If you are Irish you will understand the way we use the word ”grand”. It means more than ok, and the Grand Okan Hotel is a lot more than ok. I chose the Grand Okan for many reasons. This 4 star hotel is located in prime position on the main street ( Atatürk Cadessi) in Alanya. Everything is within minutes of the hotel’s main doors, with easy access to all amenities. Green Beach restaurant to the rear(see my last blog),` the city centre, bus and taxi services, doctors office and the renowned Cleopatra Beach. There is also plenty of public parks, playgrounds and public exercise areas.
The hotel boasts 150 standard rooms, 2 rooms modified for impaired guests,and 3 exclusive rooms, all decorated in neutral colours with modern soft furnishings and lighting. Kept in pristine condition, under the watchful eye of Hacer the HK manager, and her dedicated team.
The hotel is owned by the Okan family and the day-to-day business is in the capable hands of the Manager Amanda Ozsoy and her staff, who have served together for more than 15 years.This is a rare thing in the hotel business, a true sign of good management and a credit to the owners.The hotel’s reputation precedes it, known for its friendliness and warm ambience, good food and tasteful furnishings. If you want to know anything about Alanya forget Google ………ask Amanda, her extensive knowledge of the area is amazing and she is the ”go to girl” and problem solver in the Okan Group. She works tirelessly to promote not only the Okan businesses but Alanya and the Turkish tourism industry.
The Okan company, also owns an A la carte restaurant, Villa Okan(a meeting point for many in the city centre), Okan Tower(self-catering apart- hotel open 10/06/17 till 14/09/17), Mahperi restaurant(the oldest restaurant in Alanya) located at the harbour and famous for its sea food and steaks.
My check-in was professional, friendly and with just enough information to see me through till the next morning. The hotel operates on a B&B and half-board basis and is open the whole year round. I had a beautiful room on the third floor with a fantastic view of Alanya Castle and the ocean. The room itself was decorated in muted natural tones and the housekeeping staff decorated the beds with flowers and towel swans, a lovely welcome and a taste of the attention to detail that was to come…
Every day I enjoyed a different breakfast from the open buffet.There is plenty of choice, from cheeses, olives, fresh fruit, breads and rolls,assorted cereals and a selection of hot food. My favourite, to date, is a delicious mixed omelette, and I can’t resist the hot pancakes with organic honey and topped with the hotel’s own grown bananas.
Lunch is also available, and can be enjoyed both at the hotel’s Green Beach restaurant and upstairs in the bar. I highly recommend the Beef Wrap, served with perfectly cooked fat chips and Guacamole dip.
The dinner buffet has been superb too, and even though the hotel is not entirely full, it is not reflected in the buffet. There are lots of salads, and tasty sauces for a light starter or you can choose to have one of two home-made soups on offer each night. The main courses have something for everyone too, with a perfect balance of both Turkish and International dishes, served every night. Even those of us with enough will-power to stick to the diet while on holiday, can’t but be impressed with the variety of tasty low-calorie food on offer. But for those of you like me ,who can’t resist anything sweet, the dessert buffet is mouth-watering. The pastry chef is a master , offering traditional Turkish delights (no pun intended) and an array of tarts, puddings and international cakes.
The bar is open every night till late with Happy Hour from 8;30pm till 9;30pm. My friends and I had no problem sampling delicious cocktails, chatting and dancing the night away!
For those of you who can’t take selfies and want to have some memories of your time in Alanya ,then the resident photographer at the Grand Okan, Ergin, is the man for the job. Ergin has been with the hotel for more than 17 years!! and he is responsible for many a fantastic photo caught on camera. For a special treat why not have your portrait or group portrait done by artist Faruk, who sits at Grand Okan during the Summer months.
WHAT’S NEW FOR 2017 SEASON IN GRAND OKAN .
Many of the Okan guests come back year after year and the hotel like to introduce new features each season, to keep things fresh and new for these guests. Manager, Amanda, told me about the exciting things guests new and old, can look forward to this year:
*New fitness and massage studio (free of charge).
*New business station with laptops and printer available (free of charge).
- Free WiFi throughout the whole hotel.
- Complimentary water in the rooms on arrival.
- Iron and ironing board on request.
- In house entertainment 3 nights every week.
- Happy Hour every night all year round.
- Winter Season offers weekly dancing. The Christmas party with carols and mince pies, a visit from Father Christmas and New Years Eve party should not be missed.
THE GRAND OKAN HOTEL will celebrate their 20th ANNIVERSARY in 2018. Follow the Grand Okan on Facebook and Instagram and find out what they are planning for this special anniversary.
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