the all inclusive cocktail list as I usually would but the mocktails were banging and everyone else was loving the branded spirits and whiskeys. Shout out to the waiters and waitresses on rollerblades who were lapping the pool taking drink orders and bringing water/cups of watermelon. There are a few on site shops for a few snacks and souvenirs - my 3 year old demanded chocolate biscuits on the last day and I lucked out with a pack of mcvities digestives (not terribly priced either). BEACH Water was relatively warm and refreshing, very clear and the beach was gorgeous. You can access the water via warm sand or go over the jetty and walk down the steps into the water. We did a bit of snorkeling and swam out to the floating pontoon where we took some great videos of us all jumping off. Even my 3 year old managed this and loved watching the fish in the water. Activities and entertainment: We arrived on a sunday which I believe is the day the animation team are off or reduced staff so it was quite quiet but things certainly livened up as the week commenced. My fiance and brother were part of the daily water polo squad at 3pm which was hilarious to watch as things got heated between the teams as the week progressed but all good fun and great entertainment - DO NOT get a sun lounger anywhere close to the goals - you will become collateral damage. If you are unsure where I'm talking about just watch one game at 3pm and avoid. Our highlight was the saturday pool party - gutted we only got to do one of these - the whole thing was a vibe, the DJ, the set, the games and inflatables - don't miss this (saturdays at 4pm). Evening entertainment was varied and some really great shows including gymnasts, magicians and ninjas - not tacky stuff, really well choreographed entertainment that they'd brought into the hotel. I was left with my mouth hanging at some of the stunts we saw - thoroughly impressed. Kids disco was okay - bit manic and felt sorry for the ladies running it who also had to keep the kids away from the stage while the entertainment was running. BUT my little one had no complaints and was loving life so I just watched the chaos unfold. We went to the live music on the beach (not really for us but I think that was more because we were shattered) but the WHITE party was a wicked experience. Same DJ as the pool party I think and they'd brought in dancers and balloons so it really was a show. And if you didn't fancy a crazy evening there was plenty of space around the pool and pool bars to sit back and relax and play some cards. ROOMS: We stayed in a promotional/standard room which had a double bed and a single in the same space - lots of storage and the shower was so good. We had an issue with water pressure on the 2rd or 3rd night but went down to dinner and informed them at reception and by the time we returned in the evening it had all been sorted out. Beds are hard but I do sleep in a marshmallow at home but eventually got used to it and wouldn't put me off going again. Everywhere is pram accessible so no issues with that either! Our room had a spacious balcony overlooking the adults only pool - I loved going down at 7am (early bird) and doing some lengths while the pool was empty and everyone else was asleep. There is literally so much to this hotel that we know we missed including the spa, thermal indoor pools, zen gardens, grand bar. The grounds are so huge that things are easily missed so please look at other experiences as ours was determined a lot by keeping a little one entertained throughout the day. TIPS/REMINDERS: - Find out when sushi night is - The main pool is 1.5m deep so if you're only just hitting 5"2 like me, buy a pool noodle or some arm bands. - Book the A La Carte straight away (Italian is great) - Bring PJs - it gets so cold at night and took us a few nights to figure out the settings on the air con and fan. - There are water slides which are easily forgotten about - there is a ledge in the water slide pool which I cracked my shin on so be careful and DO NOT go down the little yellow slide unless you are prepared for a sore bum when you hit the pool floor at the bottom (lots of us found this out the hard way!) - £TIP£ - these guys work so hard and will really look after you!!! Shout out to SAM for being amazing :) Thank you so much for an amazing stay, we really cannot wait to return in the future.