Rixos Park Belek – The Land of Legends Theme Park Free Access

Rixos Park Belek: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly… and Why We’d Still Go Back A Brit’s honest, light-hearted take on a family stay at Rixos Park Belek, Turkey Let’s get one thing out of the way first: Rixos Park Belek is not a 5-star hotel in my opinion. There, I’ve said it. If this were another hotel chain, I suspect most people would happily call it a 4-star resort, and actually, I think that’s where it sits comfortably. It’s perfectly decent, there’s plenty going on, and you can have a cracking holiday there — but there are a number of little things missing that would elevate it into genuine 5-star territory. And when you put the word Rixos on the front of the building, expectations naturally go up. But here’s the important bit: we had a really good holiday. We travelled as a large group ranging from around 8 to our late 60s, so finding somewhere that could keep everyone happy was always going to be a challenge. And, to be fair to Rixos Park, it did a pretty good job. There were pools, bars, kids’ facilities, a games room, plenty of sunbeds and enough space to disappear for a bit when you wanted some peace. The only problem was that some of these things felt a little… scattered. It’s the little things. For example, there’s a pool next to the kids’ club with its own bar and ice cream freezer. Sounds perfect. Except the bar has beer, soft drinks and spirits — but no cocktails. Fancy a cocktail? Off you trot to the main pool, which is roughly a 10-minute walk away. I know. First-world problems. But these are exactly the sort of little details that separate a good 4-star hotel from a polished 5-star resort. The same thing happens elsewhere. Different bars have different menus. Some areas have better facilities than others. Sunbeds vary in quality. Some areas offer table service, others don’t. Ice cream availability seems to depend on where you happen to be standing. None of these things ruin your holiday. But collectively, they stop the place feeling truly 5-star. ⸻ The Rooms: A Big Thumbs Up We upgraded to the duplex family room, and I’m very glad we did. With two teenage girls, having two bathrooms is not a luxury — it’s a survival strategy. The room was spacious, with two showers, two sinks and two toilets. My wife and I had the king-size bed downstairs while the kids had their own single beds upstairs. The beds were comfortable, the air conditioning worked brilliantly and there was a TV in each room — although don’t get too excited if you’re hoping for British television. There wasn’t really anything in English. There was also a mini fridge in each room, which was restocked daily with Coke, Fanta, Efes beer, water and fruit juice. And there were snacks too — chocolate bars, crisps and similar bits and pieces. So overall, the room was excellent for a family holiday. My only real complaint was the balcony. Ours was tiny. There was a table and two chairs, but squeezing through the doorway and around the furniture felt a bit like attempting an escape-room challenge. Other balconies appeared much bigger, so I suspect we simply got unlucky. ⸻ Food: Plenty of It… But Bring Your Appetite for Repetition There’s absolutely no shortage of food at Rixos Park. The problem is that after a few days, you start thinking: “Hang on… didn’t I eat this yesterday?” Breakfast offers plenty of choice — toast, cereal, pastries, fruit, Greek yoghurt, omelettes and a cooked breakfast. Just remember you’re in a predominantly Muslim country, so don’t expect bacon and pork sausages. There was genuinely something for everyone, but the selection didn’t change dramatically from day to day. Dinner was similar. There was plenty of food, plenty of choice and something for pretty much every taste, but the themed evenings didn’t always feel particularly… themed. Italian night, for example, still seemed to involve many of the usual dishes with a bit of extra pasta and lasagne thrown into the mix. The biggest criticism for me was that quite a lot of the food was either deep-fried or generously coated in oil. After several days, your stomach starts politely asking: “Could we have a vegetable please?” ⸻ The People’s Bar: Probably Our Favourite Food Spot This was where we spent a lot of lunchtime. The People’s Bar is open pretty much around the clock and serves food made to order. And, personally, I preferred the food here to the main restaurant. You can get pizzas, cheeseburgers, chicken döner wraps, quesadillas, fries, pasta dishes and chicken tenders. The only slight faff is that you order through the hotel app by scanning a QR code, so make sure you take your phone. Drinks are available too — soft drinks, water and spirits. And, yes… Still no cocktails. At this point, I’m beginning to think the cocktail menu is being kept in a secret Rixos vault. ⸻ Staff: The Good, the Bad and the Occasionally Ugly This one is difficult because the majority of the staff we encountered were genuinely fantastic. I’d give a huge shout-out to Dee, the hotel manager, who was brilliant and couldn’t do enough for us. There was also one particular member of staff who seemed to be everywhere we went. He looked after us at meals, made sure everyone had drinks and even carried food for one of the older members of our group who struggled to walk. That sort of service makes a difference. Most of the staff were polite, friendly and clearly trying their best, even where their English wasn’t perfect. You could also tell that many genuinely enjoyed working there. But… There were a few exceptions. And some interactions were, frankly, poor. On one occasion at the People’s Bar, a member of staff walked over to our table while looking at his phone, dropped a plate of food onto the table without even checking who it belonged to, and carried on with his phone. I genuinely thought: “Mate, I hope that text was worth it.” There were also occasions where we felt we were overlooked at the bar while other guests were served first. This happened more than once and wasn’t just something our group noticed. I wouldn’t want to label an entire workforce based on the behaviour of a minority, but it’s fair to say that the service was inconsistent. And that word sums up Rixos Park quite well. ⸻ Evening Entertainment: Don’t Come Here for the Shows If you’re looking for a hotel with big evening productions, live entertainment every night and something happening until midnight, this probably isn’t the place for you. There isn’t a huge amount of organised evening entertainment. But there are plenty of places to have a drink. The lobby bar is probably the best option if you want something quiet and relaxed. The lounge bar has more of a lively atmosphere, with some house music playing, so it’s the place to head if you want a bit more life. Then there’s an outdoor bar with a large TV, which is perfect for the Brits who simply cannot go seven days without checking the football. Beer, football, warm evening and a few drinks? Suddenly Turkey feels very familiar. ⸻ Land of Legends: Absolutely Incredible Now for the bit that genuinely exceeded our expectations. Land of Legends was fantastic. Rixos guests get access, and if you’re travelling with children or teenagers, this is a massive bonus. We expected it to be busy. It wasn’t. Not remotely. There are loads of rides, attractions and things to do for all ages, and despite visiting during our holiday, we didn’t experience the huge queues we’d expected. The longest queue we encountered was around 45 minutes, and most were considerably shorter. There was something for everyone in our group — from the kids wanting the bigger rides to adults happily joining in and pretending they weren’t terrified. The park is incredibly well presented and feels more like a huge entertainment complex than a traditional theme park. And because there is so much to do, you can easily spend the entire day there. For us, Land of Legends was one of the highlights of the holiday. If you’re staying at Rixos Park and wondering whether it’s worth going: Absolutely. ⸻ So… Would I Go Back? Yes. And that’s probably the most important conclusion I can give. Would I call Rixos Park Belek a 5-star resort? No. Would I recommend it as a good family-friendly 4-star-plus resort where you can have a great holiday? Absolutely. It has plenty going for it: good rooms, lots of facilities, friendly staff for the most part, plenty of food, lots of bars, great pools and access to an outstanding theme park. But it also has those little inconsistencies that stop it feeling like a genuine luxury 5-star experience. If you want everything to be slick, polished and flawless, I’d probably spend the extra money and look towards Rixos Premium Belek. If you’re looking for a decent-value family holiday where you can eat, drink, sunbathe, swim, visit an incredible theme park and generally have a bloody good time… Rixos Park does the job. Think of it like a good old Western movie. It has the good, the bad and the ugly. But it’s entertaining, there’s something for everyone, and ultimately… you get a happy ending. Overall verdict: 4/5 ⭐ Not quite 5-star luxury. But a very enjoyable family holiday — and for the right price, I’d happily go back.

I had a wonderful experience at Rixos Park Hotel Antalya, and I would especially like to thank Melek for her outstanding service. Melek was incredibly kind, professional, attentive, and always ready to help with a genuine smile. Her warm and welcoming attitude made us feel truly valued as guests. She paid attention to every detail and went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect and that we were comfortable throughout our stay. It is people like Melek who make a hotel experience truly memorable. Her professionalism, positive energy, and excellent hospitality are a real credit to Rixos Park Hotel Antakya. Thank you so much, Melek, for your amazing service and wonderful hospitality. You made our experience extra special, and you absolutely deserve 5 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Everything was good, variety of food and beverages.

Tasty, Fruity cocktails made with love by an amazing barmaid yigithan

The land of legends was great and fun