Turkey but tailored - How Club Med Palmiye redefines the all-inclusive experience

Extra.ie​

3 days ago

There's a quiet kind of thrill in venturing on a solo trip to a luxury resort, a mix of bold independence and indulgent curiosity.
That was my exact attitude as I arrived at Club Med Palmiye, a stunning getaway nestled between the Taurus Mountains and the sparkling Mediterranean coast of Turkey.
Known for its lush gardens, expansive beachfront, and signature all-inclusive experience, the resort promised the perfect balance of seclusion and sociability, and let me tell you, that could not be more true.
Venturing on my own, I wasn't sure what to expect. Would I feel out of place amid honeymooners and families? Would the resort's sprawling pools, fine dining, sailing lessons be able to cater to someone travelling alone?
What I discovered instead was a setting that not only welcomed solo exploration but seemed to quietly celebrate it.
From yoga to sunset aperitifs with new acquaintances, Club Med Palmiye became more than a getaway, it became a gentle, luxurious invitation to reconnect with myself.
Club Med Palmiye unfolds like a perfectly orchestrated symphony of leisure, where every amenity seems placed with intention. The staff are eager to either elevate your energy or quiet your mind, which is everything I could have asked for from a holiday.
At the heart of the resort lies the main pool, a sparkling social hub where sun loungers disappear quickly and poolside cocktails flow as freely as the conversation. For those seeking more tranquility, the adults-only Zen pool offers a serene escape and was my personal favourite over the course of the three days.
The resort's wellness offerings are equally impressive. From daily yoga sessions to deeply restorative treatments in the Club Med Spa by Sothys, my troubles melted away almost upon arival.
And for fitness-minded guests, tennis courts and group workout classes ensure there's no shortage of ways to stay active (or work off that extra helping of baklava).
Club Med Palmiye is also a playground for the adventurous. With a private stretch of beach and a dedicated watersports centre, guests can try their hand at sailing, paddleboarding, waterskiing, or windsurfing, with most all included in your booking.
The resort's G.O. (Gentil Organisateur) team brings infectious energy to each activity, encouraging even the most hesitant solo traveller (like myself) to dive in, sometimes quite literally.
Dining at Club Med Palmiye is a highlight in itself—an all-inclusive experience that feels anything but generic. The main restaurant offers generous buffet spreads that change daily, each meal a small-scale culinary world tour.
Breakfasts brim with fresh fruit, local cheeses, Turkish pastries, and much, much more. By lunch and dinner, live cooking stations turn out everything from grilled seafood and tender lamb skewers to fragrant curries and handmade pastas.
For a more intimate setting, the more speciality restaurants provide a slower, candle-lit alternative—perfect for solo diners who want to savour the view along with their meal in a more traditional restaurant setting.
While the food at Club Med Palmiye is undeniably impressive, it's the people behind the scenes who truly make the dining experience feel special. The kitchen staff, often unseen in other resorts, work with a quiet precision and passion that deserves to be lauded.
Each day they orchestrate an enormous culinary feat: dozens of dishes, flawlessly prepared, replenished with care, and always beautifully presented. In a setting where indulgence is expected, they deliver excellence with humility, and their work ethic radiates from every plate that comes back spotless.
I witnessed spontaneous applause erupt one evening during the weekly White Party, as the chefs walked through the dining room—guests rising from their seats to cheer them on like rockstars. And rightly so. Whether it's a fresh crêpe flipped to order at breakfast or a perfectly seared steak at dinner, the gratitude they inspire feels woven into the resort's culture. For a solo traveller, this sense of mutual respect, between guests and the team behind the scenes, only deepened the feeling of belonging.
As the sun dips behind the mountains, Club Med Palmiye undergoes a kind of transformation, going from a serene coastal retreat to something closer to a dreamy beachfront festival. The Club Med party experience is unlike anything I've encountered elsewhere: theatrical, joyful, and completely unselfconscious.
Each evening is themed—White Night, Turkish Bazaar, you name it, and the resort leans into it with gusto.
Costumes appear, lights pulse, DJs spin everything from Euro-disco to Afrobeats, and the G.O. team perform choreographed routines with Broadway-level commitment. It's the kind of atmosphere where you can go from sipping wine at dinner to dancing barefoot under fairy lights without ever feeling out of place. At one point they even had an acrobat, yes, an acrobat.
I found these nights to be unexpectedly freeing. There's no pressure to be part of a couple or a crowd, the vibe is inclusive, gently wild, and deeply communal. It's this sense of playful abandon, grounded in warmth and welcome, that makes the Club Med nightlife something truly special. Not forced, not flashy, just fantastically, unapologetically fun.
There's a particular kind of luxury that doesn't shout, it hums in the background, smoothing every edge of your day. At Club Med Palmiye, it begins with something as small as a wristband. Lightweight, unassuming, and worn without thought, it's your room key, your access pass, your invisible wallet.
From that moment on, you don't touch your purse, sign a bill, or fumble with a keycard. Everything simply flows; meals, drinks, activities, service, seamlessly stitched into a rhythm that lets your mind finally, fully exhale.
This is the quiet magic of true all-inclusive: the freedom to switch off without sacrificing comfort.
The staff, ever-present but never intrusive, seem to anticipate needs before you voice them. A fresh towel appears poolside before you realize yours is damp; a glass is refilled with a smile before it's empty. As a solo traveller, that gentle attentiveness felt like a soft safety net, allowing me to drop my shoulders, slow down, and just be.
Parts of Club Med Palmiye have recently undergone thoughtful refurbishments, and it shows in the best way. Certain accommodation blocks and communal areas feel newly polished, with updated interiors that blend modern comfort with Mediterranean warmth.
Sleek bathrooms and upgraded furnishings elevate the experience without losing the resort's signature charm. It's not flashy, but intentional, reflecting a quiet investment in guest comfort. The balance between classic Club Med character and refreshed design made the setting feel both familiar and elevated, as if the resort is growing gracefully with its loyal clientele.
Though I arrived at Club Med Palmiye as a solo traveller, it was impossible not to notice how effortlessly the resort caters to families.
From toddlers to teenagers, every age group seemed thoughtfully considered, with age-specific kids clubs that ran like clockwork, offering everything from arts and crafts to trapeze lessons and sailing adventures.
I watched parents unwind by the pool or enjoy long, unrushed lunches while their children were clearly having the time of their lives under the care of energetic, professional G.Os. It struck me how different that felt from other resorts, where childcare often seems like a last-minute patch rather than a core offering.
Even the family spaces; quiet garden paths for stroller walks, shaded dining areas, gentle-entry pools, felt intuitively designed. While I'm not at that stage of life myself, I found it reassuring to see a place where families weren't just accommodated, but truly supported to relax and reconnect. It made the overall atmosphere feel more balanced: joyful without chaos, lively without intrusion.
I'll be the first to admit, an all-inclusive resort, somewhat removed from the surrounding culture and local rhythm, won't be everyone's idea of ideal travel. For some, it may feel too curated, too detached from the 'real' experience of a place.
But for me, in this particular moment, Club Med Palmiye offered exactly what I didn't know I needed: rest without logistics, beauty without effort, and the kind of unburdened simplicity that's hard to come by in daily life.
It was a conscious luxury, one I approached with curiosity and left deeply grateful for.
As a solo traveller, I felt held by the ease of it all, and while the price tag reflects the quality and comprehensiveness of the experience, it felt justifiable not just for what was included, but for what it allowed me to leave behind for a little while. Sometimes, a retreat from the world isn't an escape from reality, it's a return to yourself.
Club Med is marking 75 years of service in 2025. From its first beach village in Majorca in 1950, it now has 68 premium and luxury resorts in 40 countries worldwide.
You can secure a seven-night all-inclusive stay at Club Med Palmiye Hotel, Turkey, from €3,036 per adult (based on double occupancy) with return flights from Dublin airport, and transfers included.
This price is based on the departure date 19.07.25. If you would like to book a stay at the resort or you want more information, please visit https://www.clubmed.ie/r/palmiye-hotel/y or call 1 800 800 923.