Kaunos Hotel

This hotel is in a stunning location, and every staff member we met was really friendly and helpful. We expected it to be a little tired and in need of some TLC, but it was worse than we expected. Paint flaking from the walls, grubby balcony, furniture very old, lack of power sockets, etc. There was more disappointment for us when we saw the pool. It is one of the first pictures you see when you view the hotel online, but when we got there, it was empty. This was late in May! They started filling it the day we left. We knew Köyceğiz was a small town with not much there aside from the beautiful kordon, so we had actually intended to stay one afternoon relaxing around the pool. Overall, I felt that, without the pool, the hotel was overpriced at nearly £70 per night. My 3 stars reflect the friendly staff, decent breakfast, and the location. With no pool or pool bar, the rate should have been, in my opinion, much cheaper.

It was early season and there were few guests staying. We had chosen the hotel for its location - separated from Lake Kõycegik by only the promenade, and indeed the view was always spectacular from our balcony and the public areas of the hotel. Not all the staff spoke English but all were very helpful, and the minor problems in our ensuite room were briskly resolved by a very efficient and smiling lady. The room was perhaps a bit dated but a good size with a good shower and plenty of hot water, and was cleaned daily with changes of bed linen and towels. The ebd was large and comfortable. The included Turkish breakfast included an omelette made just for us and so hotter than much buffet food. As we do not like black tea, we were given cappuccino and Americano “on the house”. The hotel has a pleasant garden, raised seating area to enjoy the view and the swimming pool, is a few minutes’ walk from the main town and restaurants along the promenade. We really enjoyed our stay and will certainly stay again if near the area (and which is quite likely).

I had a nice warm welcome from Fehmi, the manager who spoke excellent English and who I understand, also speaks fluent Russian. The room was well equipped, including card operated room keys, although the ensuite shower area was small and the whole room was dated. I had one of the lake view rooms with balcony which gave superb views over the lake even in the middle of winter. With an early departure (one night only stay) I did not stop for breakfast. In winter the costs represents good value at 394TRY per night (21GBP, 29USD, 25EUR) if you can overlook the decor. As many other guests have been saying (for some years) the hotel is desperately in need of renovation and decoration throughout which really lets the hotel down. All rooms should be provided with a full duvet in winter rather than a single sheet which may be adequate for summer but not for winter. With its lakeside location and a full renovation this hotel could be outstanding as improvements are underway elsewhere in Koycegiz thus increasing standards and expectations. A new Turkish Coffee chain has now arrived on the lakefront.