I must admit that I expected more from these apartments, especially considering the many positive reviews and photos, but...

Address: Oregano Suites, Side, 503. Sk. No:6 D:1, 07600 Manavgat/Antalya, Türkyie

Web: oreganoside.com

Oregano Suites Side

Location

I would recommend these apartments in Side if you are travelling by car, as you can park for free on the street and there is plenty of space. If you stay in the ancient part of Side, cars are not allowed there. You can drive in to drop off your luggage, but then you have to park in designated parking areas.

There are many restaurants within walking distance, mostly closer to the main road. Near the large roundabout, you can also find Subway, McDonald's and Burger King. There is a supermarket as well.

If you need to buy something, for example, I needed a phone charger, there is the Mall of Side, where you can find better-quality groceries, clothing, mobile shop, toiletries, a pharmacy and pretty etc. It is not within walking distance, we took a taxi. It is approximately 7 km away.

The sea is at least a 15-minute walk away, while the ancient ruins are at least a 30-minute walk. In the summer heat, this can be a really exhausting walk. If you want to explore the area on foot, I would recommend visiting before or after the peak season.

Accommodation

First of all, I was surprised to see that the apartments are presented as Adults Only 16+, while in reality there were plenty of families with small children staying here, who were of course playing and making noise in the pool.

I think these apartments make perfect sense for families with children, but in that case, it would be better to remove the "Adults Only" claim from the website.

Another thing that bothered me was the very weak Wi-Fi. It was impossible to work properly. The connection kept dropping and constantly freezing. The Wi-Fi signal definitely needs to be improved significantly.

There is air conditioning in the apartments, and a big plus is that it continues to work even when you leave the room.

The apartments are not serviced, so no one comes to empty the bins or make the beds. Towels are supposed to be changed every two days, and bed linen every three days. However, we always had to ask for the changes ourselves. The rooms were not perfectly clean even when we arrived. I even had to clean out one of the drawers myself.

You can choose from several types of apartments. However, the photos on the website can be misleading, as some of them are actually computer-generated images showing how the apartments are supposed to look after completion. I didn't notice this at first, so the apartments look nicer in the photos than they do in reality.

The apartments are not particularly cosy. There is no decoration or real sense of style — no pictures on the walls, just basic furniture. Yet the photos on the website do show decorative elements. Honestly, I have never seen anything like this being used as official photos on a property's website before.

You can choose between standard rooms, rooms with a kitchenette, or apartments with a bedroom, living room and kitchen. We stayed in the largest one, with a full kitchen.

The kitchen was very sparsely equipped. Some basic cookware was missing, and there wasn't even a complete set of plates for two people. However, I have to say that whenever we needed something, the owners bought it and brought it to us. The owners live in the same apartment building, so they are very responsive and quick to help.

Only cold water comes out of the kitchen sink, but hand soap, dishwashing liquid, a sponge, a dishcloth and bin bags are provided.

The kitchen also has a refrigerator, electric kettle, microwave, and a stovetop, but there is no extractor hood. So this is not really a kitchen for serious cooking — it is more suitable for heating something up or preparing breakfast. I also found it inconvenient that there was no proper dining table, only high chairs at a breakfast bar.

The living room has a sofa, a coffee table and a TV. The ambient lighting behind the sofa was not working. The apartment also had a spacious balcony with seating and a view of the pool.

The bathroom has a shower, hand soap and shower gel. Some of the towels should really be replaced with new ones. Towels with frayed edges are more suitable for cleaning than for guests. The shower water is heated by an instant water heater, and this is actually the only source of hot water in the apartment.

The bedroom has a second air conditioning unit, a bed, a wardrobe and a small table with a mirror. By the way, there is no full-length mirror anywhere in the apartment, so you cannot see yourself from head to toe. The bedside lamps did not work because there were no bulbs in them.

The apartments are spread over three floors, and one great feature is the modern elevator.

Food

If you have an apartment with a kitchenette, you can prepare something to eat yourself. However, the owners also offer a homemade breakfast for €10 per person, which I highly recommend. You simply won't get a decent breakfast in a café in Side for that price — it is really expensive here — and the breakfast was very good.

There was juice, water, coffee, tea, fresh bread, homemade pastries, sweet pastries, eggs, cheese, olives, fruit and vegetables, home made jam, and there was genuinely plenty of food.

Breakfast is served outdoors around the reception area. There are only four tables, but we never had a problem finding a seat. You can choose what time you would like to have breakfast, and even if you haven't arranged it in advance, you can simply ask the owner when you arrive. You can have breakfast one day and skip it the next — it's entirely up to you.

About a 5-minute walk from the apartments, heading towards the main road, there is an outdoor restaurant called Sky Safran. I personally didn't visit it, though. Around the large roundabout, you will find well-known international fast-food chains.

The nicer restaurants are located closer to the sea and in the old town of Side, but be prepared for much higher prices there as well. When they wanted €15 for a rather ordinary Hugo cocktail, I simply got up and left. I'm certainly not paying that much for prosecco with syrup. The same cocktail costs €8 in a 5-star hotel in Croatia!

That's why I actually think it can be more cost-effective to book a hotel with all-inclusive than to pay separately for breakfast and dinner, because you won't really save money that way. Restaurants by the sea are genuinely expensive. If you don't care about the view and want to save some money, try the restaurants in the area around the apartments.

A Turkish breakfast for two can easily cost around CZK 1,500 if you choose a restaurant with a beautiful view. And you also have to pay extra for sun loungers if you don't have your own beach towel or blanket.

Beaches, Sea & Pool 

Let's start with the pool. It is really small, just enough for a few lengths, but on the other hand, sun loungers and parasols are available free of charge, and you don't have to go anywhere. There is also a shower and a small garden area. You need to bring your own beach or pool towels. The water was pleasantly warm in August.

Getting to the sea involves quite a walk. The nearest beach is about a 15–20-minute walk away, but along the promenade the beach is very narrow, and some of the sun loungers were actually half in the water. The beaches here were not particularly nice.

When we stayed somewhere else before, we used to go to the beach by Zula restaurant, but from here it is quite far — a good 40-minute walk.

Because I was ill, I didn't go to the beach from here at all, so I'll have to explore the swimming options more thoroughly next time. I only took evening walks along the seafront in this area, so I saw the beaches from the promenade.

They are not the wide beaches you might be used to from the huge hotels in Antalya. Those kinds of beaches are further away, again mainly around the large hotels, although you probably won't have access to those beaches.

Tip for trips

Side is beautiful in its own right. The ancient town centre looks like something straight out of Greek ruins. Throughout the city, there are many glass walkways that allow you to see the archaeological remains beneath your feet. You can also see the remains of ancient columns and temples, as well as a large ancient theatre.

In 2026, the theatre was undergoing extensive renovation, so it was not accessible.

If you enjoy historical sites, you can buy a ticket for the two open-air museums for €5, the larger one with the theatre for €7, or a combined ticket for €10. You can walk through a vast archaeological site full of ruins and excavations, all the way down to the sea.

I recommend visiting in the late afternoon or evening — otherwise, you'll absolutely bake in the heat.

I would also recommend the stylish outdoor Ficus Cafe, located a short walk from the ancient theatre and Zula restaurant. You can sit here under a huge South American ficus tree and enjoy a fresh coconut, fresh orange juice or freshly squeezed pomegranate juice.

If you want to go out and have some fun, check out Liman Restaurant Lounge Club. There is a restaurant where food is served until around 1 a.m., and right next to it is a large outdoor club with projections and lighting effects. It is often packed with people looking for a good time or hoping to meet someone.

And if you enjoy natural beauty, take a taxi or book an organised full-day excursion and head to Manavgat Waterfalls. We booked a private transfer for €30. On the way back, we took a local minibus for a few stops to Manavgat and visited the famous local markets. From there, we took a taxi back for around €15.

Don't expect waterfalls on the scale of Niagara — these are more like smaller waterfalls, or what I would describe as a larger weir back home. The river is beautifully blue, almost like the Plitvice Lakes, and there is a lovely park surrounding it.

The entrance fee is around €2, and payment can only be made by card. It's not really a full-day attraction; you probably won't spend more than an hour here. You can sit at a restaurant by the river or browse the local stalls.

Summary

The owners are very kind and welcoming. They personally greet you, prepare breakfast for you and do their best to accommodate your requests. I consider this the biggest positive of my stay here.

If you don't usually stay in luxury hotels, you may be perfectly happy here. I'm already somewhat spoiled, though, and next time I would choose somewhere else, as neither the apartments nor the location really impressed me. And as for the Wi-Fi… well, I won't even get started.

My rating – 6/10

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