Peninsula Gardens Hotel in Kas

Disappointing Stay – Definitely Not a 5-Star Hotel - May 2025

We would not return to Peninsula Gardens and certainly do not consider it a five-star hotel. The room lacked blackout curtains, which meant we were woken up every day around 6 AM by the bright light in the room. The mosquito nets were old and difficult to open or close, and definitely need replacing.

The wellness area was closed at the end of May because it was not considered high season. This was never mentioned on their website, whereas other hotels usually inform guests in advance. We specifically booked this hotel for the wellness facilities. After insisting, we were allowed to use the sauna for one day out of the three for 30 minutes but even the sauna outdated and not well-maintained.

Communication was a real issue. At breakfast, there was one young man who did not speak a word of English and had to serve all the tables by himself. We had to push for eggs, coffee, or tea using Google Translate otherwise you do not get any of these.

It felt like they tried to charge extra for everything. There were two cabanas on the seaside terrace that provided good shade, but we were told to leave unless we paid extra—even though not a single hotel guest was using them at the time.

On the second morning, the coffee machine stopped working, so we couldn’t get any coffee. But the biggest shock came at checkout: it turned out that our cappuccinos were not included in the breakfast, only filter coffee was. No one told us this beforehand, and we’ve never experienced this in any other hotel with breakfast included. Thankfully, the receptionist sided with us in the end.

Additionally, Nespresso pods in the room were €4.50 each. You only get two free upon arrival—regardless of whether you stay one night or six. Again, this is unheard of in a so-called five-star hotel. They said the pods were mentioned on the price list in the room but honestly we did not check that because we thought certainly a minimum of 2 pods a day for 2 guests would be free for use. Again, never experienced a hotel that charges these.

The only positive note: Rose, the receptionist, who did her best to help us throughout our stay.

Kas itself is beautiful and we will definitely return—but next time, we’ll book a different hotel.

My husband and I stayed at Peninsula Garden Suites for five nights in May as part of our honeymoon. The property itself is stunning—nestled into the cliffs with breathtaking views of the sea from every patio. We booked the Jade Junior Suite, which was one of the more premium options available, and while the room looked generally clean and spacious, it lacked basic amenities like storage space, a place to put toiletries in the shower, and working sliding screen doors. All minor issues we were happy to overlook.

Unfortunately, I woke up the next morning covered in what turned out to be bedbug bites. Upon inspecting the bed, we found bugs and markings consistent with fecal evidence. We reported it immediately to the front desk. While the staff member we spoke with was polite, the management insisted it couldn’t be bedbugs because the room had been sprayed ten days prior. We tried to explain, but it felt like either a language barrier or a lack of understanding about how bedbugs actually work. Though no one ever apologized, they did give me an ointment and called us a taxi to get further medication from a pharmacy, which we really appreciated.

When we asked to switch rooms, the initial reaction was dismissive. We were told it was likely just mosquito bites and encouraged to use a plug-in repellent. After pressing the issue, they showed us alternative rooms—all MUCH smaller and underwhelming than the suite we had booked. We reluctantly accepted the major downgrade and asked if we could at least continue to use the patio from our original room. Begrudgingly, they agreed and told us we’d be moved into a nicer suite (similar to ours initial room) the next day. However, the next morning, they backtracked entirely. We were told that they wouldn’t be moving us after all because the other suite had already been cleaned and they didn’t want to clean another room. This was incredibly disappointing—especially because we had been so patient and flexible despite the circumstances..during our honeymoon.

Eventually, they allowed us to use the pool and outdoor area of a lower-level suite—but not the interior. Which meant every time we needed a drink, to use the bathroom, or to wash our hands, we had to walk back upstairs to our downgraded room. My husband and I trying to remain positive and make the best of the last few days of our honeymoon, agreed and thanked them though all of it was just so disappointing.

At checkout, we asked about a partial refund to reflect the downgrade and the disruption, but they denied any responsibility. We were told that we “chose” to change rooms and that the bites were just mosquito-related and we just should’ve used the repellents and kept our room. At this point, the gaslighting had become frustrating and disappointing, especially after we remained calm, respectful, and extremely flexible throughout.

This hotel has great potential, but our experience was frustrating, disappointing, and has left me with is now 20+ bedbug bite scars. I really do hope management uses this feedback to improve for future guests.

Oh dear, this was not our first time staying at this hotel, but it will be our last.

To start with, we were disappointed by the lack of assistance with our luggage upon arrival. Despite numerous staff members at reception, no one offered to help, which set an unexpected tone for our stay. This level of service was quite different from what we experienced two years ago.

While waiting for our room to be ready, we decided to relax by the pool. We requested towels but were told none were available and that they would bring some down to us. Unfortunately, after waiting for 40 minutes, no towels arrived. Adding to the inconvenience, I was asked to leave the pool area for cleaning, which could have been communicated to us at check-in, especially since we were encouraged to use the pool while waiting.

I had to seek updates on our room rather than being informed, which was both frustrating and disappointing. When we finally got into the lift with the young porter, he asked which room we were in, which was aggravating as I assumed that the details would already be coordinated by the staff. It felt as though we were managing our own stay rather than being treated as valued returning guests. Instead of relaxing, I had to take charge to prevent further issues from arising.

In the room, I inquired about celebratory drinks and was surprised to find that there was no clear information on pricing or available options. We were simply told, "wine in the room, pay on check out," without any further details. This lack of clarity was disappointing, especially when the wine offered was significantly overpriced.

On a positive note, the pool staff by the sea were exceptionally attentive and made an effort to ensure we were well cared for.

However, breakfast was incredibly disappointing. During our previous visit, we enjoyed personalised service from a staff member named Solomon, who made our mornings delightful and memorable. This time, the experience was vastly different! Breakfast was served buffet-style with no labels, with minimal attention from the staff. Basic service standards, like clearing plates from the table, required us to ask for them to be removed.

I've included images from both our previous stay and this visit to illustrate the significant decline in standards and presentation.

The staff did have difficulty understanding English. While I don't expect fluency, I did anticipate a basic level of knowledge given that this is a tourist hotel, which made communicating our needs challenging. Moreover, the buffet was poorly managed. My partner was told he couldn't serve himself coffee, yet no staff member came to assist us.

The condition of our room balcony was also concerning, with shabby decking and loose wood that nearly caused injury. Image attached.

Overall, the management and service standards seem to have declined significantly.

We were hoping for the same exceptional experience we had in the past, but sadly, that was not the case. This has made us decide not to return in the future, and we will be considering alternative options, such as the Tamara Hotel, for our next visit to Turkey.

We understand that mistakes happen, but there was no effort made to address or improve the situation during our stay. This level of service is disappointing and does not meet the expectations we had based on our previous visits or the star rating of the hotel.

Do yourselves a favor and don't book this hotel at all. We have been to several other hotels in Kas, including on the peninsula, but none were as bad as this one. I could list several negative things, but I won't bother. Just a tip for you: spend your hard-earned money elsewhere.

I had 2 breakfast and on dinner . The breakfasts were Excellent. The dinner was Very Good. The Aperrol Spritz I had, loaded with fruit! was SUPERB!

I stayed here 3 years ago and enjoyed the experience very much. I think ownership and management have changed because the service level has changed dramatically.

The staff are sweet and well-intentioned but no one has true hotel experience. English-only speakers expect a struggle to communicate.

There are no towels available at the pool or the sea platform. When asked the staff seem surprised by the request.

Checking in there was trouble with the credit card machine. It
does accept “tap” cards. Checking out was a cumbersome process, with bills to be paid for the bar/restaurant, spa and laundry all to be paid separately as if they were completely different entities.

I won’t be back but I’ll cherish the memories