That has introduced with it a glut of luxurious lodges – Aman, Mandarin Oriental, and a particularly unpleasant Hilton hotel all occupy prime spots on pine-flecked hills over luminous blue bays. However, the Turkish-owned Maçakizi is the pick of the bunch. While now not the most luxe (though excessive-end, however), its more amenable price point (double rooms begin from €425 ($475) in the off-season and €595 ($665) in high season along with breakfast and dinner) and unassailable fame as the first-rate seaside membership in Bodrum make it the most compelling choice.
Set on the northern tip of a fantastic bay close to the trendy village of Türkbükü, Maçakizi climbs its way up to a steep hill over four stages from waterside decking and bar to the open-air restaurant, pool, and spa, and villas and suites. It’s a triumph of planning and implementation. Gorgeously landscaped grounds bursting in coloration from magnolia and oleander-wealthy gardens cover a tangle of stone stairs and walkways snaking their manner to the water’s facet, connecting the entirety like arteries to a beating heart.
Among them sit fifty-three easy but at-ease rooms and 21 suites, many of which no longer provide ocean views. The beds are big and secure, doused in feather-gentle covers and Rifat Özbek-designed cushions. My sizeable Bose TV sits unused on the wall as I decide on the views from my small private terrace. Bathrooms are travertine tiled with rainforest showers and Acqua di Parma toiletries.
Sensibly located near the rooms sits the ethereal breakfast pavilion alongside a quiet, deserted pool—a conundrum quickly responded to when compared to the waterfront putting. Below is a spa offering hammam and rubdown and a health club so buried in the back of flowers that it looks like working out in an air-conditioned rainforest.
The open-air a la carte eating place is fashionable, however secure, one tier down emerging from the greenery amid silver-leafed olive bushes. It serves a mix of Mediterranean and Turkish cuisine with a current twist below the watchful eye of head chef Aret Sahakyan, who’s labored with the owner for over 25 years.
Daily, sparkling, flavorful breakfast and lunch buffets invite residents and day guests to drift inside and out as starvation demands, keeping things humming; however, they are in no way too busy. Don’t omit red meat dumplings and manti ground red may bday-by-days, which pair beautifully with a considerable international wine list alongside notable Turkish wines, specifically those from the close nearby Winery. As darkness descends, soft lights and candles add elegance and atmosphere. The provider’s day and night time are, in a word, flawless.
But it’ expanse of wooden boardwalks connecting heat waters to rows of cushioned day beds to a large imperative bar tha Maçakizi’s star enchantment. Fanning out along the shore in an angular Aegean hug, they supply nicely-heeled visitors direct admission to the water from their solar loungers even as a serving team of workers glides through silently at the back of white smiles and black Ray-Bans, topping up champagne glasses, handing over sparkling towels to bathers emerging from the water. A stay DJ curates a soundtrack to the show – nicely chosen tunes that complement rather than intrude on the surroundings.
Sahir Erozan, the Maçakizi’s proprietor and beating heart, is omnipresent. A hugely gregarious yet grounded person named the inn in honor of his mother – it translates as ‘queen of spades’ and was in flip the call of the artist retreat she installed in the 1970s – his spirit and character seep into every nook. He is a man who has no guests, no pals – handiest excellent pals whom he greets more regularly than now, not with the aid of call. The Maçakizi is richer for his presence, as his love of Turkey and vitality for the coolest life linger around him, just like the smoke from his ever-present cigar.
Pack your most elegant suit and chicest sunglasses, and neglect the rivieras you know this summertime due to the fact you’ll find a heart-rate party on the seashores of the Turquoise Coast and the boardwalks of the Maçakizi. But if the crowds and in-scene do not do it for you, the personal Villa Maçakizi is handiest a short boat experience away, sheltered within the cove of the aptly named Paradise Bay.
Fully serviced (which includes butlers), its ten rooms can host 20 people in the entire luxurious. There’s a spa, massive pool, endless indoor-out of-doors social regions – and people’s superb trademark gardens that stand the Maçakizi out from the gang. It also has its private jetty and waterfront scattered with loungers that benefit the idyllic setting. If you can get enough buddies and a circle of relatives to make the maximum, the $10,000 a night rate tag will look very affordable.
