The Best Hotels and Resorts in the World: The Gold List 2026 | Condé Nast Traveler

"Over the past decade Bodrum, Türkiye, has picked up the pace: bottle-service beach clubs, raki-soaked parties, and glossy new hotels each season. But above the fray sits Maçakızı, a sprawl of bougainvillea-covered whitewashed cottages tumbling toward a yacht-filled bay. Just 40 minutes from town, it’s a pulse-slowing alternative. Stray cats nap under tables and well-loved dogs make the rounds. Days revolve around the wooden jetty—swimming, reading, playing backgammon, or doing nothing at all. The best spot? A front lounger near the sea ladder. Service is relaxed, but no one asks for your room number twice. Since the 1970s, when it opened, jet-setting regulars return every summer for the same room, same table, same sun bed. Dinners of grilled octopus, caviar, and just-picked vegetables stretch into the night. Bodrum has changed, but this is still its original grande dame. From $1,155. —Chloe Sachdev" - CNT Editors