D-Resort Gocek
– Small Luxury Hotel In Southern Turkey
Looking for a break in a luxury hotel, close to the sea and with amazing food and friendly service? We recently visited the D-Resort Gocek in Southern Turkey and loved our stay there.
The D-Resort is an elegant boutique hotel located in the quiet village of Gocek, just 30 minutes from Dalaman airport. With its sleek modern lines, stylish use of use of natural stone, manicured gardens and great location, the hotel has just 102 rooms and is a member of the elite group, the Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
Situated directly in front of the marina (one of six in this former sleepy fishing village) it has a private beach with silver sand (imported from Egypt) and elegant loungers with white parasols along the water.
There are also two jetties with stylish day beds and a gorgeous swing for suite guests.
The resort exudes elegance but all the staff are friendly and welcoming and when we visited in late May, early June, the weather was in the late twenties and absolutely perfect.
Arrival
We arrived in the evening, but despite the late hour the reception staff were smiley and welcoming – and throughout our stay all the staff were polite, professional and very friendly.
The hotel has a number of buggies which they will use to ferry you to the private beach and the hotel restaurants and bars, but otherwise it’s just a very pleasant 7 or 8 minutes walk away past the river and along the beachfront. Alternatively you can borrow one of the hotel’s bikes to get around.
Bedrooms
There are a variety of rooms available and all are well designed (with plenty of sockets) and decorated in the same light and airy nautical style throughout. The most popular rooms are the rooms with “swim out” facilities.
The beds are really comfy and the rooms are equipped with all the usual accessories, flat screen TV, free WIFi, tea and coffee making facilites, a mini bar fridge and good air condiitoining. Room service was efficient and friendly and you simply indiacte with a green button if you room is free for cleaning.
Bathrooms
With lovely Molton Brown toiletries, the bathrooms are sleek and modern with slate grey tiles, glass and stainless steel. Alas the bathroom had no bathtub, (one of my pet foibles) but it did have a powerful shower and plenty of countertop space (another foible!) and everything was super clean.
Restaurants
Breakfast at The Olive Tree Restaurant
A sumptous buffet breakfast is served in the Olive restaurant from 7am till 11am each day. As well as fresh local fruits, a hot cooking station where the chef will cook to order whatever takes your fancy from omlettes, fried eggs to scrumptious pancakes, here are hot breakfast dishes, the usual cereals, yougurts etc and a wondeful selection of local breads, rolls, and patisserie.
What we loved was the amazing array of local specialities, including different types of delicous local cheeses), and Turkish delicacies like tahini and local honey and yougurt, and a myriad different types of olives and olive oil. Ece did a wonderful job of welcoming us each morning and since breakfast is served over a long period of time it’s a relaxed and enjoyable affair.
Breeze Restaurant and Bar
Breeze Restaurant on the Jetty above
Breeze Restaurant is located just next to the private beach and is open for both lunch and dinner. With a bar serving drinks and snacks all day long, it is light and airy and aptly decorated in blues, greens and white, this waterfront restaurnant is ariy and light with dreamy views out to sea.
The menu offers a great selection of crispy salads, Turkish specialties along with fish and burgers, etc. Everything we ate here was fresh and delicous and the seafood is fantastic.
In the evening the jetty next door to the restaurant is the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail as you watch the sun go down, or an open air dinner.
Q Lounge
Crispy Soft Shell Crab at Q Lounge
High above the beach is Q Lounge. The hotel’s jewel in the crown, this uber stylish cocktail bar and restaurant serves fabulous drinks as well as dinner. With drone-like views of the beach and the turquoise waters below, this was my real favourite.
Its stylish seating, fabulous food ( I really adored the crispy soft shelled crab pictured it above and ordered it two evenings in a row) and great ambiance make it the perfect spot to watch the sun setting over the pristine beach below.
For meat lovers there is also a restaurant on site specialising in steaks and Turkish kebabs called Günaydın Kebab, Butcher & Steak House, which was always buzzing though we didn’t have time to try it out on this trip.
The D-Spa and Gym
Whilst we were there we each had an excellent massage at the D-Spa and used the jacuzzi and steam room and the gym. The spa is very relaxing and the gym was well air conditioned with modern equipment.
I also attended one of the excellent Pilates classes which I really enjoyed – but be warned that there are only 5 spaces – so you need to book up early! Alternatively you can book a private one to one session with the excellent Pilates instructor.
The Hotel Motorboat
The hotel has its own fabulous motorboat with Captain Celal Yilmaz in charge. With a beautiful carbon fibre design and one of only 3 models produced by British boat manufacturer Dixon, this classy boat can accommodate up to 12 people. It is available for private hire and is the perfect way to cruise round the local islands enjoying the amazing views or stopping off for a swim in a remote bay or two.
We were lucky enough to be invited for an early morning excursion and swim, which was really fabulous and just so tranquil! Furthermore, the water is so buoyant in this region that it is so easy to swim in the sea.
When To Stay at The Hotel
The hotel is open all year round and we visited in late May early June, which for us was perfect. The weather was sunny and warm with the temperature in the late twenties, and early thirties on a couple of days . It was also not too crowded which is another benefit of going at this time of year.
In the high season of July and August it tends to be a lot busier but late September and early October are also perfect times to visit.
What To Do In The Area
The hotel has its private beach, gym and spa as well as the motor launch, but the village of Gocek is just a couple of minutes walk from the front of the hotel.
The village has a pretty waterfront and boasts a number of excellent quayside restaurants – and if you love fish you’re in for a real treat! There are plenty of shops selling everything you could wish for and it’s an interesting place to stroll around and prices are very reasonable. We visited the Sunday market where although a small affair had an abundance of local fruit and vegetables inclduing lots of local specialities.
Hierapolis
Other places worth visiting in the area include, the World Heritage site of Pamukkale, Hierapolis, the Saklikent Gorge, Butterfly Island and a boat trip around the Twelve Islands. Watch out for our recommendations coming soon!
World Heritage Site of Pamukkale
So if you love beautiful hotels, lovely beaches and fabulous food, and you’re looking for perfect temperatures, a trip to the D-Resort in Gocek either earlier or later on in the Summer might be the perfect treat! It’s a real jewel and we are already making plans to return in early Autumn.
D-Resort Gocek
Address: Sıtkı Koçman Cd. D:No: 8, 48300 Fethiye/Muğla, Turkey
Visit the D Resort website here.
Click here for the Google website coordinates for the D Resort Gocek.
See where Gocek and the D-Resort are located on the map below:
How to get there. We flew with Turkish Airlines from Zurich to Dalaman airport, changing in Istanbul, but if you’re coming from the UK and Germany there are direct flights available from numberous airports with a variety of operators.
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