TUI BLUE Grand Azur

4th time here. Still fabulous but not as classy as it used to be. All inclusive has spoiled the Grand Azur a little. This was my favourite hotel of all time until my most recent visit. Rather disappointed with the food which used to be sumptuous. The entertainment is better now but the overall atmosphere of pure class has diminished.

We arrived very late in the evening, or to be more accurate, very early the day after we departed. The coach taking us to the hotel parked on the opposite side of a very busy road which we then had to navigate before we could access the hotel. The staff at the reception desk seemed friendly enough but were keen to check us in as soon as possible. It was a bit rushed and there was no offer of food or drink as previews reviews have mentioned. Our previous experience of checking into 5 star hotels was much better than this. The lobby area and bar are quite dark and outdated but we understand this is something that will be targeted for improvement this winter. TUI have taken over the hotel and it was due to close shortly after we left for refurbishment. This means that the comments in this review may no longer apply and things have changed for the better (or worse?) We were very disappointed in the room we were allocated. It was at the side of the hotel with little natural light so was quite dark most of the time (not that we stayed in the room all day). We felt that the bar staff in the hotel needed a bit more training on their drink preparation, or more experience staff were needed. Their measures were not quite up to our expectations e.g. you could have basic gin and tonic with 95% gin and 5% tonic or 5% gin and 95% tonic depending on who served you. Pina Coladas were the worst and on the whole undrinkable. Tasteless, watery and served in tumblers. Again our previous experience in other 5 star hotels was vastly superior to this where drinks from extensive cocktail lists all made to perfection regardless of which of the hotel bars you went to. We could sunbathe at the poolside, the gardens, the beach or the pier (all of which were lovely), but there was only one bathroom for men, and another one for women, located in the grounds, or you had to go back into the hotel. Definitely needs more loos in a better location e.g. by the pool and beach bars. Very disappointed to be mugged for 50 Euros for our 4pm late check out i.e. 12:50 Euros an hour. I reasoned that as we had not arrived until after midnight then surely we were due a refund of 150 Euros (12 times 12.50 Euros), resulting in a net 100 Euros to us. Again we have not experience this previously. We have either been given the later check out free, or given another room to shower and change. This all sound very negative however despite the matters above, we really enjoyed the hotel. It possibly has the best location and grounds of many of the other hotels in Marmaris. It was well positioned with many options. Out front was a busy street with taxi services, shops, bars and restaurants. Out the back gate was a promenade that stretched in both directions to Marmaris and Icmeler – both walks taking approx. 35/40 mins. If you went out the back gate then a 5 minute walk to the left and you could get a water taxi costing about £2/3 each depending on where you went – well worth doing and a cheaper version than booking an organised boat trip. Generally staff were lovely, helpful and worked hard to make sure the hotel was clean and tidy. There was a lovely bright and quiet room where people could read, play board games (provided by the hotel) or watch television. There was a patisserie open in the afternoon for cakes and fresh waffles. There were options for sunbeds – round the pool, in the gardens, on the beach or on the jetty. The grounds were beautifully maintained and the beach was one of the few blue flag beaches in the area with clear water (we saw sea turtles on a couple of occasions) and stunning views. The food was plentiful and very fresh and varied given they are catering for many different nationalities. The evening entertainment was like most hotels a hit or miss but overall seemed to cater for most tastes. Our favourite was the beach bar for quiet drinks and snacks and occasional understated entertainment. The scenery in the area too is beautiful. There is plenty to see and do in Marmaris itself and we would recommend taking a day out just to walk round the place. Take in the food and drink and enjoy the atmosphere. With a few tweaks this could hotel be really amazing and we would be very keen to return in the future.