What is the best resort in Bodrum (Turkey)?
 

I am planning to spend a couple of days in Bodrum (Turkey) in late summer. Recent years, some luxury hotels opened in Budrum and if I am correct, these days Bodrum promotes itself as a more upscale destination at the Turkish Riviera.

I was wondering if anybody could share his/her experience with me: is Bodrum a scenic destination, and what is the best resort in the area? Your advice would be much appreciated!

Thx

Amanruya!!! Not really in Bodrum itself, but a fantastic resort.

Also, the MO opens sometime in July (I think). Not commenting on whether it will be better than Amanruya or not, but it's certainly worth noting.

We passed the MO during building when we were at Amanruya. It looked massive and not at all charming compared to the tranquil village feel of Amanruya, but I am sure it will be good as well and they have a beach. Depends on what you are after I guess.

I wuld echo Muskens comments, coming from Amanruya, the MO looked HUGE…..








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Bodrum is a tourist destination like any other, to be avoided in high season. The upscale tourists go to Amanrüya or soon the MO (beware: both hotels are unconnected from the locality and could be anywhere else).

The real traveller's "secret" in Bodrum is its suburb Türkbükü which is world-class jetset since 10 years. Those in the know still stay at the Macakizi. (beware: Türkbükü is demanding and will not allow someone "in" who is uncomfortable with style, glamour and spending power)

I like Bodrum and find it fascinating. It seems to have a bit of a reputation as a somewhat wild destination compared to the rest of Turkey, which can be conservative.

There are a couple nice hotels in town, but they're not resorts in any sense even though they do have attractive grounds and pools. Some of the resorts are close to an hour away, although I recall seeing a few resort compounds on the edge of town. You may want to try to stay away from loud nightclubs that are open very late.

Yes Türkbükü is an attractive and fun place, although I'm not sure how much of a secret it is anymore. I like the wooden platforms over the water instead of beaches - much cooler in the summer.

Ive posted a review of Amanruya here in the past and in my personal blog www.getsetjetset.com but I still cannot figure out how to post more pics directly ( tips welcome!! ) Text content is below tho! (again)

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Amanruya, the turkish outpost of the Singapore based Aman group, brings understated style and space to the crowded Turkish coast. Starting its third summer seasons, it might not be as polished as the more established Aman resort in Asia, but it is definitely worth the journey with easy connections from all around Europe via Turkish Airlines Istanbul Ataturk hub, housing the excellent Turkish Airlines Business Class Lounges.

On arrival the Aman driver met me curbside for the short 25 minute drive to the resort. As it was closing midnight the staff were quick to transfer me to my villa, where a small selection of turkish appetizers and a bottle of wine was waiting incase I wanted a midnight snack.
L1010141The villa itself was decorated in typical understated Aman style, and was an architectural triumph, with muted shades of white and blonde wood dominating the spacious room, with double doors opening to the garden and the infinity pool overlooking the mediterranean. The garden , whilst not completely private , provided a sala and also a private dining area and sun loungers.

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It is worth mentioning there was very little foot traffic past the villa as it was one of the last ones on the block.
The resort is laid out like a traditional turkish village with winding cobble stoned pathways connecting the different areas of the resort. Dining is on demand in several pavilions and a choice of menus is available with the catering manager eager to accommodate any special requests. Food varied from mediocre to good as often seems to be the way with Amans. As well as all villas having their own infinity pools the resort also boasts a stunning main pool, which I hardly ever saw anyone use. As in most Amans you often feel like you are the only guest in the whole resort , even when at full capacity. One of the highlights was the library perched on top of a 3 floor tower for afternoon drinks and watching the sun set with my favourite cocktail in hand.
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Amanruya also hosts a beach club strictly for hotel residents a 5 minute drive or a leisurely 20 minute walk away through the pine forest. Non-motorised water sports are available and a casual restaurant nestles in between the pine trees overlooking the turquoise sea offering fresh seafood and light meals. A choice of sun loungers is available on the pebble beach or the pontoon perched on top of the mediterranean.
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Several excursions are available and I opted to take the Aman boat, modelled after a traditional Riva, for a half a day tour of snorkeling and lunch. The boat came manned by a captain and deckhand and lunch was provided on board to my earlier specifications. A truly wonderful way to spend the afternoon.
I would have no hesitations in returning to Amanruya, but if privacy was an issue I would ensure I would have one of the villas at the end of the blocks on a higher level.

Has anyone stayed at the MO yet? The suites look great.

Also FYI there's a new Starwood Luxury Collection hotel just now opened in Bodrum. Caresse, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa

Yes, stayed at MO last year and loved it. The suites are gorgeous and the food & service are very good indeed, especially when compared to Amanruya, which appears to have lost the plot.

One thing to consider with the MO is that none of the pools, except for the indoor pool, are heated. This includes the outdoor main pool(s) and any private pools. So, unless you are there during the core summer months (probably mid-June until mid-September), assume you will not have access to a usable outside pool (unless you like really cold pools).

Some of the private pools at Amanruya are heated (although the main pool is not).

Sounds fun! Were in Turkey 20 years ago in spring. An unheated outdoor pool is as useful as a fireplace in Dubai in August - you could even call it torture:D

Thanks for the info both. Although I'd argue that the unheated pool should still be good til the end of September. I had one on Crete during a not particularly hot last week of September and it was still very nice.

That said, the suites, service and food are more important than the pool to me. I've still not decided for late August. Maybe the MO, maybe the new Caresse, maybe Crete again, or somewhere completely different.

Any experience with Caresse?

Are MO & Amanruya prices going down with the recent events in Turkey?

I haven't made it to Bodrum yet. But what I've read about it suggests the region is a protected enclave and you can see on the map how far it is from Istanbul and more importantly eastern Turkey. So I would feel totally safe going there. Hopefully I'll find a week when the weather turns in Europe and pop over to visit both Caresse and the MO.

Not great timing for Canyon Ranch Kaplankaya to open. I wonder how it will do - http://www.canyonranchdestinations.com/kaplankaya/

Curious about this as well.

Edit: just checked, out of curiosity - prices seem pretty rich for both MO and Ruya.

I just checked Amanruya and Caresse for next spring. Prices so far are staying steady.

Talked to people who stayed recently in Turkey. They thought they didn´t mention anything while there. Nevertheless I wouldn´t go at the Moment and I guess prices will go down.

There's a new luxury resort in Bodrum, Turkey coming up in 2017:

Banyan Tree to Debut Resort in Bodrum

http://www.luxurytraveladvisor.com/t...t-bodrum-17599

-Interesting concept with 70 rooms incl. 14 spa suites with private pools
-incl. 40 standard rooms 30 super-sized "branded" suites
-the project also incl. private residences

Will the new Banyan Tree Resort Bodrum rival the MO or other? Only time will tell, while the "summerhouse concept" sounds fascinating.

Cheers & Safe Travels. ^

The success will be IMO related to the further development in Turkey. While this year many tourists already booked their Holidays without a realistic Chance to cancel before the newest Events, next year will be the acid test. If they aren´t able to charge steady (high) prices I doubt they will be able to develop something great or permanently keep the level high.

Amanruya was fantastic

Gets mixed reviews...., Unfortunately I will not check myself in the near future....

I doubt prices are going to go down, especially during high season. Bodrum is the premier vacation spot for the Turkish elite and they will keep MO and Aman busy during the summer.

MO is much better than Aman both as a property and location, Aman is a longer drive to the hot spots, but you need to drive in Bodrum to go anywhere so it won't matter that much. Still we are probably talking about the no 1 and no 2 hotels for beach vacation in Turkey so both are very good.

Bodrum is %100 safe, I can't remember any time in my life where there was a security issue there.

tcmb99, welcome to FlyerTalk. Thanks for your helpful information. Are you familiar with Caresse, the luxury Starwood property near Bodrum? Is it genuinely a luxury property? I like that it is closer to Bodrum.

thank you sandiego1k,

i am not familiar with the hotel, but i know the area well. to be honest i do not think you want to be closer to bodrum central. thats usually a rookie mistake by people visiting for the first time. it might be nice to walk around one night and see the castle, but it is not a place you want to go every day or night. the area around the hotel itself is not bad, but it is mostly residential, catering to people from Istanbul owning houses there.

these days the yalikavak marina, which is closest to MO, is the hottest area. it has the nicest shops and restaurants. most good nightlife is still in Turkbuku. good restaurants are mostly scattered alond the north and northwest side of the peninsula. gumusluk is also a great area to visit.

i go to bodrum one week every year, and probably spend a couple hours at most in bodrum city center.

at the end of the day whereever you decide to stay in, expect traffic during summer, and expect to drive or be driven. imho best time to go is early september. if you are not looking for a hot summer vacation, late spring will also be nice.

I think few places are 100 % safe. With Turkey at least from a German perspective it´s not so much a safety issue, many people simply don´t wonna stay in Erdoans country. They don´t agree with the political situation and don´t stay as a boycott.

This is really helpful. Thank you. We will be there in late spring 2017.

This is odd. I just checked the Amanruya calendar for 2017 and didn't find a single available date from now thru June when I stopped checking.

I had thought Bodrum luxury hotels might drop in price in 2017 but I didn't find that to be true, at least where I checked. Conversely, the Park Hyatt Istanbul is a remarkable 157 euros for dates in June.

Bodrum is seen as a safe place to visit. Istanbul less so.

I'm still perplexed about Amanruya having no availability from today going forward.

Could be an IT issue or res management issue. Maybe try ringing the hotel directly and speak to the res mgr.

either they are not open during off-season, or their online system does not accept early reservations.

you should contact management directly and book your room. depending on your dates in june, it will be eid holidays here in Turkey and all hotels will be booked during that week, but not now, you can probably find places at least until around May.

When does Ruya normally open for the season?

Finally took it upon myself to call Aman. As per Aman central reservations, Amanruya will be close the entirety of 2017.

Strange -- why?

No further details were forthcoming - does anyone on here (we have some well connected members) have additional information?

thanks aa213bb

MO's current seasons >

A apr
B may weekday / oct
C may weekend / jun / sep 5-30
D jun weekend
E jun 24 - sep 4

310 _415 _625 _835 1095 72m2 garden room
410 _515 _725 _935 1295 72m2 sea room
510 _615 _825 1035 1395 93m2 panoramic apartment
810 1015 1325 1635 2095 94m2 jr suite with pool

(villa rates not showing) makes amanruya look cheap

MO bodrum & MO marrakech have 2 spa suites
wonder if they have after hours access to spas