Mardan Palace, Turkey

MARDAN PALACE

Turkey

The Mardan Palace Hotel, Turkey: Europe’s brashest, wackiest, glitziest resort

On the southern coast of Turkey, in Europe’s newest, most expensive, gold-plated, over-the-top hotel, there is a goat called Luca, Titanic Mardan Palace welcomes you to Turkey’s famed Riviera with 5-star sophistication, award-winning service and a picture-perfect location. You’ll find their luxury all-inclusive hotel in Antalya, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea; acres of sparkling, lagoon-style pools extend to a private sandy beach, while splendid resort architecture reflects some of Istanbul’s most noteworthy points of interest. Fairytale turrets evoking the ancient Ottoman Empire, a village-like atmosphere and a wealth of five-star amenities set the Titanic Mardan Palace apart. If you like your resorts big and starry, then this is the place for you. The hotel has 560 stunning rooms, 35 places to eat and drink, a giant kids’ club (including its own splash park), a spa retreat, tennis court, golf club, and an enormous wraparound pool with a sunken aquarium containing over 2000 fish. Food is available 24 hours a day, and guests are treated to special touches, such as champagne and strawberries on arrival. Built by Azerbaijani businessman Telman Ismailov and designed with regal splendour, its opening was attended by the likes of Mariah Carey, Kendall Jenner, Sharon Stone, Richard Gere, Monica Bellucci, Paris Hilton, Seal and Tom Jones. Not only is this one of the finest places to stay in Antalya, but it’s also among the best hotels in the Mediterranean, reserved for travellers with a luxury budget. From the stately Dolmabahçe Lobby, with its palatial

design and striking glass ceiling, to the sumptuous and meticulously appointed accommodation, everything there is crafted to delight and inspire. Their palace all-inclusive dining concept encompasses over 30 acclaimed restaurants, bar and lounges; leisure activities include a KLAFS-designed spa, Tini Kids Club, sports and entertainment programs and a nearby championship golf course. But what hotel has its own zoo? Well, go past a string of themed, five-star hotels including Venice, take a quick gawp at a transplanted Kremlin and then the domed towers of the Topkapi Palace, and you arrive at a hill of dancing water that cascades in time to the tunes of Tchaikovsky and Strauss.