SunConnect Grand Ideal Premium

SunConnect Grand Ideal Premium stays bustling throughout the day and night thanks to a packed lineup of entertainment options for the mainly British and Russian families and couples who stay here. Activities and facilities for teens as well as smaller children make the hotel ultra-family-friendly -- there's a lazy river pool with a waterslide -- while other guests are drawn by the tech-savvy SunConnect brand, a Thomas Cook concept. Intourist is the other primary tour operator working with the hotel. The Ideal Premium is open only during the summer season; typically first of May through the end of October, though exact dates may vary.

There's no beach access or sea views at the Ideal Premium, but the hotel is just a two-minute walk from the waterfront, where a long seaside promenade is full of restaurants, bars, and cafes, most of them catering to tourists. The well-kept public beach is a 20-minute walk or a five-minute drive away. The main road in front of the hotel has more places to eat and drink, as well as shop; minibuses that stop along here run to Marmaris’s old town, castle, harbor, and bus station, all a 10 to 15-minute drive away. The beaches of neighboring resort İçmeler are a 10- to 15-minute drive in the opposite direction. Dalaman, the closest airport, is 90 minutes away by car.

Well-illuminated hallways with dotted geometric-patterned carpets lead to attractive, contemporary guest rooms. They're done in shades of light grey and beige, with luxe fabrics and ice-blue throw pillows and seating cushions as accents. White ceilings and good natural light give the Standard Rooms an airy feel, though they’re not really large enough for the double and single beds, plus armchairs and tables. (Those rooms with just one double bed feel more spacious, however.) Slightly larger Family Rooms with partial separation between the bedroom and living room areas are also available, as are interconnecting rooms (two Standard Rooms sharing an interior door). 

All units have balconies -- about a third have pool views -- in addition to flat-screen TVs, minibars, safes, and free Wi-Fi, but there are no kettles or coffeemakers. Bathrooms are fairly small and basic, with stall or walk-in showers, hairdryers, and minimal toiletries.

The Ideal Premium’s long, curved pool with waterslide, separate kids’ pool, and pool bar is a hub of activity, with an animation team organizing darts tournaments, water aerobics, ping-pong matches, and other activities during the day. A six-nights-a-week entertainment program changes every two weeks, featuring drag queens, comedy shows, talent shows, live music, hip-hop dance routines, acrobatics, juggling, and other types of performances. For guests who want a taste of nightlife without leaving the hotel grounds, DJs spin late each evening at Club Black Out, which also hosts occasional karaoke nights.

Small children can play indoors and outdoors at the kids’ club (staffed daytime only), while kids between the ages of 8 and 17 can hang out in the “teen lounge,” where there are PlayStation and Xbox terminals and beanbag chairs for movie nights. Staff host dance parties with mocktails, help kids make their own movies, and organize digital quizzes and other high-tech entertainment. There are also some game tables, including pool and foosball, in the snack bar area.

The SunConnect concept materializes in two touchscreen TV information boards in the hotel and a guests-only phone app. It can be used to chat with other people staying at the hotel and with guest relations, check the daily activity program, and share vacation pictures on Instagram to take part in photo contests. Other high-tech touches at the hotel include ample phone-charging stations, including outlets under the pool bar.

A Turkish and international buffet of hot and cold dishes is served at breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the downstairs Diva restaurant and at the show-cooking stations outside. Various theme nights feature fish, barbecue, and additional Turkish dishes. The FourSeason restaurant offers seafood specialties served tableside, along with a salad bar buffet, at lunchtime only (extra charge).

Cakes and cookies are laid out for an afternoon snack in a patisserie area, while the quaint Cafe de Paris is the place to get sandwiches as a late-night nibble. The lobby bar contains 24/7 self-service machines for coffee, tea, soft drinks, and juice.

Reservations are required to use the good-sized dry sauna and Turkish bath in the attractive Buddha’s Spa, which also contains three serene massage rooms and one facial room (extra charge for all treatments), a small indoor pool with a view of the main pool area, and a nice airy seating area with wicker furniture and stone-patterned cushions. A mid-sized gym with cardio machines and one weight bench also looks out onto the main pool area.

Other amenities include a jewelry shop, a small market, and a handful of conference rooms on the premises. Wi-Fi is free throughout.