In all my travels over the years, I have yearned for destination hotels and not just destinations: because destinations by themselves are meaningless, unless you can look at them through a prism of elegance and panache.
Turkey, for various reasons, has been in the news of late. Death and destruction have been its leitmotif rather than the unrivalled beauty of many of its towns and cities. Over the years, one has visited Istanbul several times, so when I decided on visiting Turkey again, I wanted to do the Southern Coast: far away from the hustle and bustle of Istanbul or the defined tourism of Bordrum. Which is why I chose two exquisite places: the Datca Peninsula and the charming town of Gocek, all part of the Dalaman Coast in Turkey.
I chose the twin properties of Hotel D Maris and the D-Hotel Gocek for my visits which were last week: early May that is. Getting to both is easy, but a trifle long no matter which route you take. I chose to fly to Istanbul from London and then took another short flight to Dalaman, and from the Dalaman airport, the Hotel D Maris is a 90-minute drive but scenic like you can't imagine. You go through winding roads through mountains and then before your eyes can finish savouring the magical sights, you are right there driving by the coast, and the clarity of its tranquil waters is mesmerising to say the least.
As you enter the Hotel, you cannot but blink twice at the beautifully laid tennis courts and it was then that my chauffeur told me that they have a Goran Ivanisevic tennis experience which the legendary player conducts himself. So at this school, the guests of the Hotel can undertake lessons from Ivanisevic on techniques and basic tennis coaching. To my mind, this is a first that I have seen at any resort anywhere in the world. So if you are a tennis buff, this is one more reason, other than the views, to visit Maris.
By the time I got to Hotel D Maris, it was almost sunset and what the hotel does admirably well is organise a champagne evening for its guests to soak in the sunset to the strains of Western classical music, and as you stare at the setting sun, the coastline bristles with that amber colour which makes it all the more magical. I was then taken to my room which had a balcony from where the views were amongst the finest I have even seen in my life. Imagine an unspoilt peninsula with white sand, divided into four parts, one of which is the "silent beach" where you don't talk or use your wretched smartphone.
I didn't have time on the first evening to take a nice stroll on that glistening beach but I did go down to the iconic restaurant Zuma for some hot sake and some fine Japanese food. Hotel D Maris is one of the only two hotels in the world to have Zuma on the premises: the menu was brilliant as was the service, but yet again, what took my breath away was the skyline, the views of the bay from where one was sitting.
I woke up the next morning to a sunny day, quite windy but magnificent in terms of the crispy air and daunting views. I had breakfast at the Terrace restaurant and what was just amazing was the Turkish Village Bread which I had with a specially-concocted Turkish Omelette, not to mention some Turkish
parathas - yes, they make pancakes of the same kind as we do with fillings of potatoes and cheese and meat, so you can choose your options.
The Hotel D Maris is in the Datca region which in Turkey is famous for the three Bs: bal, badem and balik which is Turkish for honey, almonds and milk, and early autumn is the season when they collect honey, which is of three types - flower, thyme and pine. All of these variants were available for one to try at the breakfast buffet.
In the morning, I took the hotel yacht and went around the coasts for about two hours: we spotted rabbits on Rabbit Island, fishing villages and the pristine quality of the water and the marinas which dotted the region. The afternoon was spent at the Spa which is Chemot and owned by the same group that owns these properties: Dogus.
In the evening, a bunch of us went off for dinner to the Il Riccio restaurant which is the Italian place gleaned from the mother ship in Capri. I ordered some fine Turkish Red Wine and had some wheat risotto with lamb shanks which was heavenly.
The next morning (Day Three), I woke up and left Maris for Gocek where there's another hotel from the same chain. It was a magical transition from the tranquility of Maris to the liveliness of Gocek.
Gocek is on Turkey's turquoise coast and that should tell you a lot about the colour of the water: unlike you will ever see anywhere in the world.
Gocek can easily be termed the Port Grimaud of Turkey's coastline: such is its draw and its pristine state. The village is a magnet for sailors, surrounded by mountains and stunning scenery with an archipelago of beautiful islands making this a yachting paradise. In the village, you will see water inlets making it a tiny Venice of sorts: houses perched along the shoreline and little dinghies poised to transport their owners to their yachts moored out at sea.
The hotel I was staying at, Hotel D-Gocek, is an elegant boutique hotel set across ten design-led low-profile buildings. The admirable bit was I could get out of my room and straight into the pool which abuts each room. There are bicycles for those who want to cycle their way around the marina and the village: something I did as well. It was living a luxurious life amidst the cacophony of a vibrant Turkish village which had all the class of the French Rivera at a fraction of the pretense.
For dinner, I went off to the Breeze restaurant which is on the water and has amazing international food including some fine local food. I settled for the typical Turkish Kabab (called the Adanakebab) but not before taking in a fine beetroot salad on a bed of goat-cheese infused with truffle oil.
And then it was time to go to bed since I had an early flight from Dalaman to Istanbul and then onto London. The one thing that this holiday taught me is the dangers of being comfortable with the knowledge we have and our fears of trying something new. I have been a long-standing fan of the Four Seasons and everywhere across the world, I believe they have surpassed guest delight. But then the two hotels which I stayed at: D-Maris and D-Gocek are the new kids on the block with a deep sense of history and guest delight. It was a holiday that I will return to year after year: not just, as I said, to savour the destinations, but equally to delight in the abodes they have created.
(Suhel Seth is Managing Partner of Counselage: India's only strategic brand advisory. He would like to clarify that no part of the trip was paid for by any of the establishments mentioned in the article.)Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.