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- A Look At Lufthansa Lounges In The Coronavirus Era
- Logistics Of International Travel During Coronavirus
- Visiting Bodrum, Turkey: Coronavirus Impressions
- 6 Reasons I Loved Bodrum, Turkey
- Review: The Bodrum EDITION Hotel
- Review: Caresse Bodrum, Luxury Collection Hotel
- Review: Amanruya Bodrum, Turkey
- Review: New SWISS A340 Business Class
- Clearing US Immigration When Arriving From “Travel Ban” Country: My Experience
Want to take advantage of Marriott STARS benefits, including a space available room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked. This is valid for paid stays at BVLGARI, EDITION, Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, and St. Regis.
Not only did I love Bodrum, but I also particularly enjoyed the Bodrum EDITION, which is now easily one of my favorite Marriott-family properties in the world. This was on balance our favorite hotel we stayed at in Bodrum, and yes, that even includes Amanruya.
In this post:
Booking the EDITION Bodrum
I booked the Bodrum EDITION using points. The hotel is a Category 7 Marriott property, and for our nights a stay cost 60,000 Bonvoy points per night. Marriott offers a fifth night free when redeeming points, meaning that in increments of five nights we were paying an average of 48,000 points per night.
For context, I value Bonvoy points at ~0.7 cents each, so to me, that’s like paying ~$336 per night.
As a point of comparison, paid rates here can get really steep. For example, for our nights the paid rate would have been 1,121EUR (~1,330USD) per night, and this is pretty normal in the second half of July and August.
Meanwhile if you come later in the season, like in October, rates are a quarter as much.
It’s normal to see rates fluctuate so much in seasonal resorts, and in the case of the Bodrum EDITION, it’s my understanding that the hotel has quickly turned into one of Turkey’s hottest hotels, which would explain how they’re able to charge that much while still running near 100% occupancy.
I even got a great deal on incidentals, since a few months back I bought Marriott gift cards for 20% off, so I could use those to pay for the things we paid for on-property.
How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points
In addition to earning Bonvoy points through actual stays, there are lots of ways to earn Marriott points with co-branded US credit cards:
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
Marriott often also sells Bonvoy points at a discount, which could be a good opportunity as well.
Get extra perks on cash stays
If you’re booking a paid stay at the Bodrum EDITION, I’d recommend booking through the Marriott STARS program. This would get you perks like a room upgrade subject to availability, a $100 food & beverage credit, and more. You’ll pay the same as whatever the flexible rate is at the hotel.
If you need help with a Marriott STARS booking you can reach out to Ford, as he’d be happy to help with these requests. You can contact him at [email protected].
The incredible people of the Bodrum EDITION
Now let’s get into the actual review of the Bodrum EDITION, and what makes this hotel so great.
Usually when I review hotels I write a bit about service at the end. In the case of the EDITION, I think that would be doing a disservice to the hotel. Don’t get me wrong, the hotel is gorgeous and awesome, but it’s the people that really make this place so special.
I don’t know how the EDITION hired so well, but virtually everyone we interacted with at this hotel was professional, seemed like they actually enjoyed their job, and had personality.
In virtually every function, the people exhibited the best of Turkish hospitality and then some. I’ll try to highlight some specific examples below, but if you go here you won’t be disappointed by the service.
We stayed at the EDITION twice while in Bodrum, as we split up our stay with four nights at Amanruya. I can’t even begin to say the contrast in service between the two properties. Sure, Amanruya had reasonably polished and personalized service (as you’d expect from an Aman), but they lacked the charm and personality of the staff at the EDITION.
Not only was service top notch, but the staff at the EDITION also had the best employee mask compliance I’ve seen at any business since the pandemic started. All staff members were consistently wearing masks correctly. I wrote in a previous post about general coronavirus precautions in Bodrum, and below I’ll continue to highlight precautions I noticed as we go along…
Bodrum EDITION location
The Bodrum EDITION is near the north center of the Bodrum peninsula. It’s about a 50-minute drive from the airport, and about a 30-minute drive from the town of Bodrum.
However, in practice there are lots of great restaurants and attractions just a short drive from the hotel, and the popular Yalikavak Marina (which has all kinds of high end shops and restaurants) is only about a five minute drive from the hotel.
Unlike so many other seasonal resort towns, the taxi situation in Bodrum was great — drivers were honest (always going by the meter), knowledgable about where things are, and taxis are also affordable.
Bodrum EDITION check-in
When we arrived at the EDITION our temperatures were taken (as was the case every time we returned to the hotel). The EDITION is built into a hill, and the reception area is on street level, with the rest of the resort being below it. In reality you’d only really visit up here when arriving or departing the hotel, since there’s not much else going on.
The lobby is bright and airy, and has plenty of seating (and a lot of pillows, as you may notice).
Bodrum EDITION lobby
Just outside the lobby is some outdoor seating with a great view overlooking the entire resort.
Bodrum EDITION area outside lobby
Bodrum EDITION view from lobby
We were checked in within minutes, and had the chance to meet Ali, the guest relations manager, and Jovana, the director of rooms. They were both lovely, and we saw them around the property several times throughout our stay, as they’re quite hands-on.
Ali brought us to our room — the EDITION’s 108 guest rooms are probably in about a dozen different buildings, and all those buildings are connected by outdoor paths and stairs. You can always request a golf cart, though walking was a nice way to get a bit of cardio in.
Bodrum EDITION hotel walkways
Bodrum EDITION property
Bodrum EDITION Premier Sea View room
We had booked a base room with points, and thanks to my Bonvoy Titanium status we were upgraded to a Premier Sea View room. We were assigned room 1225, located roughly in the center of the resort (so it was about equally far from the beach as from reception).
Hotel hallway Bodrum EDITION
I’m used to tiny rooms at seasonal Aegean resorts (for example, last summer I stayed at Santa Marina in Mykonos, which I liked, but the rooms are tiny), so I was blown away by the size of this room, and this wasn’t even a suite.
Our room had a long entryway with a closet area to the left, and then the bathroom beyond that, before eventually leading into the rest of the room.
Premier Sea View room entryway Bodrum EDITION
I’m a fan of EDITION’s approach towards room design — rooms feel luxurious and not cluttered, which is such a contrast to so many hotel groups that over furnish their rooms.
In terms of square footage our room was larger than a junior suite at most hotels.
Premier Sea View room Bodrum EDITION
Premier Sea View room Bodrum EDITION
The room had an extremely comfortable king size bed, with plush bedding.
Premier Sea View room bed Bodrum EDITION
Next to that was a sitting area with a loveseat and two chairs.
Premier Sea View room living area Bodrum EDITION
Then there was also a desk with a chair (and a welcome amenity consisting of a bottle of rose).
Premier Sea View room desk Bodrum EDITION
Oh, and I can’t forget 2020’s new hottest hotel welcome amenity, consisting of hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, and masks. 😉
Coronavirus kit Bodrum EDITION
The bathroom was also massive, with double sinks, a soaking tub, a walk-in shower, and a toilet.
Premier Sea View room bathroom Bodrum EDITION
Premier Sea View room bathtub Bodrum EDITION
Premier Sea View room toilet Bodrum EDITION
Premier Sea View room shower Bodrum EDITION
As is the norm at EDITIONs, toiletries were Le Labo branded.
Le Labo toiletries Bodrum EDITION
Then back near the entrance was a lot of closet space, along with the minibar and Nespresso machine.
Premier Sea View room closets Bodrum EDITION
Premier Sea View room minibar Bodrum EDITION
Premier Sea View room minibar Bodrum EDITION
The highlight of the room, though, was the balcony. It’s almost like the columns created a picture frame for this gorgeous view.
Premier Sea View room view Bodrum EDITION
The balcony had a dining table with three chairs, along with two loungers.
Premier Sea View room patio Bodrum EDITION
Premier Sea View room patio Bodrum EDITION
Premier Sea View room patio Bodrum EDITION
I loved getting some work done from the balcony — talk about an office with a view!
Premier Sea View room view Bodrum EDITION
Wifi in the room (and throughout the property, for that matter) was fast and free.
Bodrum EDITION amenities
Now let’s talk a bit about the amenities at the EDITION, from the pool, to the beach, to the gym, to the spa.
Bodrum EDITION pool
The EDITION’s infinity pool is located one level above the beach area, which spreads people out a bit, since some people prefer the pool, while others prefer the beach.
EDITION Bodrum pool
EDITION Bodrum pool
EDITION Bodrum pool
EDITION Bodrum pool
Bodrum EDITION beach
Even though I’m usually a pool guy (at least when the choice is between a beach and a pool), in this case I preferred hanging out at the beach because it was closer to the music (there was a DJ during the day), and also the people watching at the beach was amazing on so many levels.
EDITION Bodrum beach
Hotel guests can get lounge chairs on a first come first served basis. There are chairs lined up in rows along the beach, and there’s also a deck to the side of the beach where you can sit.
As someone who goes from white to lobster-colored in five minutes flat, we sought out seating under the tree at the far end of the beach, which allowed us to be in the shade all day.
EDITION Bodrum beach
EDITION Bodrum beach
Bodrum EDITION beach area
The hotel also has a dock with some overwater cabanas, which can be rented by the day. They come with service and some added amenities as well, though aren’t cheap.
EDITION Bodrum cabanas
EDITION Bodrum cabanas
EDITION Bodrum beach
Service at the beach was attentive, and you could order food and drinks there. Heck, they even came around with free shots sometimes.
EDITION Bodrum shots
Speaking of music in Turkey, I’ve been obsessed with this song from a Turkish DJ that I heard at the beach:
Bodrum EDITION gym
The EDITION has what’s easily one of the most well-equipped gyms I’ve seen at a resort. Obviously in the coronavirus era protocols changed here. If you want to use the gym you need to make an appointment, as they limit the gym to being used by three guests at a time (and there’s a full-time trainer there to enforce that, and also to disinfect equipment).
EDITION Bodrum gym
EDITION Bodrum gym
EDITION Bodrum gym
Bodrum EDITION spa
The EDITION has a spa complex with eight treatment rooms (most are indoors, but there’s also an outdoor cabana where you can get treatments), a Turkish hammam, a steam room, sauna, and salt room, along with all kinds of other amenities. The spa was top-notch, though we didn’t end up using any of the indoor facilities.
EDITION Bodrum spa
EDITION Bodrum spa
EDITION Bodrum sauna
EDITION Bodrum salt room
EDITION Bodrum outdoor spa
To give a sense of pricing, 60-minute massages cost around 600TL, or ~80USD. I’d say that’s a reasonable price at a luxury resort if you’re looking at it in USD.
Bodrum EDITION water activities
The hotel has an area where you can rent everything from boats to jet skis if that’s your thing.
You can rent jet skis at the Bodrum EDITION
Dining at Bodrum EDITION
The Bodrum EDITION has several dining options, which I’ll go through below. Just to briefly summarize:
- Kitchen is the hotel’s restaurant where breakfast is served from 8 AM until 12 PM daily, though it’s closed the rest of the day
- Morena is the hotel’s primary lunch & dinner restaurant, and it’s open daily from 12 PM until 11 PM, and it’s at the beach
- The Beach Club is open daily from 10 AM until 10 PM, and it’s essentially the bar area of Morena, and where the drinks come from if you order something while at the beach
- Brava is the hotel’s signature restaurant, though it was closed when we were there; however, the restaurant has reopened on July 28
- There’s room service 24/7
Prices at all outlets included the 10% VAT, and the only additional charge was a 13% service charge. Note that there was no option to leave a further tip, so this isn’t like resorts in Mexico, where menu prices end up being a fraction of the final cost (between the high VAT, service charge, and option to leave an additional tip).
Brava Restaurant (which was closed when we were there)
Breakfast at Kitchen
All room rates at the EDITION Bodrum include breakfast. Keep in mind that EDITION is typically one of the brands where Bonvoy elite members don’t receive free breakfast, though that’s not an issue at this hotel. Yay to not having to pay for breakfast at an EDITION!
Kitchen at the EDITION is such a cute restaurant. There’s some indoor seating, though there’s also a huge terrace with plenty of seating overlooking the resort and sea in the distance. We never had an issue getting a great table outside.
Kitchen Restaurant Bodrum EDITION
Kitchen Restaurant Bodrum EDITION
Kitchen Restaurant Bodrum EDITION
The breakfast menu read as follows:
I loved the breakfast at this hotel, and to say that it was a feast would be the understatement of the year. For one, they had an incredible selection of drinks, from legitimately good cappuccinos to delicious iced lattes, to fresh-pressed juices, to Element Juices.
Bodrum EDITION breakfast — drinks
Bodrum EDITION breakfast — drinks
Bodrum EDITION breakfast — drinks
Every morning breakfast began with a traditional Turkish selection, including cheese, veggies, fresh fruit, delicious honey with cream (just what the doctor ordered), and a selection of bread and pastries. Nom nom nom.
Bodrum EDITION breakfast — Turkish breakfast
In addition to that, there was a menu you could order off of, and throughout our stay, we worked our way through most of this. My favorite was the menemen (basically scrambled eggs with tomato), while Ford loved the fried sucuk.
Bodrum EDITION breakfast — menemen
Bodrum EDITION breakfast — fried sucuk
The oatmeal and the yogurt and granola were excellent as well.
Bodrum EDITION breakfast — Turkish oatmeal
Bodrum EDITION breakfast — homemade granola bowl
There was never anything to sign for at breakfast — everything was included, and you could order as much as you wanted.
Lunch at Morena
Morena is the hotel’s lunch and dinner restaurant, and it’s entirely outdoors, with plenty of seating.
Morena Restaurant Bodrum EDITION
Morena Restaurant Bodrum EDITION
Morena Restaurant Bodrum EDITION
We had lunch here several days. The menu read as follows (for context, one US Dollar is around 7.3 Turkish Lira):
On weekends there was an additional menu:
Meals always began with some focaccia and olive oil.
Morena lunch — bread
Over the course of our stay we tried the hummus trio, fish tacos, patatas bravas, baked cauliflower, and shish tawook.
Morena lunch — hummus, fish tacos, and patatas bravas
Morena lunch — baked cauliflower
Morena lunch — shish tawook
I have nothing but good things to say about the food at the hotel. In particular, I loved the contrast of the hummus trio, as one was traditional, one was spicy, and one was sweet (with honey).
On weekends they had pide and lahmacun, so I’d highly recommend ordering those.
Morena lunch — lahmacun
The desserts were also excellent, and in particular, the espresso martini ice cream was great. Yep, it’s ice cream with alcohol. Here in Miami, we have a place that’s essentially themed to be a bar and just sells ice cream with alcohol. It’s a super cool concept, but I’ve never understood the economics…
Espresso martini ice cream
Drinks at Beach Club
Beach Club at the EDITION is right between Morena and the beach, and this place gets busy. There are some couches here that have great views, so our strategy was usually to grab one of these at around noon for a couple of hours since we beat the rush that way.
Beach Club Bodrum EDITION
Beach Club Bodrum EDITION
Morena and Beach Club have slightly different menus, though you can order anything from either place. The Beach Club menu read as follows:
One of the awesome things about drinking at the EDITION is that you can order anything in a glass, pitcher, or fiesta (basically a double pitcher). We may or may not have made a daily habit of ordering a pitcher of cocktails as the clock struck noon… all in the name of research, of course. 😉
I highly recommend the Flamingo Collins and Timeless Elixir… those were our favorites. And frankly at ~45USD for a pitcher, I thought the price wasn’t half bad, because the pitcher had a minimum of four drinks with generous pours.
Bodrum EDITION cocktails
But frankly, all the cocktails at the EDITION were excellent…
Bodrum EDITION cocktails
If sitting around and drinking isn’t your thing, you can always draw and drink. The EDITION has an outdoor art area, and you can try your hand at painting while drinking, as one does.
Bodrum EDITION outdoor art
Room service
We had room service at the hotel one evening (every other night we went out as the restaurants in Bodrum were incredible). The menu was similar to the menu at Morena. We had the guacamole and totopos, falafel wrap, and chicken salad.
Bodrum EDITION room service
What are the guest demographics like?
In case anyone is curious about the general guest demographics here, especially given the unusual time right now:
- A vast majority of guests at the hotel were Turkish (it’s my understanding that in past years a majority of guests were foreigners, so this is a first)
- As an introvert who just loves observing people, the people watching at this hotel was almost unrivaled; I felt like I was transported into a totally different world
- I was surprised by how few kids there were; while kids are welcome, this very much seems more like an adult-oriented hotel, so that’s something to keep in mind (I don’t believe there’s a club for kids, a special kids pool, etc.)
- Bodrum is largely a weekend getaway for domestic travelers, so the hotel does get much busier on weekends than weekdays
- While the hotel does have a party vibe, I felt like they took appropriate precautions and that all guests were respectful/mindful of others and their personal space in light of coronavirus
Bottom line
I loved the Bodrum EDITION, and Bodrum on the whole, for that matter. This is a top-notch hotel, with an incredible staff, nice rooms, and great amenities.
I’m usually not someone who likes going back to the same place, because I’d rather visit somewhere new. However, I’ll make an exception for Bodrum, and for this hotel. This reminds me, I should already make a speculative booking for next summer using points, given what a great value this place is when redeeming.
I’d highly recommend putting Bodrum on your list for when you feel comfortable traveling again. I was impressed by the precautions the hotel was taking, though at the same time there are a lot of logistical challenges associated with international travel right now.
If you’ve stayed at the Bodrum EDITION, what was your experience like? Anyone considering a visit to the hotel?
Hey Lucky,
Question - before you posted this review, did you get it approved by the hotel's brand team? Or do you ever do that for any of your reviews?
Seem no more Elite perks like breakfast.
The policy changed and this review is no more accurate unfortunately.
Just got back from a 5-night stay award stay.
Quick update on breakfast at the hotel, since this question has come up here and elsewhere. They indicated at check in that breakfast was not included because we were there on an award stay. BUT, they said, because I have platinum status, we could choose between daily free breakfast or 1,000 Bonvoy pt gift. Easy choice, and they ended up giving us the 1,000 Bonvoy pts too.
Your new format doesn't work for me. Along with your pop-up adds at the bottom. I out of here.
We just checked in after booking fairly last minute thanks to your review and we got your exact room! Hopefully that’s a good sign.
I'd strongly recommend revising your suggestion to use Marriott gift cards for on-property purchases. I almost did this last week, having taken part in some of the recent sales, but I first asked about the exchange rate, which was about 16% lower than the official rate. This actually seems works out well in terms of rewards earned, since the Lira-denominated bill gets converted to dollars at their rate to determine how many points you earn....
I'd strongly recommend revising your suggestion to use Marriott gift cards for on-property purchases. I almost did this last week, having taken part in some of the recent sales, but I first asked about the exchange rate, which was about 16% lower than the official rate. This actually seems works out well in terms of rewards earned, since the Lira-denominated bill gets converted to dollars at their rate to determine how many points you earn. But much better to use a US-credit card if you can and process the transaction in Lira.
Great insights! Will you be reviewing the Aman?
@Matt I agree with you about the Mandarin Oriental. It's on a totally different level than The Edition! I hope Lucky checked-it out. I would love to hear his review.
@Dale We stayed at Reges in Cesme when it First opened last year.Beautiful Place,amazing scenery,Great people,a little windy.otherwise very reasonable.Hundreds of restaurants in nearby Towns.
p.s. Bodrum is not far from Cesme!
We just finished a weeks stay at the Reges in Cesme. If you are looking for a more economical option, I would recommend it.
Yes Please Go there!
seems like a lovely hotel, but when i look to go to a beach destination, the beach is the main priority, and the beach here looks just....fine. so i wouldnt race to come here, id rather go to mykonos!
Thanks for this review! It's nice to know that they have a decent amount of vegan options too!!!
@Ben, enticing review of the hotel and the locale generally. Our favorite Med locations so far have been Puglia and coastal Croatia. We are neither gen Y'ers nor looking for a party location. For instance, Mykonos is okay but we much prefer less party centric islands like Paros and Hydra. In Puglia we absolutely love the Borgo Egnazia and really appreciate the locale as most days we rented a car to visit charming close by...
@Ben, enticing review of the hotel and the locale generally. Our favorite Med locations so far have been Puglia and coastal Croatia. We are neither gen Y'ers nor looking for a party location. For instance, Mykonos is okay but we much prefer less party centric islands like Paros and Hydra. In Puglia we absolutely love the Borgo Egnazia and really appreciate the locale as most days we rented a car to visit charming close by hilltop and seaside communities. In Croatia we have done the same on Brach and Korcula and on the Istrian peninsula. We also fell in love with the Villa Dubrovnik on that trip. I tell you this to set the context for asking, if you know, how Bodrum compares to these locales.
And, fyi, my husband and I live in Fort Lauderdale and I empathize with your perspective on sunning! I literally burn just sitting in the shade on my deck from the reflective collateral exposure that seems to seep through. But the warm weather cannot be beat and we love the easy access to FLL.
Seems you like the Edition. Honestly I don't care for this brand. Most of my experiences there have been not good. The staff are snobby and rude and treat the customer poorly. They also do not offer many benefits that other Marriott properties offer. Basically it's a business decision because people will pay anyway, so they do not need to be as competitive as the others.
Good review. I wasn’t quite sure if points bookings included breakfast still or not. The website wasn’t clear as well as I think all paid rates mentioned it in the details of the room, but points did not. I skipped Bodrum this time. I was going to finally use my 60k certificates but Stefan convinced me via a WhatsApp group to save those for properties where location matters like in big cities where it’s all...
Good review. I wasn’t quite sure if points bookings included breakfast still or not. The website wasn’t clear as well as I think all paid rates mentioned it in the details of the room, but points did not. I skipped Bodrum this time. I was going to finally use my 60k certificates but Stefan convinced me via a WhatsApp group to save those for properties where location matters like in big cities where it’s all about location. I would have gone to the EDITION in a heartbeat if it was still 35k. That was a definite steal. I hope they keep the free breakfast.
Are you planning to review the new Hilton LXR there too? Was considering it too using my free night certs.
Ben, your commitment to corporate branding by capitalizing every reference to EDITION, even within the comments, is to be commended.
@Savour Faire - We're also going to be there in 2 weeks. Still looking for a good boat trip option, and also considering hiring a driver for a half-day trip to Ephesus, which looks incredible. We also booked ENT for dinner one night, which looks great.
LOL @ "As someone who goes from white to lobster-colored in five minutes flat"... how do you survive in Miami? I can't stay outside for more than 30 min in Orlando!
Btw, excellent review! I am guessing the food prices are in TKL and not in Euro.
@ KK13 -- Super easy, I just don't go outside in Miami. ;) I live here because it's a cosmopolitan city, has a generally warm climate (I hate cold weather), and I'm close to family, and not because I like going to the beach, or even outside, for that matter.
And yep, prices are in Turkish Lira. :)
The dreadful , discordant crap ‘music’ blaring on the beach would turn me off, and especially so at those insanely high prices. There’s a lot to be said for a tinkling piano, or discrete soft guitar: spare us the tuneless, meaningless ,shrieking drivel, DJ or not..
The prices are very expensive. Hardly inexpensive. Even more expensive than Mexico. I suspect you could save 50-70% on food and wine expenses if you stayed at a different hotel or in the next resort community.
@ Eddie -- You're right that in absolute terms the prices are high. And you could absolutely save money on food and drinks by staying at a different hotel (and for that matter, we had most of our meals outside the hotel). But I think no matter where you stay/what you do, there's always a cheaper option. When Tiffany and I went to Romania last fall, several people couldn't believe we spent $100 per night...
@ Eddie -- You're right that in absolute terms the prices are high. And you could absolutely save money on food and drinks by staying at a different hotel (and for that matter, we had most of our meals outside the hotel). But I think no matter where you stay/what you do, there's always a cheaper option. When Tiffany and I went to Romania last fall, several people couldn't believe we spent $100 per night for a hotel in Romania, when you could book a hotel for a quarter as much.
Ultimately I'm comparing the prices in Bodrum to other high-end summer destinations, whether we're talking about Mykonos, Porto Cervo, Saint Tropez, whatever. By comparison to those places, Bodrum was quite affordable.
Thanks for this - we’re there in two weeks time, flying the “luxury” of Club Europe! Having read this report I cannot wait. Any good out of resort restaurant recommendations you can share? And any boat trips out for a day?
@ Savour Faire -- I should have taken notes about all the restaurants we went to, but I forgot to. From memory, here are a few recommendations:
-- Melengeç Gümüşlük is probably the most "famous" and Instagrammable restaurant in Bodrum, though it's excellent as well, so I highly recommend it (it's a bit pricier than the other restaurants we went to)
-- Kahraman is an excellent fish restaurant just around the corner from...
@ Savour Faire -- I should have taken notes about all the restaurants we went to, but I forgot to. From memory, here are a few recommendations:
-- Melengeç Gümüşlük is probably the most "famous" and Instagrammable restaurant in Bodrum, though it's excellent as well, so I highly recommend it (it's a bit pricier than the other restaurants we went to)
-- Kahraman is an excellent fish restaurant just around the corner from the EDITION, with excellent food and views
-- Gonca Balik was also an excellent fish restaurant, and we went there while staying at Amanruya
-- Bistro Marina Neyzar was a great restaurant that had more than just seafood, and we ate here while staying at Caresse
We ate lots lots more places, and if I figure out any of the other names I'll report back. I should also admit that we went to Nusr-Et. They have a location in Miami that I visited once and didn't love, but I couldn't help but try one in Turkey. The Nusr-Et Bodrum is a tiny fraction of the price of one in Miami, but it was awful otherwise. That's the only restaurant we went to that I don't recommend.
Seems like a very nice, though expensive, hotel. I've been to Turkey many time, both for work and pleasure, and always enjoyed it. However, so far I never made it to Bodrum, since I'm not really a beach person, who spends the entire day on the beach. I really love to do a walk on the beach in the morning - so the nice but small hotel beach doesn't do the job, I'm afraid ... After that, I usually want to visit some places. I wonder what Bodrum has on offer?
@ Andy -- I'm not much of a beach person either, so I don't go on these trips with the intent of sitting on the beach all day. For me it's about having a leisurely breakfast, sitting on the balcony with a great view while working a bit, having some cocktails and drinks at the beach club, maybe sitting on a lounge chair at the beach for a couple of hours, going on a run,...
@ Andy -- I'm not much of a beach person either, so I don't go on these trips with the intent of sitting on the beach all day. For me it's about having a leisurely breakfast, sitting on the balcony with a great view while working a bit, having some cocktails and drinks at the beach club, maybe sitting on a lounge chair at the beach for a couple of hours, going on a run, going out to dinner, etc.
In addition to the town, Bodrum also has some great hiking. And if you're willing to drive a bit, there are also plenty of ruins and other historical sites.
I feel like even the low season 300 EUR per night is quite ridiculous for Turkey. I mean, if I want to pay that much for a beach resort holiday, I would rather stay in the EU and go to a 5 star Greek all-inclusive. And for 1000+ EUR per night? Ha. I mean, that is just ridiculous. Especially in a country like Turkey...
@ Grey -- Prices at luxury properties are never entirely rational (kind of like the cost of flights), but rather it comes down to supply and demand. The fact that the hotel is charging these prices while running near 100% occupancy suggests that just enough people find it to be worthwhile. And if you know of any Greek five star all inclusives for 300EUR per night, I'd love to hear about it!
Seems very similar to the Caresse in Bodrum. Absolutely stunning hotel with amazing food and wonderful service.
As a Plat, I was upgraded to a suite for my weeklong stay last summer. The views were absolutely breathtaking and I still think about them.
Guests there were mainly Turkish as well, and one family apparently sent their kids there on a yacht with their nannies (our kids hung out with them every day and that’s what...
Seems very similar to the Caresse in Bodrum. Absolutely stunning hotel with amazing food and wonderful service.
As a Plat, I was upgraded to a suite for my weeklong stay last summer. The views were absolutely breathtaking and I still think about them.
Guests there were mainly Turkish as well, and one family apparently sent their kids there on a yacht with their nannies (our kids hung out with them every day and that’s what the nanny told us).
We also saw some famous soccer players, and there was a Qatari royal sitting next to us for lunch, lovely gentleman.
Bodrum itself is an absolutely stunning city. We rented taxis and boats and everyone was honest and friendly and generally seemed to love their lives. Who wouldn’t, living there?
Great review with a ton of detail! Looks like you guys had a good time.
How would you think this stacks up against LXR at Bodrum?
@ Tahsin -- I didn't end up visiting the LXR, though was considering it. It's my understanding that it's the former Nikki Beach property. It looks nice as well, but I don't think it's quite to the level of the EDITION or Caresse.
What a treat to wake up to on a Sunday morning! I just returned from a few days in Hamilton Island and the rooms at the Reef View Hotel are not quite (at all) the same! Thanks for a wonderful review Ben, glad both yourself and Ford had an enjoyable visit to Bodrum.
We stayed at the Bodrum Edition in October and I agree! It was fabulous in all categories. Especially fab was the breakfast! I LIVED FOR IT day after day after day. Staff superb and the whole experience left us with life long fond memories. Beach music was not loud as I remember (in fact we asked them to turn it down once and they promptly did so). No DJ there either, just wonderful new age...
We stayed at the Bodrum Edition in October and I agree! It was fabulous in all categories. Especially fab was the breakfast! I LIVED FOR IT day after day after day. Staff superb and the whole experience left us with life long fond memories. Beach music was not loud as I remember (in fact we asked them to turn it down once and they promptly did so). No DJ there either, just wonderful new age etherial music which was truly enjoyable and relaxing. So from me, a solid "10" during our Bodrum Edition Marriott Redemption week. @Lucky, surprised your room did not have a private steam room? Especially with the upgrade you got. Surprised to find the top level rooms do not include one... We had one, it was an added amenity we never expected, but with that said, we did not have an ocean view category room like yours. If I had my choice, I would take your ocean view any day of the week over our luxurious garden view room w/private steam room.
Great review. I just finished several nights there while in Turkey, and while I echo all of Jules’s points, I would also say that these resorts treat single travelers a lot differently than couples or families.
I loved the food and accommodation, but the service and attention from the staff (except Ali who was great) seemed a bit lacking for me, a solo traveler.
I know you did a lot of solo flying back in...
Great review. I just finished several nights there while in Turkey, and while I echo all of Jules’s points, I would also say that these resorts treat single travelers a lot differently than couples or families.
I loved the food and accommodation, but the service and attention from the staff (except Ali who was great) seemed a bit lacking for me, a solo traveler.
I know you did a lot of solo flying back in the day and I don’t know if you would have gotten the same experience then as now going as a couple.
@Aaron, you can hold hands and no one would blink an eye if you kissed your bf or hugged him. There is a gay bar in downtown Bodrum as well.
Very nice review! Thank you,Love Turkish Hospitality.
Personally I was quite disappointed by the EDITION Barcelona. Style over substance, moderate service and the only place I used a particular credit card in Spain that got cloned the day after checkout. The tiny rooftop pool and bar is a ridiculous excuse of a facility. But it seems to appeal to the millennial audience!
What's so special about the people watching ? Loads of hot bikini babes at the beach?
Great review, sorely needed since the situation right now just doesn't make travel enjoyable, so you'll be my surrogate!
Hope people don't give Lucky such a hard time, this is literally business travel for him and he probably took precautions beyond 99.999% of the travelers out there. The only way he could've been more safe (minus Ford's snafu with his mask, which they already apologized for) is probably to wear full hazmat...
"In general Bodrum is about as liberal as Turkey gets, so at no point did I feel uncomfortable."
Ok, but...how comfortable is it? Comfortable enough to hold hands? The occasional PDA? Just to give people who would visit an idea of what is acceptable there...
We stayed at this hotel last summer and loved it. The service was top notch and we even went to far as to write the General Manger about 2 employees in particular that really went out of their way. Also, when we were there they served their fabulous breakfast until 4 pm. I guess that has changed.
This is a great review Lucky. I hope you also stayed at Mandarin Oriental in Bodrum. The vibe is different than Editio. Definitely more serene and luxurious. The staff there is also top notch. They were overbooked and upgraded me to an incredible suite with a private pool for one night. It was amazing but even their regular rooms were awesome.
I’m at the Edition Bodrum right now and while I agree with the majority of the review I would like to point out a few things that I think readers of this blog should be aware of:
1) all the “chakra cocktails” are premixed and poured directly out of a container into a serving glass and then garnished. This was really disappointing especially when paying ~$15 USD each. I don’t think it’s too much...
I’m at the Edition Bodrum right now and while I agree with the majority of the review I would like to point out a few things that I think readers of this blog should be aware of:
1) all the “chakra cocktails” are premixed and poured directly out of a container into a serving glass and then garnished. This was really disappointing especially when paying ~$15 USD each. I don’t think it’s too much to expect bartenders at a high end luxury hotel to be capable of making a fresh handcrafted cocktail.
2) securing a spot at the beach can be really difficult because the hotel allows the general public to pay for access to the lounge chairs as well as the cabanas. Hotel guests should be the priority and when at full capacity in August, the hotel desire to make incremental revenue it put ahead of the hotel guest experience.
3) while the people watching is certainly a highlight of staying at this hotel, be aware that it attract a certain type of demographic, including older Russian men with groups of of very young/barely legal girls.
We actually booked a stay at this property for early September, based in large part on your high praise. Had considered Istanbul as well, but ultimately decided it was too crowded. We found biz availability on Turkish from JFK via Aeroplan (we'll miss the usual food but don't mind saving our appetites for when we arrive). Excited that Brava is now open. Any other restaurant recommendations?
How was the water, good for swimming?
@ James S -- I'm not a huge fan of going in water (it's the shark's house, as far as I'm concerned), but Ford seemed to enjoy it. I will say that the bay near the EDITION can get a bit rough (if you're jet skiing), but the swimming area right by the EDITION seemed to be good.
Looks lovely... I’d love to go buy two things have to happen for me to even consider:
1. End of Covid
2. Regime change
So, guess I’ll never get to go because 2 ain’t happening anytime soon.
Is the hotel/area gay friendly?
@ Aaron -- I absolutely felt it was. In general Bodrum is about as liberal as Turkey gets, so at no point did I feel uncomfortable. Bodrum isn't Mykonos, though, depending on what you're looking for...
@ Lucky...Forgot to ask, but was your flight from Istanbul to Bodrum part of your award ticking? Also, have you stayed in Istanbul ever and reviewed any hotels there? Searched you site, but Istanbul as a search just showed lounge reviews and other posts. Trip to Turkey would likely include Istanbul. Obviously any other reader recommendations are also very much welcomed.
Great review.
@ EC2 -- I flew from Munich to Bodrum direct on Lufthansa, so skipped Istanbul altogether on this trip. I reviewed the Park Hyatt Istanbul many years ago, and hope to return to Istanbul soon. We would have gone on this trip, but given coronavirus I figured a resort area where it's easy to spend most time outside would be better than a city.
I am at the Bodrum Edition right now. I can only second your review, especially concerning the staff and the breakfast!
Their drink and food prices have gone up quite substantially since your visit a year ago, but then again the TL has been devalued in parallel.
If you decide to visit Istanbul next time, which we did the last five days, I strongly recommend the Bank hotel Istanbul, a Design Hotel associated...
I am at the Bodrum Edition right now. I can only second your review, especially concerning the staff and the breakfast!
Their drink and food prices have gone up quite substantially since your visit a year ago, but then again the TL has been devalued in parallel.
If you decide to visit Istanbul next time, which we did the last five days, I strongly recommend the Bank hotel Istanbul, a Design Hotel associated with Marriott. It is in a perfect location, has stylish and comfy rooms. And a breakfast that is just a few tiny notches below the Edition‘s.
Looks awesome. They can’t build these fast enough
Excellent review.Nice hotel.But with SO MANY good hotels in Bodrum.Stayed twice in one trip seems a little wast of the opportunity.
@ tuotuo -- Don't worry, there are more hotel reviews coming from Bodrum. But yeah, the fact that we returned here should give you a sense of how much we enjoyed it...
Looks really nice. Outside of the larger rooms, did you like Bodrum more than Mykonos?
@ Luis -- That's a tough question, and frankly it's probably tough to answer because I've only seen Bodrum in coronavirus times, so I'm not 100% sure that this was a fair reflection of how it usually is (though I hope it is). The Aegean in general is my favorite place in the world, so I have a hard time ranking different towns/islands.
In general I preferred the hospitality in Bodrum, as I found...
@ Luis -- That's a tough question, and frankly it's probably tough to answer because I've only seen Bodrum in coronavirus times, so I'm not 100% sure that this was a fair reflection of how it usually is (though I hope it is). The Aegean in general is my favorite place in the world, so I have a hard time ranking different towns/islands.
In general I preferred the hospitality in Bodrum, as I found people across the board to be friendly and honest. I also loved the hotel options. Beyond that, though, I'd say the vibe is a bit different in Bodrum vs. Mykonos, depending on what you're into.
Looks like a really nice property! I don't think I've seen it in the article or the others, but how long were you there ?
@ Clem -- I stayed twice, so about 10 night. :)
Wonderful review! I want to go there soon! I stayed at Edition Barcelona and loved it too.
@ R B -- The Barcelona EDITION is the next one on my list (along with the one in Shanghai, as well as the upcoming Tokyo and Reykjavik locations, when they open and I'm allowed in those countries).
I’ve wanted to stay here for a while and this looks really excellent. I am also a big fan of the EDITION brand, it has a heavily targeted demographic (design-led millennials / Gen X or similar) and seems to get a lot of criticism because either i) people stayed there that aren’t in the target market or ii) people have only stayed at the two terrible EDITION hotels in NYC that shouldn’t have been EDITIONs...
I’ve wanted to stay here for a while and this looks really excellent. I am also a big fan of the EDITION brand, it has a heavily targeted demographic (design-led millennials / Gen X or similar) and seems to get a lot of criticism because either i) people stayed there that aren’t in the target market or ii) people have only stayed at the two terrible EDITION hotels in NYC that shouldn’t have been EDITIONs in the first place. The Asian ones are great, Shanghai is a contender for me for best hotel in a city rammed with excellent hotels, for example.
@ Tom -- Well said about the EDITION brand. :)
After traveling to Sorrento, Nice, and Monaco in both summer and immediate shoulder season I do not see much reasons of going there especially if you are located in US. Beaches and cities are just too crowded. But we did enjoy Portopiccolo Sistiana in the end of September - not many people even though the weather was kind of bad - too much of rain. It looks like this year was the perfect time to...
After traveling to Sorrento, Nice, and Monaco in both summer and immediate shoulder season I do not see much reasons of going there especially if you are located in US. Beaches and cities are just too crowded. But we did enjoy Portopiccolo Sistiana in the end of September - not many people even though the weather was kind of bad - too much of rain. It looks like this year was the perfect time to visit Turkey in summer - not too crowded. Lucky, thank you for the review! Well done.
As a point of order I do not consider this leisure travel as this is what you do for a living. Very comfortable business travel, but business travel nonetheless.
My travel desires are looking at SE Asia and Japan, but this is on my short list. Always wanted to go to the Mediterranean Sea and only ever thought of Greece.
@ Lucky... One question. Is there good street food or is it mainly restaurants?
@ EC2 -- Thanks! Good question regarding street food. There were definitely some street food options in the actual town of Bodrum, but otherwise it seemed to mostly be restaurants, best I could tell.
Looks shockingly empty, even the beach photos.
@ ABC -- Hah, unfortunately it wasn't actually as empty as the pictures make it look. I just go out of my way to photograph hotels when there are few people out and about, in order to respect peoples' privacy. So that usually involves taking pictures at the crack of dawn.
Very nice review Ben! Lovely to hear that you had an enjoyable time in Turkey and that our Turkish hospitality made you feel at home :)
You had me until “DJ on the beach”
Selfish leisure travel is why we can't have nice things.