T+L’s Resort Assessment of Maxx Royal Bodrum Resort

Whereas a gentle Aegean breeze sifted by way of the stylish open-air foyer at Maxx Royal Bodrum, I used to be mesmerized by a digital art work by American-Turkish artist Refik Anadol that spans a whole wall and swirls in neon blends of blues, greens, and tangerines. The set up, considered one of many world-class artworks within the resort, signposts the resort’s dedication to creativity and amplifies the Bodrum peninsula’s lush, leafy panorama and watery environment.

“All of it begins with the foyer,” says Mahmut Anlar, the resort’s architect. “Easy, minimal, subtle, like a transparent glass vase, the place all of nature is in view.” His Istanbul-based studio, GEOMIM, conceived and designed the 28-acre resort, with interiors by his sister agency, GEO_ID. From the area’s elevated perch, the expanse of the resort cascades down the perimeters of a shallow valley to a non-public shimmering bay and a curving white sand seashore.

The knockout area is a beguiling preview of the various different masterstrokes I might encounter all through the resort. Meticulously thought of particulars reveal themselves little by little, in order that by checkout time, visitors have a way of discovery. “When visitors depart, I need them to say, ‘I’ve to return again,” says Anlar. For instance, the sample carved into the creamy marble sides of the Lounge Bar is similar to that within the intricate iroko wooden ceiling. And the greenish diabase stone used across the swimming pools was chosen to match the precise colour of the ocean when illuminated by daylight.

In a vacation spot that has change into synonymous with the sun-seeking, globe-trotting beau monde, the most recent, most glamorous resort is from Turkey’s personal hospitality innovator, Maxx Royal Resorts. In recent times, worldwide standouts Version, Aman, Mandarin Oriental, and Six Senses, amongst others, have all planted roots in Bodrum (Bulgari is presently underneath development).

However regardless of its pedigree and coastal Aegean bearings, Maxx Royal Bodrum Resort, which opened in Might 2024 on the north finish of the peninsula, could be very a lot a cosmopolitan luxurious resort. That is evoked in daring vogue by its many on-site partnerships with world gastronomy and hospitality superstars, together with Caviar Kaspia, Spago by Wolfgang Puck, The Maine, and the long-lasting Mykonos way of life model Scorpios, that nests on one fringe of the little bay and provides grown-up, late-night sizzle.

And but, it was a welcome gesture of authenticity when Erhan Ozdemir, supervisor on the restaurant Twenty4, launched me to his nation’s adored breakfast mixture: a heat simit, a Turkish pretzel, slathered with kaymak, a wealthy clotted cream, then doused with honey scooped from an area honeycomb. On the balcony in my room, I plowed by way of a bowl of native inexperienced satsuma oranges, considered one of Bodrum’s sweetest pleasures.

Though there’s nothing low-key concerning the arrestingly lovely Maxx Royal Bodrum Resort, it was designed with the intention of ultimately merging with—and even disappearing behind—the duvet of nature. The resort is planted all through with recent greenery, together with oleander, Nile lilies, pomegranate, and Spanish olive timber.

Buggies—there are 67 of them accessible to visitors—ferried me up and down the mild hills, which added a way of journey to this inexperienced and sprawling place. I by no means felt swallowed up regardless of its vastness. In truth, with so many spots to sip a mocktail, learn a guide, or slip into the water, the resort felt surprisingly cozy.

Maxx Royal Bodrum Resort will not be merely a design bravura showpiece, however a uncommon luxurious resort the place the personalised service is warmhearted, moderately than condescending. It is usually a spot the place I may meander in flip-flops from pool to pool, every extra gorgeous than the subsequent. Inevitably, I wound up on the seashore for a dip within the impossibly clear bay and an iced cappuccino.

Under is my evaluation of Maxx Royal Bodrum Resort in Turkey.

The Rooms

The 282 visitor rooms and suites, every with massive Aegean-facing home windows and doorways that open onto spacious patios or balconies, are designed to harmonize with the encircling gardens and greenery, in addition to the alluring backdrop of the ocean and sky.

Villas vary from two to 5 bedrooms and have non-public seawater swimming pools, lush gardens, and breathtaking vistas of the cobalt bay. Most coveted are the Laguna rooms and suites. All are located alongside an ingeniously undulating saltwater pool, which provides to the feeling of floating above the property.

Easy, well deployed supplies gave sophistication to the rooms. My entry-level suite was a research in class and luxury, with a soothing tableau of sea-green striated Turkish marble on the self-importance, natural linen curtains, a good looking, domestically sourced picket espresso desk (I needed I may have taken it dwelling with me), and a cushty couch upholstered in an earthy bronze-hued cloth. The ground was painted impartial grey and included a brief step all the way down to the sitting space, which might be onerous to see with the Mediterranean solar pouring inside. I liked the pillow menu and Diptyque toiletries, the spacious uncovered closet, and the stylish mint-green tote that I carried all day.

Meals and Drink

Maxx Royal Bodrum Resort is gastronomically off the charts. With seven eating places, a French patisserie, 4 bars, and an ice cream parlor, there are culinary choices that match each temper. Beachy, Latin-infused Casa Sol serves up guacamole, crispy woodfired flatbreads, and grilled meat and fish. After a swim, I walked, barefoot, for lunch there and loved brief rib empanadas and a beet and yogurt salad within the shade of a Monterey pine.

Le Melange is a pastry boutique that felt like an beautiful jewellery retailer. Each sculpted pastry ready by chef Cédric de Lima e Sousa was tempting, and I opted for a kefir cake with peanuts—each staples within the Turkish food regimen, become a refined delicacy. Artisanal goodies had been organized like arrays of gem stones, nearly too lovely to eat.

I’m not a lover of caviar, however dinner on the teal-hued Caviar Kaspia was pretty, with completely cooked salmon round a recent, spice-infused salad. Proper throughout the bay, considered one of Bernar Venet’s monumental metal sculptures was illuminated within the darkness, reminding me of the extraordinary slice of actual property the resort occupies.

The good-looking eating room at Spago by Wolfgang Puck appears to be cantilevered proper above the water, and I watched darkness fall whereas I scooped addictive house-made labneh and pink pepper hummus with pillowy rounds of bread. Fortunately, I had room for grilled lamb chops in a minty French dressing.

Actions and Experiences

There are quite a few climbing trails within the neighborhood of the resort. Bikes can be found for lease, permitting visitors to discover the peninsula on two wheels. The resort provides scuba diving classes, snorkeling, and yacht excursions.

However the sheer abundance of swimming swimming pools, beachside lounges, eating places, luxurious boutiques (for Marni baggage and Zimmermann frocks), and a lifetime of prospects on the Maxx Wellbeing Heart would possibly make you need to keep put throughout the resort partitions. 

The Spa

The 62,000 square-foot Maxx Wellbeing Centre is a universe of wellness, beginning with the flooring, the place gentle white pebbles are set in a Turkish podima mosaic, offering a warm-up therapeutic massage to your toes. The rose-scented area covers a mind-boggling array of therapies and options cutting-edge amenities.

From the simplicity of an indoor Olympic-sized swimming pool that appears to emerge from the gardens, the spa reveals itself as a swoon-worthy shrine to well-being and health. There are Pilates reformers, a Spin studio, flotation tanks, a cryotherapy mattress, ozone and sleep remedy beds, a shiny new hammam, and 20 therapy rooms.

A Santa Maria Novella therapeutic massage relaxed my muscle groups, however for deeper work, the spa, together with the Longevity Clinic there, can put together a multi-day bespoke program. This would possibly embody therapies for detox, anti-aging, infrared ache administration, and Dorn remedy, which goals to realign the bones and enhance posture.

Household-friendly Choices

The over 12,000-square-foot Maxxi Land youngsters’ membership (for youngsters aged one to 11 years outdated) is a gorgeously rendered wonderland of undulating blonde wooden partitions, life-sized resin giraffes, arts and crafts rooms, and even a sleep room with fashionable cribs. Kids can get pleasure from inventive workshops or stage a mini disco within the theater, whereas their dad and mom dance and luxuriate in craft cocktails underneath the moonlight at Scorpios. 

Accessibility and Sustainability

A number of of the 775-square-foot visitor rooms are ADA-compliant. The buildings that home the rooms and villas are outfitted with elevators; nonetheless, motion between buildings might require utilizing different pathways that do not need steady elevator service. The beach-level space, which incorporates the swimming pools and eating places, is furnished with ramps, whereas extensive walkways present easy accessibility for strollers.

The resort is hilly, and it may be troublesome to fold a walker or wheelchair right into a buggy, that are the first methods of getting round.

Location

The resort is 50 miles from the regional Milas-Bodrum Airport (BJV), and transport may be organized with the concierge. A number of flights journey day by day to and from Istanbul, and the airport additionally providers London, Paris, and Zurich, amongst others.  

For the curious, and for consolation’s sake, a fleet of 5 Maseratis—the Italian sports activities automotive model is one other accomplice of Maxx Royal Bodrum Resort—is readily available to borrow on a first-come, first-served foundation, and visitors can discover the historic coronary heart of Bodrum, half-hour away. The resort’s proximity to the whitewashed, bougainvillea-covered fishing city and its rowdy portside eating places permits engagement with the area’s fascinating historical heritage (a bathtub of fig ice cream at native favourite Bitez can maintain a visitor over earlier than dinner on the resort). 

The medieval Bodrum Citadel has stood rock-solid on a promontory for over 600 years and is without doubt one of the final fortresses in-built Turkey by the Crusaders. Additionally value a go to are the stony stays on the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of many Seven Wonders of the Historic World. The spectacularly preserved Roman ruins on the UNESCO World Heritage websites of Ephesus and Hierapolis, together with the adjoining travertine baths at Pamukkale, are each day journeys and may be organized by the resort. 

The billionaire playground of Yalikavak is 25 minutes west from the resort; right here you’ll be able to decide up an additional pair of Hermès slides or a Louis Vuitton tote, or take a look at some spectacular yachts within the marina.

Guide Now

Maxx Royal Bodrum Resort is considered one of three Maxx Royal resorts (with a brand new one underneath development within the Maldives), and participates within the firm’s multi-tier Royalty by Maxx Royal loyalty program. The resort can also be a member of Main Inns of the World, so Leaders Membership members get pleasure from unique on-site advantages and upgrades.

For extra provides and reductions, take a look at the resort’s web site.

Nightly charges at Maxx Royal Bodrum Resort begin from €1,000 ($1,161 USD) for a luxurious suite with a sea view.

Each T+L resort evaluation is written by an editor or reporter who has stayed on the property, and every resort chosen aligns with our core values.