Icmeler Online Holiday Forum & Reviews - Turkey

Hi All,

Have been reading the forum for the past few days having found it during a search on google. Have enjoyed looking through some of your 'snaps' and reading the reviews on the local bars and accomodation.

Our holiday begins on July 6th and it will by our first time in both Icmeler and Turkey. We are staying in a suite at the Hotel Marti on an all inclusive basis. Has anyone stayed here and have any thoughts on the hotel?

So far from what I have read it is best taking enough YTL for one day and the rest on sterling. Do most of you take sterling cash, traveller cheques or do you use local cash machines? Following on from that, are there many cash machines in the area and are they safe to use?

Thanks

- Paul

Hi Paul and welcome to the forum.

Have not been to the Marti, but it looks very nice.
We always take enough ytl to see us through the first day,
and the rest of our spending money in Sterling.

You can change sterling almost anywhere, restaraunts, supermarkets
just look round for the best deals.

Icmeler is a fantastic place, you couldn't have picked a better destination for your first holiday in Turkey.

Hope you have a great time

Polly

We went for our first time last year. We took 150 quid in lira a couple of hundred in sterling cash and the rest in travelers cheques. I only used the ATM once at the big bank, I didn't have any problem.

I can't go this year as the wife wants things done in the house (selfish sod but will be booking up end of July for next year. You will have a fantastic time, memories from last year will stay with me forever. We met some fantastic people. I put our dvd on yesterday from our holiday and felt like crying because I can't go this year. By the way take plenty of suncream, we went in August and my god was it hot. Have a fantastic holiday

we always take cash with us
marti will be amazing as its one of the 5 star hotels and they look fantastic so dont worry your accommodation will be fine
xxx

Hi Paul
There are numourous topics on exchange on here so you should get all the advice going.

The main thing is.

Dont use the exchange shops, they are always below bank rate.
As others here are saying find a local shop who you will get to know, and he should give you a good rate. personally Ive only ever gone over with cash its never been a problem.
Regards
Peli
PS
dont use the hotel they are always well below rate

Thankyou for the information folks.

Peli - After I posted this thread last night I had some spare time and was able to check back through various pages of the forum. I did manage to find some good information relating to my query and also managed to come across some other info that will help in making the holiday a little more enjoyable

Really looking forward to it now

HI and welcome PMC
this forum's a mine of information isn't it - first year we went, I had a list of "must visit" bars and restaurants hehehehe. then we found our own !
never stayed at the Marti - we're SC folk, but have friends who stay there twice a year and have only got great things to say about it

don't be shy about shouting out for any other info you need to know - we'll all be happy to help

We have stayed at the Marti Resort 8 or 9 times. We self cater now.
You will love it it realy is nice. free pool towels every day plus on their own beach. I think you may regret all inclusive because of the choices in Icmeler, but this is a personel choice. We always take sterling and on most occasions change at the store under ICR offices.

D Craddock wrote:We have stayed at the Marti Resort 8 or 9 times. We self cater now.
You will love it it realy is nice. free pool towels every day plus on their own beach. I think you may regret all inclusive because of the choices in Icmeler, but this is a personel choice. We always take sterling and on most occasions change at the store under ICR offices.

Hi,

I hope you get the chance to come back and read this so

How does the pool bar work? Do you get a pass/wristband/swipe card for the AI stay and have to use it for each meal/snacks/drinks?

Do you get charged for any of the items in the room mini bar that isn't included in the package?

Thanks

PMC

Marti always looks gorgeous to me, though I'm a SC girl, mostly because we like a good wander to see all our friends in various bars.

We only take enough money to last us a day and go to see our friend in the supermarket who gives us a good rate. If you use one place consistently to exchange money, you'll usually find that they give you a better rate than they advertise.

If you do wish to use the ATM's, there are a few in the main square and I've never been charged for using them. I tend to stick with the HSBC one as it allows me to take out sterling, so I know what the rate of exchange I'm getting will be before I get home to rainy blighty and see my bank statement.

Have a wonderful time, I am sure this will go without saying!

we went in to have a look around lovely hotel ended up having a drink

hiya pmc.
im sure you will love the marti.
me and wife went in summer 2007 and loved it.
decent room(although we didnt get the sea view that we requested),great pool,food was fine and plenty of choice.nice beach and the hotel entertainment staff really made the holiday for us.......overall everything was fine brilliant and it was our best holiday ever.
we went half board so not sure about paying for stuff on all inc.anything we wanted was just put on a card that they give you.
enjoy your holiday.

redmanc78 wrote:hiya pmc.
im sure you will love the marti.
me and wife went in summer 2007 and loved it.
decent room(although we didnt get the sea view that we requested),great pool,food was fine and plenty of choice.nice beach and the hotel entertainment staff really made the holiday for us.......overall everything was fine brilliant and it was our best holiday ever.
we went half board so not sure about paying for stuff on all inc.anything we wanted was just put on a card that they give you.
enjoy your holiday.

Super

We have booked a deluxe suite at the hotel. It did cost us a lot extra but having seen the details of the room on their website I would of found it difficult to book any other room (if that makes any sense).

It was a 'god send' finding this forum as I have a feel for the place now and an idea of where everything is, thanks to other user info and the pin map on one of the sub-forms. I remember a few holidays were we pulled up to the hotel thinking that it looked nothing like advertised in the brochure. I can safely say that it won't happen this year.........

Edit : Sorry, meant to start a new thread. Will do now!

yeah when i was younger i have been to other places
but since 2002 we havent been anywhere else apart from turkey cause we cant see past it now
apart from one summer we went to bulgaria
wasnt good at all
the weather was cold and the food all tasted the same
not a patch on turkey
have an apartment in alanya in turkey so we go there sometimes as well but icmeler is still our favourite as its like our home
xxxx

Hi PMC,
sorry but I have never stayed AI so I cannot say what system they use. When we were their we could pay in cash or use a credit type card given to us, which we used during the time we drank or had a snack and settled up before we left for home. perhaps they will use a similar system. Drinks etc are a little expensive in the Marti, so AI may be a good thing. The pool bar is the same as all the others on the site.
The same pool bar on the prom / beach side has entertainment at night which is sometimes quite good. The room bar Ithink is chargeable.
But although you are AI please get out and about because it will add so much to your holiday enjoyment.
Have a brilliant time.

Hi Paul
Am sure you'll love Icmeler!!!
I remember our first visit only too well, and in some ways that was our best holiday there
It was great to go out and see the names of places mentioned on here - not to mention visiting a lot of them
Like you, I started coming on here before our first visit and between that and friends' recommendations, we felt like we knew the place before we got there
I can honestly say, that if you like it on here [well we are a loverly bunch heheheheh], then Icmeler won't disappoint
you'll have to make sure you get out and about despite being AI though
don't be shy about any questions you've got, we're all happy to help

yeah your missing out by going all inclusive but go out for a meal or two to try the local restuarants so you know which ones you like before you can go back next year
xxx

Hi Paul

I'm sure you will have a great time, the Marti looks good. Like many of the others on here, we prefer either SC or B & B which then gives us the chance to try the excellent restaurants and bars.

Look forward to seeing your pictures and review

I think we ill eat in the hotel at breakfast, lunch and for odd snack and go out for dinner most nights. I should ge my money worth on the AI on alcohol alone

The Marti has an italian restaurant that we will hopefully visit twice and I would say that we will more than likely be eating out - at various different places - about 8 or 9 nights out of the 14.

Loveboat will be first on the list I think.