RT @JeremySeal1: @laurapitel @ftweekend Warm thanks to @laurapitel and @ftweekend for her generous review of my A Coup in Turkey. For my b…
GORDİON HOTEL, ANKARA
Located just off Tunalı Hilmi Caddesi in Ankara's swish Kavaklıdere neighbourhood, the five-storey, 45-room Gordion Hotel is a rare boutique hotel in a city not noted for such things. Its biggest drawback is that it’s a good three km away from Ulus. On the other hand Kavaklıdere is a far smarter and better-lit neighbourhood in which to stay.
A disabled ramp and steps lead up to a marble-floored lobby where prints on the walls and a few exhibits of old medals and other trophies add the personal touch lacking in hotels like the Sheraton.
Unlike Ankara’s other upmarket hotels, which favour super-modern décor, the Gordion goes for rich Ottoman-style soft furnishings although no corners have been cut when it comes to modern comforts; there’s even triple-glazing to keep out the city hubbub.
The basement Midas Restaurant feels rather like a bistro while the Rooftop Lounge has a fireplace to fend off the chill of the Anatolian winter. Surprisingly, there is also a sizeable indoor swimming pool.
Thumbs up: Only Ottomanesque hotel in Tunalı Hilmi area
Thumbs down: Not near main historic sights