Probably no one needs to tell that Turkey is one of the most beloved tourist destinations in the world. Russian tourists have long been regulars on the beaches of Antalya. With the same pleasure, they go on excursions to the historical places of Istanbul and Isfahan. But Bodrum writes about and speaks not so much about a resort town that is amazing from all sides, but all because those who prefer an elite-class vacation go there.
First was Bodrum
In short, Bodrum is a popular Turkish resort on the elite coast of the Aegean Sea. Transparent sea water, spacious sandy beaches and an unusually mild climate have created all the conditions for a wonderful pastime. Bodrum has everything for travelers and even a little more - luxurious snow-white yachts, modern hotels, gourmet restaurants, nightclubs and the largest disco in Europe, Halicarnassus, with an amazing laser show! There is an excellent water park in Bodrum, where you can have fun and interesting time for both adults and children.
The ancient city of Bodrum has a rich history. In the past, it was called Halicarnassus and was founded as the second capital of the Greek state of Caria. Halicarnassus achieved its greatest prosperity in the 4th century BC. At this time, the most famous sculptors and architects of that time were invited to the city. The mausoleum, erected by them over the burial place of King Mausolos, was considered one of the seven wonders of the world. Now there are ruins from it, but they are still the main symbol of Bodrum. Here is the city museum.
If you go for a walk in Bodrum, you can admire its unique architectural style. Seen from above, it seems that two-story houses, like herds of white lambs, climb the surrounding hills. Green slopes, orange and olive groves, windmills - it's so nice to wander through the narrow winding streets of Bodrum! In the city it is allowed to build buildings no higher than 2 floors and paint them only in white, therefore Bodrum looks extremely neat and beautiful.
It should be noted that Bodrum is located on a peninsula over which the ancient Bodrum fortress (St. Peter's Castle - the 15th century) majestically rises, surrounded by the sea on three sides. Its fortification towers were built by the Johannites, who used stone blocks of the Mausoleum for these purposes. Currently, the fortress houses the Museum of Underwater Archeology with a very interesting exposure.
Bodrum became especially popular after the construction of a new international airport in 1997. Then this resort received a "second wind", and today it is the fastest growing region of Turkey. In Bodrum there are hotels for every taste: from fashionable complexes to small family pensions. But regardless of the category, in all the hotels of this region of the Turkish seaside the level of service is the highest.
The climate of Bodrum is characterized by lower temperatures in the summer, as well as lower humidity. That is why the conditions for relaxing in this resort are more comfortable than in Antalya. Not particularly popular Bodrum among Russian tourists due to the seasonality of the resort, as well as the lack of complete information and large-scale advertising.
Rixos Premium Bodrum or ... Welcome to the palace!
Rixos Premium Bodrum Hotel is located on the shores of the famous Zeytinlikahve Gulf in these parts along the road from Milos to Bodrum, where the clear blue of the sea merges with the emerald green of pine forests. The hotel complex covers an area of 187,000 square meters. meters. Located at a distance of 10 km from the center of Bodrum and 25 km from the international airport.
Rixos Premium Bodrum consists of three parts - the main building, bungalows and villas. There are 58 standard rooms in the main building of the hotel (including 4 rooms for people with disabilities, located near the elevator). The bungalow has 216 standard rooms (of which 58 are without balconies); deluxe rooms, 13 suites, and in villas - one Royal Residence Suite and one Royal King Suite, 5 King Suites, 5 King Junior Suites and 14 Deluxe Suites. All rooms have minibars, satellite television, radios, telephones, air conditioning, safes, balconies, well-equipped bathrooms.
The hotel has a huge pool with 4 water slides, a main pool, a children's pool and an indoor heated pool. The wellness center has a sauna, Turkish bath (hammam) and relaxation room. For an additional fee, guests are offered the services of a doctor, beauty salon and SPA-center, photographer services. Here you can also take tennis lessons or engage in motorized water sports, make purchases at the convenience store, gift shop, jewelry or watch stores, rent a car or sit in the Internet cafe. For sports, the hotel has three tennis courts, table tennis, darts, archery, indoor soccer, basketball, beach volleyball, opportunities for water polo, water gymnastics and aerobics, as well as a fitness center, canoeing, pedalo, surfing (if licensed), diving school, billiards and a cinema.
Especially for younger guests, the Rixy Club was created in this hotel complex for children from 4 to 12 years old, babysitting services are provided, which are paid extra, a children's pool and a playground. In the summer season, children's performances are held, there is a disco for kids and a cinema.
For business travelers, Rixos Premium Bodrum has a conference center, which is located on the ground floor in the main hotel building and has a separate entrance and lobby. For business meetings and conferences, 3 conference rooms are offered - Labranda, Kindya, Kildara, the total area of which is 600 square meters. meters. At the request of customers, each of these halls can be decorated in the style of "theater", "class", "cocktail" or "banquet".
Breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner buffets are served in the main restaurant. You can also have dinner, having pre-ordered a table, in one of the 7 restaurants, making a choice on the a'la carte menu: Sparx (French cuisine), Mexos (Mexican cuisine), Onyx (fish restaurant), Sini (Turkish cuisine), Barbeque (grill restaurant) and Teppan-Yaki (Japanese cuisine). In addition, daily additional breakfast is offered on a yacht or in a village (by reservation), a'la carte snacks, brunch (on Saturdays and Sundays), traditional Turkish snacks and gozlems in the nomad’s tent, coffee and tea with cakes and pancakes, in the same place, in specially allotted hours, ice cream is served. Hotel guests can always have a good time in the Lobby-bar, Pool-bar, X-IT Disco-bar, Beach-bar, Vitamin-bar or “Island Beach Club”, which are open all day.
Yes, it is worth noting that a lot of olive trees grow on the gigantic territory of the hotel. Olives are always collected from them and make oil, which is used in the hotel restaurants. Rixos Premium Bodrum does not have language problems for guests who speak only Russian: all the menus - in rooms, SPA and restaurants - are in Russian. In addition, someone from a large staff of Russian-speaking employees will always come to your aid. Is this not a paradise vacation, in all its manifestations? Just remember the seasonality - the Rixos Premium Bodrum starts in April and ends in November.
First-hand
A little more about the Turkish hotel operator Rixos Hotels, which owns the Rixos Premium Bodrum complex, we decided to ask the general manager of the Rixos Premium Bodrum hotel - Vidat Dalkiran.
Vidat, tell me, please, where did the name of the hotel chain and your hotel come from? What does the word Rixos mean?
According to the statements of the Greek historian and geographer Strabo, the city of Perge was discovered by the colonialists who, after the Trojan War, led by the heroes Mopsos and Kalkkhas, arrived from Argos. Linguistic studies confirm that the Greeks appeared in Pamphylia at the end of 2000 BC. e. This colonization is also evidenced by inscriptions dating back to 120-121 years BC. e., discovered in 1953 during excavations at the site of the main Hellenic gate of the city of Perge. The inscriptions at the foot of the statues immortalized the names of seven heroes: Mopsos, Kalkhas, Rixos, Labos, Machaon, Leontus and Minyasas. Our company was named RIXOS in honor of one of the seven brave heroes who founded the city of Perge in 1000 BC. e.
With the city of Perge and the ancient heroes, it is more or less clear. Who founded Rixos Hotels?
Rixos Hotels was founded by Mr. Fettah Taminje in 2000 in the tourism capital of Turkey, Antalya. Our hotels operate exclusively under the All Inclusive - All Exclusive system, which serves as the hallmark of the Rixos Hotels brand.
How many hotels are included in the Rixos Hotels group today, and what are the plans for the future expansion of this chain?
Today, the Rixos Hotels group includes 11 hotels: Rixos Beldibi, Antalya (Turkey, 2002), Rixos Tekirova, Antalya (Turkey, 2002), Rixos Bodrum, Mugla (Turkey, 2003), Rixos Premium Belek, Antalya (Turkey , 2005), Rixos President Astana (Kazakhstan, 2005), Rixos Konya, Konya (Turkey, 2005), Rixos Prykarpattya (Ukraine, 2005), Rixos Libertas Dubrovnik (Croatia, 2007), Rixos Sungate, Antalya (Turkey, 2009), Rixos Grand Ankara, Ankara (Turkey, 2009), Rixos Almaty (Kazakhstan, 2009). In 2010, it is planned to open three more luxury hotels: Ottoman Palace by Rixos, Dubai (UAE), Rixos Vienna (Austria) and Rixos Marina West (Bahrain).
By the way, the Rixos Ottoman Palace hotel on the man-made island Palm Jumeirah will be the first hotel of our chain in the UAE. It will have 375 hotel rooms and 38 villas. It offers guests - more than 19 restaurants and bars, Mehteran Show Center with 900 seats, Rixos Royal Spa with an area of 5550 square meters. meters with the world's largest Turkish baths (hammam), 20 shops and a kids club.
Pretty impressive scale of construction. And, judging by your words, the Rixos Hotels chain is confidently starting to feel in the CIS space - in Kazakhstan, in Ukraine. Who carries out the design and construction of all these grandiose complexes?
You are right, we are working pretty closely with Russia and the CIS countries. A subsidiary of the Rixos Hotels chain, which is also owned by Fettam Tamange, is Sembol Constraction, founded in 2000. Sembol company is engaged in design, construction and management activities. Today it has 6,305 employees. Over the past eight years, Sembol completed a total of 618,142 sq. M. meters, including ten five-star hotels, three large shopping centers, one sports complex, a choreographic school and, perhaps, the most notable project is the Palace of Peace and Concord in Astana. In 2008, the company's profit reached $ 715 million. The main market for Sembol is Turkey, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Croatia and Russia. The value we attach to man and nature is the foundation of our understanding of quality. In this sector, Sembol enjoys a privileged position in the use of high quality materials, superior labor, reliable deadlines and cost analysis.
Can you name any other significant projects Sembol Constarction, erected outside of Turkey?
One of the most noteworthy projects I would call: "The Pyramid of Peace", which has already become a symbol of the city of Astana. This attractive building with an exceptional design contains: a university, a museum and an opera house with a hall for 1,500 seats. In Kazakhstan, it is called the Palace of Peace and Concord. The second project is the Khan Shatyry shopping and entertainment center, also in Astana. This building is 150 meters high and 1.5 million cubic meters. meters, designed by the famous British architect Norman Foster. The project with a giant transparent tent will become the center of leisure and commerce in Astana with a mini-golf course, a small lake, botanical gardens, covered beaches, beauty centers and beauty salons, concert halls, luxurious condominiums, offices, a five-star hotel with a shopping center. The Khan Shatyry Center is considered one of the largest in the world. Well, and, of course, one cannot fail to mention the stadium in Astana, at the opening of which the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazrbayev and Fettam Tamindzhe, the owner of the Rixos group, arrived. The sliding roof system of Astana stadium has a fixed and a moving components, which operate independently of each other. It is designed to protect the green field coverage from harsh climatic conditions. The capacity of the stadium is 30,000 people. In addition to football matches, concerts can be held here, as well as other entertainment events and sports competitions. This project is one of six in the world that have a mobile roofing system measuring 10,000 square meters. meters.
Last question, when will the Ottoman Palace by Rixos Hotel in Dubai be open?
We hope to open it in the first quarter of 2010. And most likely, Mr. Fettam Taminje will personally come to its opening.
Thank you for the conversation, and we will look forward to when the real Turkish palace appears in the UAE.
