Sahmeran Otantik Pension

The rooms have the old style typical of Old Town Mardin, and the place itself is nice, with a big terrace. But it doesn’t seem well maintained, and the staff didn’t seem to care about guests. I arrived after 3 pm and my room still wasn’t ready. It also wasn’t very clean, which made sense since they obviously got it ready for me just five minutes before I arrived. There were cigar butts on the window sill and a dirty towel on the wardrobe. I also think one leg was missing from the wardrobe. It was tilted, and I was afraid it would fall.

We had no water at all when we arrived. The manager said there would be water the next day. The bathrooms were far from clean, and it looked as if they hadn’t been cleaned after the previous guest. Some rooms also had no keys for locking the doors, though the manager said it was safe to stay there. Getting to the hotel means climbing at least 40 uneven steps, since no road reaches the front door. There’s a large courtyard, but loud music carried on until midnight and beyond. By almost midnight, I was searching for another hotel for myself and my friends. Take my advice and steer clear.

The room was nice, and I liked the evening manager, so I don't want to rate the place three stars. But the morning service felt far too relaxed for a place charging 300 TL a night. Breakfast doesn't begin until 9, and since we had to leave earlier, we asked if we could eat at 8. The manager said that was fine, but the morning staff member had only just woken up at 8 and made it clear he wouldn't serve us before 9. We left at 8:20 and had to find food elsewhere. We'd also asked the day before to have our paid laundry started sooner. The same staff member said he'd go buy detergent, then sat around smoking and chatting with some girls for another 1.5 hours. He didn't get it going until I reminded him again. I like taking it easy too, but this was a bit much.

The rooms are a high standard, and the hosts are incredibly welcoming. What I especially loved was the huge garden courtyard, where you can sit and have a cold beer. A fantastic place to stay in Mardin.