Looking for a luxe stay in Bodrum, Turkey? Here’s my Mandarin Oriental Bodrum review with everything you need to know about staying at this seaside hotel!
After spending a week exploring the Turkish Riviera on a gulet boat, we arrived in the popular resort town of Bodrum, Turkey. We just had a few nights left to soak in the beauty of the coast so we decided to book a stay at one of the top hotels in Bodrum.
Here’s what to know about staying at the Mandarin Oriental Bodrum!
About Mandarin Oriental Bodrum
The Mandarin Oriental Bodrum is a luxury hotel and resort located in Bodrum, Turkey. Situated on a hillside overlooking the Aegean Sea, the resort offers sweeping views and a range of 5-star amenities and activities for guests to enjoy. The resort is open seasonally from April through October each year.
Mandarin Oriental is an international award-winning hotel group with luxury hotels and residences all over the world. And this Mandarin Oriental Bodrum review certainly believes that the Bodrum outpost lives up to the group’s acclaimed hype.
→ Book a Stay at Mandarin Oriental Bodrum
Set within the secluded Paradise Bay, the Mandarin Oriental Bodrum boasts several private beaches and beach clubs that are perfect for a relaxing beach getaway. On top of the gorgeous beaches, the hotel is also home to a world-class spa, a number of gourmet restaurants and luxurious suites and villas.
The hotel is located about 30 minutes’ drive from the Bodrum city center, where visitors can explore historical sites such as Bodrum Castle and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. The resort is also close to several beaches and bays, including Bitez Beach and Yalikavak Marina.
How to Get to Mandarin Oriental Bodrum
As one of the top destinations on the Turkish Riviera, Bodrum is well-connected and even has its own international airport, Milas-Bodrum Airport, which is served by several major airlines.
There are direct flights to Bodrum from all over Europe, and even Middle Eastern cities like Dubai and Doha.
Because of the the city’s close proximity to Greece, Bodrum is also accessible by ferry from nearby Greek islands like Kos and Rhodes.
There are several ferry companies that operate services between Bodrum and the Greek islands, including Bodrum Express and Dodecanese Flying Dolphins.
Once you arrive in Bodrum, you can rent a car, take a taxi, or set up an airport transfer to get to the Mandarin Oriental Bodrum.
We arrived into Bodrum Harbour and took a taxi to the Mandarin Oriental, which was about 35 minutes’ drive.
The Rooms
Accommodations at the Mandarin Oriental Bodrum are made up of 131 spacious rooms, suites, and villas, many of which feature private terraces or balconies with beautiful sea views. The rooms are decorated in a contemporary style with Turkish accents, and all come with modern amenities such as free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and Nespresso coffee machines.
We were very excited to learn that we had been upgraded to a Sea View Suite which had a large master bedroom, living room, steam shower, and its own outdoor pool. All with incredible views of the sparkling Aegean Sea. We felt extremely pampered!
Aside from the rooms and suites, the hotel also offers apartments with one to four bedrooms which could be a nice option for those traveling with families or groups.
For an ultra luxurious stay, the hotel has some fabulous villa options with three to seven bedrooms.
Dining
This Mandarin Oriental Bodrum review wouldn’t be complete without discussing the incredible dining experiences at the resort.
The resort has 11 (yep, 11!) restaurants, cafes and bars, offering a wide range of cuisine from Mediterranean and Turkish to Asian and international dishes.
During the day, we had lunch at Ioki on the Beach, which serves Japanese and Peruvian dishes, right on the beachfront in Paradise Bay. We also ordered food from the beach club and were very impressed with the food. The chicken kebabs were so good I ordered them twice!
For dinner, we dined at Hakkasan, a modern Chinese restaurant with locations all over the world, including London, Las Vegas, Shanghai and Dubai. We loved all the dim sum options and had a great dining experience. The restaurant is right on the water which is lit up at night so you can see all the fish swimming below you — it made for a fun experience!
And, finally, I would be remiss without calling out the hotel breakfast buffet… which was no ordinary breakfast buffet! I was incredibly impressed with the selection of fresh made pastries, eggs, yogurts, fruits, and Turkish dishes. And well as made-to-order dishes, fresh juices, teas, lattes… you name it!
It was truly one of the best breakfast buffets I’ve ever seen… dare I say, the best?!
Activities
With such an expansive resort, there’s always something to do!
From relaxing at the beautiful beach club to swimming in the infinity pool, you can guarantee lots of time in the water or soaking up the sun. Similarly, they offer plenty of activities like water sports, scuba diving, fishing or you could even rent a boat for a day!
While we thoroughly enjoyed spending time at the beach club, we decided to rent one of the private overwater cabanas for our last day on the Turkish Riviera. I had a blast jumping off the deck and floating in the turquoise waters. It was such a magical way to spend the day by the sea!
My fiancé tried the eFoil electric surfboard and had a blast surfing around Paradise Bay and getting a look at some of the beautiful yachts moored there.
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Bodrum is a relaxing two-floor haven with a Turkish bath, indoor and outdoor pools, sauna and steam room, and fitness center. Sounds like heaven, right? It pretty much is!
If you’re looking to do some high-end shopping, you’ll be glad to hear there are boutiques like Chanel, Missoni and Hermes right on the property.
And, for families, there is a kids’ club with activities and games for children, as well as a babysitting service and special menus for kids at the restaurants.
My Thoughts
Wondering about my honest Mandarin Oriental Bodrum review? Well, I absolutely can’t recommend this hotel enough! It’s one of the most impressive hotel properties I’ve been to and everything from the rooms to the dining to the service is 5 stars.
And speaking of the service, the hotel has a dedicated butler team to assist guests with absolutely anything they need.
As we were saying goodbye to the team, they asked about our following plans — we told them about spending a few days in Istanbul before heading home as we were excited to return to our dog. Their response surprised us as they already knew about our dog and that his name was Thunder… without us ever mentioning his name!
Our guess was that their team does some guest research prior to arrival. Did we feel this was creepy or impressive? While at first we were taken aback, it was pretty impressive to know that they do such extensive prep for your arrival!
Staying at the MO Bodrum was a wonderful way to end our trip in Turkey. And, I hope to go back one day!
→ Book a Stay at Mandarin Oriental Bodrum
That’s it for my review of the Mandarin Oriental Bodrum! Overall, the hotel is a spectacular and relaxing retreat with unbelievable views, 5-star amenities, and a prime location on the Aegean coast.
Leave a Reply