Are mosquitoes and flies a problem in Side hotels in summer, and should travelers bring insect repellent?

In late July 2026 a guest at one hotel said there were so many flies that it was hard to choose what to feed her child. Kitchen staff only reacted after guests started filming the flies on their phones; after that there were fewer flies, but they did not disappear. She rated the hot food as fine but stopped taking cold appetizers.

According to a participant in July 2026, threads for different hotels were full of messages about flies, including hotels with enclosed restaurants. So an enclosed restaurant is no guarantee against flies.

A practical tip from a July 2026 discussion: do not leave your cup uncovered — shoo the flies away or cover it with a napkin. Before booking, travelers ask about flies in the chat for the specific hotel; reviews of various Side hotels have mentioned the issue for several years.

In early July 2026 a participant wrote that this season had something of a fly invasion and that, from what she had read, guests at other hotels were complaining too. On previous trips, she said, flies had not bothered her like this — apparently there were fewer.

In late June 2026 a traveler gave 'big advice' to anyone planning a trip: bring mosquito protection. She said there really were a lot of mosquitoes in the room and her child was badly bitten overnight, even though they used a protective body spray. She described ground-floor rooms (numbered as floor zero locally) as damp, with a matching smell.

Flies turn up even in very good hotels: in late June 2026 a traveler just back from Side called her hotel 'unreal', yet there were flies there too. Participants also pointed out the downside of the alternative: if a hotel sprays chemicals against flies, guests end up breathing and eating them, so the hotel is not entirely to blame.