Inside The Legendary Hotel Luring The Glitterati To Turkey's Riviera

This is the mythical Macakizi hotel that has lured the likes of Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell to the ... [+] once-understated Turkish Riviera.

As the undulating, soulful call to prayer drifts over from a mosque across the bay, guests in floaty silk beachwear lounge on cushioned sun beds by the glittering Aegean sea, sipping iced water and detox juices.

This is the mythical Maçakizi hotel that has lured the likes of Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell to the once-understated Turkish Riviera. Now, the glitterati flock to various upmarket hotels around the Bodrum Peninsula, but Maçakizi continues to quietly steal the show.

The first incarnation of Maçakizi was a small pension in Bodrum town center opened by Ayla Emiroglu in the mid-70s. At that time the town, which now has a yacht-packed marina and boutique-lined streets, was just one road. But the cognoscenti from Istanbul were already holidaying here.

Macakizi feels like a desert oasis.

As it happened, Ahmet Ertegun, the co-founder of Atlantic Records, had a house in Bodrum and, being friends with Emiroglu, brought characters like Mick Jagger and Aretha Franklin to her bohemian beachside B&B. Emiroglu became a kind of celebrity in her own right with a magnetic personality that turned her hotel’s beach club into the stuff of legend.

The current Maçakizi structure, owned by Emiroglu’s son Sahir Erozan, lies on the opposite coastline of the peninsula. It dates from 2000 but channels the laid-back, breezy vibe of the original hotel. There's none of the glitzy flashiness – or gimmicks like pet menus general manager Andrew Jacobs assures – of other luxury establishments along the coast that announce their presence with giant lit-up signs and brash multistory buildings.

The gourmet restaurant serves a dinner menu updating and reworking classic Turkish flavors, ... [+] ingredients and dishes.

So why do the rich and famous still favor the hotel? Maçakizi feels like a desert oasis. The unorthodox layout is a labyrinth of lush leafy paths crowded by flowers. Explosions of purple bougainvillea obscure the entrances to rooms in white-washed villas snug in the undergrowth. Their terraces, many with tantalizing glimpses of the shimmering Aegean between flower-laden branches, are shaded by verdant surroundings. It exudes privacy and exclusivity.

In the breakfast area, light streams through glass panels in the roof, dappling the unpolished wooden tables and earthy-toned Aztec-patterned rugs. All the furnishings are matte and deliberately left a little worn, a style downplay owner Erozan insists on.

The abundant greenery is also part of his design. “Flowers are the main decoration in my hotel,” he says, “you’ll notice there’s not much else by way of ornamentation.” This arboreal masterpiece is tended by one master gardener and around 15 assistants.

Explosions of purple bougainvillaea obscure the entrances to rooms in white-washed villas snug in ... [+] the undergrowth.

There is plenty of seating in secret corners amongst the foliage beside brightly tiled fountains. In some areas, it feels like an eccentric artist's garden where you stumble across curious contemporary sculptures between the trees.

Beyond the serene surroundings, chef Aret Sahakyan makes sure Emiroglu's culinary reputation is kept alive. Erozan has continued his mother’s signature lunchtime buffet where bright salads in wide terracotta glazed bowls are laid out on a long wooden table. There’s soft roasted eggplant in a thick tomato sauce, creamy yogurt with local greens and marinated beetroot freshened with mint leaves.

The gourmet restaurant serves a dinner menu updating and reworking classic Turkish flavors, ingredients and dishes. Starters include grilled octopus with hummus, tomato and feta and blue crab with avocado and aioli vinaigrette.

Like his mother, Erozan himself is one of the reasons why the VIPs stop by. When he lived in Washington, he moved in circles with political heavyweights and a few presidents. “Now I see more of them in Bodrum than I did in the US,” he says. Wearing shorts and a t-shirt, blue-lense sunglasses and puffing on a cigar, he ambles around the resort, enjoying the company of his guests and his floral paradise. On the weekends, he’s the life and soul of the legendary Maçakizi parties at the waterfront bar.

In the breakfast area, light streams through glass panels in the roof, dappling the unpolished ... [+] wooden tables and earthy-toned Aztec-patterned rugs.

Guests looking for an even greater level of privacy (and who have the funds to do so) can splash out on the rental of Villa Maçakizi just a quick speed boat ride away. Half hidden by trees and blooming bougainvillea, the whitewashed mansion in what is aptly named Paradise Bay is exclusively available to hire out in its entirety – ten rooms, multiple terraces enveloped in flowers, three kitchens with 15 staff, a spa and a swimming pool – for around half a million dollars.

All this, general manager Jacobs explains, makes Maçakizi feel like an exclusive club, which is what seems to draw the it-crowd away from the big-name chains around the bay. Those who stay here become part of its legendary history and prestigious clientele.

As dusk softly falls, guests drift down to the bar for pre-dinner cocktails, water laps beneath the wooden decking, and the sun bathes the scattering of white houses across the bay in warm peach light. Erozan mingles with the crowd, kissing cheeks and waving his cigar as he recounts anecdotes from the hotel's colorful history.