Some trips you plan for months. Others just sort of happen to you. My weekend at The Bodrum EDITION was definitely the second kind. Three days of flamingos, synchronized swimmers, and so much truffle pasta I’m pretty sure I single-handedly kept their suppliers in business.

I should have known this wasn’t going to be your average weekend getaway when I spotted flamingos from my taxi window. Actual flamingos. Just casually feeding in the Tuzla Bird Sanctuary like they were part of some elaborate welcome committee. I’m sitting there, still half-asleep from the flight, wondering if this is real life or if I’ve accidentally stumbled into a nature documentary.

The hotel hit me right in the face with that immediate vacation feeling. You know the one – where your shoulders drop about three inches and you suddenly remember what relaxation feels like. By 4 PM I was melted into a beach lounger, watching the Turkish Riviera do its thing while my phone buzzed with work emails that suddenly felt like they were happening to someone else entirely.

Dinner at Michelin Star restaurant KITCHEN was when things got interesting. Sure, it’s Michelin-starred and all that, but those prawns… Jesus. They arrived with enough theatrical flair to put Broadway to shame. I’m talking proper drama here. Meanwhile the sun was doing its golden hour performance over the bay, and everyone around me looked like they’d stepped out of a magazine shoot.

I ended the night in peak vacation mode: eating ice cream in the world’s most ridiculous bathtub while watching Netflix. The bathrobe was so soft I briefly considered smuggling it home. No regrets whatsoever.

The beach scene was pure entertainment. Some guy was doing actual ballet moves on a hydrofoil while I committed fully to the art of doing absolutely nothing on a sun lounger. The spa was incredible too – steam rooms, salt caves, saunas, and weirdly enough, a cosmetic surgeon. I stuck to the facial but honestly, the temptation was there.

Lunch happened on this pontoon right on the water where apparently truffle had taken over every single dish. When one of the footballers in our group gave up his garlic bread, I swooped in like the hero I am. Someone had to make that sacrifice. The afternoon was perfect for people watching. The beach was like a living Instagram feed – gorgeous Europeans, Americans who looked like they’d never had a bad photo taken, everyone just existing in that effortless way that makes you wonder what you’re doing wrong with your life.

Then Saturday night happened. What I thought would be a quiet drink by the pool turned into something straight out of a movie. Red carpet appeared out of nowhere. Paparazzi. Actual flashbulbs. I stumbled through it like I’d missed the dress code memo and found a corner where I could drink in peace and watch the infinity pool stretch toward the horizon.

And then, because apparently this place doesn’t do anything halfway, synchronized swimmers showed up. I’m not kidding. Professional synchronized swimmers just materialized in the pool while chef stations opened up everywhere. Truffle burgers, lobster pasta, sushi, beef ribs. I made the rounds. Multiple times. For research. By 10:30 PM, the restaurant had transformed into an actual nightclub. House music, cocktails, impossibly beautiful people twirling around with designer bags. I grabbed one last scoop of ice cream and called it a perfect night.

Sunday morning reality tried to reassert itself when I overslept and had exactly fifteen minutes to get to breakfast before my transfer. Sprinted down to the restaurant in what became an accidental test of their service. Juice and fresh bread appeared in five minutes flat. No stress, no fuss. Just pure hospitality magic. 

The day trip to Etrim Village was the perfect counterpoint to all the hotel glamour. Watching local women weave carpets by hand using dyes made from lavender, walnut shells, and onion skins felt like stepping back in time. The lunch afterward was simple but perfect: warm bread, fresh vegetables, hot tea. Sometimes the best luxury is just good food made with care. Back at the hotel for one last swim and steam room session, I was already getting nostalgic for a place I hadn’t even left yet. The beach was still perfect, the towels still appeared like magic, and the staff still smiled like they actually meant it.

Etrim Village

Here’s the thing about The Bodrum EDITION: I’ve stayed at plenty of fancy hotels, but this place is different. It’s not just the obvious stuff like the incredible location or the fact that ice cream appears before you’ve even figured out where to put your suitcase. It’s how the whole experience makes you feel like you’re starring in your own luxury lifestyle movie. The staff somehow know what you want before you do. Beaches get hand-raked to perfection, towels appear under your lounger without you asking, breakfast gets delivered in record time when you’re running late. It all feels so seamless until you step back and realize how extraordinary it actually is. Yes, there were flamingos. Yes, I ate enough breakfast for two people. Yes, I may have consumed my body weight in ice cream. But beyond all the Instagram-worthy moments and truffle everything, this place just gets it. Some hotels pamper you. This one makes you feel like they’ve been waiting for you specifically.

Rates start from €400 per room per night.

For Bookings visit www.editionhotels.com/bodrum