Icmeler Online Holiday Forum & Reviews - Turkey

Hi all were new to Icmeler this will be our forst visit, we fly out on the 5th of june to hotel marti!!! Were very excited but after reading many reviews we have found many people saying drinks are expensive in resort and we should go all inclusive! Can we upgrade when we get there?? Does anyone have any idea how much this costs?? Many thanks

Hi -personally have never found drinks in Icmeler that expensive compared to lots of other holiday destinations. We go 11th June and again in Sept. If you have not been before would be shame to go AI and stay in hotel all the time. There are so many lovely bars & restaurants in Icmeler. We only ever go self-catering or B&B as there are so many places to go and lots of lovely people to meet. However if youre on really tight budget can understand. Hope you have a lovely holiday and fall in love with Icmeler like so many of us already have

yes thats what we thought which is why we decided to go half board, we want to try a variety of different things!! We cant wait now!

I agree with the above post and there are so many restaurants you can eat out for a very reasonable price and you can also eat at the cheaper places but just dont expect steak on a budget although is much cheaper than you would pay here. The cheap places you can get quite adequate meals, fish and chips, burgers, pizzas etc so you will not go hungry.
I would not have thought it possible to upgrade to AI once you are there. I only ever go B&B or SC also although if I got a really good deal would go HB or AI but then would probably eat out a few times.
Just have a great time and dont worry about the cost of food as some places are really cheap.

We are not perticularly worried about food and how much it costs ts just the fact that we have heard many people saying how expensive drinks are in the hotel... If we stay in the resort for a day we wondered if ot would be worth going AI just for the drinks!!! haha!!!

We went away last year SC for two weeks,weren't sure how the prices were being our first time, had snacks for dinner, drinks on the beach Iced Coffee , Efes for the other half, Cocktails being on holiday and all that and out every night Steak, curries, chicken, Turkish Meals, Efes every night. Dolmus and Taxis Hired a car to go to Turunc for the day, beautiful place. few souvenirs, Boat Trip and didn't skint on any thing and had the time of our lives and came home with £500!!!! so yes you can have fabulous time in Turkey and not cost a fortune, things will be abit dearer this year but it is still alot cheaper than England and the food and company is first class all with free entertainment. We are going back in Aug/Sept and cant wait

We considered either b&b or ai and found there was only £90 difference for 10 days. We reckoned that the cups of coffee, a couple of drinks in the afternoon or the evening before we went out and the occasional lunch or dinner in the hotel would amount to more than the £90. We had a brilliant stay and glad we took the ai option although we didn't often eat in the hotel. Have a fantastic holiday

We always go either s/c or b&b - there are so many fantastic places to eat out and so much variety that we don't like being tied to feeling that we've got to eat in the hotel. A/I has never really appealed to us, even when our children were young, because we like to get out and about and try different places. You're spoiled for choice in Icmeler and to be honest, there is something to suit all budgets so you can't go wrong really.

Been to Icmeler 18 times, first time went half board but never since then - self catering all the way for us!!!

You're going to a place that has restraunts that serve fantastic food,I'm not praising up the resort as such, I don't need to, I've never had a bad meal in any restraunt, and the people, I can't really say, there's no words for the people of paradise. You want something/anything. Sorted. You unhappy...not for long, sorted. Icmeler is magic, I love it to the bare bones, truly magical. ALL INCLUSIVE OMG NEVER..

well said Ade - fully agree apart from one iffy meal!! well, inedible TBH, but not bad going to have one bad meal in 14 hols is it?!

mind you, if folk have several children with them I think perhaps AI would work out cheaper if only for the soft drinks and ice creams

This will be our 18th visit. Half board at the Marti was the first holiday. Never went half board after that first holiday, self-catering every time. The food, people and everything is first class in Icmeler. We also live and breathe the place. No place like it on earth.

Totally agree Ade we only ever go B+B or self-catering, for us the best part of our hols is meeting all the incredibly friendly people in the bars and restaurants and the lovely food, AI never, our friends tried it once then we persuaded them to come self-catering with us and they have never gone AI again lol enjoy your hols (know you will) but do not stick to the hotel get out and about you will enjoy hols a whole lot more

Neither!! We went to a hotel in Icmeler,(bookable thru I.O.Line) excellent could,nt fault, visited 6 times, half board.
What was noticeable when we were out was the variety of bar/restaurants and the quality of the food, and very
importantly how reasonably priced it was.
5 years ago we changed to self catering. Since then, apart from excellent food and service, we meet so many people
who become friends.
Our holidays, in Icmeler are so much more enjoyable.

Agree with everyone else B & B for us, Choice and different settings etc. in the restaurants are what it is all about - cant get our early week this year - beyond our control !!

Roll on September just over 100 sleeps to go.

pete

hi, to answer your question with regards to all inclusive!! you can upgrade in the marti from hb to ai at a cost of £20 per person per day, if you are going to spend time thru the day around the hotel beach or pool it is probably worth it due to the fact drinks are quite expensive in the hotel as this is one of if not the best hotels in icmeler. £20 sounds a lot but if you get a couple of beers thru the day and a couple before dinner and a couple afterwards oh and a couple when you get back from the other bars it soon adds up i think it was 7.5ytl a pint when we stayed there a few years ago so even at todays exch rate its still £3 a pint!! also coffee/soft drinks etc that you take for granted!!With regards to which is best its personal choice like so many other people as its our 17th time to icmeler we prefer the b&b option but if the deal is right for hb then it doesnt really matter either way!! have a great hols you will love icmeler and the marti just remember its a 5 star in turkey not a 5 star in the uk which many people seem to forget!!

cheers russ

Definitely b&b or SC - why go AI when there is such a choice of restaurants with such a variety of food. We were put into an AI last year for a few days as there was a mix up with our booking and we only ate there once ug!!

bobbysgirl wrote:Definitely b&b or SC - why go AI when there is such a choice of restaurants with such a variety of food. We were put into an AI last year for a few days as there was a mix up with our booking and we only ate there once ug!!

Bobbysgirl i think you missed the point of why go "Ai "the question was they are already staying in the Marti Half Board and are asking if its worth upgrading to Ai !! yes i know theres some awesome restuarants out there but as they are already staying half board this doesnt matter what i am saying is IF staying around the beach/ pool at the Marti through the day its worth while upgrading to Ai just for that and still eating out at night just like we did!! i decided to pay the extra when we took my son for the first time so i knew we were staying in a very clean quality hotel not saying others arent clean just i knew this was, and then used the marti like a b&b and ate out every night and day like normal!!

russ

Another one for B&B or SC. There are just so many good restaurants in Icmeler, it would be a shame not to eat out.

Might be worth considering if it was only a few £'s dearer though, at least you would get your money's worth by drinks by the pool, snacks etc.

half board as its a shame not to go out and enjoy the lovely food that all the restuarants in icmeler are serving up
xxx