Caresse, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Bodrum — Hotel in Bodrum

The hotel is beautifully placed, designed and kept. It's a medium sized resort but even so, it's so spacious that it never felt crowded - it was very easy to find privacy everywhere - on the deck, on the beach, at the swimming pool etc. Everything was very clean and there was a lot of art displayed throughout the property. The views from the room, beach, swimming pool etc. are wonderful. Beautiful Mediterranean flowers everywhere. Just note that the hotel is facing East and it's on hill, so at the end of the day the sun will go beyond the hill a couple of hours before sunset time. ||There's a small, artificial beach with sand, surrounded by several decks with chairs and umbrellas, a beach bar etc. The swimming pool is very large, with a gorgeous view of the bay and the islands, and it got very light traffic. The gym, sauna, steam rooms etc. are all very nice and never crowded. ||The restaurants and bars seemed ok, but they're very expensive (comparable to a five star hotel from Western Europe or USA). Our room didn't have the breakfast included, so we paid around 35 euros per person, plus a mandatory 10% service fee, for a breakfast and service that were ok, but not amazing. The Turkish cuisine is one of my favorites, but the breakfast buffet didn't fully take advantage of that. For lunch and dinner, you can either drive for five minutes or take a taxi to the nearby area (Bitez) where you'll find all kinds of restaurants. Walking there is possible, but requires a long walk up and down a hill, so it's not for everyone.||The room was excellent. Super clean, fantastic view of the bay, dark shades so the sunrise won't bother you, beautiful bathroom. All the customer facing employees seemed very young (all were under 30-35), and were very friendly and helpful. ||There are significant flaws, however, that may significantly affect your experience. I booked a room with two queen beds and at arrival I was assigned a room with a king bed. The manger on duty was completely puzzled - he showed me how their system indicated my reservation was for a king bedroom, while the email I got showed the two queen option. Luckily they had a room of the type I booked, but I had to wait for about 45 minutes or so for it to be cleaned. Once in the room, I was told that the minibar had not been filled. Fine by me, since I wasn't planning to use anything from it. The next day they filled it, but only partially, It was only on the third day they finally got it right. The complementary water bottles were provided the first day but they forgot to do it the second day. One day we came to the room and noticed somebody else's clean laundry had been delivered to our room! ||At check-in time I asked for a quiet room, since I knew they have a beach bar that plays loud music until late. I was told that no other rooms were available, and that the loud music plays "only until 1am" (!!!), and offered to ask the next day for a different room. The music was quite loud and I could hear it even with the windows closed and the ear plugs on, but fortunately I was so tired that it didn't bother me. I can easily see some guests being seriously troubled by this, though.||The hotel apparently offers marina services, so there were five or six yachts (one really large) that were parked right next to the swimming area. I don't know about others, but I'd rather not have those yachts that close, and risk running into oil or fuel spills, even if they're small. ||At checkout time the bill included minibar items I hadn't touched, and laundry services I hadn't used. See above for a possible explanation about why I was charged for these. I knew that various other guests had similar issues so I was on the lookout. The charges were dropped without any discussion after I mentioned them to the very nice young man at the front desk. ||BTW, I wasn't the only customer affected by issues. One day, while passing by the front desk, two ladies from a Middle Eastern country were very upset and complaining about something to the person working at the front desk. I don't know the nature of the problem, but I found it not cool for this to happen to them and to me in this five star hotel ... ||I was born and raised in a part of the world that's similar to Turkey, so I wasn't terribly upset or surprised at these flaws. It was sad though, because I could see the really hard work that went into trying to deliver an excellent experience, and a few simple things like this can really upset the guests. Overall, I had a very good, but not excellent stay, so I'd recommend being cautious with this place and booking it with the right...

Overall:|We booked this hotel due to the east-facing views and proximity to Bodrum and the direct sea access. In this regards the hotel delivers. Every room has a glorious unobstructed sunrise view, and the resort is very tranquil during the day. However, there are some issues which were quite disappointing for a "5 star" resort.||Noise:|If you are noise sensitive, I suggest you request a 4th floor room away from Buddha bar - even though the rooms are actually very well soundproofed. After reading reviews mentioning noise due to the Buddha Bar, we contacted the hotel ahead of time to see if we could arrange the have a less noisy room which was noted and we were given a room as far away as possible from Buddha bar. However, the neighbors at Aura also play loud music so we spent day 1 sleeping with earplugs. After mentioning this, the FD apologized and moved us to the 4th floor in the middle of the property. You can hear music from Buddha bar from here but putting the fan on a constant medium was enough to drown out the noise without earplugs. On the last night, there was no music and it was very enjoyable! Looking at the demographics of the hotel at breakfast and around pool - I really don't sense the guests here as a party crowd and I cannot fathom why management still decides to play such disruptive music despite complaints.||Beach:|The setup on the beach is very well thought out. There's a lot of extra seating and during our shoulder season there was always more than enough space. There's also a nice setup in the water with a floating deck for jumping off or hanging around, plus lane area for doing laps. The water in the area is very gentle (not windy or big waves) and decently clear. Plus, the beach is not very rocky - at least for Aegean standards - you won't need to wear water shoes to get in the water here!||As for the infinity pool, since it is not temperature regulated it is cold. However, due to the exposure it did get pretty warm by 11am and after a few laps swimming it's pretty manageable. The view from the infinity pool is simply fantastic! The spa facilities were okay although there is no hot tub/jacuzzi and the indoor "pool" is way too small to do anything in it.||Dining:|The dining on property was disappointing. The breakfast is at Glass restaurant, which has amazing views of the sea. However, the quality is okay at best, there are no menus for made-to-order items, and the selection of foods is very limited - especially at this price point. The food at both Buddha Bar and the Pizza restaurant were worse. For example, using breaded chicken and a thick sauce for Kung Pao chicken, serving Caesar salad with iceberg lettuce and watery sauce, or making margherita pizza with way too much cheese. We gave up after this and just ate out around town.||Loyalty stuff:|We made our booking via Marriott Stars as a Platinum member. This was not acknowledged upon check-in (although there we're some very good quality sweets in the room). However this meant I had to contact Marriott after checkout to get our 1000 pts welcome gift and we had to prompt the FD at checkout to apply the $100 credit. There's not many suites at the property so I didn't expect one and it was not offered - I think trying to accommodate us reasonably for the...

We selected Caresse Hotel to celebrate our 25th anniversary, trusting Marriott Bonvoy and its member hotels. While the hotel's luxury is undeniable, our experience began on a sour note. Despite pre-arrival communication and confirmation of a reward upgrade, the check-in process was chaotic and frustrating.||The check-in agent unilaterally changed our reservation without our consent, refusing to acknowledge his error or apologize. This disrespectful behavior was a stark contrast to the exceptional service we've come to expect from Marriott Bonvoy.||However, the hospitality of Mr. Javid Aslanli and Mr. Onur Başdemir redeemed our stay. Their dedication and understanding of our situation were invaluable. They went above and beyond to ensure our comfort and satisfaction.||The hotel itself offers stunning views, a beautiful beach, excellent dining options, a variety of entertainment options, and a generally comfortable environment for guests of all ages. However, it's important to note that the hotel's structure, with multiple levels and changes in elevation, may present challenges for elderly guests. It's also important to note that options for young children are limited, too.||The beach was small but clean and peaceful, with enough number of sunbeds and umbrellas. The sea was crystal clear and calm, perfect for swimming.||We also enjoyed the spa, where the therapists were professional and skilled. Mr. Javid arranged a complimentary treatment for us as a gesture of goodwill.||The pool was always quiet, likely due to the time of year. The infinite pool was a particularly relaxing spot to enjoy the views.||Entertainment options at Caresse included live music performances several times a week. We enjoyed attending one of these shows, which typically started around 9:30 PM.||Regarding pricing, Caresse Hotel is undoubtedly expensive, reflecting Bodrum's reputation as a luxury destination. For travelers on a budget, we recommend checking restaurant menus and prices in advance to better plan their expenses.||A special thanks to Mr. Javid Aslanli and Mr. Onur Başdemir for their exceptional service and understanding. They made our stay truly memorable. We will never forget the determination of Mr. Javid to make sure that we are happy and comfortable during our stay. We will also never forget the special arrangements (a romantic surprise) by Mr. Onur Başdemir for our anniversary. They were always available through phone and WhatsApp.||We would also like to express our gratitude to Ms. Cansel, Mr. Süleyman, and Mr. Yavuz for their outstanding hospitality and attention to detail.||While the initial check-in experience was a major disappointment, the overall quality of our stay and the exceptional service from certain staff members made Caresse a memorable experience. We would recommend this hotel to others, but caution future guests to be prepared for potential issues...