Caresse, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Bodrum

“Disappointing for a Luxury Collection property, despite a stunning location! As a Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite and Lifetime Platinum Elite member with more than 10 years of loyalty to Marriott, I’ve stayed at many Marriott properties worldwide and understand the difference between a good hotel experience and a true Luxury Collection experience. We chose Caresse for a very special occasion, our 15th wedding anniversary. The resort has a beautiful location, impressive views, and a lot of potential. The team was generally friendly. However, the overall experience was far below the standards I associate with the Luxury Collection brand: • The breakfast area felt too small for the number of guests, creating a crowded and noisy atmosphere that didn’t feel like a luxury resort experience. • Finding a sunbed on the beach was often difficult, which felt below the expectations of a luxury resort. We understood that the hotel also allows outside guests onto the beach despite knowing the property is fully booked! • Restaurant, spa, and room rates were among the highest we’ve encountered anywhere in Europe, yet the overall experience did not consistently match that level of service and attention to detail. We also had an uncomfortable experience with another guest who displayed aggressive and intimidating behavior. It made us feel unsafe at times, which should not happen at a resort of this caliber. We reported it to hotel management. I hope Caresse continues to focus not only on its beautiful setting, but also on service consistency, guest experience, and ensuring that every guest feels respected and safe.”

“Stay away: failing air conditioning, an underwhelming "Premium" room, and no meaningful service recovery at $1,000+ per night. I checked out a day early, forfeited a prepaid night, and now have an open case with Marriott. The other 1-star reviews are worth taking seriously. A five-star property is defined by how it fixes problems. Here, the effort went into defending systems and revenue instead. I'm a Marriott Gold member. Problems happen anywhere. What made this stay unacceptable was the hotel's response. - The AC couldn't cool the room. It was loud, and even after repeated staff intervention it wouldn't go below roughly 22.5-23°C from a starting 27°C. Staff insisted their central system showed 21°C, contradicting the thermostat inside the room. A guest shouldn't have to argue with hotel software about the room they're standing in. - I was told there were no alternative rooms available. Only after I pushed back did options appear. The replacement room they showed me was itself at 27°C. - The initial "Premium" room was a dark, ground-floor room with an unpleasant smell, seemingly Premium only for its beach access. I voluntarily moved to a lower-category high-floor room that was far nicer, yet the hotel refused to adjust the rate for the downgrade. - When I asked to check out a day early and be refunded the unused night, they refused. I left anyway and absorbed the cost. A guest willing to walk away from a prepaid $1,000+ night is a signal that something has gone seriously wrong. - Dining was mixed. Barbarossa was disappointing. Buddha-Bar was the one bright spot, with excellent food and genuinely caring service. Before paying $1,000+ per night here, read the negative reviews in Google carefully. They are worth taking seriously.”

“Our stay started well, but unfortunately the service did not match what I would expect from a five-star hotel. The TV in our room had no Turkish channels, Netflix or YouTube. We called reception 4–5 times and nobody ever came to help. I was also expecting a parcel which the hotel had agreed to receive for me. Concierge said it would be sent to my room, but after three days it still hadn’t arrived. When I gave them the initials of the person who had signed for it, I was told nobody with that name worked at the hotel. Strangely, the parcel appeared in my room later that same day. Communication between departments seems to be a serious problem. Another big disappointment was the Sıla concert. The pool was closed for two days and we were not informed about this when booking. We were 8 people in 5 rooms and would have chosen another hotel had we known. Guests without concert tickets were also unable to access the floor with the Living Room, terrace and gym, while Buddha-Bar was closed too. On our final night, loud music from the Greek restaurant continued until around 2 a.m. Sıla was also occasionally singing on the microphone. I called reception and explained that I had a seven-hour drive early the next morning, but nothing changed. The sea was disappointing as well. I saw rubbish floating in the water, including a cigarette packet. More seriously, my friend injured her finger on a rusty nail around the ladder of the deck/platform in the sea. This is a safety issue that should be addressed. The hotel transfer service was around twice the normal price, and although the restaurant was expensive, we didn’t feel the quality justified the price. We had actually been seriously considering buying a residence at Caresse. After experiencing the service, poor communication, condition of the sea and the safety issue ourselves, we completely changed our minds. Unfortunately, after this stay, I wouldn’t return to the hotel either.”

“We just left the hotel and had a great stay - the highest compliment I can say is that it is one of the few hotels I would return to - we have stayed in some of the best properties in the world. What stands out for us at any hotel is the service recieved and honestly the key staff here are outstanding! We had a small issue at a restaurant on our first night but the whole team were informed and they more than made up for it - for us the apology I the form of compensation or upgraded rooms is not important- the feeling that we were being looked after in every part of the resort was both mind blowing and made us feel like VIPs - this is far more valuable and made the trip feel outstanding. Ceren was amazing from before we even arrived and organised our itinerary to every specific detail and modified it as we went along with personal recommendations including a day trip to Orak island which was one of the highlights of the trip- she even helped us with some reservations in Istanbul which shows the level of care she provided- it was truly world class - Umut at Concierge was also outstanding and helped us both with a warm welcome at check in and throughout the stay but also was key in infoming the rest of the team about the small issue we had - he relayed the request for us to be taken care of personally to the head of every single team and we definitely were taken care of thanks to this input from him - world class also. I have to also say a massive thank you to Nurcan who was the manager at breakfast - she took care of every detail and was always welcoming, charming and hospitable- I dont usually have breakfast but because of her I looked forward to breakfast every day and left with a full stomach and great experience every time - she even got the chef to make me omelette with marinated lamb every day - it was unique and truly delicious! On our first night when we had the issue we spoke to a manager called Volkan about it - I honestly hate complaining but I had to on this occasion- he took my feedback on board calmly and reassured me - but it was his manner every time we saw him following this which truly left a mark - he was always so happy to see us and greeted us with a huge smile and a hug on each occasion - every person I have mentioned so far deserves a promotion and are truly invaluable to the hotel - finally thank you to Anastasia who was always friendly polite smiling and helpful whenever we saw her Thanks again- my girls created memories that will last a lifetime and saw truly world class customer service which I hope they adopt themselves in the way to treat others”

“Our stay at Careese was absolutely wonderful. From the moment we arrived, everything felt warm, welcoming, and well taken care of. The rooms were clean, comfortable, and thoughtfully prepared, making it easy to relax and enjoy our time. What truly made the experience exceptional, though, was Ali. He is hands down the best host we could have asked for. Ali went above and beyond to make sure we felt at home, always checking in with a friendly attitude and ready to help with anything we needed. His kindness and genuine hospitality made a huge difference in our stay. Thanks to Ali and the great atmosphere of the hotel, this felt less like a typical trip and more like being welcomed into a home. We would definitely come back and highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a comfortable and friendly stay. Naeem”