In a mission is to discover… beautiful places, warm hospitality, inspiring landscapes and exceptional places to stay I embarked on a 10 day journey to Turkey
(TRAVPR.COM) SUFFOLK - November 13th, 2018
In a mission is to discover… beautiful places, warm hospitality, inspiring landscapes and exceptional places to stay I embarked on a 10 day journey to Turkey staying at four exceptional hotels offered by The Turquoise Collection, 2 of which were in Gocek on Turkeys Mediterranean coast and 2 on Bodrum’s stylish peninsula jutting out into the Aegean. I share my experience and thoughts during this 10 day voyage and what I learnt about the hotels that were kind enough to host me and their locations.
Days 1-3 D-Resort Gocek, Turkey
Days 4-5 Rixos Gocek, Turkey
Days 6-7 Nikki Beach, Bodrum, Turkey
Days 7-10 Mandarin Oriental Bodrum, Turkey
www.theturquoisecollection.com
Days 1-3 Gocek on the Turkish Mediterranean.
My Thomas Cook night flight got me into Dalaman just before 2am… not my first choice of flight time, but I was late to book. The sugary fudge brownie and coffee, part of Thomas Cook’s Gluten free meal, ( which I recommend even if you have no issues with Gluten ) sustained me at this early hour, and 25 minutes after leaving Dalaman, I was greeted by the night manager at D-resort in Gocek.
Breakfast, which is served from 7am to 11am caters to a long lie in or early start and is served either inside, or outside on a terrace with views across the hotel grounds to the marina and sea. A very good buffet choice with eggs cooked to order and attentive friendly service created a good impression on my first morning. I particularly like the terrace lounging area. It was a great place to take your coffee, recline and consider your options for the day.
Getting around:
Close to the hotel entrance are a selection of bikes for children and adults along with some golf carts. Clearly, other than walking, these were my transport options, and in my short stay I learnt to love these methods of getting around the resort. The ride from the hotel to its beach, the jewel in the crown of this lovely property in my opinion is about 800 metres. It’s a largely flat ride around the beautifully landscaped marina area ( see attached pictures ). Bicycle parking is right at the beach and there was always plenty of available bikes to get me home.
The Beach:
The D-resort beach, certainly the finest in Gocek and I would argue hard to beat in any area of The Turkish Mediterranean is more Barbados than Gocek and the reason why is down to the import of sand from the Sahara desert… just the right shade of yellow/white and easy on the feet I understand, during hot summer days. The beach bar/ restaurant sits over the water and serves a wide choice of drinks and lunch. My 1 litre bottle of sparkling water delivered in an ice bucket to my sunbed was 15 ytl or around £2.
The rooms and suites are arranged in the hotel grounds and most have views of the marina, sea and mountains. Each block of rooms has its own pool and in addition there is a further pool for the use of all guests.
The room photography on our website tells the story far better than I can here, but I particularly liked the good quality mattress and relaxed, yet elegant feel of my room.
The Lounge restaurant:
My reservation was at 8pm… 90 minutes earlier I had reluctantly left the beach as the last of the evening sun disappeared behind a mountain, and peddled home narrowly avoiding an oncoming golf cart. Quick shower and pondered what to wear for my evening at the iconic Lounge. The evening was perfect…still, warm and clear, so I decided to walk arriving just before 8 . Sitting above the beach, the restaurant is accessed by wide stone steps that make for an entrance befitting of the dramatic architecture, wonderful views and ever so cool space that is the Lounge restaurant. As I sat at the bar and took it all in, I found myself thinking of whether there was anywhere in the world that I had seen that matched this… and came up blank. Open to the skies, on multiple levels and seemingly built with the expectation that it will never rain, the place is an architectural wonder. The music contributes to the wonderful sense of calm, wellbeing and that you are somewhere special… chillout music with a club vibe is my shot at describing it.
The menu is varied, of high quality and very well priced in my opinion given the surroundings.
In short, the beach and the lounge are reason enough to stay at the D-Resort, but everything else is good to.. the location right on the marina allows for an easy walk into Gocek centre and all the shopping and dining choices available there. After 2 nights, I reluctantly packed my case, enjoyed a last breakfast and reflected during the 10 minute drive to my next stop the Rixos in Gocek on the friendly, warm and efficient service that had make my stay so special.
Contact us for more information about our collection of hotels in Gocek or to price a holiday there. Early booking offers currently available for 2019 holidays.
https://www.theturquoisecollection.com/gocek/hotels/
Days 4-5 The Rixos premium hotel, Gocek, Turkey.
I thanked my D-resort hotel hosts for a very enjoyable 3 night stay and opened the door of the hire car to make my way to the next hotel on my journey; I hadn’t needed it during my stay, such is the convenience of the hotel’s central location, and my next stop, the Rixos Premium hotel was less than 10 minutes drive away. On reflection, it would have been better to arrange a transfer for the short 25 minute journey from the airport to the D-resort and have a hire car delivered for my onward journey. These are both services we offer to Turquoise Collection guests.
Pulling into the Rixos, I am swiftly waved through the security barrier and find a parking space close to the lobby. My first impression is formed by the stylish and contemporary reception building and nicely landscaped grounds that surround it. It is certainly a grand entrance and promises much of this all-inclusive resort hotel.
The welcome was warm and the check in quick and efficient. This is quite a large resort although easily walkable in my opinion. Nevertheless I was ushered into a golf cart… self drive not an option unfortunately : ) but I later found that there were plenty of bikes available to get around. I was surprised at the size of the suite, particularly as it was the least expensive accommodation option at the hotel. I should explain the Rixos is an all-suite hotel other than a hand full of villas reached by a 5 minute water taxi ride from the hotel beach.
The property interiors lean towards art-deco, which I believe is a characteristic of many Rixos properties and I think it works to create a rather pampered and upmarket feel. There is certainly a sense of wellbeing and comfort in the room, made immeasurably better by the complimentary minibar set up which is included in suite pricing ! Plenty of storage, a great mattress and rainfall shower to die for had me won over and at the price point, the deluxe suite is I believe a very compelling proposition. There are other suite and villa accommodation options at the hotel, the details of which can be found on our website.
Unpacked and ready to explore, my first impression as I stepped out into the hotel grounds is how the mountains form a dramatic backdrop to the hotel. I thought it was a very attractive aspect of the property’s location and the mature planting that extend from the hotel entrance all the way back to the beach made me feel at times that I was in the tropics, not the Turkish coast.
Heading for the pool, I made a stop at the bar and connected to the complimentary hotel wi-fi in the time it took for the bartender to pour my drink. The pool is well used, but not crowded and has a mix of cabanas ( some with shade ) and sunbeds. There are two large pools, and in keeping with the Rixos design identity have a geometric tile design. The pool area sits at the centre of the hotel grounds close to the sea, and the restaurants, bars and some shops are arranged around it. It makes everything very easy to find, and convenient to reach.
Eating and drinking:
The hotel offers 4 places to eat, 3 of which are included in the room rate and a further for which there is a cover charge.
Azur: This waterfront eaterie offers casual dining and light bites between 12 and 6
Peoples: An a la carte restaurant with tables inside and outside on the terrace. There are lovely views to the sea to be had here and service is 24 hours a day.
Turquoise: With lovely views over the gardens and pool to the sea, this is the buffet restaurant and where I ate most of the time. There is table service for drinks and a good choice of alcoholic and soft beverages. I have to confess an all-inclusive hotel is not generally my first choice, but I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and variety of the dining choices. Menus generally cater for the international clientele that are guests here, but I was particularly impressed with their offer of delicious Turkish dishes both at breakfast and lunch/dinner.
Daidala: Fine dining in a wonderful part of the hotel grounds albeit at a cover charge.
The lobby bar serves cocktails and tea, depending on your mood/preference and the area makes for an elegant and relaxed place to enjoy both. Nargile in the garden ups the tempo a bit and offers a good choice of alcoholic and soft beverages as well as tea and coffee. Head to Nox for evening action and live musical performances.
The premium all inclusive offer at the hotel includes an impressive array of things to do including a half day on the hotels Turkish Gulet exploring the bay and islands for which the area is well known.
Just as I was coming to really appreciate the generous pour of Dewars at the pool bar, the great breakfast and the very relaxed feel of this hotel, it was time to check out and make the 3 hour drive north west to Bodrum.
I have passed Gocek on countless occasions on my way to Kalkan from the airport and have been a day visitor 2 or 3 times over the years. It is though it seems only when you stay somewhere that its charms can be fully understood and appreciated .As I pulled out of the Rixos, and reflected on my stay in Gocek I was glad that I had invested this time to better understand this lovely area of the Turkish Mediterranean. What did I think of the Rixos... fabulous, and as the Americans say... "a lot of bang for your buck"
Ask us for more information about staying in Gocek.https://www.theturquoisecollection.com/…/rixos-premium-goc…/
Bodrum bound……. Stay tuned !
Author profile: A avid traveller and director of The Turquoise Collection tour operator, Martin is responsible for the companies holiday accommodation offer.
The Turquoise Collection offer ATOL protected villa and hotel holidays across Turkey, and in Croatia and the Greek Islands.
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