Garden Suites Hotel Cappadocia

From Berk’s warm late-night welcome when we arrived to our departure this morning, the staff made Göreme even more memorable for us. Donya, Zehra, Dilek and Bahar served lovely food and an amazing breakfast, and made us feel like family. The facilities, room, location and balloon views were all great, but it was these genuine, wonderful people who really made the stay. Tesekkurler ederiz to you lovely women and to you Berk. Aubrey and Margot - New Zealand.

The tour booking situation overshadowed our Easter holiday stay and left us feeling scammed. The hotel itself was average, with ordinary facilities, and although there was a view, it didn’t match how impressive the photos made it look. We had booked our stay through Booking.com almost four months ahead. Later, the hotel contacted me on WhatsApp about tours, and we agreed to reserve the Red Tour, Green Tour and a balloon ride, assuming it would be straightforward to book through them. No one clearly said payment had to be in cash. At check-in they suddenly asked for around €2400 in cash, which we didn’t have. They let us pay for the Red and Green tours by bank transfer, but insisted the balloon ride had to be paid for in cash. That made us uneasy, so we checked other providers in Cappadocia town. We found a reputable operator offering balloon rides for €170 per person, payable by card, compared with the hotel’s €260 quote. We chose that clearer, more reasonable option. When I told the hotel, they reacted aggressively and said they had already paid the balloon company in full and couldn’t cancel. They sent CCTV footage of our check-in as evidence, suggesting we had confirmed the ride, but the audio was unclear and only the video could be seen. There were ten of us, and we all remember not confirming because we lacked the cash and weren’t sure we could arrange it. It’s hard to understand how the hotel treated it as confirmed. They threatened to involve the police, then backed off quickly when we agreed to speak with the authorities. Using CCTV this way felt invasive and unsettling. We later saw Google reviews from other guests describing similar incidents, warnings we unfortunately hadn’t noticed before booking. I’d urge future visitors to be cautious and arrange activities independently with verified providers, especially balloon rides.

We were really happy with the tours we booked through the hotel. They suggested things they knew we’d enjoy and even pointed out that we could hike to one place instead of paying for a tour, which felt honest and helpful. Berk and the other receptionist who welcomed us on our first night were especially lovely, and the staff overall were professional and warm. Breakfast deserves another mention: there was a big selection of delicious food, Donya was a great waitress, and Dilek and Zehra were wonderful cooks. It was more than we expected. The location is a short walk from the centre of Goreme, right at the edge of town and away from the bustle. I’d definitely recommend it. Honestly, I’m not sure where the people leaving complaints stayed, because their descriptions sound like a different hotel.

I felt completely scammed by the receptionist over the hot air balloon activity, and the experience left me extremely disappointed. I’d only asked about the price and details, never confirmed or asked them to make a reservation. Later they said they had booked it without my consent, and I was made to pay for something I never agreed to and didn’t even take part in. When I tried to explain, they were rude and disrespectful. Being charged for an unused activity based on a conversation where I was only asking questions was unacceptable. When we tried to reason with them, they said, “there’s nothing to rewatch on security camera because you have to pay anyway, by cash or by card ?” It was so frustrating, but we had to pay because it was time for our flight back. I strongly suggest that future guests make it completely clear whether they’re asking for information or making a booking, and don’t rely on verbal agreements. They may twist what was said because we’re foreigners. I paid extra for nothing and was treated badly. This was one of the most upsetting trips I’ve had, and it ruined my stay because of the hotel’s behaviour, not the destination.