Oh yes, Bodrum has a horrific image in many parts of Central Europe. Much like the Dominican Republic.

Ruya ' s 2017 closure for refurbishment
 

Trust Ruya ' s refurbishment does wonders .
Wish I had made it couple / few years ago to appreciate the changes ..
Perhaps more boats / yachts in the fleet too ;)

Looks like we will have to wait till the next season & the .. situation " improves "

I've been told that in Turkey, Bodrum has a reputation as the place to go for wild behavior that elsewhere wouldn't be allowed on religious grounds. There's an all night very loud nightclub, men and women wear shorts on city street, gay couples openly hold hands in public, and women sunbathe topless on public beaches right in the city, next to a public sidewalk. [I don't consider these examples to be bad, but I've been told by people from Turkey that they wouldn't be acceptable--or just wouldn't be done--in Istanbul or Ankara. Yet you also see women in traditional modest dress; I've been told that they come from villages in eastern Turkey to work in very low level jobs in the area.]

are they investing money in 5 year old resort if it is losing money? maybe seeing if they can sell a few residences now? or finally build (destination) spa? VD big on wellness. wonder if aman has some equity, or investing.

hope things in turkey improve. obviously not for ruya's sake..

It is strange. I can't imagine them closing the entire resort just to build a spa. Isn't Era building a spa right now during full operations? Clearly, something else is going on.

Interesting. Doesn't this make them a prime target for attacks of fundamentalists?

Re Bodrum: I recall many reports that MO after its first wonderful one or two years of operation is now suffering and not operated to MO (or luxury resort) standards... seems for MO Bodrum the 'honeymoon' is over, as with so many of the group's properties. Hope this won't hold true for MO MRK/RAK.

For starters its not fundamentalists that are behind the attacks in Istanbul and Ankara. It's nothing to do with religion. But more importantly, as there have been no attacks in Bodrum that should tell you something.

As for Aman, my guess is that currency fluctuations have more to do with it than anything else. It's been quite a roller coaster ride for the New Lira recently.

International consensus is that the Reina nightclub attack in Instanbul was executed by an islamic fundamentalist trained in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with ISIS claiming the attack. There is some evidence that he was initially groomed by Al Qaeda.

That one particular attack was suspect, but the dozens of others were political in nature, or a war if you will between Turks and Kurds. Although that is a simplification, again its not about religion. And more to the point for this thread, it was not about Bodrum. And even more to the point, none of these attacks were targeting foreign tourists.

Back to the topic at hand, are most thoughts now that Bodrum is not worth it? We leave for Turkey in two weeks and are - as per usual - only now starting to plan anything.

Is Bodrum worth it? I think if you catch good weather April and May it can be fun, but I can't imagine Bodrum without a nice swim, and for me that starts mid-May at best.

For the dates you are thinking of: It will be nice mild weather, no traffic, mostly quiet around places you go to, all restaurants will be open. So you can eat good food, go on hikes, take a boat tour etc. If you are looking to just read a book and relax you will have a good time in MO in Bodrum. If you want to experience summer, looking for more nighttime fun and swim, you will get bored real quick.

Personally if you do not mind taking a few plane rides and packing, I would do Bodrum for a few days and Cappadocia for 2-3 days if you haven't been before. It is a much more unique experience than what you would get in Bodrum, and both areas are very safe.

About MSPEconomist comments, I personally think he was joking and will not take it seriously as it is one of the most ignorant things I have heard about Turkey lately.

Thank you so very much, tcmb99 for your thoughts.

I realize the weather is not ideal for a swim, but was thinking of including it as a stop for R&R. Mild weather, great food, and most importantly, PEACE and QUIET sound ideal. The thought of partying in Bodrum is anathema.

We've been to Istanbul before, but never anywhere else in Turkey, so are already definitely planning on Cappadocia for a few days. And we have somewhere right around two weeks to fill.

Any recommendations for Cappadocia?

And, to stick to the topic at hand, have you any experience at the MO in Bodrum? With Aman closed, it seems to be the only other option (for this board).

Out of genuine curiosity, what was so ignorant about his comment?
The fact that Bodrum has a reputation for wild behavior among locals which would not be tolerated elsewhere in the country on cultural norm grounds?

The reason I ask, is that you can make that same claim for many other locations on the luxury-travel map (Phuket in Thailand, Capri / Porto Cervo in Italy, Ibiza in Spain, Dubai for the gulf, etc.), and they would be reasonably accurate.

Bodrum is a beautiful and very scenic destination, well worth the travel. In the past, I stayed at Amanruya, Jumeirah Bodrum Palace, the MO, and Caresse, all of them great and ultraluxe hotels (although Amanruya was my least favorite one because of it's location on a hill, close to the main road, and not close to the sea).

I am surprised that Amanruya remains closed for the entire season. And I am also surprised that Jumeirah no longer manages the Bodrum Palace hotel. Anyone one knows what will become of the Bodrum Palace?

aa213bb:

For Cappadocia, which is actually not a town name but an area, I cannot give you any hotel names because it has been a while since I stayed there for the night. I make 4-5 day trips every year for other reasons though. What I can say is, do not stay in Urgup, if you want to watch the balloons in the morning Goreme is the place to be, and Uchisar is good with boutique hotels and is a nice town located on a hill. When you are there be sure to see Ihlara Valley, do a balloon ride, walk the pigeon valley and see the Open Air Museum. There is a lot more to do which is all rest and relaxation. It might be cold, especially at nights, so pack accordingly.

For Bodrum MO is the best option, I have been there and I think it is right now the best property in Bodrum.


0bsidian:

The reason I found the comments very ignorant was because it makes Bodrum sound like Ibiza and everywhere else sound like Tehran. The fact is, the whole coastal Turkey from Izmir down to Antalya, including Marmaris, Datca, Kas etc will have plenty of night clubs, topless sunbathers and a general European summer time environment. You can find night clubs in most major cities in Turkey, although anything outside Istanbul will generally suck. :)

And people wearing shorts? Really? You can wear a shorts in any major city in Turkey whenever you want. For ladies it might be a little uncomfortable in the city, because you might get some looks by men, but that would be about it.

We will be in the Bodrum area for 3 nights in late May. We will definitely spend 2 nights at Caresse. Should we spend our 3rd night there or see what Mandarin Oriental is like for a night? Amanruya is out as an option. We don't mind moving and actually get bored if we stay too long at one place.