LUX* Bodrum Hotel

Turkey

As a Food and Travel award winner for its property in Mauritius, Lux* Hotels has been on our radar for some time. What always impresses us – particularly with this new Turkish property – is how they seamlessly integrate to their environment, applying local touches in design, hospitality and food. Even before opening, Lux* Bodrum won an A’ Design award for its architecture and salient use of space. A cascading series of all-glass structures set on a jagged east-facing cliff face on a private peninsula, the buildings comprise a 91-room hotel and 19 ‘residences’ (villa-style lodgings with private pools and multiple bedrooms). Brilliant whites are set against accent blacks with seriously high-tech touches, such as automatic blackout blinds and top-spec AV kit. The restaurants, however, embrace tradition. Chef Barıs Torcu (previously of Soho House Istanbul) oversees the menus in Italian finer-diner Stella and beachside tapas bar Beach Rouge. Both are superb. Stella’s Italian style showcases gastronomic modernism, while Beach Rouge applies local ingredients (tomatoes, figs and cheese) to traditional Turkish bites. Doubles from £185.