So my husband surprises me with a two-day getaway to the best hotel in the city, The Rixos. I had…read moreheard all about it, of course, but since in my experience supposedly basic hotels can be surprisingly comfortable while super-luxurious hotels can be very much less so, I decided seeing is believing and was very curious how the Rixos would fare. The verdict: it's the real deal. If you are looking for cleanliness, comfort, and professional service (the three traits most important to me, in that order) look no further. But if you are looking for luxury, extravagance, gob-smacking beauty, and to be seriously pampered, don't worry, you won't be disappointed.
Everything about the Rixos--and I do mean every.single.thing-- is top-notch. The decor is non-nonpareil--from the moment you step into the sumptuous lobby, to the magnificent glass-and-gold elevators with their whimsical marble mosaic floors, to, finally, your spotless, appealingly appointed room, you'll be reassured that yep, you made the right hotel decision in Antalya.
My husband's favorite architectural element was the jaw-dropping metal bird sculpture hanging from the apex of the lobby's cupola set against nine stories of tumbling hanging vines, but I think everyone has his or her own favorite thing to love about the Rixos. My sister in-law, who stayed in the Rixos earlier this year, raved about the winding paths and little hidden pagodas on the ground, and I myself was partial to the private balconies with a cozy, white wicker cafe chairs and table, all set against a magnificent view of the Mediterranean Sea.
I have to say, though, that the thing I noticed the most and appreciated the most was the professionalism of the staff. Let's face it, in any hospitality situation, a traveler usually gets the typical mix of the good-middling-and bad, but every single staff member I encountered was exceptionally personable, knowledgeable, and executed their job with absolute (and, in at least one case, stunning) professionalism. To give the "stunning" example: we're sitting on the lovely outdoor terrace for the (extravagant! and free!) morning buffet, when another couple walked up and sat down at the table next to ours. They already looked unpleasant, but people go on vacations for lots of reasons and so it's best not to judge. In the couple-three minutes that they sat next to us, though, their agitation increased to the point of implosion, and all I could think was that perhaps they had just gotten some kind of terrible news.
Well, within a minute it became apparent what the problem was. When the cheerful, competent server appeared and had the grace to exchange a few kind pleasantries with us, the woman next to us erupted in outrage because our server had the audacity to exchange a few quick pleasantries with another hotel guest, when--hello?--she had not been served her rightful glass of water and she had been SITTING THERE WAITING FOR 10 FULL MINUTES!!!!! (Which was a lie, or in any case an exaggeration; they hadn't even been sitting there five minutes.) The tirade quickly picked up steam from there, as my husband and I were forced to watch the embarrassing spectacle unfold. And as this woman continued on (and on, and on) in her interminable tantrum, all I could think as I silently witnessed it was: please know, Mehtap Hanim (the server--she, like every other human being, has a name), not all foreigners are insufferable fools.
What I'm trying to say is that the professionalism and competence that I witnessed in Mehtap Hanim I saw, continually, over and over and over again with each and every member of the Rikos staff. I saw it in the work of İsa Bülent Kırımlı, the restaurant manager who oversees an enormous and competent staff who flawless produce and serve so many tantalizing dishes you may as well give up on your diet because who wants to miss the assortment of pastries, pastas, delicious sauces and desserts? I saw it in Gözde Hanim, the competent associate at the spa. I saw it with Nurten Dere, who kept our room as spotless and precisely staged as a Martha Stewart photo shoot. I saw it with İsa Bey, a porter who cheerfully lugged our many extra heavy suitcases because I don't care if I'm only going on a 2-day trip, I'm a person who has to pack for every contingency. Guest Relations Agent Dilara Keleşoğlu got on the phone with management to arrange a special request and used her powers of persuasion to make it happen. Employee after employee after employee was, without exception, professional, kind, considerate, and competent. And really, having access to a professional staff, along with having a clean and comfortable room, is all I really care about as a traveler, as I stated at the beginning of this admittedly long review. And so if you're like me, and you appreciate cleanliness, comfort, and a staff you can rely on, then like I said, don't worry. You've come to the right place.
