Hotel Bitez Garden Life

Garden Life is situated just outside of Gumbet and about 150-200 mtrs from the beach and is an up and coming tourist area. More hotels and features are currently being built but being a ver small town it is very relaxed and friendly.

Just opposite the hotel is a little shop where you can buy ice creams, newspapers, drinks, cigarettes etc and if you walk to the beach you have more little shops with a little more choice. Including a nice little souvenir/antiques shop. Or if you prefer there is a regular bus service that stops near the hotel that will take you into Bodrum. If you go into Bodrum on a Tuesday they have the clothes bizaar open where you can shop till you drop or on a Saturday they have a mixed bazaar. The bus journey is only around 25-30 mins and costs only 3 Lira. It will take you right to the bus station in Bodrum and the Bizaar is there also.

There are many excursions that you may do during your stay and I strongly suggest you speak to the Entertainments/Animation manager about them to get the best info/deals.
I do recomend that you take the boat trip and defintely have the turkish bath on your first day.
You can also do jeep safaris, diving, trip to Kos, have a mud bath, see cotton castle or visit Bodrum castle. There are also beach activites that you can do.

The Hotel being small has a very friendly, welcoming atmosphere.

The Hotel staff are very friendly and curtious and most have very good understanding of English and other European languages. All the staff during our stay would not think twice about going the extra mile to make our stay safer, happier or more interesting.

Rooms can be cleaned whenever you wish. Just leave the sign on the door or the towels are changed everyday only.
There is also a laundry service available should you require one. At a very reasonable cost.

Also laid on if you like, you may go into Gumbet for a beer, dance or karaoke as the entertainment manager takes guests every every evening to the locals bars and clubs via a free bus service.

Unfortunately being the start of the season there was no child care service or Doctor facility put in place but this does not mean there won't be. This was no concern to ourselves but I can see it being an issue with young families.

We found the reception staff very good. We had a couple of outside hotel issues and the reception staff didn't hesitate in helping us sort them out so I am sure that if any problem within the Hotel had arisen it would be deftly dealt with.

Pictures/Videos to hotel review (Click picture to enlarge!)

Food, food, food, food.

The main meals a day in the main restaurant in the hotel, Coffe and biscuits from the main bar and many, many restaurants on the beach and just over the hill in Gumbet.

I cannot complain about food quality in any shape or form.
The Hotel food was always delicious with quite a large choice for the hotel size.
The food choice and quality on the beach is amazing. Having a choice of around 20 restaurants on the beach alone I am pretty sure you would find something somewhere you would like. Most restaurants cook chinese, indian, italian, English or Turkish food.
Like the rest of the Hotel the restaurants are very clean and hygenic and the catering staff are very pleasant and friendly.
Meals are served 3 times a day in the main restaurant
07:30-10:00 is breakfast
10:00-11:00 is late breakfast for the late risers
12:30-14:00 is lunch
17:00-!8:00 is coffee and biscuits at the main bar
19:30-2100 is dinner
A range of food is available with some traditional Turksih dishes thrown in too.

The atmosphere throughout the whole hotel is very relaxed and peaceful. Unless of course you don't want it to be :)
There are tip boxes in most of the key areas eg, Restaurant, Reception, bar. And I am sure when you have spent a couple of days in the hotel you will be wanting to tip them anyway but there is no pressure.
All meals are inclusive but if you want alcoholic cocktails or none-Turkish drinks these are charged extra. Soft drinks and beer are free from the bar and you may also drink Turkish drinks free too.

As I keep saying the hotel is small so don't expect big surprises.
Entertainment is mainly done off-site as space is limited but you have the use of 2 swimming pools.
1 is near the bar and has music all day or
2 is the quiet pool if you require a little more peace.

Both pools have sunbeds around them and showers both areas are clean and tidy and the water is beautifully clean and warm.
There are also larger parasols around the pools incase you feel the need for shade.
You also have use of a beach but ask Entertainment manager for more details.
Never went to the Hotel beach but the whole beach area was very clean and pleasant. Be careful where you sit though as some bar owners charge for the use of their sunbeds and loungers.

Entertainment manager after speaking to him says that in full season there will be a small disco, pool games and activities, bingo, competitions and general frivolity. ;) and as earlier mentioned. 10pm excursions into Gumbet for more alcohol, dancing or singing until early hours if you wish.

Small but practical rooms.

Very clean, very tidy and everything you need to have an enjoyable holiday.
The water is heated via solar panels so be aware of this before complaining of no hot water.

Ok so I had no problem with mobile phone signal. Full signal pretty much everywhere I went inc on the boats.
The Hotel has Wifi available for those that can't leave home at home even when you are on Holiday or for those on business trips.
The Hotel is excellent value for money esp if you are smart on what you drink.
so even if you need to watch the pennies it's very easy to do so.

We went in the middle of May to Garden Life and it was warm and sunny almost everyday. Even the day it rained it was still 20c. The Max it got up to during our stay was 30c but I can tell you if you go in July or August you must be prepared for temps up to 55/60c. If you are like me and very white and English mid May and early June would be the best times to go.

What you must remember while in Turkey is:
Most of the towns now have Tourism as the main job source. This means that the locals love when we go visit and will try very hard to get you to buy their goods or use their restaurants. Be careful to shop around before you commit to anything especially on the excursions. Forget about the reps tours as they are commision base and usually very poor. Ask the entertainment manager to see if he can hook you up.

Most of all....

Relax and enjoy your holiday. Turkey is a beautiful Country full of wonderful people.