Ayasoluk Hotel

We arranged for Ayasoluk Hotel to collect us after flying from Kayseri in Capadochia to visit Ephesus, but our flight was delayed by 6 hours. They still met us at 4 AM without any fuss, then brought us breakfast when we woke around noon. Inci speaks perfect English and the whole staff were wonderful, helping make everything easy. The city view and pool were beautiful, and the freshly made Turkish breakfast each day was delicious. We also found a lovely carpet in their rug boutique. Couldn’t have asked for a better stay.

The staff were some of the kindest people we’ve met, from reception to the restaurant. They really enjoy chatting, meeting visitors, and sharing their culture. The restaurant was very good too, and there’s a souvenir shop with handmade Turkish carpets if you’re looking to buy something. It’s a clean room with what you need, though don’t expect the scale of a big city hotel. The location makes it easy to reach the Temple of Artemis, Church of St. John, the castle, and other sights. We walked about 45 minutes to the Ephesus ruins, using the lower entrance. There’s also an inexpensive bus between the ruins and Selçuk; we never figured out its stop in town, but it was handy for the trip back.

The receptionist was terrific and even arranged a birthday cake for our son, then found us a private guide for Ephesus the next morning. Everyone here was lovely and clearly wants guests to feel great. The rooms were very clean, the beds comfortable, and breakfast was marvellous.

We had some lovely felt and silk blend scarves, and the family’s Turkish rugs were beautiful too. They run a wholesale business and bring rugs straight from the weavers through family in small towns, so there’s no middleman and the prices are much lower than in Istanbul. The hotel itself is a pretty family run place, about a five minute walk from Isa Bey Mosque and St. John/Jean's Basilica. Breakfast in the courtyard was delicious, with local olive oil whose aroma was unlike anything I’d smelled before, plus fresh bread, fruit, jams, eggs, sautéed vegetables, and spinach patties. The courtyard has a new pool and lovely views of St. John's Basilica and the Temple of Artemis. There are also two great coffee spots nearby, Stairs Coffee for cookies and Kallinos for well made lattes.