Having suffered the perils of Monarch Airlines , departing on a Friday afternoon from Luton , I was more than thrilled a few days later when I heard the news that British Airways will fly to Dalaman from July 2015.Thank the Lord for that!
Arriving in Dalaman at 21.30 , I was relieved to see the smiling face of my
driver and relaxed into the back of a very comfortable Audi with a bottle of
iced water, knowing that civilisation was not far away!
Following a 20 minute transfer to D Resort Gocek , a warm
welcome awaited from the hotel team ,
clearly very proud of their completely new resort and sporting their smart new
uniforms, eager to please in whatever way they could.
I had anticipated a room service dinner as it was so late
but after a cold towel and refreshing glass of fresh lemonade, a golf cart awaited
to take me to Breeze restaurant, signature restaurant at D Resort Gocek and D
Hotel Maris , both in idyllic locations by the ocean ,serving fresh fish of
course but also delicious tapenyake, prepared by the Japanese chef.
I have to say it was a wonderful dinner , despite the late start, in the company of
Selen ,D Resort’s enthusiastic and charming Sales Manager .We actually declined dessert but Selen insisted
that we try the “chocolate bomb” and she was absolutely right to do so - hard to describe but a moreish, mouth
watering chocolate panache covered in melted hot chocolate and served with ice cream and
berries...AMAZING and a must if you go
to D Resort Gocek! Surprisingly , we were dining alfresco in May and as it got
chillier ( towards midnight) the staff arrived with warm , lamb’s wool wraps .
And so to bed.....the mayhem at Luton airport was a distant
memory!
There are many different room categories at the resort and I
would recommend the Deluxe ocean view rooms upwards for the majority of your
clients, although there are ten attic rooms with terrace and nice view for
those on a budget.
The Presidential Suite (max 5 people) is 193 Sq metres with
2 bedrooms - a double and a twin(with
sofa bed) and 24 hour Butler service. There is no kitchen. A 25 m pool is
shared by suite guests and the other rooms either side of it.
The layout of the hotel is such that there are 8
accommodation blocks ( 103 rooms in total) with waterways between them and most
blocks have a pool. There is also a main hotel pool and very small children’s
pool.
The Junior suite category is one of my favourite with living
room and bedroom combined, totalling 52 sq metres and pool outside .There are
only 2 of these so book well in advance!
The superior rooms are spread on the ground floor and first
floor and each one has a roof top terrace with loungers or a garden terrace.
The 70 sq metre Premier Suite and Premier Poolside Suite both have a separate living area for couples
who like a little extra space.
All rooms have air conditioning and free wi – fi.
One of the great things about D Resort Gocek ( 4* deluxe) is the location .Set in the
maritime town of Gocek and only 20 minutes
transfer time from Dalaman , guests can enjoy a stroll into the marina, visit
local shops and restaurants or while away the afternoon people watching in one of the many bars, seeping up the local
culture and chatting to the locals.
There are complimentary bicycles available for guest to
explore and of course excursions to local ruins, Fethiye ,
the beautiful beaches of Oludeniz and
historic Kalkan can be arranged
by the concierge team
Many of the gulet cruises depart from Gocek so the hotel is
also a great option for pre or post gulet charters.
Naturally , the bar is a focal point and the Olive Tree
restaurant serves food throughout the
day .I can honestly say that the buffet breakfast here was one of the best I
have experienced, both in terms of presentation , food quality and the choices
on offer.
After a wonderful treatment at the ESPA spa which
is state of the art and purpose built with a wonderful roof terrace
for relaxation after treatments.
Prior to travelling to Turkey , the weather forecast was
torrential rain for the whole weekend
but so far , we had managed to enjoy blue skies and a pleasant temperature .As we travelled to D
Hotel Maris on Saturday afternoon ( a 90 minute drive) there was a torrential
downpour which cleared as we arrived at the hotel ....The Gods were with us.
Beautiful wild horses appeared on the hills
as we ambled up the 5km drive to
D Hotel.
Once again , we were
warmly greeted by the entire management team
( a little overwhelming!)
The feel of D Hotel is very different to D Resort Gocek
.Part of Leading Hotels of The World, D Hotel Maris is a 5* resort with 200
rooms and feels quite grand as oppose to boutique on arrival.
The hotel enjoys spectacular views of the Datca Peninsular.
Guests can arrive by helicopter and also by seaplane from
Bodrum or Dalaman which will cost E2500 each way.
Again there are many different room categories and I was in
a deluxe ocean view which was very spacious and comfortable with a good sized balcony and a bath tub with an incredible vista.
All mountain view rooms ( lead in category) are on the 1st
and 2nd floor and although children need to be 8 years and over ,
there are 12 interconnecting rooms
mostly deluxe.
The Presidential Suite
on 8th floor is a different more contemporary design with kitchen/
lounge and dining room and it can
interconnect with a deluxe ocean view
room via the balcony. There is a
rooftop jacuzzi and large deck with loungers so this suite is very private . A
chef can be booked for private dining but as the restaurants are so good , I would not recommend this!
The two bedroom private villa offers complete privacy and
has been finished to the highest standard with Minotti furniture and Calacatta
marble. The private hammam has to be
seen to be believed .There is a big garden and pool for families to relax and
spend quality time together.
All suite guests can access the Executive Lounge on the 8th floor which serves
breakfast , lunch and pre dinner cocktails and canapés on a complimentary basis .
Executive suites have
a separate living area and balcony and I thought would be ideal for
three ladies travelling together which is very possible given the amazing spa
at D Hotel Maris . There are 11 treatment rooms and 7
therapists plus a hammam therapist .The Spa Manager , a lean and very healthy
looking Russian lady ( Irina) is compiling some wellness packages which I can
forward on to you if you’re interested for your clients.
A very exciting development since my visit is the new
partnership between James Duigan and D Hotel Maris to promote Bodyism. There
will be a number of workshops throughout the season and guests can enjoy a “Clean and lean “ menu if they wish. To
learn more about the “Clean and lean” philosophy , see www.bodyism.com or see the attached press release.
Classes include yoga , pilates, stretching beach volleyball and aqua gym and then guests
can pay extra for mountain biking ( accompanied by a trainer) kayak tours
and personal training.
Back to my trip ....It is difficult to choose where to have
dinner at D Hotel Maris as there are five
restaurants on offer ranging from Turkish , Italian , steak grill ,
Breeze seafood and new for this season
Zuma. I felt that as I was only staying one night , I should try the Turkish
restaurant and I have to say I am always really impressed with Turkish food , particularly the mezze
and this one did not disappoint.Guests can now
enjoy after dinner drinks with music ant the new Zuma bar though this
was not completed when we were there.
After a leisurely breakfast on Sunday , we were thoroughly
spoilt with a private yacht charter on Blue Dream , a 55 foot Azimut yacht
available for guests to charter. She actually sleeps 6 people – 1 twin and 2
doubles and can be charter for half a day or for a
couple of nights.Bodrum is 3 hours sailing time and Simi in Greece only 1 hour
.Rates on application but they are very reasonable.
For those who prefer to stay on the beach , you have a choice of 5
including a silent beach ( my preferred one) with no mobile phones and
water taxis or golf buggies can take guests from one to another should they not
wish to walk.
After a delicious lunch of fresh fish and grilled vegetables
at Breeze , it was time to pack our bags
and depart for the airport. As you can imagine , I was relishing the
thought of a return flight with my travelling companions on Monarch but actually
it wasn’t all that bad. I think I was so relaxed that I didn’t really care.....
Both these hotels have availability this summer and you can
check out their websites , as follows –D Resort Gocek – www.dresortgocek.com.tr D Hotel
Maris - www.dhotel.com.tr
Your clients will love you for sending them here ...I
promise!
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