By Charmaine Hibbert

After a long wait at Antalya airport for our luggage we are now on our way to Gloria Serenity Resort which takes us about 40 minutes. Following a four-hour flight and the wait, it was good to see a smiling face welcome us at reception and even better news when he says to give him our passports and go and get a drink and he will organise the rest. Perfect.

So a few drinks later and what turned out to be one amazing cheese burger – our snack became a full on meal! – I am heading up to my room in a glass lift and first impressions are that I am going to really enjoy my stay at the Gloria Serenity Resort. Opening the door to my room, a smile breaks out across my face as on the table is some chocolate and fresh fruit. But not any chocolates; one of them is in a shape of a camera and looks way too good to eat. But you know I am going to give it a try after the obligatory face dive into the pillows. The freshness just adds to my now already happy mood and has put the wait for my luggage at the airport to the back of my mind.



The mini bar is fully stocked and free as this is an all-inclusive resort. The bathroom with its glass doors to the shower and toilet and the spa toiletries and large mirror give the bathroom a luxurious feel and even more so when I spot the jetted Jacuzzi tub. Now I know that I will be giving that a good workout.

I head to the balcony and even though it is dark the swimming pool lights below are giving me a tantalising glimpse of what tomorrow holds when I open my curtains. After a wonderful night’s sleep and shower, I head to open the curtains. That view now turns out to be not only of the pool below that wraps itself round the resort so you can continuously swim instead of doing laps, but also of the sea before me which heads off into the distance. I sit in one of the two chairs just taking a moment to soak it all in.



Restaurants
There are eight restaurants and seven bars on the resort, and you can sample cuisines from around the world including Aegean, Asian, French, Italian, Japanese and Turkish. Several are used for breakfast and we have made Route 66 our breakfast hub for the week.

As we arrive, the staff bring over fresh salads, cheeses, cold meats, various breads and croissants, but I can’t take my eyes off the fresh block of honey, and I can see James eyeing that up as well. I open one of the warm croissants and fill it with the fresh honey and my taste buds dance with delight. I order the French toast, which comes with fresh fruit and is accompanied by the freshly squeezed orange juice. Today’s breakfast couldn’t have gone much better.



Serenity Spa
James has requested that I try the golf massage, which I am happy to do. As I arrive, I can see the pool and relaxation rooms and I meet my masseuse, who shows me to the locker rooms and waits while I change. She then leads me to one of the treatment rooms.

The golf massage is a 30-minute feet, legs, arms and back massage, in which lots of oil is used and I realise how good the massage is when I start to drift in and out of sleep. When I wake up it’s because she has started a deep massage into my calves and then I wake again when she starts to work on my lower back. As always, the massage is over way too quickly, but she leads me to the relaxation area and gives me some water to drink.

After 10 minutes or so I decide that I am going to enjoy the steam and sauna rooms and in between the ice-cold jetted sshower. At first, I nearly jump out of my skin with how cold it is, but surprisingly I’m getting used to it and look forward to them as I sit in the steam and sauna rooms. There is also a Turkish bath here but,w unfortunately, I don’t have time to try it.



Facilities
Being so close to the sea for research purposes only, I decide to sample swimming in the warm waters of the sea which I really enjoyed. What I never enjoy is the sand, but there are showers and taps to try and wash away the sand, although you know it is never going to get all of it off.

The good news is there are cabanas with staff who bring you drinks and food, or you can sit and people watch at one of the many beach bars. James informs me there is a fantastic gym on site – I obviously got my exercise while swimming in the sea – and a beautiful indoor pool as well as the outside pools of which there are three including an Aqua park.

Apart from golf and tennis, you can indulge in table tennis, darts, kangoo jump, game centre, football, beach volleyball and boccia besides various water sports including water skiing, catamarans, ringo, banana boat rides,, parasailing and jet skiing. There are also classes for pilates, yoga, Zumba, step aerobics and spinning.



Nightlife
Apart from the many wonderful restaurants where most have in and outdoor eating areas, there is a stage with lighting, smoke, lasers etc that would be big enough to accommodate Bruce Springsteen and all his E Street Band! This is my second show while I have been here and tonight is part of Gloria Resorts’ music festival that runs for three days in mid-September and features a band from Cyprus that has played non-stop for hours. There are dancers on stilts and trapeze dancers in the audience as well as those on stage. Look out for that festival this year; it is a shame we are only able to sample this first night of the festival, but I can imagine - going by what we are seeing - that it will be an amazing weekend.



Conclusion
The Gloria Serenity Resort has everything that you would need: amazing food, great entertainment, and facilities. You can do as much or as little as you want and with the resort being all-inclusive you can drink and eat all you want 24 hours a day. Throw in Turkish hospitality and the beautiful year-round weather and you really do have the perfect destination.

Gloria Serenity Resort B
elek Mah. Turizm Cad.
No: 12B/B, 07506
Serik/Antalya, Türkiye

T: +90 242 710 23 00
W: gloria.com.tr