This is the most charming boutique hotel I have ever stayed at. Not only do you get a beautifully…read moredecorated quaint stone building with blue shutters, the most amazingly fresh breakfast spread every morning, and free afternoon snacks by the pool, but you also gain a new mini family for a few days.
The owner Celal is the perfect host, and gave us an orientation chat on our first morning, his favourite restaurant suggestions for the next few days, and a lift to the nearby beach at Cesme the next morning. He was always to be found pottering around with a glass of rose wine in hand and happy to chat about his life, our lives and people's perceptions of Turkey and Alacati as more people begin to discover this beautiful little village getaway.
It's not only him though - as the place is so small the other guests are also extremely friendly (or maybe we just got lucky!). I travelled with a mate but the romance factor was enough to make us question whether our eventual honeymoons one day will be in more romantic surroundings than this was! We bonded with a fun couple from the US and the 4 of us chartered a boat together for a glorious day out (at Celal's suggestion obv). There was also a couple of older ladies from the UK that were the source of much amusement and that we can only hope to emulate at their age - they'd thought they were going to a place in Portugal until they landed!
The one thing they don't tell you before you go is that you can't flush toilet paper, it's got to go in the bin as the plumbing can't take it. As experienced travellers as some of you may be with this, it can kinda kill the romance and something you might want to know in advance. It's a very small wrinkle in the otherwise gorgeous bathrooms though - giant walk-in marble showers and lush toiletries to boot. The other little touch that I really appreciated was the book and DVD library by reception for beachtime reads and a cosy movie night in :)
Overall a gorgeous little place to stay and a real wrench to leave...!
