Side is one of the most popular destinations for all inclusive holidays on the Turkish Riviera. The stretch of coast between Antalya and Alanya is characterised by beautiful beaches and mild temperatures even in the winter. Side is located between twin beaches. Both the west beach and the east beach boast golden sands. The ancient ruins of Side are a reminder of the city’s eventful history. Remains of the ancient city under Roman rule include the Roman city gate, the amphitheatre and the 2nd century temple of Apollo.
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How do I find the right all-inclusive hotel in Side?
Ask yourself what should be included in your all-inclusive holiday. Because all-inclusive is not the same in every hotel. Should the food in the à la carte restaurant also be included? A wide range of sports? Sunbeds on the beach? Imported alcohol? You should pay attention to such details when choosing your all-inclusive hotel in Side. Tips to help you find the perfect hotel are summarised in this article.
Generally speaking, in Side it’s worth finding an all-inclusive hotel right on the beach, not in the second row. Unless you like to look at other hotels. If you want to go on your own, a dolmus (shared taxi) should stop in front of the hotel and take you to Side or Manavgat for little money.
Once you have shortlisted a few all-inclusive hotels in Side, read the reviews. With recommendation rates of over 90%, there’s really nothing wrong with the hotel.
I can recommend the individual hotels presented here with a clear conscience. If, contrary to expectations, your holiday in Side in a TUI BLUE hotel was not so great, please write me a nasty comment under this article! 😀
Which all inclusive hotels in Side are recommended?
When choosing an all-inclusive hotel in Side, you should pay attention to certain minimum criteria that should be met. The hotels in or near Side presented here are all inclusive:
- Directly on the beach in the first row
- All-inclusive meals, also for vegetarians and vegans, with at least 1 visit to the à la carte restaurant included; focus on Turkish cuisine
- Local alcoholic drinks (beer, wine, spirits and specially created cocktails with local ingredients)
- Wide range of sports courses, entertainment, edutainment and many other activities at the hotel
- Spa (massages and treatments cost extra)
- Internet throughout the hotel grounds (charged extra at many 4 and 5 star hotels in Side)
- BLUE App with which you can see every opening time, activity etc. before arrival and bookings can be made (sports courses, table reservation à la carte restaurant, registration in the Kids Club)
- BLUE Guide as an individual contact person on site who will answer your questions even before your arrival
- In family hotels, loving childcare 6 days/week
- Very good recommendation rates on review platforms
1. TUI BLUE Palm Garden: Tops of the Tops in Side
My favourite of the best all-inclusive hotels in Side is the TUI BLUE Palm Garden. It has been voted the best hotel in Turkey 2022 by Holidaycheck, the German equivalent of Tripadvisor and has 5 out of 5 points on Tripadvisor plus the Travellers’ Choice Award. Just read the reviews and let yourself be convinced.
The TUI BLUE Palm Garden is located a few kilometres east of Side, directly on the sandy-pebbly beach. The hotel complex is so beautifully planted with palm trees that you immediately get a tropical holiday feeling. The hearty staff and the first-class all-inclusive offer will stay in your memory for a long time. There is a huge childcare offer for children. But the hotel is a feel-good place for all guests – younger and older couples, families with children. A clear recommendation from me! I have been there twice myself 🙂
2. TUI BLUE Side: Wellness temple for adults
The 5-star TUI BLUE Side is an adults-only all-inclusive hotel just a few kilometres from Side’s old town. You can reach Side on foot via the attractive promenade or take the dolmus (minibus), which stops in front of the hotel in the popular suburb of Evrenseki.
I also checked out this all-inclusive hotel in Side and was very impressed by the great spa area. Therefore, the hotel is also worth a trip in winter (unbeatable price in winter!) and the Turkish Riviera is a popular destination. The all-inclusive offer will be further expanded in the course of the ’22 season and Turkish specialities will move more into focus. You really can’t go wrong with this in terms of cuisine. With its own beach area with golden sand and shallow water and a fitness area that has a mesmerising view of the pool!
3. TUI BLUE Barut Andiz: Side all-inclusive holidays with swim-up pool
Adults only! The TUI BLUE Barut Andiz is located just 1 km from the centre of Side. 5 restaurants and 3 bars let you enjoy all-inclusive to the fullest. The highlight of the TUI BLUE Barut Andiz are the rooms with swim-up pool (i.e. private pool access from the terrace) and especially the suites with sea view and jacuzzi on the terrace.
These hotels have even more rooms with swim-up pool and rooms with private hot tub on the terrace.
It has 5 out of 5 points on Tripadvisor (as of January 2022) and the Travellers’ Choice award, making it one of the best hotels in Side. The TUI BLUE Barut Andiz has its own very wide stretch of beach and, with 139 rooms, is downright boutique for an all-inclusive hotel in Side. Highly recommended for a romantic holiday for lovers and honeymooners!
4. TUI BLUE Sensatori Barut Sorgun: All-inclusive luxury holidays in Side
A rarity on the Turkish Riviera near Side: a hotel that is not surrounded by other hotels. The TUI BLUE Sensatori Barut Sorgun has exactly this luxury: it is located between its own wide beach section and an extensive pine forest in a charming landscape. This quiet stretch of beach is particularly nice for relaxing in the daybeds.
The 5-star luxury hotel 4 km east of Side is a paradise for families and couples alike. You can reach the historic centre of Side by dolmus or taxi. From childcare to an adults-only area, there’s perfect space for everyone. As one of the top all-inclusive hotels in Side, it offers 6 restaurants and 7 bars. My room tip: The rooms with swim-up pool, with jacuzzi on the terrace and the absolute highlight: the suite with private pool! With 4.5 out of 5 points it’s (Tripadvisor January 2022) one of the best hotels in Side for all inclusive holidays.
5. TUI BLUE Belek: All inclusive holidays with Far East flair
Are we in Side or a beach club in Bali? In the pool area of the TUI BLUE Belek, the thatched pavilions and parasols between the palm trees create a faraway travel atmosphere. The adult hotel is located on Belek Beach between Side and Lara beach. Interesting for golfers: two golf courses are nearby.
The all-inclusive offer includes 3 restaurants and 4 bars. In the huge pool area, there are pavilions in the water where you can relax in incomparable beauty. You almost forget that the hotel also has a 2000 m² spa with a Turkish hamam. Room tip: Of course the swim-up rooms with private pool access 😉
6. TUI BLUE Pascha Bay: All-inclusive family hotel with aqua park
Between Side and Alanya, the family hotel TUI BLUE Pascha Bay is located directly on the wide kilometre-long sandy beach. With a Tripadvisor review rate of 4.5 out of 5 points (as of February ’22), you can be sure that your family holiday will be great! Don’t miss Alanya with its winding streets.
A Aquapark with giant slides, splash park for younger children and the Kidsclub, which looks after your children 6 days/week, make the TUI BLUE Pascha Bay one of the best options for your Side all inclusive holiday. 3 restaurants and 2 bars provide all inclusive catering around the clock. Give your children a special treat and book the suite with swim-up pool.
Love water parks? You can find the best hotels with their own water park in this overview.
Fancy getting a Side all inclusive holiday?
Where is Side?
Side or Manavgat is located between Antalya and Alanya on the Turkish Riviera. Antalya international airport is about 1 to 1.5 h transfer time away. Gazipasa Airport (Alanya), on the other hand, is not served by flights from the UK.
What’s included in all inclusive holidays?
All-inclusive means that almost all meals and drinks are included in the prepaid holiday price. this includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. In Turkey, all-inclusive usually means paying extra for special à la carte restaurants and imported alcoholic drinks. With “ultra all inclusive”, however, these may be included.
Spa treatments, water sports, excursions or certain activities in the hotel are not included.
It is worth comparing in detail what the individual included services are. At TUI BLUE hotels in Side, for example, smoothies and freshly squeezed juices are included at breakfast, a visit to the à la carte restaurant and almost all sports activities. Other hotels charge extra for many of these or do not offer them at all. All details including the daily activity programme can be found in the BLUE app.
What does ultra all inclusive mean in Turkey?
Ultra all inclusive in Turkey usually means that imported alcohol is included and does not have to be paid extra. Turkish customs add a hefty fee on alcohol from abroad, which is why it is so expensive.
If “premium alcohol” and cocktails with the famous spirit brands are important to you, calculate beforehand whether the surcharge for ultra all inclusive is worth it for you. Do you only consume a premium drink now and then? Then normal all-inclusive is enough and you pay the few premium drinks extra.
Do you want to drink as much alcohol as possible on your holiday in Turkey and also the “better” spirits? Then ultra all inclusive is worthwhile for you. If the price is not much more expensive than for a “normal” all-inclusive hotel in Turkey, you can be sure that quality will be cut in other areas. First and foremost the food. Don’t be surprised about the behaviour of the other guests in a cheap ultra all-inclusive hotel 😉
Difference between all inclusive plus and ultra all inclusive
All inclusive plus and ultra all inclusive usually mean the same thing. Certain extras such as speciality restaurants or premium alcohol are included.
Where is it cheapest in Turkey?
For an all-inclusive beach holiday, the Turkish Riviera around Side is the cheapest region. On the one hand, flights to Antalya are cheaper than to the Turkish Aegean (Dalaman), for example, and on the other hand, the choice and thus the competition between hotels is so great that this results in very good value for money.
When is the cheapest time to visit Side?
In winter, prices can start at real bargain prices from 250 pounds for a week all-inclusive in a 4-star hotel in Side (but then these are not particularly great hotels…).
I once did one of those “Turkey round trips” that are regularly offered for 200 euros in winter. It was scary. I probably don’t need to mention that we were driven to the jeweller and carpet dealer in Side. You get what you pay for!
After that, I had a real hatred of the Turkish Riviera and never wanted to go back. Then I visited the TUI BLUE Palm Garden on business and lo and behold: it can be done quite differently! What a difference… It is definitely worth looking at all included services and comparing reviews. If I were you, I would rather spend a few pounds more on a hotel in Side that has really good reviews instead of being annoyed when I get there. A holiday is something special, especially after all the Corona issues of the last few years. Treat yourself, because you deserve a fabulous all-inclusive holiday in Side!
Are holidays in Turkey getting more expensive?
In itself, the exchange rate of the Turkish lira has become extremely much better for Europeans, so you will get more for your money locally than ever before. In general, however, travel has not necessarily become cheaper due to the Corona crisis, because hotels in Turkey have to spend money on additional hygiene measures and certifications or are allowed to accept fewer guests. Due to inflation in Turkey, the cost of food, for example, has risen sharply within the country. Of course, this also has an impact on the price of all-inclusive holidays in Side.
Great post, very informative!
Thanks for sharing this helpful info.