Golden Lighthouse

Comentarios destacados

• scmeakin

  20 agosto 2017
  The most relaxing holiday ever!

  We stayed at this hotel for 10 nights in August 2017. We had a double room and a triple room (3 x single beds) next door to each other for us and our 3 kids ages 14, 12 and 10. We booked directly with the hotel owner by email for the rooms and transfers to/from Dalaman airport. We have been to Patara many times, but a few years ago. This is the first time we have been as a family, and it was perfect. Our eldest daughter said it was the best holiday she had ever been on. It is the friendliest, most relaxed place ever. There is so much trust from the business owners towards the guests, and that rubs off on the guests. In time you forget the madness of the real world and just live in this little bubble of easy living. Patara is very chilled. It is not a bustling resort, more a backpackers village with a range of accommodation to suit different budgets and tastes. That said, you won't find five star luxury in Patara, but Golden Lighthouse is very comfortable, clean, and has everything you need. The rooms are spacious with a typical 'wet room' style shower room/toilet en suite. They have aircon and all have a balcony or terrace. We were very lucky to have 2 rooms on the top floor over looking the pool. Housekeeping attend the rooms daily with fresh towels, and frequent bed changes. Despite the calling from the mosque at 5.15am (and several subsequent songs through the day) we slept very well. You quickly get used to the mosque! Breakfast was included and exceptional! It was buffet style with so much choice including cereals, bread, jam, honey, Nutella, plenty of fresh fruit, cheese, tomatoes and cucumber. There was a toaster to toast the bread. Every day there were hot boiled eggs and two other hot items (varied between omelette, menneman, borek, Turkish sausage and chips). There was also freshly made cake and doughnuts. You will also be served with coffee, tea and/or juice at your table and for a small supplement you can have freshly squeezed orange juice. You will not go hungry with this fabulous breakfast to set you up for the day. Served on a covered terrace beside the pool between 8 and 10.30. The pool is large with 20 odd sunloungers around it. There always seemed to be sunbeds available whatever time you went to the pool. Though do bear in mind there is no 'shallow' end. The pool depth is 2m to 2.6m deep, with one set of metal steps in and out. You can order food at the hotel for lunch which is delicious. And there is a bar where you can get drinks all day. All food/drink/ice cream is added to your 'bill' and you can settle it when you leave, or like we did every 3 or 4 days. There is wifi in the rooms and in the public areas. Sometimes it is a little over whelmed so runs a little slow, but it works, so just bear with it. Every bar/restaurant in the village has wifi as well. Just ask the owners for the password. Also, there are regular (but usually short) power cuts in the village. Some of the hotels go onto a back up generator when this happens (including Golden Lighthouse), but it is not powerful enough to support wifi. Nadi Otlu runs the hotel, with his amazingly hard working team who never seem to have any time off. Nothing is a problem. They will do anything they can to make your holiday relaxed and comfortable. The service is second to none. We also arranged some trips with Nadi (trips we had done on our previous visits and wanted to do again with our children). One evening he drove us to the mountain village of Islamlar to look out over the beautiful views and enjoy a meal at the trout farm (there is an extensive menu so don't worry if you don't eat fish!). We also did the Kekova sunken city boat trip. This trip goes from a harbour just over an hour's drive from Patara and involves several lagoon stops for sea swimming and snorkelling; lunch on board (oh my word...this was so delicious!); sailing past the destroyed Roman city of Kekova (destroyed by an earthquake and part of the ruins are beneath the sea); and a stop at the island of Simena where you can climb to the top to visit the castle (for a small fee) and admire the views, and then partake in some home made ice cream from the harbour cafe afterwards! I don't swim, but I still love this trip. There are sun loungers on the roof and at the front of the boat, and seating inside. They also sell drinks on board, and there is a toilet and changing room. Patara village (actually called Gelemis) is about 3km from the beach. That is because the ancient city of Patara is between the village and the coast. Because of this, development of the village is restricted (so it will never become an over developed resort). It also means you pay a very small fee to access the beach road (which also gives access to the ruins of the ancient city). The ruins continue to be restored, and are sensational. You really must brave the heat to visit them. The amphitheater and assembly hall are breathtaking. The beach is lovely, and quite busy. There are plenty of sunbeds and parasols to rent (at the equivalent of £1 each). The sea is very warm! It has sand banks though so getting deep takes a while. Also, be careful of rip tides caused by sandbanks. There are lifeguards though, and buoys in the water to mark safe bathing. There is a great cafe on the beach with an incredibly efficient meeting, seating and ordering process. Golden Lighthouse offer a free shuttle to the beach at 11 and back at 4. If you want to go outside those times there is a dolmus for a small fee, or you can use a taxi (there is a taxi stand in the village). If you want to go further afield you can use a dolmus (mini bus) or taxi to go out and about. We went to Kalkan on market day (Thursday). This was a great experience. Make sure you haggle the prices though! In the village itself there are several places to eat. The Golden Restaurant (run by Nadi's father Arif) has a set menu of mezes and bar b cue (or casserole depending which night you go) for a very reasonable price. The food here is delicious. And again, the service is exceptional. We ate here 3 times in our 10 nights! My other personal favourites are Tlos, which do delicious fish. And Durak Restaurant, which does traditional Turkish food. When I found out this restaurant was still open from our previous visits I almost cried with joy...lentil soup, haydari and bread, chickpeas and rice, chicken and potatoes....honestly delicious food and so reasonably priced. For lunch (or a late night snack) go to either of the gozleme (pancake places). Yummy! (Nutella and banana and ice cream...you can thank me later!). At night we would sit in the Simbar across the road and the kids would have their dessert pancakes delivered to them there! There are also very delicious savoury pancakes and a few other items on the menu. Jimmy's (also called Harrods of Patara) do fried egg and chips if you fancy something a bit more 'English'. And really lovely grilled fish. I should also comment that I have a fussy eating 10 y/o; a veggie 14 y/o and a non meat eating husband, and we all ate very well and enjoyed the food we had a lot. Because it is not a resort full of tourists, the prices are much lower. Typically for an evening meal for 5 of us including a couple of beers and soft drinks we were paying £30-£35. In the next town along, Kalkan, which is much more of a resort, you can double those prices. And as for bars, I'm afraid I can only comment on one...Simbar. There are others (Medusa, Gypsy), but we loved Simbar so much we went there every night for drinks. They have a full cocktail menu and they are delicious. You are sure of a very warm welcome here from Suha and Olivia. We had the most amazing holiday. After a 13 year break it was fantastic to be back in Patara. It hasn't really changed too much. A lot of guests who have discovered this hidden gem return regularly. It is popular with English, German and Turkish tourists. It's not bustling, there is no brightly lit strip of bars and night clubs (there is no night club at all now in Patara, though plenty of people make their own entertainment in the bars there are). But it is amazingly friendly, with service I have never experienced anywhere in the world, and a guarantee that you will be relaxed and chilled after a break here. Some of our friends and family reacted a little negatively when we said we were going to Turkey as they felt it would be unsafe. I'd like to say I have never felt safer. Dalaman airport is the most secure airport I have ever travelled through. The only people allowed inside the building are passengers (who must prove they are passengers and pass security before entering the building) and staff. When you arrive you have to manage your own luggage out of the building and quite a long way from the terminal before the usual crowd of reps and transfer drivers meet you. When you return home you pass through security to enter the building; security when you have checked in; and a final level of security at the gate where we had to unpack all our hand luggage and have it (and our clothes and hands) swabbed for explosive traces. It was a very reassuring process. We were very sad to come home, and know we won't leave it very long before we go back again. Thank you to Nadi, Mehmet and all at Golden Lighthouse who made our holiday so perfect.

  

• Shiobain C

  04 septiembre 2017
  A lovely hotel

  The Golden Lighthouse was recommended to us by friends. We received a warm welcome and throughout our 10 day stay we enjoyed great hospitality. The rooms were very clean and the pool and gardens well maintained. It's a short walk into the centre of Patara to restaurants and bars so very convenient.

  

• LouiseS304

  21 julio 2018
  Turkey at its very best

  For anyone who knows & loves Turkey, this small hotel absolutely encapsulates the very best of holidaying here. The village of Patara is virtually unchanged in 25 years due to the conservation of the turtles & the preservation of the archaeological site. The Golden Lighthouse Hotel is on a side street in the main village, tucked behind a stone arch. Guests are a mix of mostly Turkish families with a couple of English couples & families, giving it a genuine feel. The family owners are quiet, unassuming & helpful beyond the expected. Our room was simple, spacious and always clean with a lovely view. The pool is spotless & has plenty of sun beds. There are several seating areas with hammocks and cushions & a small outdoor bar area. Breakfast is a plentiful buffet & lunch served in the cafe area is delicious & well priced. We relaxed as soon as we arrived!

  

• Amanda-WestKirby1

  09 mayo 2019
  Paradise at the Golden Lighthouse Hotel Patara!!!

  My husband and I have not long been back from a wonderful holiday at the Golden Lighthouse, Patara, Turkey. We have been holidaying at this family run hotel for some years now. It is owned by Nadi Otlu & runs like clockwork due to his devoted team of staff. Mehmet, his wife and daughter look after the pool &hotel. The pool is kept to a very high standard and both the rooms and hotel are immaculately clean. There are plenty of sunbeds and hammocks to relax on. If you prefer the shade there are lots of places in the garden where you can keep out of the sun. The garden is very pretty with beautiful trees & shrubs...the tortoises seem to like it! The hotel are very kind to animals and there is a lovely dog, a goat & and the carpenter looks after the cats. But don't worry the animals won't bother you if you don't want to interact with them. The hotel has a small bar where you can buy alcoholic & soft drinks ( the freshly squeezed orange juice is gorgeous as are the iced coffees ) There is also a small snack bar where you can buy freshly cooked food and the traditional Turkish breakfast in the morning is a delight. in addition, the hotel run a Turkish evening and a BBQ night, which is a most enjoyable evening... but there is no obligation to attend if you just want to do your own thing. There is also a wide range of reasonably priced trips available if you feel like being adventurous. Patara is only small but there are plenty of excellent bars and restaurants - Nadi's father owns the Golden Pension which has an excellent restaurant attached. Patara Beach is stunning - it is about a 40 minute walk but there are plenty of transfers if you don't fancy the walk. If you do walk you will take in the most fabulous scenery & architectural ruins. Patara is part of the National Park & quite rightly so. We love it here - so much so we are going back later this year. When we get back to the hotel we feel like we are going back home. If there is a paradise on earth then here it is ... Enjoy!!!

  

• SimonO66

  26 julio 2019
  Simply Love This Place

  After a break of more than 20 years we returned in 2016 and were not disappointed, returning again this year for another 3 weeks. If you are looking for a taste of the real Turkey, this is the place. Even when full, there is an air of relaxation about the place and room is generally plentiful around the medium sized pool or low level seating area with hammocks etc, which are kept immaculately clean and tidy, as are all areas of the hotel and grounds. The rooms are spacious with air conditioning and plug-in mosquito repellents, some also with a fridge. Add in the free beach service and plentiful Turkish breakfast and this really is the perfect location for a relaxing Turkish holiday. What really sets this place apart though are the staff; Nadi, Mehmet and the team really can't do enough for you and nothing is too much trouble. We will be planning our next trip in the very near future!