Sundowner Magazine: Spring/Summer 2020

Turkish delight
BY ALICIA DEVENEY
Hillside Beach Club on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast is the stuff of hospitality legend, a five-star resort whose guest repeat
and satisfaction rates (68 and 99 per cent respectively) have been studied at Harvard Business School. While it’s a
generally accepted truth that you can’t please all of the people all of the time, Hillside works hard to prove this old
adage false – satisfying the youngest to the oldest of the many multi-generational families who come to stay. Nestled in
Kalemya Cove, among the fragrant pine forests of Fethiye, this 330-room, three-restaurant, three-beach resort has so
much to offer its array of international guests – a charismatic clutch of discerning Turkish, British, Irish, Dutch, German,
and Canadian visitors. Read on to discover a few of a first-but-not-last-time visitor’s favourite things about the resort…
HILLSIDE BEACH CLUB HITS
LIMBER UP
For a blissful beginning to your day, join yogi Suzie on Silent Beach at
08.00. Unroll your mat, limber up, and zone out for 60 mindful minutes.
For those who like to seek their zen later in the day, at 17.00 she runs a
sunset class in the studio. Suzie impressively teaches numerous styles
including Iyengar, vinyasa, yin, and yang yoga, and offers down-to-earth
daily inspiration. The hotel’s biannual Feel Good Week offers mindfulness
plus more – astrology, meditation, and breath therapy.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
For film enthusiasts, the resort is continuing its partnership with the
British Film Institute (BFI) to bring cinema to the bay. During this
(and 2021’s) May half-term school holiday, BFI and Hillside will offer
specially curated screenings for guests of all ages, talks, and interactive
workshops – including filmmaking, screen writing, and prop and
costume making. Screenings take place throughout the resort and even
in the nearby abandoned town of Kayaköy. Kids will have the opportunity
to create a short comedy, which will be edited by the BFI’s experts, and
then shown at a celebratory screening.
LAP UP LUXURY
Although you can hardly describe Hillside’s luxurious Sanda Nature Spa
as ‘back to basics’, its beautiful setting among the verdant hills will leave
you feeling relaxed and at one with nature before your first treatment.
Nestled above Silent Beach, peace and tranquillity are guaranteed. Highly
experienced Balinese therapists offer a wide range of body and beauty
treatments to ensure you leave feeling revived and revitalised. Tucked
away behind the pool bar, the Sanda Day Spa offers refuge in the heart of
the usually activity-filled resort. Reinvigorating treatments are on offer,
plus a whirlpool, sauna, and traditional Turkish bath.
CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN
Hiking boots were a sartorial golden ticket in 2019 autumn/winter
collections – so we’re sure you have a pair from Jimmy Choo lined with
shearling, chunky ones from & Other Stories, or grungily on-trend Dr
Martens ready and waiting to stomp into Turkey’s countryside. Scale the
exceptionally pretty peaks surrounding the bay on routes provided by the
hotel’s excellent Outside team. From Soğuksu National Park to the famed
ghost town of Kayaköy and the Af Kule Monastery, you’ll be rewarded
with beautiful views on every hike.
AGE OF AQUARIUS
For water babies, an array of water sports and sailing activities give
you plenty to pick from to fill up your days. Professional and charming
staff and top-of-the-line equipment will help make whichever activity
you choose a breeze. Some of the options include water-skiing, knee
boarding, sky sailing, paddleboarding, sailing, and scuba diving. If you’d
like to push the boat out with a luxurious, less active experience, Hillside’s
boat trips are go-with-the-flow fabulous. Nautical jaunts include sunset
boat excursions, a cruise to Fethiye’s bazaar by traditional gulet, and
nearby bays and 12 islands tours.
LITTLE LEAGUE
Caring staff at the Baby Park, Anri and team at Kidside, and Sencan and
pals at the pre-teens and teen’s activity centre bat well above average
when it comes to ensuring that younger guests are well cared for and
entertained. From tennis lessons, water polo, and nightly football
matches, to tune-spinning DJ lessons, gladiator games, and treasure
hunts, kids will love their days at the resort. There are also arts and crafts
sessions at Artside, baby chefs in the restaurant, and fun evening shows
in the amphitheatre to entertain the whole crew.
46 | SPRING/SUMMER 2020