This beautiful hotel would be well worth the money based on the location and facilities alone. But…read morethis place is a perfect example of how an excellent staff can make all the difference between good and unbeatable. The manager, Hussein, went above and beyond in helping us overcome all kinds of challenges. When we arrived in town late at night and couldn't get a taxi for the last stretch, Hussein came and retrieved us personally. When our previous guide for Ephesus fell through, Hussein arranged for us to have an excellent personal guide and taxi driver pretty much at the last minute. When we were having trouble booking a bus ticket to our next destination, again, Hussein stepped in and walked over to the bus station with us to help make sure everything went smoothly. Beyond all of this incredible service, the rooms were very comfortable, the pool was especially appreciated in the intense summer heat and the breakfast spread was quite varied and filling.

We stayed at this lovely and cozy boutique hotel for two nights. The hotel is beautifully…read moredecorated, so much attention to details. The staff was absolutely wonderful, very attentive, helpful and so nice. Our room was ready as soon as we arrived in the afternoon. We got a room facing the pool on the first floor so we had a door that opened right out to the pool and we literally felt right at home. The room was very clean and the shower was fantastic. The room had basic amenities like a fridge, safe, hair dryer and they provide water bottles and spa-type slippers. The bed was comfortable and they provided several pillows which is great for sleeping comfort. There's a lounging area with shade right by the pool and bar, perfect to have a drink and just hang out. The water in the pool was cold but it was perfect to cool off from the intense Selçuk heat. The ambiance was so chill and relaxing. The view off the pool and outside dining area was great to watch the sunset if the clouds allowed for a nice view. The breakfast was just ok, serving the usual cheese, cold cuts, veggies, sweets etc. I didn't see anywhere mentioned whether or not they would prepare fried eggs or omelets if requested. I wish they did but since I didn't ask I can't say for sure. We also had dinner at their restaurant one night since we had an early flight the following morning. The food was ok, the baba ghanoush was a bit bland. The lamb shank and grilled whole fish were definitely better dishes. The hotel is located right next to St. John's Basilica and the Selçuk castle which are two of the main attractions in this town. The town center is also a short walk away and close to the dolmuş station where you can catch the shared white mini buses that take you to nearby Şirince for a small fee of 4TL per person.

When in Selcuk, there is only one and only place to stay: Livia Hotel. I stayed here for two days…read morein November. From the moment you arrive, you are greeted by the most hospitable hosts Erdem and Samira-the warmest and most gracious hosts. A Huge thank you to the most amazing family who run the lovely Livia Hotel: Erdem, Samira, and Ali. Erdem's passion, energy, and hospitality is immediately evident. The delightful Samira who made my stay so memorable. Your warmth, smile, kindness, and generosity will never be forgotten. Ali: thank you for the many laughs and for some very funny conversations. You immediately feel at home here, it's like visiting old friends and family. The hotel is very central, a very short walk to the main bus station, Ephesus Museum, Saint John's church, Seljuk castle, and Isa Bey mosque. Livia hotel is very cozy, clean, and absolutely lovely. The highlight (apart from the most amazing staff/hosts) is the incredible breakfast. It's truly epic with delicious homemade acuka, preserves, cheeses, honey, olives, bread, vegetables, muffins, and eggs cooked to your preference. The homemade acuka (tomatoes, peppers, and spices made into a thick paste) was to die for! It is very difficult to make and I can confidently say, it was the Best acuka I've ever had. The family takes great pride in the homemade foods they serve. I was utterly stuffed after breakfast. In all of my years of traveling and countless hotels that I've frequented, Livia is probably the most memorable. I was very sad when I left but the precious memories I've forged while here will stay with me forever. Thank you Livia hotel for your warm and generous hospitality: the biggest 5 stars.

This place is truly delightful. Our room was spacious, clean and well appointed. The grounds were…read morespa-like. The breakfast was superior in every way to the many other Turkish breakfasts that I have enjoyed across this amazing country. Also, the host is very welcoming and gave us good local travel advice.. I would happily return here. The location is ideal for visiting Ephesus and other sites.

Very cute hotel! Lovely court yard, and very quaint rooms with upgraded bathrooms. Owners are very…read morenice, and made a delicious, traditional Turkish breakfast. Beautiful view of the castle, and right across the street from aqueduct ruins. Within a block of restaurants, shopping, and local market. Highly recommend!

This place completely met our needs and more. I am very stingy with five stars, but I have no…read morecomplaints at all and lots of positive to say about this place. The room was clean and comfortable. We had three single beds for three travel companions. No television, but a good strong shower and good working air conditioning. Also a delightful roof-top restaurant with a view of St. John's and the castle. The owner, Erdal (sorry if I got this wrong) could not have been more helpful. He gave us a short talk about what to see, loaned us a book about Ephesus, drove us to Ephesus, picked us up three hours later and dropped us at the Cave of the Seven Sleepers for lunch, then drove us to see the Temple of Artemis and then back to the hotel. All of this was complimentary. Erdal also gave us a lot of information about Turkish carpets. It was interesting, but I felt a little bad that we weren't in a position to buy a carpet from him. Nevertheless, he did not push us to buy. He and all the staff were friendly and helpful at all times. A wonderful place. I would definitely stay here again.

I don't know how the owner here does it. He runs around like crazy taking care of EVERYONE in the…read morehotel. He drove us, or had us driven to some site seeing. He was so helpful (yet never pushy) in his recommendations of how to set our daily itenerary... just relax and trust his suggestions. Restaurant is GORGEOUS, food was lovely. Hotel is central to some lovely shopping streets. Rooms are small but beutiful and comfy.

This was a beautiful hotel with a gorgeous view. The hotel was the bay. I found the location…read moregreat. I wish I had stayed longer. Everything about it was beautiful. It had a path by the pool that took you to a second level where they had hammock and a nice green area. If you keep going down one more floor there is a little beach and beautiful rock formations. The rooms were a good size. The pillows are very hard and big. The bed was comfy. The AC was good. I found the rooms quiet with beautiful views . I wish the front desk staff was a little more welcoming. They avoid eye contact. A simple greeting would have been nice. They don't look happy to be working here. The hotel is in a beautiful town. Felt like a fishing town. It has things to do nearby. It is in a great location. I would come back here again

An outstanding place to dine. (We didn't observe the hotel rooms)…read more We stopped here for lunch while visiting Ephesus ( I think it's called their Els restaurant?) The location and view were 5-star beautiful !! Its location high on a hillside allows amazingly beautiful views of a gorgeous bay of the breathtakingly blue Aegean Sea. Food: Lunch was typical local Turkey cuisine, tapas-like meze appetizers and nice main entree. Service: The service couldn't have been any more efficient -they obviously had prepared well for crowds on tourist buses that were lucky enough to stop here Facility: Clean and basic furnishings, with indoor and outdoor dining facilities-but great view from the outdoor tables made our experience memorable.

A very quaint hotel on the top of hill with a magnificent view…read more It is a family owned hotel. The decoration and the furniture are from the beginning of the 20 century with antiques and delicate painting on the walls. It has a pool, a restaurant, and a flower workshop with a local painter. We had my birthday dinner at the restaurant and it was delicious. Breakfast is included and is terrific. A lot of plates on the table. Make sure to read the email wyou will receive about how to get there because it could be tricky and stressful if you do not.

In a Nutshell: Very nice--a pleasant experience…read more The property consists of the main hotel which has five rooms of different sizes (very pretty but most on the small size), a library, and a restaurant; there may be more public areas but those are the ones we used. It's very lovely, decorated in a relaxed, old-world style that I found completely charming. All guests--including those in the cottages and also those in the three private homes--are welcome to use the hotel facilities, which include an outdoor pool which is on the small side but is stunningly beautiful. The cottage area has a central outdoor "breakfast area" and "shared kitchen" for the cottage guests' use; I don't know if those staying in the hotel and private houses can use this area or not. When first researching the property, I was a little leery of the "shared kitchen," haunted by memories of "shared kitchens" in college days, but it turns out the kitchen is supervised. The woman in charge was wonderful--kind, very hard-working, very nice. She had a samnovar of tea running all day in true Turkish style, and also prepared the morning breakfast. When I expressed an interest in the garden, she gave us a long private tour. It had walnut trees, apple trees, a mammoth vegetable garden with tomatoes, zucchini , and darkly shining eggplants as well as an herb garden and perhaps the biggest single stand of lavender I've ever seen. It really was spectacular. The breakfast itself was very nice, with fruit and vegetables picked fresh from the garden. When we decided to leave very early for Efes one morning and thus had to miss breakfast, the woman (I wish I could remember her name because she was so very nice) offered to pack us a lunch, which was delicious (grapes from the garden, sandwiches, etc.). Really, the service could not be better, and we appreciated it tremendously. Another thing we appreciated: the owner of the hotel, whom I was told is a professional writer, put together a FANTASTIC guide to the area, complete with directions to/from Efes and detailed history of the site. Management asks that the guides are left in the rooms for the next tenants to enjoy, but they emailed the guide immediately upon request so we could have a take-home copy, which was very nice. All this said, I do try to give a very well-rounded perspective in my reviews because that is what I want when I am researching a place to stay. And while we liked the property very much, there are a few things that might be a downside to prospective travelers. * Smell in cottage: for us, this was the worst thing about the place--a strange, pervasive gas odor. We thought maybe it was due to the bottle of gasoline/ethonol/lighting fluid (?) that was in the bathroom for starting the fire for the water heater, but the smell persisted even after we put the bottle outside. At night in the cottage, I felt a little nauseated and we had to change the direction of the way we slept and open the widow wide to get fresh air. This is the only thing in this review that prevents the property from getting five stars in my opinion--it is also the only thing that is giving us pause for thought on returning, which we would like to do but are concerned about doing for any length of time bec. the smell did affect us. * Proximity to others/noise: This didn't bother us, but it did bother another couple with whom we made friends. Because the breakfast area is so central, and because many of the cottages do not have a private outside area, people tend to congregate in the breakfast area. This area was directly above the private outdoor area of our cottage, and people did ask us if we were disturbed by conversation/early breakfast noise (we weren't--we could hear it but it didn't seem that bad, but I can see how one would be at the mercy of your fellow travelers). * If you are elderly, have mobility issues, or are disabled, this probably isn't the place for you, certainly not the cottages, which require a 50-100 yard walk on uneven terrain. I believe all of the rooms in the hotel are on the second floor and I believe--but am not positive--that there is no elevator. *You should also be aware, as the hotel does mention on its website, that the only road leading to the hotel is very, very, very, VERY steep, narrow, and windy. Again, this didn't bother us, but a woman we befriended had only made one trip off the property in a week because she found the trip so terrifying. We did also notice that another group asked for hotel personnel to drive their car down the hill rather than hazard the drive themselves. And we did encounter big trucks on our own way to and from the hotel, requiring that one s-q-e-e-z-e over to the very edge of the cliff, complete with pebbles falling over the edge like you see in cartoons. Thus if you have serious issues with heights, be forewarned. (Note: We stayed at this hotel in July 2009. This review was originally published at another review site whose account I've since closed.)