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Years ago — before kids and pre-COVID — we had our very first holiday in Turkey and absolutely loved it. Some very special friends of ours were celebrating their wedding in the Alanya region, and we tacked on a short stay beforehand at the beautiful Gloria Serenity Resort. That whole trip still sits firmly in our top five holidays of all time, and ever since, we’ve talked about returning to the Gloria resorts. Now… we finally are.

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Images from the Gloria Serenity website – save for some additional restaurant locations and the rooms being refurbished since we visited, this is how we remember it.

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The Gloria Resorts have earned their reputation as one of Belek’s standout five-star hotel collections. What they do particularly well is appeal to couples, families and golfers without trying to be everything to everyone.

When we visited Gloria Serenity (just the two of us… those were the days), it ticked a lot of boxes:

• Branded drinks and genuinely good cocktails
• The option to add a little extra with beach pavilions and exceptional waiter service
• A large main pool alongside a lazy-river-style lagoon with swim-up rooms (we had one — positively dreamy)
• A wide range of dining options, including several speciality restaurants
• Lots of multi-generational families enjoying sunshine escapes, which always stayed with us as something to look forward to

We didn’t have our two smalls then, but we always remembered how family-friendly it felt, while still offering space and privacy for couples or adult groups. Our Laguna room gave us a private outdoor space with direct pool access, and it really did deliver that sense of exclusivity, indulgence and true five-star service.

How the Laguna rooms are now. Direct access to their lovely river-like pool, but with privacy and some quiet space.

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Travelling with two small children now comes with a whole new checklist: childcare options, playgrounds, children’s pools, suitable food choices… but it’s not just about facilities. For us, it’s equally about the feel — somewhere that genuinely welcomes families while still offering adults a sense of atmosphere, comfort and quality.

This time, we’re heading back — and staying at Gloria Verde Resort. It’s often considered the most family-friendly of the three Gloria resorts, although kids’ clubs, splash pools and many family facilities are shared across all three resorts. While Gloria Serenity offers plenty for children too, Gloria Verde sat more comfortably within our current budget-for-four and gave us the added benefit of a two-bedroom family suite with plenty of space.

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For families needing extra room, there are the Family Suites and also Deluxe and King Suites available, both offering two bedrooms and a separate living area. The King Suite comes with additional services available such as a private chef, private butler and access to all restaurants and facilities across the three Gloria resorts. Gloria also offers a selection of Villas with their own pool areas and additional services.

Children are exceptionally well catered for, with kids’ clubs, a Jungle Club (a large indoor soft-play area), children’s pools with slides, a mini farm, cinema and even miniature golf. Babysitting services are also available until 2am during the summer season, using experienced and vetted babysitters — a huge plus for parents wanting a relaxed evening.

Some children activities and facilities are seasonal, and some require adult supervision for the smaller small people.

Gogi Kids Club caters from 4 years up until 12 years, whilst the Fun Jungle is accessible from 1 year up until 14 years with indoor and outdoor play equipment. There is also a Game Centre, bowling, and a karaoke bar.

The trio — Gloria Golf Resort, Gloria Serenity Resort and Gloria Verde Resort — is set across beautifully maintained grounds with a long private beach with docks and piers extending out into the water.

I haven’t talked about Gloria Golf here, but Grandpa – a very adept and keen golfer – might be joining us for a long weekend whilst we are away so I will hopefully be sharing more information-from-experience in a later post! If you are interested in more information about Golf at the Gloria resorts in the meantime, get in touch and I would be happy to help.

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This return to Turkey also coincides with some exciting new partnerships being announced at the end of 2025 and into early 2026. One of my favourites is the very recent collaboration with Caria Holidays.

Turkey has been a firm favourite for travellers for several years now, and it’s easy to see why — it’s an incredibly diverse country with something to suit just about everyone with some incredible resorts. Caria Holidays specialises in tailor-made holidays to Turkey and offers an impressive portfolio of luxury resorts. Think the new XO Cape Arnna (with both family and adults-only properties), the Titanic Hotels across Antalya, Belek and Bodrum, and the Barut Hotels, among many others.

If you’re interested in booking a luxury family holiday in Turkey — whether that’s one of the Gloria resorts or something a little different — or if you know a golf lover looking for a new course to conquer, drop me a message and let’s have a chat. As always, my travel planning and booking services are completely free and come at no extra cost. Simply email or fill in my contact form and I will get back to you within a day or so.

Look forward to updating after the May half term and sharing more of our family holiday on Instagram.

Sarah @ Sarahnity Travel is an Independent Travel Agent affiliated with Inteletravel whom hold ABTA P7384. Inteletravel are appointed agents with suppliers that hold ATOL. Some promotions and links are to other Affiliate services (e.g. Expedia, Amazon, Viator and Get Your Guide) where you will make bookings or purchases directly with those platforms – I may receive a small commission for any bookings made through those links.