Hotel Grand Yazici Mares

Grand Yazici Mares is located on the waterfront in between Marmaris and Icmeler. Allow at least five minutes to drive to Marmaris town centre and marina, while Dalaman airport is around 60 miles away.

The Grand Yazici Mares is open between April and October.
No alcohol is served at the pool or beach bars.

The Grand Yazici Mares is built into a gently sloping hillside and its grounds are filled with beautiful pine trees, which provide plenty of shade. The resort's enormous lobby resembles a shopping centre with its multitude of resort boutiques (jewellery, clothes, mini-market, etc.), signalling that this is no small and cosy hotel. Indeed, exiting on the far side of the lobby guests will come across the large swimming pools split between two different levels, one with waterslides. There are also two children's wading pools. Pool towels are available on a deposit system at certain times of the day only. The pool deck is crowded with sun loungers, while loud music pumps from the speakers. There is a snack bar as well as an ice cream stand however alcohol is banned from the pool bar. The animation team is based next to the amphitheatre on the upper terrace (where the second pool is located). The team runs a daily program of activities for both adults and children.

For parents who need a little break there is also a mini club with playground and supervised games and activities. To really unwind, the hotel boasts a great spa (located next to the lobby) which contains a sauna, Turkish bath and five tastefully decorated massage/treatment rooms (there are over 20 types of massage and over 30 treatments available). There is also a large well-lit and well-equipped fitness room which overlooks the pool.

Also on-site but at the same time separate from the resort is the Dolphin Therapy and Activity Centre. It attracts lots of visitors (both from inside and outside the hotel) for its encounters and experiences with its five resident dolphins. Prices start from 15 Euros (£13.45) for dolphin watching (40 minutes), 40 Euros (£35.85) for a dolphin meet and greet (6 minutes), 75 Euros (£67.20) to swim with the dolphins (approximately 10 minutes) and £250 for the 'dolphin trainer for a day' crash course.

There are 440 rooms at the Grand Yazici Mares comprising of standard and deluxe rooms (in the main building), sea/forest view suites (10), and villas (159). Those rooms in the main building were last renovated in 2009; most have balconies with sea views. The rooms in the main building are not particularly spacious however they are clean and simply decorated in neutral shades. The deluxe rooms offer more of the same but in a larger space. Unfortunately we did not have the opportunity to visit other room types.

The all inclusive Grand Yazici Mares offers a range of dining and drinking options including five bars and four restaurants. The main restaurant (buffet) is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and is quite cosy with its open-air setting under wooden ceilings and rustic chandeliers. Long wooden buffet stations feature hand-painted flowers and overall the look is original and charming. Just off the lobby meanwhile is a sweet and savoury pastry shop open 24 hours, ensuring guests never go hungry. Nestled on the hillside is the alfresco Sultan Bar which is good for a pre-dinner drink for there is live music every night. Besides the buffet restaurant, there are three à la carte restaurants open every evening: fish, Turkish and Italian. The Italian features a pizzeria and open kitchen, while the fish restaurant with its charming blue and white dining settings, is found right at the water's edge but is at an extra charge to guests. There is a small disco next to the Italian restaurant open only between 11:00pm and 1:00am.

The beach boasts 'blue flag' status (high standards of water quality and safety). There is no sandy beach as such but rather a concrete and stone deck about 150m long lined with plastic sun loungers and straw parasols. The hotel jetty is crowded with extra sun loungers. Other beach facilities include private shower cubicles, a stage (daily entertainment) and a tiny sandy strip (about 5m long) for the children to enjoy. Although there is a beach bar, like at the hotel pool, alcohol is not served. The swimming area has been blocked off by nets as there are water sports that take place nearby (at an extra cost to guests).