Turkish delight: A wonderful week of family fun, sun and fabulous food at the TUI BLUE Tropical

Normally when I review a four-star hotel, such as this delightful and ultra-modern TUI family location in Sarigerme just 20 min from Dalaman Airport, I would usually start off with its aesthetics: the stylish decoration, bespoke design, the wonderful facilities and so on.

They are there in abundance of course, and more of that to come, but I just had to start off with the fantastic fare on offer. Food, glorious food - oops, there I go again.

That's because I can honestly say I have never seen so many delicious dishes to choose from in the hotel's main restaurant whether at breakfast, lunch or dinner when on holiday. I would even dare say that in these days of oft-repeated all-inclusive venue meals, you could stay here for a month and have a different meal each day.

The main pool with slides at the TUI BLUE Tropical

Right, I've taken my napkin off my lap (for the moment anyway), laid it on the table and am moving out into the resort. And what a spectacle to behold.

There are five pools here, the main activity pool with two large waterslides, a quieter relax pool, a children's pool with smaller waterslides, a baby pool and a more traditionally-shaped indoor pool to burn off those calories we've just eaten (I'm off again).

It's in the main outdoor pool where the tireless TUI BLUE reps will take you through your aquafit paces or get you involved with a plethora of pool or outdoor activities. There was always something going off, be it darts, Giant Jenga, archery and Teqvoly (table tennis and volleyball mash-up) to name but a few.

This is all in delightful, spacious grounds, with wide wheelchair and buggy-friendly paths bordered by lush but meticulously-manicured lawns, with beautiful trees and flowers sharing their sweet-smelling aromas at every juncture.

All of the hotel's 500 rooms have either a terrace or a balcony

These paths will take you all around the resort to the pools, the hotel's own private sandy beach (with wi-fi), the three outside bars and the poolside lunch restaurant (oh dear, I just can't help myself).

I'm used to outdoor pool eateries offering a few meals, nice enough, but not enough to stop me returning to the main restaurant for lunch. No, not here.

Again, a team of hard-working chefs weave their culinary magic to provide an amazing, alfresco array of magnificent meals at the pool restaurant, akin to some hotels' main indoor dining offering.

Next door to the pool restaurant is the Ampitheatre, the hotel's main evening entertainment venue. We were treated to the hors d'oeuvres of children's entertainment, starters of interactive quizzes with a main serving of visiting and in-house acts.

An aerial view of the main pool and pool restaurant area

During our stay the former included a traditional Turkish dance troupe and an exhilarating acrobatic team. In between the wonderful TUI BLUE team put on a selection of visually-excellent musical shows, their wonderful harmonies not out of place in a West End show in my opinion.

For those who fancy continuing into the night a DJ set is just around the corner at the chill-out bar.

The TUI Blue Tropical is a finely-honed family hotel, with a baby room, children's club and a hangout area for teens, with highly-trained TUI BLUE reps able to give parents a bit of me-time while the kids enjoy some amazing fun sessions.

But that doesn't mean that adults and seniors can't enjoy The Tropical in their own right. We saw many travelling without kids at the hotel and, like them, we felt just at home as the many excited and smiling young faces we encountered.

The main restaurant with the ice cream and Turkish pancake parlours below

Have I mentioned food yet?...ahem, of course I have but not yet discussed the a la carte restaurants included in your price. For each week of stay guests can book a meal in each of the three included venues - The Taverna (traditional Turkish fare), Prima Cucina (Italian) and Spice (Asian) for a waiter-service culinary experience par excellence.

A fourth restaurant, Green & Grill, offers a meatfest for an additional price (20 euros for adults, 10 euros for U12s). These can all be booked via the free TUI BLUE App that is easily downloaded via the App Store (iPhone) or Play Store for Android, and remember that free wi-fi throughout the resort is included in your holiday price - a godsend given that Turkey is not a roam like home destination.

The TUI BLUE app is a very handy tool as all the hotel's information, daily programme, child registration and much more is right there at the touch of a button.

The small town of Sarigerme is a 20-minute 2km walk or taxi ride away for those who want a trip out shopping but your TUI reps have a wide range of excursions to tempt you away from your sun lounger.

We enjoyed a family boat trip along the River Dalyan, and, to name but a few, there are excursions to see turtles, visit the historical Ephesus and Tombs of the Kings sites - and even bathe in mud once supposedly visited by Cleopatra!

A wonderful break, with great memories at a resort I would hasten back to. Did I mention there are free ice cream and Turkish pancake parlours here too?…

'The Restaurant' - TUI BLUE Tropical's main eaterie

TUI offers a seven-night break to Dalaman, Turkey, staying at the 4T+ TUI BLUE Tropical on an all-inclusive basis. Prices from £699 per person. Price is based on two adults and two children sharing a family room with balcony or terrace, flights departing from Birmingham airport on 3rd September 2024, with 25kg hold luggage and transfers included. To find out more about this holiday or to book go to tui.co.uk, visit your local travel agent or download our app.

Please note, this price is correct of 28/05/25. Please click through the link to check future prices.

Holiday Extras

Holiday Extras is the market leader in UK airport parking, hotels, lounges, and transfers – and last year its customers saved an average of £191 per trip by booking their airport parking in advance.

Booking meet and greet airport parking means you can enjoy more holiday with less hassle. Plus with Flextras, if you need to cancel or amend you can without charge. Seven days’ Meet and Greet Parking at Terminal 1, Manchester Airport is available for £89.99, based on arrival on 18th July 2024.

For more information and to book, HolidayExtras.com or call 0800 316 5678.

Escape Lounge

We got our holiday off to a great start with some airport VIP treatment. Manchester Airport’s Escape Lounge is available in all three terminals and offers passengers the chance to put their feet up, catch up on last-minute business, or simply enjoy some peace and quiet as they enjoy the complimentary food and drink on offer.

The lounge caters to passengers of all ages and offers fast unlimited wi-fi, flight information boards, bar service for complimentary alcoholic and soft drinks, along with buffet service for seasonal meals and snacks.

Prices start from £31.99 when booked in advance. For more information or to book visit: www.manchesterairport.co.uk/at-the-airport/airport-lounges/