Kar Hotel

We had a bidet shower in the toilet here, something we hadn’t found at any other hotel in Turkey. Our room had no balcony, just a large French-style window, but the way it’s built means nobody can see into the room. The lake and town views were even better than the viewpoint, and the room felt like a 4.5-star room to me, despite its low rating. The hotel had apparently been renovated recently. The staff were cheerful about bears and used to seeing them. We spotted one crossing the road near the hotel as we headed toward the forest around 9 pm. They said bears come out at night and rummage through the bins for food. I think the hotel is safe enough, so don’t worry about them. You might get to see bears in the wild if you stay here, which was a good experience at no extra cost. One thing to know: the very stretchy dish shown in the photos isn’t part of breakfast. It costs another 300 lira, and we didn’t like it at all, leaving most of the pot uneaten. You could order it just for the photo, but don’t expect it to taste good unless you’re into very cheesy things.

We only came for a meal, not to stay at the hotel. You’re mostly paying for the view. The workers seemed very young and inexperienced, and the food was expensive for the small portions. We spent around 2,000 TL on appetizers, about 60 euros, so this probably isn’t the place if you’re trying to save money. We waited an hour for bread, didn’t receive everything we ordered, and had to remind our server twice about the tea. It never came.

The crew were really kind and helpful, especially Hamzah and Abdullah, who deserve a special thank you. The meal was tiptop and the view was one of a kind. The eggs were just okay. Prices seemed reasonable for a tourist attraction, not overly expensive.

The hotel was fresh and clean, and the view from both the rooms and restaurant is incredible. Staff at the hotel were very polite. This place should be on your trip when you come to Trabzon. That view is stunning!