31 Turkish delight Discover the treasures of the beautiful Aegean
Discover an Aegean gem, with fine food and stunning surroundings
For my spa treatment I am in a bamboo cabana built on stilts over the clear Aegean sea. One side is open to the dazzling view of the ocean, and white drapes blow lazily in the breeze. I lie down to find a glass window in the floor so I can watch the waves lap over the rocks below. An orange-speckled butterfly settles right underneath me. I sigh with contentment. And the massage hasn’t even started yet.
It is this attention to detail that makes Club Marvy such a special place to stay. Only half an hour from Izmir on the Turkish Riviera, this is no run-of-the-mill all-inclusive resort. Totally revamped two years ago, it is a big hotel with a boutique approach, and cleverly put together.
Built around two small bays, there are separate beaches – one for families, the other for over-18s. The adult beach has an Ibizan vibe and a DJ playing chill-out music, to the point that I fell asleep while reading my book.
It’s not often you can choose between being a child or a grown-up. But Club Marvy does just that. One area of the hotel has adult-only rooms and a restaurant on the site of an old windmill. Make sure you have breakfast here (even if you have to ditch the kids) for the Turkish pastries with homemade pomegranate jam and honeycomb straight from the hive, menemen (eggs with peppers and tomatoes), cheeses, fresh herbs and olives... and the view out over bougainvillea and cypress trees to the sea.
But don’t feel like you’re missing out if you have the family with you. Quite the opposite. As well as kids’ clubs, there are two swimming pools and a 12-slide waterpark tucked away unobtrusively at the edge of the grounds. Even though we didn’t have children, we bravely slid and shrieked down the scarier ones. The activities list is endless, from sailing and paddleboarding to tennis and yoga. But our days were about relaxing – and eating. Food was definitely at the heart of the stay.
A family-run hotel, Club Marvy has women at its core, a welcome surprise in a country with a strong male tradition. The owner and matriarch, Ece Tonbul, champions Aegean culture and food, winning awards for sustainability. Ece’s mother runs an organic farm where much of what you eat and drink at the hotel comes from. Two female culinary big hitters oversee all six of the restaurants and there is foodie flair wherever you turn.
Even the main buffet has a dizzying choice of breads made on site. Pick a fresh fish to be grilled over hot coals, or be mesmerised by the deftness and danger of the knife-wielding chef at the salad bar, where we expected the loss of a fingertip, all to create delicious, piquant salads, bursting with flavour and freshness.
The Club Marvy farm also produces delicious (free) organic wine for the hotel. And they say you can drink a lot more and not suffer any terrible hangover effects. After careful research I can confirm that this might in fact be true.
Or be tempted by another amazing perk – the free ice-cream bar where the kids (and adults) could hardly believe their luck as they created masterpieces from homemade waffles stacked high with scoops of fabulous flavours, topped with fruit, pistachios or chocolate chips.
Everyone is well-fed at Club Marvy. Even the cats are sleek, healthy and happy. Unlike the mangy specimens that often turn up at your table begging for scraps, here there are 20 cats treated as pets, vet-checked and vaccinated – and they’ll come for a stroke rather than a mouthful of your squid.
Club Marvy is impressive in many ways. From the simple chic of the spotless rooms with the oh-so comfortable beds and waffle sheets, to embracing the local artistic scene with monthly gallery openings that celebrate up and coming (often female) artists. The happy staff positively glow with pride over their hotel. As one enthused, “Where beautiful souls come together.” It really is an inspiring place to stay.
Rooms at Club Marvy start at £146 per night. The price is based on two sharing on an all-inclusive basis. To book, visit clubmarvy.com.