Capadoccia: Sacred House (August 2009)

This hotel in Urgup is amazing! Each of the 12 rooms is uniquely decorated and named. We stayed in the Harem room, which I believe is the only room with a private balcony. The room entrances all face seating areas and terraces, however, so even if your room does not have a private balcony per se, you surely have somewhere lovely and semi-private to sit. I also saw the King (an absolutely fantastic bi-level room), Bacchus Hideout (gorgeous!), Byzantine Treasury (lovely), Old Chapel (interesting), and Room of Antique Tiles (fine). The highest class rooms (Superior Deluxe) were definitely more luxurious than the middle (Deluxe) and lowest priced (Standard) rooms, having amazing bathrooms and beautiful bedding. Note that if you require a traditional American-style shower, you would be wise to book a Standard room rather than a Superior or Deluxe room. In the “better” categories of rooms, the tubs are beautiful and completely unique, but are not outfitted with stand-up shower heads and shower curtains. The Standard room that I saw only had a double bed, while our Deluxe room had a queen-size bed. The Deluxe rooms are $300 USD per night, which includes a great breakfast and taxes. There’s a 10% discount if you pay in cash. Rooms have a mini-bar (not included), and sound system (which we couldn’t get to work), but no phone, alarm clock, or TV. Slippers are provided, but no robes. Shampoo, soap, and lotion are available (but in larger-than-usual hotel sizes), and there are hair dryers. A bottle of sherry is placed in each room, and an afternoon plate of nuts/fruits is delivered. Breakfasts are phenomenal, as stated by other posters; it was served and not a buffet. The public areas in the hotel are lovely--lots of outdoor seating, courtyards with fountains, a rooftop terrace, and a pretty lobby and dining room. You are requested to leave your (old-fashioned) key when leaving the hotel, and you are admitted in and out through the exterior door by hotel personnel (we felt completely safe, so I don’t know if the extra security is really necessary.) The hotel is located quite close to town: just a block or two to shops, restaurants, ATM machines, convenience stores, car rental, etc. The Sacred House has a bed-and-breakfast atmosphere, where you can interact with other guests and the staff. There is a resident dog (her Turkish name means “Angel” in English), as well as a friendly calico cat. We visited during Ramadan, so at approximately 4:00 am, someone walks the streets of the town banging a drum, alerting residents to rise and have their last meal before fasting for the day. While we could hear this, it was not bothersome and just added to the charm of the hotel.