The best hotels on the Turkish coast

published 10 July 2015

Jumeirah Bodrum Palace, Bodrum

The Jumeirah Bodrum Palace, situated in a tranquil spot in the Zeytinlikahve Cove on the Bodrum coast, reopened in May after a refurbishment and rebrand it was previously known as the Golden Savoy. It has 49 private pools and eight communal pools, all overlooking the Aegean Sea. The private villas are "steeped in luxury", says The Daily Telegraph. "The Royal Villa sleeps ten guests, has private indoor and outdoor pools and an exclusive-use Turkish hammam." Alternatively, you could check into one of the Maldivian Villas, which "have their own infinity pools, butler service and a private cabana on the beach" or really push the boat out and go for the most lavish villa, The Palace. It has six master bedrooms (and eight marble bathrooms), three floors, indoor and outdoor pools and its own pier.

Prices start from £400 (jumeirah.com).

Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum

"The sizzle of cicadas, the chink of ice in a glass, speedboats streaking across the water, these are the only sounds to distract from the soporific haze of a day on the Bodrum peninsula, playground to Istanbul's affluent," says Cond Nast Traveller. "The low-rise architecture might at first strike you as too discreet, bland even; not madly inventive. But wait a short while, unjangle from your journey, and it will reveal itself; the design is subtle and soothing." The rooms and suites are sophisticated and elegant and have "pretty views out across the vast blue Aegean". There are ten restaurants to choose from and the service, from the hotel's army of staff, is "impeccable".

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Prices start from £180 a night for a double room (mandarinoriental.com).

Brdbet Hotel, Brdbet

Get away from it all at this secluded gem on the south shore of the Gulf of Gkova. It is "set in subtropical woodlands, with lazing areas and hammocks round every corner", says The Sunday Times. "Airy, plantation-style rooms overlook a creek brimming with fish and turtles." The beach club, where you can relax on super-sized loungers, is just a ten-minute boat ride away.

Doubles cost from £114, half-board (bordubet.com.tr).

D-Hotel Maris, Data

This hotel is in a forest on the hillside of Turkey's Data peninsula. "Fly-and-flops don't come much better than the D-Hotel," says Annabelle Thorpe in The Times. There are five beaches to choose from reached by the hotel's shuttle boat where you can go kayaking and wakeboarding (basically water skiing on a snowboard). Six restaurants and a spa mean there's little need to venture beyond the gates. And the views over the Mediterranean are "sensational".

Doubles cost from £260, including breakfast (dhotel.com.tr).

Hotel Villa Mahal, Kalkan

This is a "sophisticated hotel that spills down a hillside towards a rocky shore furnished with swimming platforms and a restaurant", says Cond Nast Traveller. It has only 13 rooms, but all have views out over the bay.

Doubles from £145 (villamahal.com).

Maakizi, Bodrum

This hotel on the Bodrum peninsula (30 minutes from Bodrum airport) is a brilliant mix of glamour it's a popular destination for the Mediterranean's private yachts to drop anchor and old-school boho. "A tribe of feral cats wander the grounds, and traditional Turkish textiles give the rooms more personality than the standard boutique-hotel dcor," says Alexandra Fullerton in Stylist.

It is set on a hill above the rocky bay and has 53 rooms and 21 suites that overlook the Aegean. There is also a spa with luxury products and "acres of marbleas slick as any urban sanctuary". Maakizi is quite simply "magical".

Double rooms cost from £305 per night, including breakfast (macakizi.com).

Ruth Jackson-Kirby is a freelance personal finance journalist with 17 years’ experience, writing about everything from savings accounts and credit cards to pensions, property and pet insurance.

Ruth started her career at MoneyWeek after graduating with an MA from the University of St Andrews, and she continues to contribute regular articles to our personal finance section. After leaving MoneyWeek she went on to become deputy editor of Moneywise before becoming a freelance journalist.

Ruth writes regularly for national publications including The Sunday Times, The Times, The Mail on Sunday and Good Housekeeping, among many other titles both online and offline.