Hotel Review: The Bodrum Edition,...

A taste of luxury on the Turkish Riviera

Key selling points for travel agents:

Home to some of Türkiye's best restaurants
Private beach club on the Aegean coastline
Luxury spa with marble hammam
Close to Yalikavak Marina
A selection of Instagram-worthy pools
Part of Marriott's luxury portfolio

Overview: Built into the dazzling inclines of the Aegean coastline on the Turkish Riviera, Marriott's The Bodrum Edition blends minimalist glamour with Türkiye's natural beauty. Opening mid-April for the spring/summer season, it attracts well-heeled travellers, seeking quiet luxury. After arriving by chauffeur-driven transfer, I’m offered complementary Turkish ice cream, a suitably cooling welcome amenity, which I savour while admiring the interiors. Sheer drapes ripple like waterfalls from high ceilings in the gleaming white marble lobby. The hotel is a sanctuary – and the vista beyond the drapes is pure visual therapy.

Location: Nestled between quiet residential neighbourhoods lining the coast of Yalikavak, The Bodrum Edition is 50 minutes by car from Milas-Bodrum Airport. For those arriving by sea, a private marina ensures seamless docking for yachts. Popular new luxury development Yalikavak Marina, a haven for high-rollers, superyachts and designer boutiques, is 5km away. Major tourist attractions, the historic Bodrum Castle and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, are around a 30-minute drive away.

Rooms: Each of the 108 rooms, suites and villas are a study in refined simplicity. The palette, in shades of white sand beach with natural wood, is calming, and king-sized beds in high-thread-count linens induce peaceful sleep. Mornings begin with a Nespresso coffee. Spacious en suite bathrooms feature free-standing tubs, rainfall showers, twin vanity units and Le Labo toiletries. My Deluxe Sea View Room was blessed with a balcony furnished with a sun lounger, a table and pair of director’s chairs, but the view was somewhat obscured.

Private pool suites and two-bed villas are also available. The Presidential villa has its own pool and four bedrooms

Room amenities include branded flip-flops

Facilities: If you can drag yourself away from the private beach and stunning infinity pool, framed by plush sunbeds and hammocks, and boho fashion stalls, you can relax in the spa. The hammam is superb. The gym is equipped with state-of-the-art Technogym machines, and yoga sessions held in the lush gardens.

F&B: The Bodrum Edition is more than a hotel; it’s a dining destination with two restaurants – Kitchen and Brava – listed in Marriott's The Luminary Set, the hotel group's global portfolio of superior dining experiences.

Kitchen

One-Michelin-starred Kitchen, helmed by chef Osman Sezener, will make you fall in love with Turkish cuisine, from breakfast – featuring stuffed gözleme turnovers, menemen scrambled eggs, local cheese and artisan breads with creamy kaymak and honey – to dinner, where Sezener gets more experimental. Expect dishes such as Bodrum sea bream tartare with black caviar from Adana and Çeşme lemon sorbet.

Chef Osman Sezener

Brava by Stefano Ciotti brings refined and theatrically presented Italian dishes and cocktails to the table. His Shrimp in Colour is made rainbow like with basil mayo, lemon jelly and iodized almonds. The pasta courses are where Ciotti’s Italian roots truly shine. The homemade tortello stuffed with chicken is a masterpiece in a light tomato and sage butter sauce.

Stefano Ciotti's creation

For more casual – but no less enticing – fare, there’s breezy beachside Morena, relaxed by day and lively by night. A collaboration with Istanbul’s Michelin Bib Gourmand-winning Inari Omakase, the menu features nigiri, karage (deep-fried) chicken, and black tiger prawn tempura, alongside exotic salads, pide and pizza, and grills. The phrase “something for everyone” makes me grind my teeth, but I almost used it at this place.

The Bodrum Edition reopens for the summer season from 18 April 2025. Rates start from US$620 per room per night. For more information, visit www.editionhotels.com/bodrum

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