Bodrium Hotel & You SPA

With a large older awning and just a slab of stone with the hotel’s name on it marking the entrance, the Bodrium Hotel & Spa looks rather unassuming from the outside. The lobby, though, feels more inviting, with a huge skylight connected to a glass curved wall offering expansive views, comfy beige crushed velvet couches with lots of throw pillows, polished off-white floors, and classic wooden coffee tables. While not especially stylish, the reception area has some elegant touches, and the wood latticework screens separating it from the lobby bar add some local charm. The property has a subdued Greek mythology theme that is easy to miss (which is probably a good thing), with a few bass-reliefs of Greek gods in the entrance hall, a large model of a Classical temple, and buildings named after mythological characters. This is a compact property with all 56 rooms, restaurant, and spa packed into a small area, but its smart layout allows for an uncluttered feel and a tranquil vibe. Rooms are housed in several boxy three-story buildings set around a spacious central pool deck, which has direct access to the restaurant. The hushed atmosphere draws couples and business travelers, but the kiddy pool and buffet meals are convenient for families as well. 

The hotel is located in a quiet residential area home to a few other hotels, a supermarket, and a handful of small restaurants. Directly adjacent to the property are the ruins of Myndos Gate, the only surviving entrance of the walls that surrounded the ancient city of Halicarnassus (now Bodrum) back in the 4th century B.C. The hopping Bodrum Marina, with its many restaurants, bars, and shops, is about a 15- to 20-minute downhill walk away, as is Gumbet Beach. Major attractions such as Bodrum Castle and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus are less than a 10-minute drive away, and the city’s main beach is just under 15 minutes away. The airport can be reached by car in about 40 minutes.

The hotel has 56 rooms ranging from generic Standard Rooms to themed suites with separate living areas and jetted tubs. Decor is simple in all guest rooms, with run-of-the-mill dark wood furniture, laminate floors or dated green carpet, and just a couple of pops of lime green or purple in bed runners, throw pillows, and curtains. Superior Rooms a little bigger than Standard Rooms, and have cute touches such as patterned wallpaper and beige carpets with delicate designs. While amenities such as free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, minibars, and safes are all expected of hotels in this price range, the Bodrium gets good marks for sleep quality, as all rooms are equipped with high-end Tempurpedic mattresses and pillows. Suites feature great extras, such as underfloor heating, robes, slippers, and electric kettles. Most units offer a similar level of comfort, but there have been complaints of dampness in units located on the ground floor.Bathrooms are appealing and contemporary in all rooms, with glass-enclosed showers (jetted shower/tub combos in suites), rectangular sinks over dark wood counters, and a decent away of toiletries. Older wall-mounted hairdryers are also provided.

Wooden loungers with white cushions and white umbrellas line the hotel’s freeform pool, complete with a kiddy pool and a cute small bridge connecting the deck to a tiny island offering access to the water. While there is no dedicated pool bar, the main deck has direct access to the hotel’s main restaurant, which features a few wooden tables outside where guests can enjoy drinks brought from the bar. The restaurant serves an excellent breakfast buffet (included in all rates) and an average dinner spread in a spacious dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows. Tyro is the hotel’s cozy lobby lounge, featuring a few tufted armchairs placed around a working fireplace, wooden floors, and a cute bar decorated with pieces of carved wood. Face and body treatments -- including Balinese massages, reflexology, and aroma and hydrotherapy -- are available at the hotel’s small spa, along with a Turkish bath and a sauna. The fitness center offers a wide array of cardio and strength-training machines in a spacious room, but lacks natural light. The hotel also features a meeting room with audiovisual equipment, and free outdoor parking. Wi-Fi is available free of charge throughout the hotel.