Aydinbey King’s Palace & Spa – Ultra All Inclusive

You know what struck me first about Aydinbey King’s Palace? The name sounds ridiculously over-the-top, but honestly – when you’re pulling up that long palm-lined drive in Evrenseki, it actually feels pretty royal. This isn’t one of those cramped beachfront towers you see packed along the main Side coastline. They’ve got space here, and you can tell the minute you walk into that soaring lobby with the marble everywhere and actual breathing room.

The thing about this stretch of coast – most people don’t realize Evrenseki is technically separate from Side proper, which works in your favor. You’re far enough from the tourist circus around the ancient ruins to actually sleep at night, but close enough that a quick dolmuş ride gets you to the Temple of Apollo for sunset photos. The hotel sits right on this gorgeous sweep of beach that feels almost private, especially if you walk east toward the quieter end. I mean, the sand isn’t that powdery white stuff you see in brochures, but it’s clean and the water’s that perfect Mediterranean blue-green that makes you want to float there all afternoon.

What really won me over was how they handle the ultra all-inclusive thing without making you feel like cattle. Sure, there’s the usual buffet madness at peak meal times, but they’ve also got these smaller specialty restaurants scattered around the property where you can actually have a conversation. The Turkish night at the Ottoman restaurant was genuinely good – not just tourist-friendly döner, but proper regional dishes that tasted like someone’s grandmother made them. And the spa (which, let’s be honest, is why most of us book these places) actually lives up to the hype. The hammam experience was the real deal, not some watered-down version, and the massage therapists know what they’re doing.

The rooms are solid – nothing revolutionary, but the sea-view balconies are deep enough to actually use, and the air conditioning works properly, which matters more than you’d think during those sweltering July weeks. Fair warning though: if you’re sensitive to noise, request something away from the main pool area. The animation team is enthusiastic, shall we say, and those poolside games start early and run late. But honestly, once you’re settled in with a proper Turkish coffee watching the sunset from your balcony, listening to the call to prayer drifting over from the village mosque – it all just feels right, you know? This place gets the balance between comfort and authentic Turkish hospitality better than most of the big chains along this coast.

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