Tuvana Hotel

A collection of historic houses in the heart of Antalya’s Old Town, with garden restaurant, courtyard pool, high-spec rooms and old-fashioned Turkish hospitality

One of the fastest growing cities in Turkey, Antalya is busy and booming: a necklace of low-rise development spreading along the Mediterranean shore, against a backdrop of Taurus Mountain peaks. But beneath the city’s resort hotels and tree-lined shopping boulevards, there are layers of history - Hellenistic, Seljuk, Ottoman – and its old-town heart remains almost unchanged. Kaleici (meaning Roman Fortress) is a walled labyrinth of narrow, car-free back-streets, steps and alleyways; cafés and carpet shops; fountains of bougainvillea trailing from jasmine-scented gardens.

On a hillside above the harbour, this traditional old-town hotel sits right in the historic zone, providing a great stopover or a short break. It consists of three listed buildings (the original, the former home of an Ottoman officer, has been in the same family since the early 19th century). All are half-timbered, with jettied upper storeys, and beautifully restored. There are 46 rooms, an informal terrace restaurant, a pool. The town beach is 5-minute walk; ancient remains at Side, Aspendos, Termessos and Olympos can be seen in a day trip.

Highs

• Central location on quiet side street in historic zone between Ataturk Caddesi (the main shopping street) and the sea
• The service, presided over by efficient manageress Nermin, is warm and attentive
• Pretty gardens linked by cool pebbled courtyards shaded with fruit trees (orange, lemon, banana, plum and pomegranate)
• Easygoing shorts-and-sandals atmosphere
• Good quality, unpretentious Turkish food served indoors or out

Lows

• Some of the rooms are on the small side and only 6 have any private outside space
• The pool area smacks of package-holiday hotel and can be busy - but, hey, the sea is just down the road
• Piped elevator music throughout the hotel can be a little tiresome (though it is optional in the rooms)
• As is usual in Turkey, smoking is permitted just about everywhere – ask for a smoke-free room