YouTuber Ed Chapman paid just £510 for a five-night all-inclusive break to southern Turkey, booking a three-star hotel that had received scathing TripAdvisor reviews about flies and poor food. Despite the warnings, he found the holiday surprisingly good value.
Hotel Reviews Warned of Flies and Illness
Ed noted that previous guests had posted reviews complaining about "a lot of fly content." One unhappy customer said that "salads and other cold foods were often left uncovered for flies to land on," and that "a lot of people became ill" during their stay. Another guest complained: "My bed was covered in black flies," adding: "Not good at all!"
Room Was Not as Expected
Upon entering his double room, Ed was shocked to find two single beds and a sofa covered with a sheet. "It looks like what you'd do if you were trying to sort of cover up a murder or something," he said. The mattress was exceptionally firm, but he still enjoyed several outstanding nights' sleep. The minibar fridge was also concerning: "It looks like it's come off a tip or something. There's a lot of excess water in there... it's dripping water... that does not look like a healthy fridge."
Nevertheless, he reflected: "It is the cheapest all-inclusive holiday... Let's not be surprised that it's not going to be perfect."
Staff Hospitality and Local Exploration
An outgoing hotel staff member took Ed under his wing, showing him around the facilities and introducing him as "Ed Sheeran's cousin" to delighted fellow tourists. Ed ventured into the neighbouring town, encountering "counterfeit" establishments with names like John Lewis and 7-Eleven before dining at a restaurant called Barracuda, where a three-course meal cost £34. "I'm sure it is pretty expensive by Turkish standards," Ed said. "However, when you're abroad in a touristy place, a three-course meal plus a big bottle of water, I don't think that's too bad."
Food Quality and Minor Illness
Back at the hotel, the all-inclusive offerings included "various different meats in very different forms, usually with red pepper," "watery" broccoli, and chicken wings. Ed admitted he may have made poor choices: "Probably worth mentioning here that the following day after this, I did actually wake up that morning and have a little bit of food poisoning. Thankfully, nothing too bad, but very clearly I was affected by the food from this day."
Entertainment Disappoints
The hotel's Saturday night entertainment consisted of "just a guy on stage with a DJ deck," Ed said. "I'm not going to lie. I was expecting a bit more. It's literally just a DJ deck on stage. There's not even a DJ at this point. It's literally just music. As far as Saturday night entertainment goes, there's probably room for improvement." He suggested the hotel add a television showing football matches, especially since 99% of guests were British and a World Cup was taking place.
Value for Money
Ed emphasized that the price was "really very, very reasonable." He calculated that flights alone typically cost about £200 return with luggage, meaning he paid just £300 for five nights' accommodation and all-inclusive food and drink. He estimated the value of the food and drink he consumed at approximately £300, making the entire trip an extraordinary bargain.
Ed concluded that while the hotel had room for improvement—including better food quality, hotter food, covered dishes, cleaner rooms, and new appliances—"for the price, it is fine. It's not been perfect. It's not been amazing, but would you expect that for the price?"
