Staying in Ölüdeniz’s new beautiful Ecclesia Boutique Hotel

❤ loved★★★★★€€€

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Location

A part of the Buzz Beach Bar family, Ecclesia is a dream come true for its founders. The Gurkan family had stumbled across the site back in 1971 and originally started a campsite called Deniz Camp. Little did they know that below the pitched tents were ruins from a 1300-year-old church of St. Demetrius. After the excavations began in 2015, the Ecclesia brainchild started to find its legs and two years later, sure enough, the grand opening of this gorgeous boutique hotel is finally here.

We were lucky enough to be among the first guests of the summer 2017 opening and were enraptured by its unique fusion of the treasured old and luxury new. The church is a timeless prize for the hotel and a truly beautiful attribute to view from your window when you wake in the morning. We were excited to hear of plans to lay glass panels over the ruins, giving guests the ability to view the original mosaics currently being restored. The brothers of the Gurkan family even joke, with some seriousness, of having some sort of light show ‘rebuilding’ the church to be watchable from the amphitheatre adjacent to the ruins.

The church’s history is fundamental to the hotel’s design and ethos. Ecclesia is Latin for the congregation of religious church members, which is a tribute to St Paul’s pilgrimage throughout the Lycia coast. Today, the Ecclesia Hotel is where the congregation of travellers who admire the beauty of the sandy bay and ancient ruins indulge and rest. As homage to the great civilisations of antiquity that passed through Turkey’s lands, Ecclesia has become a special home for its history to live on.

The opening of the Ecclesia boutique hotel has been an enduring effort by the Gurkan family. As we got to know Cem and Osman, the brothers and owners of Buzz Beach Bar, we realised that their creativity and passion was to build a place where they could share with travellers the enjoyment and experience the beautiful bay had once bestowed on their family. Over time, they have managed to create just that! A welcoming hotel that is both luxurious and timeless. With staff that are accommodating, friendly and more than helpful. The hotel manager, Nikki, is an absolute delight and made sure we had the best seats at the chef’s table in the hotels accompanying restaurant. See what we had at Buzz Beach Bar’s Seafood & Grill in this review!

During our stay, Cem and Osman welcomed us to stay in one of the gorgeous Ecclesia Garden rooms. Where a giant hot tub shares the room with an incredibly comfy king size bed, which was absolute heaven for us (especially, after having slept in a campervan for 10 days)! We really did make the most it too. When indulging in the hot tub got too hot we were able to cool off in the close to hand swimming pool, where we would enjoy the sun lounges and shaded pergolas. When it comes to Ecclesia, indulgent is definitely a fitted word for its facilities. There’s even an Ecclesia Spa available, which has its own Turkish Hammam! Finally, if you’re like us and you’re into sailing then you can hire out Ecclesia’s 40ft Catamaran to explore the beautiful bay.

Starting at £65 / night

Comfortably modern rooms with a king size bed and a private balcony overlooking the central courtyard and pool. We absolutely loved the geometric light fixtures and rain showers.

Starting at £95 / night

We were lucky enough to stay in one of the four spacious Garden Suites during our visit. Although the opening to the garden had not yet been finished, we look forward to our next visit when the gardens are complete, plus the jacuzzi bath more than made up for it.

Starting at £115 / night

We had a peek at the four duplex Penthouse Suites and were blown away by how big they were! With two floors, a balcony, and a jacuzzi – these rooms are fit for a sultan.

Starting at £135 / night

We are more than excited for the grand unveiling of the upcoming Terrace Suites next summer. Waking up to the gorgeous Ölüdeniz bay and enjoying the unforgettable sunsets will surely be the highlight of anyone’s stay at Ecclesia.

Ecclesia truly is a unique experience. How this hotel seems to merge antiquity with a 1300-year-old church and postmodernist facilities is remarkable. We are extremely thankful to have had the opportunity to learn about the story behind the hotel, get to know the welcoming family that owns it and experience Ölüdeniz in luxury before we continued our Turkey road trip. After all, we aspire to tell a good story and are more than pleased to have met the Gurkan family to share their impressive accomplishment of opening Ecclesia. Til next time!

About Sailing Millie Home

We value the simplicity of human interaction. Driven by a desire to share and inspire, Sailing Millie Home is the documentation of our journey through the Mediterranean to the Pacific Ocean. A creative couple, exploring the world and sharing their stories.