Following a flawless break in Istanbul, with the Rixos Hotel, #Life journeys on to the beach shores of Bodrum, to review Rixos’ sister hotel & haven.
Bodrum.
I felt so relaxed. Why then, were we boarding a 6 am flight to the ‘relax and unwind’ leg of our trip to Bodrum? Istanbul had meant to resemble the mad rush that most city-breaks do, and impressing over and beyond, left a tall order for Bodrum to out-impress it’s sister city.
Bodrum, taking a cut of the black sea, might make you weary if you’re used to the beaches of the mediterranean. Staying at the Rixos however, ensures a healthy slice of your own private beach access, whichever way you turn. Almost it’s own island, the resort manages to neighbour zones of privacy and tranquility, with those of activity and entertainment, within the proximity of short walks, without one disturbing the flow of another.
Now, for a recommendation for a trip to heaven, minus the inconvenient aspect of the end of life, visit the Royal Spa at The Rixos. A Turkish Hammam, gently bathes, buffs, exfoliates and renews you so much so – you’ll be offering those around you their reflection on your polished, perfect skin. I had thought perhaps that Turkey would not have mixed male and female hammams. This was clarified in a few short frames of events. The masseur assigned to my hammam and massage, had kept bizarrely saying ‘your friend, your friend.’ I nodded with wide smiles: ‘yes, yes. my friends have had one too. I’m very sure they liked it very much.” He smiled patiently knowing that it was I who didn’t understand him, not vice versa. Leading me through the Grand Doors of the Hammam, he opened them to reveal my male colleague lying down on the tall marble slabs, with an empty space (presumably, that which was to be mine), adjacent to him. My squeals of urgency, to prevent the awkward hammam-story mockery which would follow us back to the workplace, and his head jerking up in alarm from his place on the marble slab as he heard my squeals, signalled to the masseur, that I now understood: The Hammams in Turkey are definitely communal.
Truly the most relaxing, deep-focussed, unearthly massages you will experience, take place at the Rixos Royal Spa. Couple this with accommodation from ‘Standard Rooms’, which more accurately resemble Luxury Suites, to Villas with your very own private pools to cool off in, panoramic views of the Rixos Island and Aegean Sea, discreetly tucked away in each villa’s garden, your living area, in-room sauna! (yes, in-room), you simply won’t want to leave your villa as you succumb to your gorgeous hideaway. But you must. The Rixos Island extends a lavish choice of restaurants, Saturday Night Dinner Gardens on the Private Pavillion which stretches out in a huge white marble setting onto the seashore, night-clubs, live entertainment, an amphitheatre, and within the main hall, a nightly cinema screening. To explore the surrounding area’s, and nightlife of Bodrum outside of the resort, and Bodrum’s port and marina – you will need to dismantle the permanent anchor this resort will have you willingly embracing, with all is allure and wonder.
For unflawed, attentive, and completely seamless guest-relations from start to end of your stay be sure to contact Selen Partal at the Rixos Bodrum, who will be happy to offer you the luxury level of service and accommodation that we experienced so fully throughout our stays. International Life readers will receive special rates and upgrades, when quoting: HashtagLife Magazine. For more information, contact selen.partal@rixos.com/ joanna@hashtaglife.co.uk