A Disappointing Stay at Papermoon, Kalkan

After visiting Turkey many times and exploring the typical tourist hotspots, myself and my friend decided to try something different and selected Kalkan for its charm and historic appeal. We visited in May, enjoying the mild weather and the relative calm of the town compared to more bustling destinations like Dalyan. Despite Kalkan’s beauty, the town had its downsides. It was very tourist-centered, with shops charging exorbitant prices for low-quality goods, and the trend of fake designer brands was disappointingly prevalent. The persistent hassling from shop and restaurant owners made us feel like walking money bags, detracting from the authentic Turkish experience we were hoping for.

We stayed at the Papermoon Hotel which initially seemed promising, with its relaxing atmosphere and friendly poolside encounters. The breakfast, though not five-star, was delicious and rustic, with a gorgeous view that became a highlight of our stay. However, our positive impressions ended there.

Upon our late-night arrival, we were greeted by a young boy who hurriedly showed us to our room without providing us with any welcome or information. Hungry after a very long journey without food, we asked if there was anyway we could get something to eat and his response was a quick "no" before turning away. This was the start of a disappointing stay.

We were pleased to have been upgraded to a family room so that we didn't have to share a bed, for the price of a standard double (around £530 for a 10-night stay). However, we were incredibly disheartened to find that the room was in terrible condition. The amenities were bare minimum, and it was clear the room hadn’t been cleaned properly. We found grime on all the surfaces, hairs and crumbs in drawers, a dangerously loose plug socket, and a bathroom that was mouldy, rusty, and generally unclean. It felt more like a neglected hostel than a relaxing hotel. Whilst it was a very affordable price, we've stayed at hotels in the country for even less, but with incomparably better accommodation. We didn't need anything flashy, just clean and comfortable - and this wasn't either.

After debating whether to ask for a room change (which we've never done before), we eventually plucked up the courage and were relieved when they let us pick a different room. When we looked around, all the rooms seemed to be in the same condition, and we eventually opted to share a bed in a standard room as it was slightly better due to renovations. However, cleanliness remained a significant issue. Thick brown dirt appeared when we wiped surfaces, and our room was only tidied 3 times during our stay, never properly cleaned. Requests for basic services like toilet paper replacement required us to approach the bar, and while they complied, it felt far from luxurious. One time, the toilet paper was delivered to us whilst we were sat near the pool with another guest, rather than putting it in our room - pretty embarrassing!

The owner’s moody demeanor made our stay even more uncomfortable. He sometimes completely ignored our greetings, and his attitude was a stark contrast to the positive reviews we had read online. Conversations with other guests confirmed our experience: their rooms were also dirty, and they felt similarly unwelcome. The owner’s lack of hospitality and the difficulty in getting served added unnecessary stress to our holiday. In particular, we were never given a check-out time as everything was so poorly managed - we were only told that we needed to be ready by 8pm for the taxi to pick us up. Then, at 4.30pm, we were suddenly instructed pack up and get out of the room within 30 minutes. Certainly the most stressful check-out experience I've had. 

We knew before we booked that there was only breakfast available at this hotel, no dinner service. We did expect snacks to be available to purchase as eating food from outside is apparently not allowed, according to what the other guests were told as well as a sign located by the pool. That being said, there is a small shop nearby which we bought snacks from and when we asked, we were never told that we weren't allowed to eat them. They also provided little bowls of crisps with drinks which was a nice gesture, but they were unfortunately stale.

In terms of breakfast, the window was from 9-10:30 am, but all the local tours start before 9am. When we requested breakfast at 8:30am one time, the owner agreed but he didn't seem too pleased and we didn’t ask again, opting to skip breakfast before the other tours.

In conclusion, while Kalkan itself is a beautiful town, the Papermoon Hotel failed to provide a relaxing or enjoyable stay. The poor room conditions, lack of cleanliness, and unfriendly service made our holiday not the relaxing break that we so desperately needed. Only consider this hotel if you need a place to rest your head and a pretty pool to dip into, but don’t expect a comfortable or welcoming experience.