Is Bodrum the chicest destination in the Mediterranean? A case can certainly be made for this glittery corner of the Turkish Riviera. Also known as the Turquoise Coast, it has long been one of the favourite holiday destinations of Condé Nast Traveller editors – and Lujo, a slick hotel which opened a few years ago, is the perfect base for discovering it for yourself.
Any relaxing holiday really begins with the first swipe of your key card as you eagerly check into your room. At Lujo, that might be a superior room with soothing natural materials and widescreen Aegean views (all 400-plus rooms here have at least partial sea views); a suite for the whole family with handy interconnecting rooms; or even a villa with its own private pool, ideal for sliding into after a day on the private beach with its caster-sugar-fine sand.
Personal connection is key when we travel. Lujo connects guests to a Joy Advisor, who can send WhatsApp messages on demand about the hotel’s various goings-on (classes for yoga bunnies, live music for party hunters, spa treatments for wellness seekers) and make sure everyone is getting the most out of this sweeping resort.
These on-call advisors will also happily book you into one of the eight on-site restaurants (all-inclusive offerings are available when you book, but rather wonderfully each venue also provides an à la carte menu, which suits those who would like to explore the local area too). It’s a food lover’s dream and ideal for those who would rather not spend a week eating buffet style. Perhaps a long lunch at Opa! Beach Club will be followed by supper at sushi bar Shibori and rounded out with cocktails at the Puppet Lounge Bar. When travelling with a whole brood, meals can be boisterous multi-generational affairs. For quieter moments for the grown-ups, the kids’ club is open until 2am every night.
That kids’ club includes music rooms, a theatre, an art room, space for science experiments, educational workshops and a water park. But the fun isn’t solely reserved for under-18s – at Lujo, you can try your hand at everything from surfing and water skiing to eFoil, or perhaps get a group together for beach volleyball or doubles tennis.
Bodrum is well known and loved for its beach club scene. Lujo gets in on the action at Indigo, an adults-only area with live DJs, great cocktails and even rooms for those who want to leave the party for a quick nap.
To rest up afterwards (or if chilling out is more your speed in the first place), head to the Sensum Spa, where a Thai massage, hydroglow facial or after-sun treatment will leave you feeling good as new. There’s also a traditional hammam for those who want a taste of the Turkish take on wellness. Or if you’re in the market for a good old fly-and-flop (we won’t judge), there’s a forest-like pool area which feels like a series of little lagoons, as well as children’s pools and an indoor pool.
If you want to take a piece of the most glamorous coastline in the Mediterranean home with you, don’t sleep on a visit to Lujo Concept Store, where the style and beauty that Bodrum and Lujo embody so well is yours for the taking.
And for those looking to stretch their wings and explore a little further afield, Lujo’s crack team of staff can arrange seaplanes to Antalya, Mykonos, Ephesus and Pamukkale; yacht tours at sunset to watch the clear blue skies turn pink and purple; and private jets for those who want to travel in serious style.
To find out more, visit lujohotel.com