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Kaleiçi (Old
Antalya) is my favorite part of Antalya because
of its Roman ruins
and Ottoman mansions,
picturesque narrow winding streets,
yacht harbor ringed with restaurants,
and quiet neighborhood lifestyle right
at the heart of a sprawling big city.
Here's a map.
Living in Kaleiçi for
a few days is like stepping back a
century in time to the age of the Ottoman
Empire.
Of course, if you're in Kaleiçi you're
not right on the beach, but both Konyaalti
Beach to the west and Lara
Beach to
the east are accessible by public transport.
Most non-beach things
to see and do, including strolling
and shopping, cafe-sitting and nightclub
dancing, are in or near
Kaleiçi.
Kaleiçi was declared a historic
district decades ago. Soon many of the grand
old Ottoman houses were used as inexpensive
backpacker
pensions. In recent years
many old mansions have been restored
as luxury or near-luxury boutique
hotels with old Ottoman ambience
but all modern comforts and conveniences.
Most of these boutique hotels and
inns have shady
gardens, restaurants,
swimming pools, and a few dozen guest
rooms equipped with private baths,
air-conditioning, TV, wireless Internet,
minibar, hair dryers and direct-dial
telephones. A good-to-great buffet
Turkish
breakfast is included in their
rates.
Finding any of these places in Kaleiçi's
maze of narrow, winding streets is
a challenge on foot, and a near impossibility
in a car. After making your hotel reservation,
let your hotel know that you'll want
help in getting to it.
Here are my favorites (map),
roughly in order of preference. Click
on the hotel name to check room
rates and availability from
Booking.com,
which offers good prices for these
lodgings, and makes it easy to compare
prices among hotels.
Tuvana
Hotel
My favorite! For nearly
two decades the Tuvana has hosted visitors
to Kaleiçi,
and it's never been better: old Antalya houses
with comfortable, even stylish rooms,
a swimming pool sourrounded by tropical
verdure, a shady garden terrace (site
of periodic barbecues), a Residence
section for those who want even more
space, and Antalya's finest
gourmet restaurant.
More...
Doğan
Hotel
Three old Ottoman houses
across the street from a Roman stone
tower have been renovated to create this fine small
hotel with pleasant shady garden only a few steps from
the Roman harbor. More...
Kauçuk
Otel
Named for a venerable rubber
tree in its courtyard, this
restored stone Ottoman mansion has
a quiet
courtyard with small swimming pool, and
11 guest rooms with refined, artistic,
understated decor. Front rooms are fine,
some back rooms quite small. The aforementioned Tuvana is
right next door, the Puding
Suite (below)
across the street, so the location is
very good. More...
Puding
Suite Hotel
An unlikely name (yes, puding means
"pudding") for
a new boutique hotel just
around the corner from the aforementioned
Tuvana Hotel.
Each named suite is unique, with
eclectic decoration that seems more
decorator magazine than Ottoman. There's
a tiny swimming pool. A bit of traffic
noise, nothing significant. More...
Hadriyanüs Hotel
I knew and recommended it
for years as the Hadriyanüs Pension
because of its friendly owners and
large, peaceful garden. Now that it's
a boutique hotel, it's that much better.
A good refuge at moderate prices. More...
White Garden Pension
Though called a pension, it's really
a boutique hotel in comforts and
services. This one too, I've been
recommending for years. It's just
around the corner from the aforementioned
Hadriyanüs Hotel. More...
Frankfurt
Hotel
Founded by a German lady and her Turkish husband decades
ago, it has always meant cleanliness, order and advantageous
rates in a decent location. More...
Otantik
Butik Otel
One of the newer boutique hotels in Kaleiçi,
its name translates as "authentic boutique hotel." No
real garden to speak of, but a good "wine house" restaurant-bar
with both inside and outside tables. More...
La
Paloma Hotel
"The dove" is richly decorated and set at
the end of a little-trafficked street. More...
Marina Residence
Founded by Swiss owners a few decades
ago, this pristine little place is
just across the street from the Roman
harbor—hence the "Marina" in
its name. Well-made, compact, convenient. More...
Hotel
Oscar
The Oscar is not actually in Kaleiçi,
but just southeast across Atatürk Caddesi from it.
The hotel features a children's pool in addition to
its swimming pool surrounded by fruit trees, as well
as a Turkish restaurant. More...
Alp
Pasa Boutique Hotel & Residences
Beautiful Ottoman-style
guest rooms, authentically creaky wooden
staircases, and an odd arrangement whereby
the dining tables surround the swimming
pool, astonishing both diners and swimmers—in
an amusing way. The Alp now takes up
both sides of the street, and has a separate
streetside terrace restaurant. More...
Aspen
Hotel
Among Kaleiçi's
first boutique hotels, it has undergone extensive renovation
and reopened in the same quiet location just up the
hill from the Roman
harbor. Popular with an international clientele,
includingTurkish visitors from Istanbul. More...
Blue Sea Garden
Right near Karaalioglu
Park and the Hidirlik
Kulesi in southeastern
Kaleiçi,
its large, pleasant fruit-tree-shaded
garden surrounds a swimming pool. The
Turkish restaurant has Russian as well
as English menus. More...
Didn't find what you're looking for?
Look at these large luxury
hotels or these inexpensive
Kaleiçi pensions.
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