Last weekend, Thies and I were able to enjoy a few rays of sunshine in lower Bavaria – but unfortunately, summers in Germany come to an end rather quickly.
Without the sun and too much time spent sitting at my desk, I“™m known to get cabin fever quite quickly which made me all the more happy about the invitation to the 5 Star Design Hotel The Marmara Antalya. Turkey is honestly not my first choice when it comes to choosing countries I“™d like to travel to. But the design aspect of the hotel made me curious. And yes, you should generally always give things a second (or third) chance. Lo and behold, I was disabused and the long weekend on the Turkish Riviera was simply uber good!
The Marmara Hotel Antalya
We stayed in a part of the complex known as the „Revolving Loft“ – it has 24 rooms and rotates 360° around its own axis, so you have a panoramic view of the Mediterranean Sea and the peaks of the Taurus Mountains. I was lucky to have been housed on the eighth floor, and unlike my dudes on the floor below me, I had an unobstructed view of the water and the mountains.
Although the design of the Marmara Hotel Antalya didn“™t quite correspond with my minimalist taste, all of us agreed that the private bay, which was accessible by taking the elevator 6 floors down and landing inside of a rock, was absolutely insane. Once at the bottom, a 70-meter-long rock tunnel leads you directly to the private bay surrounded by the famous Falez Cliffs. I think the pictures in the gallery above speak for themselves.
We were absolutely spoiled in the spa which offers a traditional hammam for relaxing and for lather treatments. We also enjoyed a full body massage, which was sorely needed after a turbulent night.
Jeep safari through the region of Antalya
After looking at a few pictures from the gallery you must have surely thought „Where’s that!?“ And yes, I was amazed when, like in Croatia, I could drive a jeep all over and even in the void between rocks, in-between turtles and a turquoise (like Turkey) waterfall. With the off-roaders we could explore the region around Antalya and that was so very different from what I had imagined. Mathias and Thang were also amazed by the nature – and everything happening in our surroundings. Out in the sun, without any obstructions. And that right after breakfast!
The waterfall where we were able to refresh ourselves in what felt like 35 degrees, is called „Uçan Su“ or „Flying Water“ in English. Here, you can jump into a pool that looks like something out of a movie or go fishing on the other side. We put the work aside and celebrated a lush and delicious lunch of fresh fish, French fries, vegetables, bulgur, and so on. We really rejoiced like kids opening presents at Christmas. Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs again, but hey, it was a feast!
The Jeep Safari, including transfer, food and beverages (and possibly fishing) costs 100€ for 8-10 people and is highly recommended if you want to discover a completely different side of Turkey!
Nightlife in Antalya
One point on our program-sheet that initially alarmed me was Nightlife in Antalya: A visit to the nightclub „Jolly Joker“. The name alone already had a few bad movies playing in my head. And the additional „Live Music“ just added to my wild fantasies.
But I put aside my prejudices and quickly made room for a fun evening, among other things, with Thang and Mathias. Admittedly, the live music wasn“™t the best as expected, but we made the most of it; tables and glasses wiggled and I woke up the next morning with a huge grin and the following message from Mathias „Oh man, I feel like the building is turning here. Crazy!“ Haha. And for me, I let the world easily rotate for a few more hours before it was time to go back to Germany.
I was invited to this hotel, along with other journalists and bloggers, for research. This has not influenced our writing style and our honest opinion of the destinations and hotels we visited.
The Marmara Antalya
Sirinyali Mah. Lara 07160
Antalya
Türkei
