Wide Blue Yonder

Revel in expansive vistas and laid-back luxury at the Maçakizi hotel in Turkey-a jewel of the Aegean Sea

Some 800 miles from the epicentre of Turkey’s recent catastrophic earthquakes, the timeless beauty of the Bodrum countryside remains undisturbed. Stone-domed, 16th century cisterns and 18th century windmills crown the buxom hills, and white-washed villages are scattered across the pine-clad slopes. As we made our way from the airport along a route that twisted through narrow village streets, our car braking for sleepy cats and foolhardy goats, the sea seemed to burst into view at every turn, until eventually we reached a bay where tall-masted sailing ships jostled with sleek yachts and working fishing boats.

After leaving grey and drizzly Britain, our arrival at the Maçakizi hotel (pronounced ‘magic-easy’) felt like swapping the school canteen for the Ritz. It was not difficult to see why supermodels, rock stars, international royalty and discreet billionaires have long made this a favourite refuge. Ahmet Ertegun, the founder of Atlantic Records, used to stay here with Mick Jagger, Chuck Berry and Bette Midler. Nowadays, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell love the place so much that they rarely miss a season.

With views across the turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea, Maçakizi sits at the northern end of the Bodrum Peninsula, just along the rugged coast from the small, buzzy village of Turkbuku, with its seaside restaurants serving freshly caught fish. The hotel, whose name means ‘the Queen of Spades’, a symbol of intelligence and beauty, was founded in 1977 by the entrepreneur Ayla Emiroglu. Her son Sahir Erozan, who now runs the business, is here, there and everywhere, his approach heralded by the unmistakeable scent of a lit cigar, ready to lavish care and attention on his guests.