Izmir: Korumar DeLuxe (August 2009)

We stayed at the Korumar in Kusadasi in a Junior Suite, which had a separate bedroom and separate living room, each connected jointly to a terrace, with one full bathroom. The rooms were huge, and we were able to stay there comfortably. The towels were a bit skimpy at this hotel, but a full array of acceptable toiletries were provided. The pool area is large and crowded with people in the summer months, but it seemed that you could always find an empty chair. The hotel is about a 15-minute walk from town, where you can find a little store to purchase beverages. There was a mini bar in our room, with astronomical prices. While there is a sundry shop in the hotel, the only beverage sold was Red Bull--they didn’t even sell bottled water. We really used this hotel solely as a central base from which to tour Ephesus, Pamukkale, Miletus, Priene, and Didyma. We didn’t really have an opportunity to take advantage of all the amenities the hotel had to offer. There was a spa, fitness center, indoor pool, tour/activities desk, photo shop (it looked like a resident photographer snapped shots of guests and sold them), and oddly, an eyeglass kiosk. Because we had a Junior Suite, our breakfast and dinners were included with the room rate, and we were able to eat at the a la carte restaurants for dinner rather than the buffet. We walked through the buffet one night, however, and it looked pretty nice as far as all-inclusive buffets go. We ate breakfast each morning in the private executive area on the rooftop called Level 9 rather than in the main buffet (again, included with our room rate). We ate our dinners in the a la carte restaurant Manzara on the first night (seafood, outdoor dining), and Sedir on the second and third nights (international, pasta, meats, indoor dining). While you cannot smoke indoors in the public areas, it did appear that you could smoke in your own hotel room since there were ashtrays provided. There was twice daily maid service, including evening turndown. I would stay here again if I visited the area, and I would also build in one day of relaxation time to check out the pool and the (rocky) beach area. Of course, the Charisma and the Kismet are located in the same general area as the Korumar, so I might be tempted to try one of those instead. The Kismet probably has the best location, since it sits at the very tip of a land protrusion, which would provide the best views. The Korumar and the Charisma seemed equal in the quality of their views, although the hotels are positioned very differently. The Korumar is located the farthest from town of the three hotels mentioned, although even the Kismet (the closest) would be a 10-minute walk.