The Museum Hotel is blessed with one of the most amazing locations in Cappadocia. Situated high up on a hill in Uchisar, one of the main towns of this unique and magical region, this Relais Chateaux hotel offers one of the most awesome views that the eye may ever behold.

 

I was truly captivated by the unobstructed panoramic view of the endless valley that can be seen from virtually three quarters of the hotel’s façade. The most incredible moments for me were sitting in the hotel courtyard during the early mornings when the sky was full of hot air balloons floating over the valley.

 

As you may already be aware, the landscape of Cappadocia is very distinct. Over the course of multiple centuries the jagged volcanic rocks have artfully eroded into smooth cavernous mounds of desert stone with random gaps of stretched out holes and pointed peaks. At times I felt as if I was on some retro-space movie set, the moon or even a virtual episode of the prehistoric Cartoon series, The Flintstones. Others have likened the landscape to the look of Artist Antoni Gaudi’s work, claiming that the region was a source of his creative inspirations. Simply stated, it’s mesmerizing to gaze at the rock formations and ponder their evolution.

 

 

Accommodations

 

Museum hotel currently has 30 very distinct cavernous rooms and suites, all of which retain some architectural details from the original structure. As I had never slept in a cave before this experience, it was very interesting for me to dwell in a room with low rounded ceilings, rough stonewalls and a consistently naturally cool, unregulated temperature. I loved it.

 

Our particular suite was very special in that it had a natural waterfall flowing into the bathroom, as well as a private cavernous massage room adjacent to the bathroom. It is very apparent that tremendous attention was taken to preserve as much original architectural detail as possible.

 

Despite its ancient origins, the rooms are all equipped with the latest technology. I was so amazed when I learned that I could actually turn the waterfall on and off with a light switch.

 

I really loved the antique phone in the room as well as the array of tapestries and traditional Turkish touches that enhanced the room’s cozy ambiance.

 

Unfortunately during my stay, the knob of the sink flew off one day when I turned it exposing a strong sprout of water that shot out of the wall as I tried to brush my teeth. The hotel staff immediately attended to it. It was fixed on the spot.

 

They are currently expanding the hotel to add more rooms and suites to their offer. I am sure these little details will be addressed and remedied as they move forward.

 

Dining

 

The dining highlight for me was the daily breakfast extravaganza that Museum Hotel hosts every morning. They display an impressively large buffet of the most delicious selections of Turkish food. They even have a table that is devoted exclusively to low calorie options. Between the omelet station and the fresh baked breads, I was happily dizzy as I made my way through the vast selection.

 

My best discovery was in the back room where they offer Gozleme, a traditional Turkish breakfast pastry. It is even entertaining to watch the preparation of this delight as the cook rolls out a thin pastry and fills it to the guest’s liking before placing it over a roaring open fire pit where it crisps to completion.

 

I loved dining outside on the terrace. Again, I cannot say enough about the view, the view and the view! The service was also excellent, friendly and professional.

 

The hotel also has a restaurant called Lil’a that is devoted exclusively to Turkish food. We dined there on two occasions and the food quality was unfortunately inconsistent. Perhaps its is the dishes that we ordered or maybe just an ‘off day’ in the kitchen, but on the second occasion, the food was delicious. The ambiance is very traditional and adorned with distinct period pieces and details. I would recommend trying it for at least one night for dinner.

 

Wellness & Spa

The Museum hotel unfortunately does not have a Spa. However they do offer basic massage services in a special dedicated space. As I mentioned already too, my suite also had a special cavernous area with a pre-set up massage table that looked very inviting.

 

 

Property

 

True to its name, the Museum hotel is a repository of antiques and all of the essential beauty of Cappadocia preserved in architectural and artistic form. There is much to discover visually as you walk through the cavernous corridors. I felt compelled to stop and look at a series of interesting black and white photographs that adorn a walkway in the hotel and visually tell the history of the excavation its restoration evolution. What a story!

 

The courtyard is clearly the epicenter of the hotel. It has a quirky sense to it with its stone column pillars, strolling peacocks and pheasants, the staff dressed in traditional costume, but it all works together nicely. Best of all, I could not help but feel as if I was transported into a different century of time.

 

Excursions

The Museum Hotel is part of the Indogo Group, which is also local tourism operator. This makes for a nice flowing partnership between the hotel and it’s sister tour company that offers a nice variety of tours throughout the region.

 

We took a tour of the Open Air Museum, a hot air balloon ride and drive by-get out and see the view-take a few pictures tour of several of the surrounding towns. The driver spoke sufficient English and was very professional.   The van was very clean, well air-conditioned and we found the tour to be very pleasant.

 

The Lux Traveler Loves

 

The early morning display of the most colorful and beautiful hot air balloons floating over the landscape right in front of the hotel.

 

When we departed the hotel, one of the Receptionists brought out a huge metal jug of water. As we drove away, she splashed on the car with this water. This delightful Turkish tradition blesses the car and its passengers with a peaceful and easy journey, as fluid as water.

 

The Gozleme ‘station’ at breakfast

 

The wandering turtles in one of the many garden areas of the hotel. One of them had a red face from snacking n the abundant strawberries that were growing there. Adorable.

 

Farm to table produce. The hotel has an entire hillside devoted to their exclusive sustainable garden of fruits vegetables and herbs.

 

Splitting Hairs

There are many stairs, twists and turns, alleyways and passages that the guest has to navigate to move around this property. It is of course part of the set up since it is a series of connecting caves that was once a unique and separate ‘village’ unto itself. I could not help but think that this could be a bit challenging for an elderly or handicapped person. At the very least, they should be aware of the configuration before booking.

 

The hotel does not have room numbers. They name each room according to some distinct feature that defines the space. Our suite, because of the presence of the waterfall, was named a Turkish name that had something to do with water. When I once forgot my key, I could not remember the name upon entering reception. Of course we quickly figured it out but I had to recall the whole story of the name and its origin to help remind them.