Beautiful room, wonderfully comfortable, spacious and stylish accommodation.  Tick.  Lovely people, unfailingly amazing service.  Tick.   Outrageously  stunning view of azure Aegean sea.  Tick.   Hot temperatures, all day long sunshine.  Tick.   One of the largest swimming pools in Turkey, crystal clear and silky to swim in.  Tick.  Rather bright and delicious-with-a-kick cocktail in hand, going down smoothly.  Tick.

There are moments in life when it all comes together and my most recent experience of this was a week’s stay at the 5-Star Kempinski Hotel, Barbaros Bay, Turkey.  From the moment of arrival when we were handed a couple of glasses of delectable Turkish sparkling wine (truly it ‘out-champagned’ champagne), all the way through to being waved off by a small army of helpful porters, we were in plump-pillowy, delightful-cuisine, service-before-you-know-you-need-it, Heaven.

The hotel complex is a significant size and yet absorbs all the guests so effortlessly, it preserves an air of exclusivity.  Carved out of the side of a rocky hill, there are twelve levels and various areas to it, which do, frankly, take a day or so to quite get to grips with – there was more than one occasion when we stepped out of a lift not entirely sure where we were – although the exploring always led to worthwhile discoveries.   The higher levels afford you those incredible views over the blue, blue sea across to the outline of mountainous Turkish coastline on the other side of the bay whilst the lower levels give access to a small yacht marina, the Sundeck Bar and Restaurant – from where you can also sunbathe during the day – and the beach which is arranged to offer both family and quiet, secluded areas.   The layout of the beach and its sun beds is so carefully thought-out.   Only two rows of beds, each with their own thatch-parasol, along the shoreline, with grassy and shaded areas behind that, where there are more beds and hammocks, all set in amongst olive trees and bright bougainvillea.   The Beach Restaurant, which has something of a Caribbean feel to it, all wooden floors, open-sided and with ceiling fans, is set just back from the sand and ensures you don’t wait long for refreshments or go hungry just because you are more than 100 metres from the main part of the hotel.

(The Caribbean vibe is quite palpable down on the beach)

The hotel is popular for its spa which I can attest is utterly serene, welcoming and sublime.  I had the pleasure of my first Turkish Bath (Hammam) and it was without doubt one of the most relaxing treatments I’ve ever been lucky enough to experience.    I went in rather unwillingly, not all together sure about what was about to happen and came out feeling like a baby – albeit an extraordinarily floppy and chilled-out one – all wrapped in warm towels and wishing I could go through it all over again.  The professional approach and care of the Spa staff is extremely reassuring.

In the main hotel complex there are four restaurants and on a half board basis we were able to eat at any of them as part of our deal.   The choice in Olives, the principle and family friendly restaurant, was always varied and constantly good.  Based on a ‘whatever you like & as much as you like’ buffet basis – the variety and quantity of food was astonishing and truly meant that I would defy anyone not to find something they’d be very happy with.  It also means all levels of appetite can be catered for.    Olives is also where the breakfast is served and one of my favourite experiences of the week was to sit on the Olives terrace in the morning sunshine, my plate stacked high with piles of fresh honeymelon and watermelon, whilst little sparrows flitted about nearby waiting for people to leave their tables so they could swoop in and nab whatever titbits they might.  It wasn’t unlike being in a Walt Disney film and when the day starts like that, it’s already a good one.

The other restaurants included The Sundeck right down just above the water and as a consequence, stupidly romantic (unfortunately I was at the hotel with a friend and whilst we love each other very much it’s not that kind of love).   Il Luce offers Italian food (I had possibly the best desert I’ve ever had ever here – chocolate connoli) and the Saigon Club, in another prime position overlooking the sea, offers  a tantalising Asian-based menu and where we had another exquisitely flavoursome meal served with the finest of wines, all brought to us by the most attentive restaurant staff.

(My postcard of images from Kempsinki Hotel, Barbaros Bay, Turkey)

Days were spent making the most of the hotel facilities – it was quite testing having to choose between the pool, the beach or the sundeck.    Any need for exercise was satisfied by a quick dip in the pool or the sea and lifting an ice-cool drink to our lips but we did witness other more active souls enjoying a variety of sports which the hotel offer its guests including water skiing, sailing, and even some water-jetting which I’d never witnessed before and looked massive fun.   We contemplated hiring a sea buggy (a kind of jet-propelled pedalo-cum-bumper-car looking thing) one morning, but it was the one day when the water was choppy and it was thought unwise.   Seems the Gods didn’t want us to leave our sunbeds.

There are a few shops in the hotel supplying any necessities you might need and a few very tempting items you don’t need but would love to have.  I spent a ridiculous amount on a pair of flip-flops – but that’s what you do when you are on holiday, right?  To add insult to injury, you only wear them a few times, get them home, put them away because you’re not going to need them again for months only to not be able to ever find them again.  It’s a ritual.

The town of Bodrum is about 20 minutes away from the hotel and accessible by an extremely regular (every half hour) minibus shuttle costing the equivalent of £1 each way and runs til 4am.  I had no special interest in Bodrum prior to the holiday but infact, very much enjoyed the couple of visits we made although it is blatantly touristy and therefore, something of a sharp contrast to the tranquility of the Kempinsiki Hotel, so be prepared for that.   Once you are in the town, there is a fair amount of ‘gentle encouragement’ from shop and restaurant owners to visit their establishments but no one was too pushy and we found traders to be at worst cheeky and at best, extremely polite and helpful.    The castle – which is unmissable both in the sense of very easy to find and somewhere you must go – offers an historically interesting and cultural couple of hours.  We were fascinated by a glass collection there of various brightly coloured pieces thousands of years old.    The marina (near the castle) offers boat rides, restaurants and boutiques and the bazaar, on the other side of the castle, offers more beachside bars, further restaurants and many, many shops.    Even if you don’t have long, I’d recommend considering one afternoon visit to the town and then separately an evening one – the shops seemed permanently open and it is far cooler and more comfortable looking round them in the evening (and means you don’t have to forego your pool time).

(Typical items you’ll find in Bodrum Bazaar area)

There are some ancient sites within driving distance of the hotel and I feel guilty not to have explored them.  In particular Ephesus (ruins of an ancient Greek city over 10,000 years old) is not so far away but despite how much I’d like to have visited, we really couldn’t tear ourselves away from Barbaros Bay.  Obviously, if our stay had been longer… and, not that I need one, but a reason to go back.

On our last evening the hotel management threw a cocktail party for the guests which offered everyone a chance to say hello to each other.   It was very well attended and a thoughtful  way for people who had been giving each other cursory nods all week an opportunity to exchange a few words.   It was a fairly demure affair though and about as wild as it gets at Kempinski as far as I could tell, so if you are looking for a ‘party, party’ place, I don’t believe that this would be the destination for you.  It is absolutely ideal for families or romantic couples – it works for both very well – or, as in my case, if you just want a lovely, chillaxing, week with a friend.    I honestly don’t think we could have done better.

You will gather by this point that there wasn’t really anything about this particular Kempinski Hotel that I didn’t like.  The only thing that is remotely upsetting about this hotel is that even the most affordable of its rates puts it beyond the means of a great many people but having experienced its luxury and been wrapped in its 5 star embrace, I think it’s worth it and I would go again in a heartbeat.

Link to Kempinski Hotel, Barbaros Bay, Turkey: http://www.kempinski.com/en/bodrum/hotel-barbaros-bay/welcome/

Blog article and photographs by Sarah Simpson of SHIMMERING MOON PHOTOGRAPHY

(Twitter: @shimmeringmoon_) Tel: 07711 361915