Hillside Beach Club ★★★★★

Did I say ‘every service under the sun’? As far as the Hillside is concerned, ‘every service under the sun, moon and stars’ would be more appropriate! From classic activities like tennis and beach volleyball to archery, canoeing, Zumba parties, sailing, scuba diving and art classes, the Hillside has thought of everything. ‘But how am I going to go sailing if I have to look after the kids?’ I hear you say. The Hillside has thought of that too; there are fantastic facilities for every age, from tots up to teenagers – they’ll be begging to stay longer.

If you’re not so into activities and your idea of a great holiday is lounging on a beach, sipping cocktails, look no further. With three beaches to choose from, you’re sure to find one that suits your mood. The Main Beach is a blue-flagged Mediterranean beach offering an immense variety of water sports, a roped-off area for safe swimming, floating decks, and bars and cafés are all nearby. The gorgeous Silent Beach was voted one of the best beaches in Turkey for relaxing; and it’s adults only. The third, appropriately-named Serenity Beach is reachable by boat but we preferred to follow a 650 metre-long path through the pine forest. If you’re not feeling relaxed after a day at this remote oasis, you can always soak your tension away in the Sanda Spa or enjoy a Balinese massage under the pine trees at the Sanda Nature Spa.

At the Hillside, the eating never stops; a plentiful breakfast buffet followed by fresh sliced fruit, a mouth-watering buffet lunch, snacks, nibbles and dinner available in three restaurants - the main buffet-style restaurant, the Pasha on the Bay for fresher-than-fresh seafood or the Beach Bar for Italian cuisine.

You may not be spending a lot of time in them, but rooms are not overlooked at the Hillside. Décor is minimalist with pure, whitewashed walls and dark wood furnishings but comfort is supreme. Our furnished terrace looked out onto the turquoise waters of the sparkling bay. Bathrooms are immense and well-stocked; basically, if you think you might need it on your holiday, the Hillside has it!

With so many activities to choose from, and a wide variety of areas to lounge about in, it rarely seems crowded at this 330-room resort. My initial fears about mingling were completely unfounded – when I felt the need to get away from it all, I had no trouble finding a secluded beach or floating deck. Much to my surprise, I actually struck up some very interesting conversations with the other guests, mostly international, and my kids had new best friends by the end of our stay. This is one ‘all-inclusive’ resort that we will be coming back to again and again!