Efes Konakları Şirince — Hotel in Selçuk

Be prepared for a long twisty uphill climb from Selcuk to Sirince, and then a bit of a challenge to find this unassuming little chalet-style inn in the town. Best to do it in daylight (we learned the hard way). Inside, the bed and pillows were lovely and the bathroom was the only significant disappointment. We were pleased to be upgraded at no charge to a larger room upstairs but the bathroom was at eye level with innumerable pedestrians and residents able to see in from the adjacent sloped side street. Although we are not overly shy, we had to keep the bathroom window closed and the blind fully lowered almost all the time. This cut down the fresh air circulation considerably. Also, the shower taps were faulty and needed considerable getting used to. Beyond all that, this charming place is enthusiastically run by a young couple who manage to communicate effectively through gestures and actions. You will be led down narrow lanes to a lovely quite inexpensive restaurant if that is your need; similarly you will be escorted to their own nearby restaurant for breakfast (otherwise you would never find it). Breakfast is astonishingly, almost indecently, bountiful; we sent pictures home of the literally dozens of small treats that were spread at our table for just the two of us -- specialty dishes, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, cheeses, French toast, fried potatoes, spreads, olives, cheese-stuffed pitas, fresh breads, condiments, jams, etc. We are not shoppers but could not help but be fascinated by the artisans and vendors lining all the cobblestone laneways. They even managed to get quite a lot of money out of us, for what appeared to be real values in leather and fabrics. Overall: stay one night; the hotel is a unique experience and you won't be sorry. Ephesus is less than 20 minutes away and of course not to be missed. Bonus suggestion: we drove northwest along the Aegean coast, from just north of Kushadasi up to the Teos area, and found the vistas amazing and...

Five stars for its quirky charm and comfort, though you’ll need to put up with a few idiosyncrasies...||Şirince is tucked up in the hills above Selçuk, a rarity in that the large village is unspoilt by any modern fringe so that its ancient charm is intact. The steep lanes are either cobbled or roughly paved, and you will certainly have to do the last 200-300 metres from the car parks on foot. Bring stout footwear and strong lungs. The village seems to attract mainly Turkish day trippers and very few foreigners even though it is a convenient stopping point for Ephesus. ||The hotel is a minute or so from the covered bazaar and, like most of the village’s hotels, is a converted stone house with, I think, six rooms. Little seems to have changed since a 2012 review - the rooms have been tastefully and cleverly decorated with a combination of boutique charm and rustic domesticity; though not enormous rooms, there is plenty of storage, power sockets, a decent shower, effective air conditioning. A previous reviewer mentions the oddity of a window between bedroom and bathroom without any blind, which may bother some, and some of the taps (faucets) seem slightly less that secure. ||It was slightly peculiar that the room was not made up during my two-night stay, and also that I found myself locked in the house when I tried to leave at 7.30 on the first morning, though this was resolved in a few minutes with a phone call.||The young owner, Ronay, speaks some English and is assisted by what I took to be an assortment of her teenage siblings. They are very welcoming and keen to oblige, and the fact that it can all seem a little haphazard is part of the charm. They did however produce perhaps the best breakfast of my life, a serendipitous parade of fresh local produce and a variety of hot dishes - a wonderful...

Despite not having a common language the delightful hostess made my stay extra special. Not only did I receive a warm welcome and a fabulous room upgrade, but I had breakfasts to die for, a parting gift and a ride to the airport.||My room was just divine with a super comfy bed and glorious pillows, a bathroom with a small turkish bath area, a huge window seat to watch the world from and the most eclectic decor you could imagine.||The breakfasts were indescribable and each day was a bit different||The village is touristy but still offers excellent local food and once the tourists have gone for the day turns into a sleepy and welcoming village, perfect for a...