Siler Otel

The first room we were shown was a mess and clearly hadn’t been cleaned after the previous guests. We asked to move and got a smaller room, but its amenities were okay. It was 28 degrees inside when we arrived, so we opened all the windows and turned down the thermostat before it became cool enough to sleep. The main-road location also made the room noisy. There’s no restaurant at the hotel, though the breakfast buffet was really good.

We felt very welcome at Siler Otel and would stay again. The staff were really friendly and helpful, and even put our bicycles in a room near reception. Our room was quiet, comfortable, clean and very nice. We especially liked the marble bathroom. Breakfast was good, though it wasn’t a buffet. Sorry we took the room card with us!

Being right on the street meant traffic noise all day and night. The bed had a dip in it, the pillows were huge and filled with synthetic stuffing, and breakfast was mostly ready-made food that didn’t suit this district.

After spending 100 days here during the Covid-19 lockdown, I got to know the hotel pretty well. Sometimes I was the only guest, and as far as I could tell, always the only foreigner. I’m grateful to the staff for looking after me so kindly and helping me feel safe and welcome. They also served a fine Turkish breakfast every morning. The hotel is convenient for Bodrun-Milas airport, about 15 minutes by car or an hour by bicycle if you’re game. The charming, non-touristy town center is a flat 4km walk, and the bus station is a little farther. There are several good supermarkets within 500m, including Carrefour, and lots of pharmacies about 2km away near a hospital. An excellent dentist is about 1km away. It wasn’t the best time for exploring much, but I did see a fine Roman Arch, which I believe dates from the 2nd century. South of town are extensive ruins of a 14th-15th century city on a hill. My single room faced east, with a wide view of the hills and a small balcony where I could admire the view and think about the world outside. There were some enjoyable storms and the occasional rainbow in late March and April. More recently it was sunny every day and relentlessly hot, with a maximum of 38-42º. The room got full sun until midday, so I used the curtains, then the building’s shady side made it more comfortable. The discreet air-conditioning worked very well. There was also a small bathroom and a small but very useful fridge. I didn’t use the TV. I only ate breakfast in the restaurant downstairs. It was peaceful much of the time, though traffic got noticeably noisier as things returned somewhat to normal in June. Oddly, that felt reassuring, even though I’d usually prefer less noise. There’s a Dolmuş stop right outside. I very much hope to return to complete the Carian Trail, and Siler Otel will be my first port of call. I think they already know which room to give me.