The Nichol family had never been on holiday to Turkey before , nor had we previously experienced an all inclusive package . So as my wife Suzie , nine-year-old daughter Sophie and I arrived at the Marti Myra resort on the Mediterranean coast , the place was facing a tough test . First impressions were good . The reception area was plush and polished , with acres of wood , glass and marble . John Nichol with his wife Suzie and nine-year-old daughter Sophie at the Marti Myra resort in Turkey . To Sophie 's delight , plenty of kids were lounging around on giant sofas availing themselves of free wi-fi and watching giant TVs . As the adults sipped cocktails at the lobby bar , the hotel appeared bustling but by no means overcrowded - probably because Marti Myra is a huge , rambling resort with seemingly endless facilities . All 551 rooms were taken when we stayed , housing around 1,100 adults and 500 children . But there was never any sense we were competing for space . This may well be because the site is set in 100 acres , has seven pools , water slides , beaches , an amphitheatre , five bars and seven restaurants . Sophie quickly made friends with other British children and more or less disappeared for the fortnight . This is a resort completely geared towards family satisfaction and we were totally happy for the children to play in the pools , visit the various restaurants and go to the arcade unsupervised . That said , I suspect the amount of vegetables consumed at their private lunches was in inverse proportion to the volume of ice-cream eaten . If that was the case they were missing out , as the food was tremendous - endless buffets of fresh fish , salads , grilled meats - and 20 desserts . For a small supplement , guests can also choose from à la carte restaurants . Marti Myra is in the Kemer region , which is dominated by the towering presence of Mount Tahtali , the highest peak in southern Turkey . It demands a visit so we took the cable car to the 7,757ft summit . At €210 ( around £150 ) for the three of us , it was n't cheap but it was worth it to experience the glorious panorama . The pool complex at Marti Myra was a hit with the Nichols family . In true Nichol-clan style , this was our only excursion from the resort as we were more than happy to luxuriate on the beach or by the pool . The only other added extra we chose to invest in was one of the £100-a-day pavilions on the pristine beach . These private retreats came equipped with robes , sofas , sunbeds and a fridge . And if you could n't be bothered to open the fridge door yourself , a waiter would bring over drinks and snacks . We could have taken part in all sorts of activities , from aqua-aerobics to archery , dancing and poolside It 's A Knockout-style games . The beach party was a riot of noise , while the nightly entertainment included amazing Kenyan acrobats . The Kids ' Club production of Grease had Suzie and I doing the full John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John routine ... much to Sophie 's utter horror . For a more peaceful break you can simply retreat to the calm of the rolling gardens . Marti Myra really did offer a fabulous holiday experience for the whole family . Sophie was happy - and if children are happy , contentment for all will surely follow . GETTING THERE . Thomson ( thomson.co.uk , 0871 230 2555 ) offers seven-night holidays at the Marti Myra Resort on a half-board basis from £499pp , including return flights from Stansted and transfers .
Marti Myra resort in Turkey is on the Mediterranean coast . Boats seven pools , water slides , beaches , five bars and seven restaurants . Marti Myra is in the Kemer region , which is dominated by Mount Tahtali . The resort completely geared towards family satisfaction . John Nichol 's latest book Suzie is published in June by Collins .