Elementa Boutique Hotel

My stay was fantastic and the staff were very friendly and helpful

It was a great experience to be in the hotel and the staff were very friendly and helpful.

We booked two rooms for five people, and before our trip we called the hotel to ask about the extra charge for the fifth guest. They gave us a specific price over the phone, so we were happy to proceed with the booking. However, when we arrived at the hotel, they tried to charge us a higher price. The receptionist said he wasn't sure what had been quoted, so he called another staff member. They spoke in Turkish, assuming we didn't understand. I actually speak Turkish fluently, but I continued speaking English because I wanted to hear the conversation. During that call, the staff member on the phone said he couldn't remember the price he had quoted. Then he told the receptionist, "You can tell them whichever price you want." Hearing that was shocking. It made it seem like there was no fixed pricing policy and that they could simply charge us whatever they decided. That was extremely unprofessional and, in my opinion, completely unethical. From the moment we arrived, we didn't feel welcomed. There was no sense of hospitality, and most of the staff came across as unfriendly and grumpy. The only people who were genuinely kind and welcoming were the younger staff members working summer jobs in the restaurant and at reception. They were polite, friendly, and tried their best to help. Unfortunately, the rest of the staff did not provide the level of service you would expect from a hotel in this price range. Unfortunately, the problems didn't stop there. One of the rooms we received was not the room type we had booked and paid for. We had also specifically requested non-smoking rooms, yet one of the rooms smelled very strongly of cigarette smoke. When we raised the issue, the receptionist simply said, "We tell people not to smoke, but they smoke anyway. What can we do?" That is not an acceptable response from a hotel. Guests should not have to stay in a room that smells like smoke after paying premium prices. As soon as we checked into our room, we discovered that the air conditioning remote wasn't working, so we couldn't even turn on the AC. After a long day of traveling, we had to wait for someone to come and replace the remote before we could use the air conditioning. It was another frustrating issue that should have been checked before guests arrived. Considering how expensive hotels are in Bodrum, especially in Yalıkavak, we expected a much higher standard of service. The cleanliness was one of the biggest disappointments. The room had dust in several places, and when we checked in, we found hair inside the refrigerator from the previous guests. The fridge clearly had not been cleaned before our arrival, which was unacceptable. We also looked under the beds, and they were absolutely full of dust and dirt. It was obvious that those areas had not been cleaned for a very long time. Housekeeping was extremely inconsistent. Some days, room service didn't come at all. On the days they did come, they simply made the bed and left. They didn't properly clean the room, wipe surfaces, or vacuum. They also failed to restock basic amenities. Once we ran out of tissues or toilet paper, they weren't replaced unless we specifically asked. The complimentary bottled water also wasn't replenished every day as advertised. Overall, the housekeeping was far below the standard you would expect from a hotel charging these prices. The customer service was also poor. One staff member apologized and told us he would contact their sister hotels to arrange complimentary beach access and send us a plate of food as a goodwill gesture. Neither of those promises was ever fulfilled. After that conversation, he disappeared for the next two or three days of our stay, and we never heard from him again. The only positive thing I can say about this hotel is its location. Other than that, our experience was extremely disappointing. Between the inconsistent pricing, the incorrect room, the poor cleanliness, the maintenance issues, the lack of hospitality, and the poor c