Tourists Upset After Turkish Hotel Bans Alcohol, Segregates Pool
Some of the tourists who booked a stay at a hotel in Oludeniz, Turkey, after seeing its modish promotional pictures have canceled it and demanded refunds following some changes brought in by its management.
Ova Resort was taken over by Zehra Hotels, which has conservative Muslim owners, in early January. The new management has banned alcohol in the retreat and segregated male and female swimming pools and hot tubs to transform the hotel into a venue “good for your Islamic lifestyle.”
It was previously owned by Ovacik Turism Isl, a Turkish company that offered an all-inclusive £200 ($259.47) per head package. The resort is less than three miles from the beach and set against an idyllic mountainous landscape. Guests were all praise for its friendly atmosphere and late-night entertainment including belly-dancing.
The resort also mandates women to cover-up while at the swimming pool and will serve an all-halal menu to its guests. The place used to attract many tourists, who are now forced to look elsewhere.
“So sad to hear our hotel has been sold. I met so many fabulous people since I’ve been going there,” Paul Rogers, a British tourist, told The Daily Mail.
“I am absolutely gutted. This place was like a second home for a lot of us,” Sam Taylor, another British tourist, told The Sun. “But now they’ve banned booze we can’t go back. You can’t expect a Brit to take their holiday without a few pints by the pool.”
TUI Group, a holiday behemoth based in Germany, said it will no longer offer holidays in the hotel. “We’re contacting all customers affected to offer them alternative options,” they said.