These Are The Very Best Hotels In Turkey

What is the most popular holiday destination according to Brits you ask? It's not Spain, it's not Greece, and it's not the Maldives either. According to a new study by travel platform for experiences Hellotickets, Turkey is the UK’s favourite holiday hotspot, receiving an average of 27,129 Google searches per month.

Nestled into the Bodrum peninsula’s northern shores, this vast 11.4 hectare resort really is within a world of its own. Launched in spring 2024, the modern Turkish hospitality brand's third property is already gaining traction as a luxury hotspot primed to deliver the elevated all-inclusive Bed & Breakfast ‘Maxx Inclusive’ concept. That concept invites guests to experience seven restaurants (all with a farm-to-table ethos with each menu showcasing the finest local and seasonal produce), eight bars dotted around the property, a state-of-the-art wellbeing centre, and six tiered tropical green pools, most of which cascade down plush hills that lead to the resort's main attraction: a private bay that extends out to the Aegean sea, where you can call on cocktails, fresh pizza and gourmet ice cream, if you so please.

Speaking of, the resort's Twenty4 restaurant never closes and is perfect for all manner of snacking at any point of your stay. While the restaurant's international and Russian cuisine is brilliant, I took to Spago by Wolfgang Puck where filet mignon and black pepper shrimp are served to perfection. Likewise, The Maine restaurant provides the hotel's only panoramic views and live musical performances – expect acoustic Cuban sounds to set the vibe of the night and the fried chicken topped with caviar to blow your mind. For post-beach afternoons, the Maxx Resort's only sushi bar Maguro is somewhat a hidden gem right on the water and serves the best salmon topped rolls I've ever had.

If a rustic and remote adventure is more your MO, Cook’s Club Adakoy is an ideal retreat. Having opened its doors in 2019, the adult-only beachfront hotel consciously curates a unique experience that fuses its destination's culture (there are 10 worldwide sites), with local and international influences, which are perfectly suited to its diversity of visitors – it is a clear favourite among Brits and young people intent on slowing things down.

Tucked away on the Adakoy peninsula, the journey to reach it requires a drive through the south coast's rugged mountain landscape or a boat ride. But the trek is worth it. Once you arrive you'll find an oasis-like hotel perched on a bay that feels untouched by excessive modernity, even though busy Marmaris is only a short 20 minutes away. The low-key feel of the place translates into how things are run: there are a range of timetabled activities listed on the Weekly Fun Programme which you can book haphazardly by signing your name with a pen on a group form at reception; the only on-site restaurant (The Cantina) functions like a self-service food court that offers both buffet dishes and made-to-order meals; the hotel's central feature is the pool where you can find most guests lounging around and taking in the sounds of DJs setting the soundscape of the day – though it's worth noting the club-feel gets going before midday.

As far as idyllic landscapes go, D-Resort Göcek takes the whole cake. Encaved by lush green mountain tops and the clear, warm waters of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, this boutique concept hotel is an oasis within its own. You'll find its 14 different styles of rooms winding down carefully curated waterways, gardens with growing shrubs from all over the world and pathways canopied by palm trees, which will instantly put you at ease.

This is where nature and a bustling seaside town fashioned by the countryside and hundreds of small bays and islands, collide. And the resort wants you to embrace it. While it readily caters to your every need, D-Resort Göcek's unique composition encourages visitors to venture out, so much so the hotel general manager describes the property as a B&B where guests can come and go as they please. It's probably why you'll find only one restaurant on site, Olives Restaurant which serves up the distinct flavours of Turkish cuisine, the others are a buggy or bike ride away (the hotel provides both). D'Breeze restaurant is located on the resort's private beach, D-Resort Beach, and provides a perfect blend of authentic, local Aegean flavours with Greek cuisines – expect fresh fish, seafood, and locally produced dishes (ergo the best sea bass I've had). If Japanese Peruvian is what you crave, look to Q Lounge, which might be hard to spot with it being submerged within the dark pine forests on the hilltops of Göcek Bay. There, you can enjoy fresh cut sashimi, handmade sushi rolls and Robata grill dishes, alongside twists such as ceviche and zucchini blossoms with shrimp, all while soaking up some of the best views Turkey has to offer.

Need an escape from the hustle and bustle Istanbul? Look no further than Vakko Hotel & Residence. Located in the heart of Nişantaşı, the fashion district of Istanbul, this luxury boutique hotel is the first of its kind from Vakko, Turkey’s leading luxury heritage fashion, goods and lifestyle brand established in 1934. The sartorial element of the hotel runs deep, so much so it is sat in an elegant building above the Vakko flagship store and original Vakko L’Atelier, where guests can waltz through handmade patisseries and artisan chocolates, as well as the brand's latest collections. Unsurprisingly, the hotel's niche centres on its exclusive fashion-focused experiences and personalised services, which range from made to measure tailoring services with Vakko tailors to in-room personal shopping with Vakko stylists.

Each of the 31 suites situated at the property are incredibly spacious – expect a large walk-in wardrobe, a living room with a dining area, a fully equipped kitchen, a luxurious marble bathroom with rain showers, and floor-to-ceiling soundproof windows to block out the sounds of that hustle and bustle mentioned earlier. Sumptuously stylish in the best way, a lot of care has gone into the interiors of each suite (obviously), which boasts an instantly soothing soft colour palette of earthy green, cream, bronze and black, as well as monochrome photographs and soft furnishings from Vakko Home that make for an Instagramable moment. Outside of the suites, there is an all-day bistro-style restaurant serving modern French cuisine with international flavours, as well as a wellness and fitness facility, the Sanitas Spa & Wellness, which delivers the kind of massages that will quickly remedy the pains of all the incline walking you're guaranteed to endure in Istanbul.