Hapimag Sea Garden Hotel

Hapimag Resort Sea Garden shares its grounds with an affiliated time-share property (called the Sea Garden Village), all surrounded by a thick pine forest along a stretch of coast that curves around three sheltered bays. Local wood and stone built the room blocks and structures in a classic regional style that melds right into the landscape. The Swiss-based resort group designed the the property as a stress-relieving enclave in harmony with nature -- the grounds blend right into the existing forest, organic vegetable gardens supply the restaurants, and the management filters seawater for housekeeping and watering the grounds. What truly separates this resort from others is its "Mini Bodrum Street," a replica of a vibrant city street where guests can shop and be entertained by live music and other performances, as if they were right in town. It even has a hairdresser and a travel agency off a cobbled lane filled with cafe tables and chairs. This street separates the hotel portion from the village portion of the property.  

Note that the village section, with self-catering apartments located closer to the beach, is only bookable by time-share members. Many guests at the hotel hail from the U.K, but the popular British tour operator Mark Warner stopped organizing trips here in summer 2016. 

Hapimag Resort Sea Garden is in a relatively remote location that stretches out of the southern coast of Turkey's Bodrum peninsula, tucked between three bays. Surrounded by nothing but the clear Aegean sea and pine forests, there's little within walking distance apart from the hotel's own time-share sister property. The city of Bodrum, with its ancient ruins and pretty old town area, is about a 30-minute drive, while Milas-Bodrum Airport is about a 45-minute drive.

The Hapimag Resort Sea Garden has 285 rooms with terra-cotta tile floors and a muted decor, with wide windows dressed with gray drapes. All rooms have small furnished balconies, with either garden or sea views. Sitting areas have square white tables a pair of white wooden chairs with thick cushions. Free Wi-Fi comes standard, along with flat-screen TVs and minibars. Standard Room bathrooms, with their square-pink tiles, marble vanities, and shower/tub combos, look dated. There are also three suites with wood floors and separate living rooms with couches and coffee tables, along with Nespresso machines. Their updated bathrooms have double vanities, vessel sinks, mosaic-tile back walls, and walk-in showers and jetted tubs that are to the bedroom. 

The hotel's main beach has rows of loungers shaded by reed umbrellas facing its turquoise Aegean water, along with a wooden deck and a stone terrace. There's a dive center and a facility for booking all kinds of water sports, from water-skiing and windsurfing to fly-fishing, along with all the necessary training and equipment. Several kinds of sailboats, catamarans, and canoes are also available. Above the beach are two outdoor pools on terraces overlooking the ocean. The upper pool is adjacent to one of the restaurant terraces. The main pool has a sundeck with loungers and umbrellas, along with a kiddy pool. There's also an indoor lap pool adjacent to the spa, which has several treatment rooms along with a hot tub, sauna, and Turkish bath. The large fitness center has a wide array of cardio machines, weight trainers, and free weights. For children, the hotel has a kids' club with supervised games and activities, along with an outdoor playground. Activities for adults include volleyball and soccer, along with Nordic walking, mountain bike tours, and guided hikes. There are also two outdoor tennis courts and two air-conditioned squash courts.

The all-inclusive dining and drinking choices range from the Amphora international buffet to Italian cuisine at La Cuccina, and the Laguna breakfast restaurant that turns into a Mediterranean seafood restaurant at night. The Mini Bodrum Street has its own Turkish restaurant called Merhaba, with street-side outdoor seating, and there's also a wine bar and an outdoor theater (with another bar) that puts on nightly music and performances. There's also a beach bar with a covered pavilion and a nightclub with a dance floor. Wi-Fi is free throughout.