Amy Adejokun
Section editor
If you are a fan of botanical gardens, you will love the Amara Club Marine! Its small residences hidden away in the garden and its international family atmosphere will allow you to have a holiday that is both peaceful and festive.
Amara Club Marine - © EASYVOYAGE
Amara Club Marine - © EASYVOYAGE
The Amara Club Marine is located on the west coast of Antalya (16 mi from the city centre, and 22 mi from the airport), 9 mi before the seaside resort of Kemer in the village of Beldibi. Allow about one hour to reach Antalya, due to heavy traffic on the winding coastal road.
The Amara Club Marine offers three categories of residence: standard (with 280 square feet, maximum 3 guests), family (485 square feet, four guests in two separate bedrooms) and suite (590 square feet, the same sleeping arrangements as the family category and an additional lounge area). None of the 400-or-so residences overlook the sea, but all are very nicely decorated. Pastel hues, a tasteful flowery bedspread, and a bouquet of flowers, fruit basket and bottle of wine quietly await your arrival. Standard facilities are provided (a plasma-screen television set, a fee-paying safe, a bath and hospitality products in the bathroom, mini-bar re-stocked with water every day). The gardens abound with trees, which helps muffle outdoor noises and makes your nights even more peaceful.
The hotel's surroundings and the rough road leading to it are not very attractive, but on entering the lobby you will soon forget that. All around you on the 148-acre site is dense, soothing vegetation. The Amara Club Marine is a green village. Green because of the trees that abound, green because of the colour of the single-storey residences scattered here and there. Small paths lined with flowerbeds lead you through this maze of vegetation. It is a real pleasure to wander around and suddenly come across a small fountain or a giant chess board. The fitness room and, on the ground floor, the spa, are well equipped and, of course, look out over the gardens.
Your children will love the mini-club, whose little amphitheatre, painted like a multicoloured piano keyboard, holds disco evenings for the younger guests. There are also painting and decoration workshops open to all. It is, however, a shame that some of the residences are far from the communal areas such as the swimming pool, restaurants and the beach.
The hotel offers local cuisine prepared with an international flavour. So if you fancy something more refined, you will need to book in advance at one of the three "a la carte" restaurants, but remember they only open in the evenings. Here, you can choose between Turkish cuisine (in a big tent decorated in the Ottoman style), a fresh fish dinner (overlooking the sea, lit by lanterns and in a decor of lifebelts, ropes, etc.) and Italian cuisine (in a slightly more stereotypical decor). Note that with the all-inclusive package, you can eat what you want, whenever you want (and make the most of the free local drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic). Unlike most offers of this kind, fresh fruit juices are free. In addition to this offer, there is a 24-hour "a la carte" bistro, and a snack bar open for nibbles outside the usual mealtimes.
The beach is rather far from the rooms at the front of the hotel, and it must get quite busy in the summer. However, this does not make it any less pleasant, and it has two jetties furnished with deckchairs and parasols. A floating diving platform, reached by swimming, will certainly bring back a few childhood memories. All the facilities are provided as expected - recliner chairs with cushions (unfortunately not in the cleanest condition), parasols, canopies, tables and bars - and a lifeguard is present throughout the day. Pebbles are the only problem, both on the beach and in the water, which is very clean.
Check your dates carefully when making your reservation, as the hotel closes for winter between October and April. Most of the guests are foreign, with Russians making up 60% of visitors.
hammam, (paying), sauna, (paying), stretching, spa, massage, Turkish bath, wellness, beauty salon, keep fit
gym, aqua gym, aerobics, step, dance, canoe, (free), jet ski, (paying), water skiing, (paying), tennis, (2 courts), volleyball, beach volley, basketball, archery, fitness, sports, water-polo, surfing, sailing
(paying)
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An exclusive environment, stylish comfort, a young and convivial atmosphere, all types of activities... Here you have a holiday club for enjoying life with family or friends.
Located on the seashore, the Club Salima offers an ideal setting for sporty and lively holidays. With its family rooms and mini-club, managed by a professional team, it will especially suit families with kids.
Families will enjoy their stay at the Champion Holiday Village. The characterful rooms nestle in the heart of a large pine forest. The site is vast and peaceful - ideal for a relaxing stay.
The Pecker hotel is located on the seashore, but active seaside holiday-makers will be a bit disappointed to find out that few watersports can be practised here.
The Rama hotel is not the ideal place for seaside holidays, but it offers enough comfort for a short stay. It will suit those wishing to visit the region of Kemer.