Best Hotels in Side, Turkey (2026): Where to Stay for Every Style

Side packs a lot into a small stretch of coast, and where you choose to stay makes a real difference to your holiday. Most hotels here are all-inclusive beach resorts spread along the sand east of the old town, but you will also find quieter pine-backed luxury in Sorgun, big family waterpark resorts, adults only escapes, and a handful of small hotels right among the ancient ruins. I live in Antalya and know this stretch well, so here is my honest guide to the best places to stay in Side in 2026, broken down by travel style, so you can match the right base to the holiday you actually want.

Side is small, but the areas feel genuinely different. The old town and harbour hold all the ruins, the bazaar and the best fish restaurants, with smaller, more characterful hotels. Sorgun sits a few kilometres east, backed by pine forest, quieter and more upmarket, home to several of Side’s best five stars. Kumköy is the long sandy family strip with an easy, local feel, and Çolaklı and Titreyengöl further east are big all-inclusive territory with very shallow, safe water for young children.

Area	Vibe	Best For
Old Town	Ruins, bazaar, harbour	Couples, history lovers
Sorgun	Pine forest, upmarket	Quiet luxury
Kumköy	Lively sandy strip	Families, all-inclusive
Çolaklı & Titreyengöl	Big resorts, shallow water	Young children

1. Acanthus Cennet Barut Collection: Best Overall

The rare Side hotel that gives you both worlds: ultra all-inclusive resort comfort AND a location on the edge of the old town, so the Temple of Apollo and the harbour restaurants are a short stroll away. Barut’s food and service standards are among the most consistent on this coast. Worth knowing: it is an established, elegant property rather than a brand-new mega-resort, so pick it for location and polish, not for water slides.

Best for: couples and culture lovers who want resort comfort next to the ruins.

2. Barut Hemera: Best All-Round Barut

A polished, well-run beachfront resort in Kumköy that keeps both families and couples happy, which is harder than it sounds. Guests consistently praise the food variety and the beachfront setup. Worth knowing: it is popular with repeat guests, so summer dates go early.

Best for: travellers who want dependable five-star all-inclusive quality without picking a niche.

3. Arum Barut Collection: Best Refined Escape

The most adult-leaning of the Barut trio in Side, with strong reviews for service and dining and a calmer pool scene. Worth knowing: families are welcome, but the atmosphere rewards those after quiet rather than entertainment programmes.

Best for: couples who want understated luxury a step away from the old town.

4. Crystal Sunset Luxury Resort & Spa: Best Feature-Packed Resort

A big Kumköy resort that throws everything at the holiday: multiple pools, a serious spa, all-day entertainment and a long beachfront. Worth knowing: it is a large, busy property in high season, which is either the fun or the drawback depending on your style.

Best for: guests who measure a resort by how much there is to do.

5. Liu Resorts: Best for Separated Family and Adult Zones

Consistently rated among Side’s best all-inclusives, with a clever layout that separates family areas from adults-only zones, so both groups actually get what they booked. Worth knowing: it sits on the outer resort strip, so budget for taxis or shuttles into the old town.

Best for: mixed groups and couples who want resort scale without children around the pool.

A five-star all-inclusive night in Side starts around $90 to 130 outside peak season, rising in July and August.

6. LRS Akadia Luxury (Adults & Couples Only): Best Premium Adults Only

Side’s standout grown-up escape: premium ultra all-inclusive, a private beach area and pools that stay calm all day. Worth knowing: adults only here means relaxed rather than party, which is exactly what most guests come for.

Best for: couples and friends who want a genuinely quiet, child-free holiday.

7. Trendy Palm Beach (Adults Only): Best Value Adults Only

A good-value adults only resort with indoor and outdoor pools and a peaceful vibe, at a noticeably lower price than Akadia. Worth knowing: value pick means simpler food and rooms, so set expectations accordingly.

Best for: child-free travellers watching the budget.

8. Side Star Resort: Best Waterpark Family Resort

Beachfront, with its own water park and a large pool complex, minutes from the sand. If the kids’ first question is “are there slides”, this is the answer. Worth knowing: the waterpark is the star, so expect a lively, family-heavy atmosphere in season.

Best for: families where the water park is the dealbreaker.

9. Dream World Resort & Spa: Best All-Round Family Resort

A long-standing family favourite with a proper kids’ club, multiple restaurants and full entertainment programmes. Worth knowing: entertainment-led resorts are noisy by design; couples seeking calm should look at Sorgun instead.

Best for: families who want the classic everything-included Side holiday.

10. Marvida Family Eco: Best Kids-First Concept

Built around families from the ground up, with an unusually strong kids’ programme in an ultra all-inclusive package. Dream Family Club near Kumköy Beach is the more relaxed alternative in the same spirit. Worth knowing: “family concept” here is genuine, so travellers without children should pick elsewhere.

Best for: parents of young children who want the whole resort designed around them.

If walking to the Temple of Apollo at sunset and wandering the bazaar after dinner sounds like your kind of holiday, base yourself in the old town rather than a far-flung resort. The hotels here are smaller: boutique hotels, B&Bs and family-run guesthouses. You trade the giant pool-and-slide complexes for atmosphere, history and being able to walk everywhere. Acanthus Cennet (number 1 above) is the rare option that combines resort comfort with an old-town-edge location; for the full boutique experience, browse the small hotels inside the walls and pick one with breakfast in a courtyard.

Side is busiest and priciest in July and August, when the best family and adults only resorts sell out weeks ahead, so book early for summer. For warm weather with better rates and fewer crowds, aim for late May, June, September or early October. Most Side hotels run on an all-inclusive basis, which is usually the best value here since food and drink outside the resorts adds up; if you would rather eat in the old town’s restaurants every night, look for a B&B or half-board hotel near the centre instead. Whatever you pick, choose a rate with free cancellation so you can rebook if the price drops.

Page last updated: August 2026