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WHERE WE STAYED
ARTFUL HOTEL ON THE BEACH IN BODRUM
CASA DELL’ARTE — This quietly elegant boutique hotel on Turkey’s Bodrum Peninsula is also an art gallery. Walls are decorated with exquisite canvasses by artists such as Nese Erdok (Turkey’s greatest living female painter). Patrons of the arts, the hotel’s owners also offer an artist-in-residency program, hosting ten up-and-coming artists from around the world, whose works, created on location, are also displayed. The adults-only Residence side of the hotel has 12 individually decorated suites flanking a rectangular lap pool. Ivory walls and blonde wood furniture allow artistic touches to predominate – like huge boat-shaped beds and silver-and-black cow hide rugs. Our Aries suite came with a glass bathroom ceiling lit by tiny twinkling lights at night. Even the air conditioners are minimalist works of art, covered by hologram paintings. Families are welcome to stay in Casa Dell’Arte’s neighboring Family Suites, with its own pool and beach area. Strolling about the hotel is a visual treat. Marble public rooms and breezy stone passageways contain antiques, grand iron chandeliers from the Napoleonic era and outdoor fireplaces from Cappadocia. But always, by design, the eye is eventually drawn to the brilliant turquoise sea just beyond a swathe of manicured lawn. There, the hotel’s wooden dock juts out into the water, where the sunbathing is all very civilized (no icky sand in your bikini). Cushioned cocoon chairs invite lounging under the shade of an umbrella, and there are ladders to climb down into the sea for a cool dip. Casa Dell’Arte is about 20 minutes from buzzing Bodrum town. But, really, you may feel no reason to leave. — JANICE AND GEORGE MUCALOV
CAVE HOTEL OFFERS FAIRY TALE CHARM
ESBELLI EVI — When traveling, you occasionally stumble across a truly special hotel that charms you right down to your soul. Esbelli Evi is such a place. Carved into Cappadocia’s white volcanic rock cliffs, Esbelli Evi is a boutique cave hotel with ten suites and four standard rooms. Larger than most city apartments, the suites are cocoons of comfort, with hardwood floors, kilim rugs, king-size brass beds, kitchens, rainshowers and lace curtains made by the owner’s mother. Each suite is unique. Our marble bathroom came with a clawfoot tub – plus help-yourself scotch in a crystal decanter next to scented candles on a side-table. The gracious owner, Suha Ersoz, has thought of everything to make travelers feel like they have a home away from home – a joy to return to after a day out exploring Cappadocia’s underground cave cities and rock-cut churches. You’re treated to a welcome bottle of wine, free WiFi and in-room laptops, and complimentary fruit and snacks in Esbelli Evi’s living room. Niches in the bedroom walls are stuffed with great travel and art books. Breakfast is taken on a rooftop terrace overlooking the rolling countryside and traditional village. Order an omelette, and while waiting, help yourself to fresh cucumber, tomatoes, cheese, home-baked breads and preserves. Suha drops by to chat with each guest and check that you’re set for the day with tours. For dinner, nearby Ziggy’s Café, one of Cappadocia’s best restaurants, serves yummy mezes (shared Turkish dishes). To top it all off, rates (which include breakfast) are extremely affordable. Just one more reason Esbelli Evi ranks right up there on our list of favorite hotels. — JANICE AND GEORGE MUCALOV
46 CRUISE HOLIDAYS
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