Kilic Motel

The room was unbearably hot in July, and neither the AC nor the TV worked. The hotel is basic and there’s no elevator, though a staff member carried our bags upstairs. We stayed two nights in mid-July 2024, about 25-30 minutes from Istanbul’s main airport. There’s a nice sea view from our room, and the location is close to the beach and other attractions in town. The owner and his wife were lovely. They held and played with our 3-month-old baby while we ate dinner, which gave us a much-needed break. If you let them know, they can arrange a taxi to the airport for less than ordering one yourself. The nearby mosque broadcasts the call to prayer over a loudspeaker. It isn’t the hotel’s fault, but if you haven’t heard it before, it can be alarming the first time. For a night or two, the price and location make sense, especially compared with spending as much on a taxi ride into Istanbul as two nights here.

I’d stay again, especially if I wanted a quiet spot away from things near the beach. The room had a comfortable mattress that seemed new, and the shower was very nice. It was mostly clean, though there was some dust, as if nobody had stayed there for a while. The bathroom was okay, but the toilet seat was very loose, maybe broken. Rooms face the Black Sea, which was nice, and I slept with the window open to a pleasant breeze. It’s conveniently priced and not too far from the airport, about 25 minutes on my layover.

The sea is beautiful, and it’s so close to the water. My room was comfortable, with a good bed, hot water kettle and a nice shower, but it faced the back instead of the sea. Since it was off-season and the place seemed empty, I didn’t understand why they gave me that room. I went for a run along the water and was disappointed again when I wasn’t allowed to go in. After three months in Turkey, these will be my last two days before I fly back to the US. The taxi to the airport is a reasonable fixed 250 lira. Ask for a sea view when you check in. It costs twice what I paid everywhere else in Turkey, so I thought a view was a fair expectation, though anything this close to the airport is expensive and it’s still worth staying even without one.

The motel is dated, but the service has been beyond wonderful. I loved hearing the waves against the beach. The town’s prayers over a loudspeaker were kind of pleasant, though they did wake me up. It’s just a local custom.