GAIA Alaçatı Bazaar

The biggest headache was the Saturday market. We weren't told at check-in that the Alacati street bazaar runs all day in high season right outside the hotel, or that the area gets shut down. On the Saturday we were driving to the airport, market stalls and large vehicles had blocked our car in on both sides. Staff reacted quickly and guided the car out safely through the stalls and crowds, which we appreciated, but this caused a lot of stress and ruined our last day. Guests with cars need to be warned on arrival. Staff should also know how far the market spreads across town and advise where to park on Friday night, so cars aren't trapped the next morning. We also found that coffee and other drinks aren't included with breakfast, and cost extra. On top of paying for each drink, there was a separate service fee. Since breakfast food is included and drinks have to be served anyway, that felt unreasonable and odd to me. Maybe I'd understand the fee outside breakfast hours. We didn't know about these charges, so the final bill at checkout was a bit disheartening. Even with those issues, we enjoyed our six nights at Gaia Bazaar at the end of July, and it's a truly beautiful hotel. The rooms are spacious and clean, the look is gorgeous, minimal and earthy with a boho-chic feel. The hotel smells lovely, and the complimentary bathroom toiletries are nice. There's a leafy, shaded courtyard where they serve a fresh Turkish breakfast. It's close to the action in Alacati but far enough from nightlife to stay relatively quiet in the evenings. The air conditioning was much needed, and the beds are very comfortable. The staff are what really make the place: fun, kind, accommodating and respectful. Hayati, Berkant, Nazmi, Jeren, Yousef, and especially dear Ahmet, thank you for making our stay so pleasant. Thanks as well to the manager, who made my birthday dinner special and memorable. We really appreciated the hospitality. The other issue was parking. The listing says it's free, but the hotel has no private parking. There is some free street parking, but spaces are limited and availability depends on the day and time. We arrived on a Saturday and couldn't find a space at all, so we had to use a nearby car park. This happened several times and added to our costs. The listing should explain that only limited on-street parking is available. We do think Gaia Bazaar is a gem in Alacati and would recommend it. If management addresses these points, we'd definitely stay again.