Palaia Hotel Datça

Tucked away in Datça, this feels like a hidden paradise. The location and rooms are excellent, the staff are lovely, and the restaurant feels special while keeping its prices reasonable.

Parking was very easy, and though downtown Datça is beyond the view, the restaurant feels removed from its bustle. From the deck you look over the pool area and Datça ruins. Inside, the vaulted ceilings and tasteful decor make it feel warm, just beyond an inviting courtyard. We were seated quickly and ordered cocktails and raki. The crispy zucchini, Greek salad with almonds, and pistachio stuffed meatballs all arrived beautifully presented and tasted delicious. There’s live music tonight. We’ve finished eating, but the staff aren’t trying to hurry us out. Palaia is easy to like, and we’ll be back.

The rooms were quiet and lovely, with comfortable beds, top sheets, water views, and a view of a cool archaeological site. The grounds, sculptures, gardens, and pool are stunning, and the bellman was the best service person I encountered. Still, despite the price, this isn’t a luxury hotel. My stay and work meeting were fine, but service was meh, and I wouldn’t return at this price. I came solo for a long Zoom work meeting and chose the hotel for comfortable accommodations and advertised fast WiFi, “100mpts of speed.” Datca has the worst WiFi, so I emailed first. The hotel promptly confirmed the speed. In my room, though, it was just over 2 Mbps, too slow even to send an email. The front desk kindly gave me the password for the hotel’s private WiFi, which was much quicker at about 50 Mbps, though still nowhere near the advertised 100. Service needs work. I went to the pool but couldn’t find anyone at the pool bar or towel stand. At lunch, I sat in the restaurant for quite a while before a server arrived without a menu, looking confused about why I was there. I asked for a menu and got a QR code, which doesn’t feel like luxury service. Then I waited a very long time for someone to take my order and had to flag a person down. Drinks and food took even longer. I never got the water I ordered. There was just one other table and about five servers, all looking at their phones, with nobody paying attention. Drinks should come first, before the food, so guests might order more when their meal arrives. Two other details also felt budget hotel. The hangers were permanently attached to the closet rod, as if guests might steal them. The room had shampoo and soap but no conditioner or other bath amenities. Last month I stayed at two Datca hotels that cost one-fifth as much, and both supplied conditioner in the bathroom showers.

Four days here for a wedding celebration left us speechless. Altan and the team have put so much care and love into this gem of a hotel. The location, people, and quality are all top notch. I’ll be back, and I highly recommend it!