Hotel Review: Kerme Ottoman Palace Akyaka
Between the large resorts of Bodrum and Marmaris lies a small village-like resort deep in a protected bay that really is not on the radar of most international tourists: Akyaka. It is yet another “Slow City” on Turkey’s Aegean Coast and a beautiful stop for a night, a few days… or a whole holiday!
We spent a night there on our Izmir to Antalya Turkish Aegean Coast Roadtrip and loved it, and had it now been somewhat cool November, we may well have spent a bit of time on the beach there. I found this really interesting hotel online and, intrigues but its traditional decoration and keen pricing, booked us a night there. It is very much Konak on Steroids, but really comfy and very, very Turkish – all embellishments and faux antique style.
Table of Contents
The Hotel
Built in the same pretty mid-size style as its neighbours, the Kerme Ottoman Palace is a showcase of traditional woodwork, tiling and Ottoman-style decoration. It’s quite lavish and maybe a tad much to the Central European eye, but pretty nonetheless. Just don’t expect it to be in any Hip Hotels book any time soon. The rooms go off a large airy atrium with lots of lounging areas. When we stayed there in late October, it was quite empty and very quiet.
We were welcomed warmly and professionally, and apart from checking in and out, we did not receive much service as we only spent time in the hotel to sleep (really well) then moved ont he next morning.
Kerme Ottoman has three traditional properties – two in Akyaka and one in Alacati – another sweet laid-back resorts mostly for Turkish visitors.
Location of the Kerme Ottoman Palace Hotel
The hotel is located by a river just outside the centre of Akyaka, a small fishing village in a deep bay on the Aegean coast, about 20km from the city (and provincial capital ) of Mugla. Just a tiny zigzagging road leads there, The village centre is all cutesy villages and restaurants, and the rather modern developments around the centre are in a pleasing traditional style.
The hotel is on a residential road with plenty of parking, To the back of a hotel is a pretty clear river, and boating on the river is one of the many activities in Akyaka.
Our Room at the Kerme Ottoman Palace
We had a standard double, decorated in warm tones. It was certainly very comfortable and quiet. The finishes were not what I would call high-end. You see the laminate separating in the picture, and a couple of times in the otherwise very nice bathroom started to come off. This is nothing that bothered me as a hotel guest, because everything was working how it should and the bed was really comfortable to sleep in, but again, it might not win any style awards.
Facilities
Special Treats
While the breakfast at the hotel was not great, we found some great dining options on Akyaka. Okay, basically we fell for the humble fish sandwich. It is done extremely well in a place called Sandal on the main restaurant street (Karanfil Sokak). Salad, two very fresh and tasty fish sandwiches and soft drinks for about 4 Euro.
You will also find some really nice outdoor riverside restaurants between Karanfil Street and the hotel. Most appear to serve alcohol although alcohol is certainly not playing a big role here like in bigger resorts or the centre of Istanbul. The food is mostly Turkish with lots of fish and seafood but also meats and a range of vegetarian dishes.
The most pleasant thing is that Akyaka is surrounded by nature and forests. You can walk or boat along the pretty river, or sit int he hotels back yard and overlook the river. Akyaka also has a small sandy beach. It is a Blue Flag Beach but is probably one of the more modest beaches. A few outlets in towns offer boat excursions to beaches and coves accessible by boat only – and here you are unlikely to be taken with a few hundred other people in a fake pirate ship but small possibly private boats.
Why stay at the Kerme Ottoman Palace Akyaka?
The package is just right – small town resort with some leisure activities, beautiful nature, and a lovely traditional hotel. You are relatively unlikely to see many international tourists if you like that sort of thing. It’s a leisurely 500m walk to the beach along the river.
However – there are many very similar properties in the area charging between 35 and 80 Euros for Ottoman-style splendour.
Hotel Details
Address: Kerme Ottoman Koyuncu Sk. No:32, Akyaka, 48650 Ula/Muğla, Turkey
Telephone: +90 252 243 59 01
Hotel Website: http://www.kermeottoman.com.tr
Normally I use Booking.com for my hotel reservations. However, please be aware that once in Turkey, you may be unable to make new bookings on this site unless you have a Virtual Private Network. You can access and amend existing bookings. I recommend you book in advance, and should an plans change, you will always have an option of a free cancellation with Booking.com.
You can find rooms for about 30-40 Euro per night. Unless you travel in high season of July and August, rooms are an absolute steal at less than 40 Euro per nicht including breakfast.
Further Reading
We travelled with an older edition of the Lonely Planet Turkey. In retrospect, I wish I had bought the Rough Guide to Turkey, but the current issue is 2016, meaning the content is about five years old. However – if you just need an Istanbul Guide, Rough Guides has an up-to-date Istanbul Guide!
I also read “Midnight at the Pera Palace”, an account of the history of the Turkish Republic. Although dry in places and not just about Istanbul or the Pera Palace, it’s a fairly easy read about the foundation of Modern Turkey.
Disclosure: This trip was entirely self funded. I will only review and recommend places that I have stayed in myself or that I have at least visited. You can trust me for the whole, unbiased truth. I have received no monetary or non-monetary rewards for linking aside from some affiliate links. In this case, this post contains some affiliate links to Booking.com. This means that I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you book through the affiliate links. More details on my affiliate link policy are here.
