Alp Pasa Hotel

Alp Pasa Hotel is actually a cluster of several small properties that were created from the remains of an 18th-century Ottoman mansion and surrounding homes that were built a century later. The hotel manages to both preserve its history and embrace the present with modern touches where necessary, which makes for a style that's mostly easy on the eyes. Guests and the public are welcome to visit the open-air museum of ancient artifacts that were found during early renovations. Hallways and public rooms of the hotel are filled with beautiful antique furnishings and elegant chandeliers. In the restaurants, the atmosphere is cavern-like and romantic. Guests who come to the Alp Pasa tend to be history lovers who want an authentic taste of Ottoman culture, or those who want to check out Antalya’s Old Town scene as an add-on to their beach vacation. 

The Alp Pasa Hotel is in the center of Kaleici, a formerly walled city with structures dating back to Roman and Byzantine times, which today is Antalya's Old Town. It's surrounded by beautiful streets full of restaurants and shops, and within walking distance to major attractions. Ancient Hadrian’s Gate is within three minutes on foot, and the Antalya Clock Tower is less than a 10-minute walk from the hotel. Antalya is a coastal city and the jumping off point for the region’s many towns, villages, and beach resorts, but reaching any of those will require a drive. There are several popular beach parks in the region -- Konyaalti Beach Park, Lara Beach, and Inan Beach, to name a few -- and they’re all about 15 to 20 minutes away by car. The main bus terminal is about a 25-minute drive away, and Antalya's airport is a 20-minute drive away, where flights to Istanbul run throughout the day and take just over an hour. 

Alp Pasa Hotel has a few dozen rooms spread throughout its main building as well as adjacent villas. Each has its own character and decor due to the inherent design quirks and architecture of the buildings, all of which are converted mansions (some of Ottoman provenance). Decor ranges from modern to traditional, but guests are likely to find some combination of lovely four-poster canopy beds, cozy pitched ceilings, mahogany wood detailing, sunken bedroom areas, working fireplaces, terraces with pretty views of the historic Old Town, and stained glass windows. Rooms are all spacious, ranging from basic two-person bedrooms to suites with full living areas. There’s also a beautiful three-bedroom private villa that comes with a kitchen plus its own chef and concierge. Standard amenities include a small flat-screen TV, facilities for coffee and tea, minibars, robes and slippers, and a safe. Wi-Fi is only available in the main part of the hotel, not in rooms, and bottled water isn't exactly free-flowing. All bathrooms are modern -- some have tubs and others feature stall showers. All are spotlessly clean and come with basic toiletries. 

Alp Pasa Hotel has all of the basic features that one would expect from a three-and-a-half-pearl boutique hotel. There's a pool in the central courtyard, surrounded by leafy vegetation, comfortable lounge chairs, and tables and chairs. In warm weather, guests can enjoy meals from the restaurant here as well. The pool itself is small -- don’t expect to swim laps -- but it works for a quick daytime cool-off, and there’s a small bar next to it that serves cocktails and other refreshments. The hotel’s second pool is part of the Villa Byzantine and is also very small, and available to guests staying in that annex of the hotel. Perhaps the most interesting feature at the hotel is the open-air museum, showcasing historic artifacts that were unearthed during the hotel’s building and renovations. Tourists from other hotels come to Alp Pasa to see this unique addition, the only one of its kind. Alp Pasa has three restaurants -- a more casual Italian eatery, an upscale French bistro, and the hotel’s main restaurant, which serves decent Turkish cuisine. A buffet breakfast is available and it, along with dinner, are part of full-board packages. Previous guests have noted that these buffets are sometimes lacking in diversity and quantity, depending on the time of day, but quality is fairly good. By comparison, the food in the a la carte restaurants scores high marks, but there are complaints that menus are overpriced. There is no fitness center or spa. Wi-Fi is free, but only available in the main areas of the hotel, not in the rooms. In any case, it's frequently spotty.