Koksal Otel

The room views are lovely, but that was about the only upside for me. The rooms are cold and cramped, and you can hear people in the rooms above, below, and next door as if they're right there. The bathroom and toilet have no ventilation and smell awful. It feels unhygienic, especially since the shower and toilet are basically combined. Bring extra warm things, and consider another bathroom arrangement if you can. Towels weren't replaced during our stay, even after we asked. Breakfast had no local items, just cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, cheddar, one kind of jam, butter, honey, and salami. If you're arriving with a tour group, get there early because the tea and salami run out fast. Shoes aren't allowed inside the rooms, but I'd take yours in with you in a bag instead of leaving them by the door. It was crowded when I visited, and my shoes ended up scattered somewhere else and dirty. I don't blame the management for that, just the locals' rudeness. If you've read all this and still want to stay, I'd choose an upstairs room.

We only stayed one night on a tour, but the wooden, home-like boutique hotel was exactly the kind of place I'd always hoped to stay in. The greenery and plateau view were lovely, and I added photos of the inside and outside. Breakfast with that beautiful view was hard to leave behind. The staff were so warm and thoughtful that we felt like guests in their own home. The hotel sits a bit uphill, and they even carried our suitcases up and down for us. I hope I get back to Rize so I can stay here again. I know some guests mention small, cold rooms, the bathroom and toilet being right beside each other, and thin walls. For this very reasonable price, I think the place deserves more credit than it gets.

The highland feel comes through in the hotel's authentic structure, and it's a great choice if you're after quiet and fresh air. From the balcony, the misty mountains and waterfalls were right there to watch. A peaceful stay surrounded by nature.

Ayder Plateau has changed so much that hardly anything is left of what I remember. I knew it before, and now it feels like only the “A” remains, with hotels and restaurants everywhere. The hotel's location is its strongest point, and from the outside it does look like a mountain lodge. I can't fault the taste of dinner, but the portions were tiny, as if they were limited by what the tour company was paying. We figured we could eat elsewhere, but the rooms were another matter. One was tiny and smelled of the toilet, with ants above the bed as if they were getting ready for winter. Another was so low that my 1.80m friend could barely avoid hitting his head. I know nature stays come with some inconveniences, but the shower setup was bizarre: you could shower while washing or use the toilet while showering. The young man who greeted us seemed to have been given lots of responsibility without authority. He spent a lot of time on the phone trying to sort out problems. I was surprised by the five-star reviews, since this didn't feel like the hotel they described. An architect needs to redesign the place before it's ready to host guests properly. Gezinomi also bears responsibility for presenting it as a hotel in its current state. If it were actually prepared for guests, it could be a 10 out of 10. As it is, I give it one star, for the location.