Side Star Elegance

Having everything under one roof feels restrictive to some and convenient to others. Side Star Elegance is for the second group: around 510 rooms in a single six-storey building, so reaching the restaurant, pool or beach does not involve long walks through gardens.

The hotel's 2026 fact sheet puts Side town at about 3 km and Antalya Airport at around 65 km. The grounds cover about 42,000 m², and the concept is Ultra All Inclusive. Room types are limited to standard and family rooms.

There is one main restaurant and five à la carte venues: fish, Chinese, Turkish, Italian and fondue. A fondue restaurant is not something you often see on the Antalya coast. A patisserie and several bars complete the picture.

In front of the hotel is a fine sandy beach, along with pools and water slides. The spa has a Turkish bath, sauna, steam room, salt room and gym, with massages charged.

One detail to know: thanks to its sports facilities, the hotel also hosts team training camps, so you may share the resort with athletes at certain times. Some guests find that fun; others feel it changes the holiday mood.

The downsides: the room range is narrow, so anyone after villas, suites or swim-up rooms may come up short, and a single building does not offer the calm of scattered garden bungalows.

Not for those wanting to stay away from a main block in spacious gardens, or looking for a room with its own pool.

Barut Hemera is the same distance from Side (about 3 km) but offers swim-up and adults-only room types. Kamelya Selin is smaller with a much longer beach.

The fine sand is easy on small children's feet. July and August are very hot in Side, so visit the ancient city early in the morning. If sports groups matter to you, check your dates with the hotel rather than guessing when camps take place.