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 <strong>2020</strong>
clockwise from top left: Hillside Beach Club from above; a film screening on the bay; guests walking to Kakaköy – one of the numerous activities that are arranged daily; family fun in the resort; a terrace in one of the luxury rooms CONTACT ABERCROMBIE & KENT A&K offers seven nights at Hillside Beach Club on an all-inclusive basis from £1,250 per person (based on two sharing), including flights and transfers. For more information, call a Europe travel specialist on 01242 547 703. abercrombiekent.co.uk | 47
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