On a recent holiday to Turkey I was delighted - and felt very privileged - to have been invited to have a look and spend the day at the Mandarin Oriental in Bodrum with my family. Quite simply – WOW!!!!
It’s located on a 60 hectare waterfront site on the northern side of the Turkish peninsula, close to the charming waterfront village of Göltürkbükü and a 45 minute drive from Milas-Bodrum International Airport and 30 minutes from the centre of Bodrum. The panoramic views over the Aegean Sea are incredible. Built on a series of levels nestled in the resort’s landscaped hillside, surrounded by ancient olive groves and pine trees, the resort’s 109 guestrooms and suites provides the largest accommodation in the area, all with stunning sun-decks, terraces or balconies, and many with private gardens and infinity edged pools. The Spa is out of this world. There are two sandy beaches in this luxurious hideaway retreat. What is incredible about this resort is the size of the grounds considering there are only 109 bedrooms (you could seriously get lost!) - we were transported around by electric golf carts. You could seriously get lost!
We had a complete tour of the hotel – from the Cake Shop to the helipad! We saw a standard sea view room which starts from over £600 per night. Contemporary in style with everything and more that you would expect from Mandarin Oriental and taking full advantage of the resort’s outstanding vistas. It was huge and so stylish! I was more than impressed with the private sun-deck amongst other things; a bathroom overlooking the sea, the handy valet closets which allow guests to use the laundry and delivery services without being disrupted. Most of all the boys were impressed that Xboxes are available on request! Some rooms have their own private gardens and infinity edged pools.
We were spoilt for choice when it came to choosing where to have lunch. There are a selection of ten restaurants and bars. We chose The Olive Garden which serves delectable Turkish cuisine - an al fresco dining experience under the olive trees. We had probably the best Turkish mezze I have ever tasted.
After lunch we relaxed on the beach and admired the view of the super yachts in the bay and for sundowners our boys chose the beachside JuJu Bar @M2 Bar, as there was international DJ performing on its very spacious and stylish waterfront decks. It was such a fantastic atmosphere and we didn’t want to leave.
What more can I say but treat yourself – you will not be disappointed with this hotel – it really is one of the best beach resorts I have ever seen.
