Xanadu Island Resort Review

The Xanadu Island is a prestigious and exclusive hotel on the west coast of Turkey, known for its beautiful olive trees, rocky hills and immense pine forests. It takes around an hour to drive there from Bodrum airport and is around 15 mins from the town of Turtgutreis with its bustling Turkish market.

Xanadu is situated on a private peninsula , amidst beautiful gardens and flowered courtyards and surrounded by the deep blue water of the Aegean Sea.

This enchanting and elegant resort belongs to the famous Xanadu chain offering an all inclusive concept with exceptional service. There are a number of restaurants to choose from, the main one being the extensive buffet area in the main dining hall. The choices were varied and it changes from breakfast to lunch and then dinner. There is something for everyone- a huge array of salads (which i enjoyed at breakfast, lunch and dinner!), plenty of fresh seafood and Turkish food as well as things like chips and pizza (which most of the British clientele had- why??!!!).

The kids (then 1 and 4 years old) both loved the food the entire week and didn’t get bored at all. Arthur loved the pasta whilst Thomas tried everything and fell in love with seabass. Both kids were blown away by the sheer range of desserts on offer and there was a nightly excitement at dinner over which dessert they would have that day.

It was the first time in my life I had ever stayed at an all inclusive place. I usually avoid them because I fear they are not environmentally responsible and I prefer smaller family run hotels or guest houses when I visit new countries. However, I’ve changed my mind for the most part- tired parents and small children make this option extremely attractive! The kids loved ordering their own ice cream by the pool and Pat and I had our iced coffees by the pool every morning. The views from our suite were amazing-

Xanadu only offer unique suites and villas and each are overlooking the sea with stunning views. In fact the entire hotel complex is beautifully situated on the cliffs enjoying fabulous views out to the surrounding islands, such as Kos in Greece.

It is a perfect location for a peaceful and tranquil luxurious holiday. We enjoyed morning walks to the kids play area after breakfast and evening walks after dinner.

Everything is lit up at night and there are beautiful piers going out to the sea with seating so you can enjoy a drink and a chat with friends.

There are tennis courts, indoor swimming pools, a spa, shops, a kids club, an outdoor theater and indoor games (such as bowling and pool). There is also a nightclub, which I think is 24hrs….I never went in…but Pat tells me the music was very loud. We were there a week and didn’t get bored at all.

We visited Turtgutreis market and the kids loved walking through the narrow street and talking to all the vendors. We still have a yappy robot dog we bought them and will forever wish we ‘lost’ as it’s very annoying! But this kids love it and still talk about their trip to Turkey whenever they play with it.

I loved the spices and Turkish sweet stalls….

I was extremely impressed with the hotel facilities for kids. We didn’t use the kids club as we went in April which wasn’t high season so there wasn’t much on. But we could use the club area for drawing and games and the kids playground is excellent.

What Thomas and Arthur especially loved was the kids pirate pool….

I couldn’t get them out. It was the first thing they wanted to do when they woke up (at 6am I may add!) and the only things they wanted to do all day….and as this was a total relaxation holiday I really didn’t mind lazing by the pool all day whilst they were completely entertained with the kids pool!

My favourite things about Xanadu though was the tranquil setting. I could walk all day around the peninsular looking at the view, trees and flowers. The suits and villas are all within walking distance and all have beautiful gardens.

The main pool areas is where you will find more people and more activity. The music is louder and there is a steady flow of drinks and food by the pool.

The area lights up at night and is absolutely beautiful!

The beach is lovely. It isn’t sandy so I wished I’d taken swimming shoes for the kids as they hurt their feet when they walked on the stones. But the water was beautifully clear and they loved fish swimming up to them!