The Unmissables: Ultimate indulgence on Turkey’s Antalya coast

A Turkish hotel chain operating for over fifty years, Barut Hotels have a long-held commitment to giving back.

With a particular focus on heritage conservation, the company continues to fund the excavation of ancient archeological treasures in Side.  Launching their ‘We Care’ environmental programme in 2019 also meant that when it came to meeting the Turkish government’s mandatory new sustainable tourism standards, Barut was ahead of the curve. In common with most of the world’s hotels it still has a way to go on its sustainability journey. But things are heading in the right direction and many will be surprised and pleased to see Turkey showing real leadership in this area.

Location: At the better end of the densely packed line of mega resorts around half an hour from Antalya airport, the Barut property occupies a prime spot on Lara Beach.

First impressions: From the palm-lined drive, to the white curtained beach cabanas just visible across the vast lagoon pool, this hotel oozes indulgence.  The young man who showed me to my room on arrival, proudly told me he’d worked for all the hotels in the area and this one was by far the best. ‘Nice place, nice people’, he told me. ‘A good feeling here!’. 24 hours later and I could only agree. The staff are super friendly, very approachable and clearly take pride in delivering great service.

Sleep: Standard rooms are spacious and come with desk, sofa and a balcony big enough to lounge on. It’s always a treat to have a well-stocked ‘everything included’ mini bar in the room and nothing quite says luxury like a properly fluffy toweling dressing gown. Although it shouldn’t be such a stand out, including a hair dryer that properly blasts hot air (as opposed to the equivalent of warm breath) is a real bonus too.

Eat: I’m privileged to have been to a lot of very nice hotels and having worked for a tour operator with a big presence in the Caribbean, I know the all-inclusive market well. The food is always a big selling point for luxury properties, but I’ve often found it a bit ‘meh’. Truth is, it’s really hard to offer a huge range of dining options, while also ensuring that absolutely everything served is exquisite.  Barut not only manage this, but makes it look easy. From the main buffet to the six other restaurants, the food really is outstanding. Traditional Turkish dishes and fresh modern menus combine with top quality ingredients and highly skilled chefs. I’m convinced that having staff who really care about what they are doing is key to pulling this off.

Play: Something for everyone, as you’d expect. Sun worshippers can lounge by one of several giant pools, pose in a beach cabana or chill on the bleached wooden slats of the pier. Toddlers can splash about in the fountains and slides in the mini pool and older kids will delight in the giant flumes of the hotel’s aqua park.

A whole host of sports and entertainments are on offer, from tennis and squash to shooting, volleyball, yoga, a fitness suite, jogging track and even a cinema. The sizeable spa also has its own Turkish Bath, Thalassotherapy pool and a lovely indoor/outdoor heated pool. There are loads of daytime activities and evening entertainment too. During my (all too short) visit, a mega bubble blowing session was underway on the lawns. It was rather lovely to see so many different ages relaxing and laughing together.

Highs: Balinese massage therapist, Thrishna, scrubbed me top-to-toe as I lay on a heated marble plinth in the hammam and then piled me with bubbles a foot high, before delivering the best massage of my life. That was such a high I left the spa floating on air!  But the whole stay was great. I kept noticing the thoughtful extra touches that show real expertise in hospitality. Balcony sun loungers comfy enough to fall asleep on, hair straighteners and an iron in all guest rooms, living walls of jasmine to fragrance the gardens and a drinks cart continually circulating poolside, so that guests don’t need to lift a finger (…did I mention this hotel is indulgent?).

Lows: Request a quiet room if early nights are your thing, as the outdoor entertainment goes on quite late. Guest room amenity kits packed with single use-plastic are a bug bear of mine and aren’t what most guests would consider eco-friendly – but I’m optimistic these will be phased out in time as the group have a range of environmental improvements planned.

Verdict: I wasn’t familiar with Barut Hotels, but it’s great to see a Turkish owned company more than holding its own against international competitors.  The Barut Lara Collection is unlikely to be the cheapest ultra all inclusive in the area, but for really not much extra, they manage to deliver a huge step up in quality. Absolutely an Unmissable in my book, I will be going back!

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