Cullinan Belek, Turkey hotel review for families

What’s Cullinan Belek like for families?

Cullinan Belek is a new 5-star, all-inclusive hotel located in Belek on the Turkish Riviera, with a private white sandy beach and magnificent views of the imposing Taurus Mountains beyond. It's a vast, luxury retreat suitable for families with children of all ages.

With 13 swimming pools, the Upupa Kids Club (complete with Hasbro-licensed shows), a huge waterpark, a gaming room with a bowling alley and pool tables, and sweet treats from the patisserie, chocolatier and waffle and ice cream bar, our 2 daughters (aged 7 and 10) were suitably wowed.

It is also safe to say Cullinan Belek caters just as well for the grown-ups. With a 36-hole golf course, a well-equipped gym, a large spa area with saunas, plunge pools, a steam room, a Turkish hammam and relaxation area, and a private C’Espace Spa with treatment rooms, it offered luxury and comfort in spades.

What were the main highlights of your stay at Cullinan Belek?

There were so many highlights; the kids enjoyed the roller-skating pool staff who delivered them Fantas and fresh watermelon on tap, diving in and out of the many pools, and trying to catch fish in the sea. The hotel also has a private kilometre stretch of beach with plenty of sunbeds and cabanas, with 2 piers stretching out into the clear waters.

My husband and I also enjoyed the many experiences on offer, including relaxing in our private beachfront cabana on the beach, and an incredible deep tissue massage at the spa.

What are the rooms like?

The rooms at Cullinan Belek are fantastic; they have thought of everything. In total, there are 600 rooms across 8 floors, with something for every budget, including family roof suites with jacuzzis, swim-up rooms, lagoon swim-up rooms, and exclusive villas with butler service 24-hours a day, pillow menu and private pools.

We stayed in a tastefully designed family room with 2 interconnecting rooms. Our children slept on sofa beds in the living area, and we had a super king-sized bed in the main bedroom with the ability to shut a door between the rooms if we wished.

The kids were happy with their beds, and ours was super comfortable. Robes, slippers, a hairdryer, and beach bags are available as standard, and the mini bar came fully stocked with wine, soft drinks and snacks that were fully replenished every day – much to our children’s delight. With a sea view, our room had a massive balcony with tables, chairs, and a wide sofa.

The rooms all utilise smart controls, which are easy to use once you’ve got the hang of it, and there’s a 24-hour WhatsApp number to text requests to if you need anything at all.

What are the bathrooms like at the hotel?

There was no bath, but both rooms had power showers, plus Bvlgari shampoo, conditioner, body lotions, and shower gel included.

Are there any helpful extras offered when travelling as a family?

For families travelling with babies and young children, cots, baby bath sets, play mats, highchairs, and bed barriers can be requested, free of charge.

You can also hire strollers, sterilisers, humidifiers, and other must-haves, at an extra cost.

Babysitting is available at an additional charge for children over 12 months of age.

What are the facilities like at Cullinan Belek?

• The games room, which had an arcade with games to play, pool tables, and a bowling alley, was a hit with my kids. There was also a shop selling gifts, toiletries and other items where we bought a pool inflatable. My children also persuaded me to let them get temporary tattoos from a shop on-site. At 25 Euros each, they were expensive, but my girls loved them, and they rubbed off just in time to return to school.
• Despite being at full capacity, the hotel never felt full, and we didn’t have to queue for anything or scramble over sunbeds, which made the mornings very relaxing.
• You can pick up new towels around the pools and beach when needed, which we also loved. We were also lucky enough to have a private cabana on the beach one day (from 200 Euros), which was incredibly peaceful and enjoyable.
• There’s a doctor on-site – reassuring for the holiday earaches and other issues that crop up when traveling with kids. We managed to avoid this part of the hotel, but thought it was great that this was an option.
• There was attention to detail across the whole site, which is beautifully lit at night and has many stunning sculptures. If you are looking for an Instagram-worthy holiday, this is it!

Is there a pool at the Cullinan Belek hotel?

There’s a massive choice of 13 indoor and outdoor heated pools at Cullinan Belek. The indoor pool has a separate shallow section for small children to stand in, and the spa area allows children to be accompanied by adults, which felt like an adventure for my 2.

Is there a lifeguard on duty?

Yes, lifeguards were visible throughout the pool areas, providing real peace of mind.

Does the Cullinan Belek hotel have a waterpark?

Yes, there’s even a waterpark there. It was cold when we visited but we still took daily turns whizzing down the many slides, ranging from the smallest (ideal for toddlers) to the inflatable ring slides for 2. My eldest even managed the Black Hole, which thankfully was over for both of us in a few seconds.

Does Cullinan Belek have a kids club?

Yes. The Upupa kids club for children aged 2 to 16 allows you to drop up and pick up your children at your leisure – and is open until 2am!

Inside there is a soft play area, a private sand play area, a Lego room, a mini disco, a kids’ restaurant, and several other rooms for different age groups. In addition, there is an activities programme with face painting, balloon art, sports, and other activities.

Outside is a vast turfed area covered with awnings to protect kids from the sun, with a climbing frame, swings, and other play equipment. My younger daughter joined in one afternoon with a session with bubbles of all shapes and sizes before doing Scalextric racing with electricity-generating bikes.

What are the options for eating and drinking at Cullinan Belek hotel?

Everything is included in your stay, with a choice of 7 restaurants and cafes as part of the all-inclusive package (though some close during the winter season) and an additional 7 as optional extras.

We enjoyed meals at Greek seafood restaurant Yamas, where the food was exceptional (and plate smashing included!). We also loved Pescarella, the Italian restaurant, where the children devoured the best lasagne they have ever tasted, apparently. There are also steak and teppanyaki restaurants.

The choice is incredible at the hotel's main Mare restaurant located in the hotel’s main building; with every type of food you could wish for. However, rather than piling plates high with food, guests are served from behind the counter, leading to sensible portions and fantastic presentation.

Children also have their own food corner, with everything they could want, including Hipp Organic baby milk and food for the littlest guests. The Cullinan Bistro is also available 24 hours a day, with a wide array of options like pizzas, pasta, salads, meat and fish. There really is something for even the fussiest eaters here. We all felt spoilt for choice.

There are 20 bars on-site and the Chocolate House, Caprice Patisserie and Noble Irish Pub. Can’t cope without your morning dose of caffeine? At the Schiller coffee bar, open every morning, guests can request their ideal blend of coffee to kickstart the day. And if that was not enough, or you are feeling a bit thirsty or peckish but cannot rouse yourself from your sunbed – roller-skating waiters circulate amongst the guests to take their orders throughout the day.

What’s the entertainment like at Cullinan Belek?

There are so many different daytime activities to choose from, including everything from darts and football to pilates and aerial yoga. Some sports are available at an extra charge, including tennis and swimming lessons. We saw some children having a private swimming lesson in one of the pools each day. There are also various watersports activities on offer, such as canoeing, windsurfing or diving.

Not all of the entertainment options are available during the winter months, so if this is important to you, I would advise you to check before booking.

We don’t play golf but apparently, here is a golfer’s paradise and is the only golf course in Turkey with the sea on one side and a river on the other. Redesigned with 36 holes and nightlights, there are two courses with 18 holes apiece. Each has its own character, so it is ideal for golfers of all abilities. Golf lessons are offered by PGA professionals at all levels.

Is there anything to do in the evening?

Dust off your dancing shoes because evening entertainment is on the cards here. Our stay coincided with the switch between the summer and winter seasons, but we did catch one fantastic Madonna-inspired dance show on the main stage. At the Galapagos Beach Club, there are daily DJs and music performances.

How much does a stay at Cullinan Belek cost?

The hotel is part of a growing trend for ‘ultra-all-inclusive’, and stays here include everything, including all food, drinks, snacks, and entertainment. A Superior Room with Sea View costs from 303 Euros per night, a Family Room costs from 413 Euros per night and a Family Duplex Swim-Up Room costs from 551 Euros per night.

There are different tour operators travelling here from the UK, including TUI, Jet2 Holidays, and Olympic Holidays, so you can book hotels and flights separately or opt for a package.

Is the all-inclusive package suitable for families?

Absolutely, the all-inclusive concept is excellent for families. If you are on a budget, it makes it far easier to stick to it. The food and drinks here are excellent, and there is no reason to spend more money unless you wish. The small surcharge for some restaurants (from 15 Euros per head, half price for children) felt like excellent value. Most wines and spirits are included.

How does Cullinan Belek compare with other hotels in the area?

We haven’t been to Belek in Turkey before, but we have friends who are keen fans and hotel names such as Voyage Belek Golf & Spa, Rixos Premium Belek, and Gloria Serenity Resort crop up in conversation. It is clearly a competitive market but we were impressed by our stay.

Is there anything to watch out for?

There was very little to dislike about the hotel. It could be noisy in the evenings with the entertainment on the sea-view side of the hotel where we were based, but the rooms felt well insulated, and my children did manage to get to sleep without too much complaint, thankfully.

Whilst there were not loads of other Brits here, there was so much to do that we found there was very little time to make friends.

What is the hotel near to?

This is the kind of hotel you really do not want to leave. However, if you are looking for a change of scenery, markets run in Belek every Tuesday and Saturday, with taxis costing 20 Euros each way. The Land of Legends theme park is also just over 5km away.

How to get to the hotel:

We flew with EasyJet and opted to check into the Gatwick Plaza Premium Lounge on our way out, which was a relaxed way to start our journey. The flight is 4 hours, and the hotel is a short half-hour car journey from Antalya airport.

The hotel organised our transfer on our outward journey, and we paid around 30 Euros for a taxi back to the airport.

MadeForMums verdict:

All in all, this was a fantastic holiday which every family member is still raving about. The facilities and food were exceptional. Our days fell into an easy routine of enjoying the poolside, water park and beach during the day before moving into one of the freely available cabanas by the inside pool after the sun came down, interspersed with a lot of eating and drinking. The service stood out for us.

Whilst there was a language barrier from time to time, nothing was too much trouble for the friendly and accommodating staff. I think this is the ideal place to get a blast of sun before the winter sets in, and we are already planning our next visit.