When I think of all-inclusive resorts, I tend to imagine large, busy places where there's lots of noise, and the meals are mass-produced. When booking a family holiday during the peak, school holiday months, this can be a pretty normal occurrence. With that in mind, I was rather dubious about the prospect, but I shouldn't have been when I checked into the dazzling Cullinan Belek, in Turkey, just 30 minutes from Antalya airport. I had my husband and two children under six in tow, and we had just stepped off a pretty straightforward, four-hour flight, when we were greeted at the shining reception of the luxury hotel.
The decor reminded me of a gorgeous Dubai shopping mall - super high ceilings, glamorous decor, mirrored walls, and pure luxury wherever you turned. The elegantly dressed members of staff were incredibly helpful and welcoming, even providing a special WhatsApp concierge service, which is hugely popular with guests. Need to make a restaurant booking or want to check out the site? All Inquiries are answered in a super quick exchange. No chasing about trying to find the answers - leaving guests to enjoy their stay stress-free.
Our room
We stayed in the ultra-modern and sleek 'Superior Duplex Swim-Up' room, which was breathtaking. Airy, on two levels, it housed a huge bed and two single beds for my children. Both bathrooms were stocked with elite Bulgari toiletries and soft robes with slippers, as well as all the amenities you could wish for. Each of these rooms has a private terrace, alongside a private swimming pool, which looks over the whole site and pristine golf course.
Fully shaded, it came equipped with sunloungers and was ideal for quiet time with your book and a cocktail. There are five other types of rooms available, from a standard 'Superior Double Room' to 'Grand Family' rooms, and each has that sleek contemporary finish.
The maid service was incredible; they visited twice a day and always did a superb evening turn-down when we were at dinner.
Food
As I mentioned earlier, I was a teeny bit sceptical of the all-inclusive tag, but in short, I was totally and utterly wrong. The food at the Cullinan is nothing short of exceptional. It's like eating out in the finest London restaurants every evening.
The 'Mare Main Restaurant' had the biggest breakfast buffet I have ever seen in my entire life. I was quite overwhelmed by the choice at first. From artisan croissants to French crepes, freshly made juices and fruit platters to a Full English, every base is covered. For a small supplementary charge, you can head to the rooftop Italian, Pascarella, as well as the Hasir Turkish restaurant, and our favourite, Nori, a Japanese grill, which had a distinctly Hakkasan vibe.
The children (and I) also loved visiting the Chocolatier each evening, and the dessert cafes which had every flavour of ice cream going. Children's meals were, as you would expect, fish and chips, as well as nuggets and spaghetti bolognese, which, although pretty generic, were of great quality. The staff were very accommodating and chatty with the kids, which is always great to see when you're on holiday.
Kids club and water park
My son literally gasped when he caught sight of the water park - a true gem of an activity which was so well equipped that my husband and I didn't mind spending our afternoons up and down the 13 slides. It was fun! There was also a huge kids club that you can drop them off at, and it features soft play galore, as well as an extensive choice of art and crafts. My two-year-old daughter loved the slime class!
This left my husband and me time to enjoy the seven other pools in peace - we loved the relaxing ambience and the fact that waiters wizzed around on roller skates, offering you a cold beverage (or three).
Golf and Cabanas
My golf-mad husband took great delight in the picturesque golf course, which featured 36 holes. It is the only resort in Turkey that boasts a river on one side and an epic view of the sea on the other. The manicured state of the course was pretty mesmerising, even for me, who knows next to nothing about the sport…
As well as the pools, the hotel also has a tropical-looking 800m long private beach, with picture-perfect white sands.
We were lucky enough to spend a few hours at one of the cabanas you can hire for the day, with a private waiter service. It felt like I was in the Maldives as I sat, read my book, and looked out over the literal turquoise waters, as I ordered a pina colada and a sushi platter. Pinch me?
My final thoughts
The sign of a truly wonderful holiday is when you are deeply saddened to leave, which is exactly how I felt when I checked out. The experience at the Cullinan really does rewrite family holidays that are all-inclusive.
Although not a budget destination, the service you receive and the facilities that are on offer are totally worth the price tag; you just can't beat that attention to detail and the magnificent care that is available. I just couldn't fault it. My five-year-old son keeps asking me if we can go back and "live at the hotel forever", which is think says it all, dont you?
How to book: Prices start from £557.20 per night for a Superior Duplex Swim Up Room, at cullinanhotels.com or booking.com.