Travel trends have been changing in recent years. People are moving from big hotel complexes to boutique hotels. People used to choose large hotel complexes because they would find all the amenities they are looking for in one place, from a concierge to a pool to a convenient store. However, in recent years, this trend has changed and “the experience itself” has become more important. People are looking for unique souvenirs that they can take back. People are also looking for more “local experiences” that are local and authentic. Boutique hotels offer this type of experience, the service is personalized and the staff get to know you and care about you as a person.
A few years ago I went to a resort and all I can remember are the buildings and the amenities. A few weeks ago I went to a boutique hotel in Kas/Turkey and I can remember not only the beauty of nature but also the owner with whom we had great talks and discussions and Cafer who always anticipated our needs even before we told him. . I know that if we had gone to a big hotel complex, they would not even remember us, but if we go to this small hotel in Kas again, they will remember us and treat us like their “friends”. I have also had the same kind of experience in Cuba when I stayed in places called “casa” where you stay with local people. I learned about the culture, I learned about the people who live there and how they live and do things. You can’t get this experience in a big hotel resort.
Tourism is emotional and emotionally bonding your guests to your venue is success. Every hotel, every resort has more or less the same amenities; what sets them apart is the people and the personalized service.
Turkey is promoted as a mass tourism in Europe. Therefore, low-budget tourists are attracted to Turkey. Tourists pay 500 euros for an all-inclusive 5-star resort, including the flight to and from Belgium. They come to Turkey and only see the resort and go back to their countries without having the “real experience”. By real experience I mean doing local things, seeing local places, going to local cafes and restaurants and places where local people go. and learn about the culture of the local people. Most tourists in Turkey don’t even know about the different experiences they can have in Turkey, from staying in 6th century cave houses in Cappadocia, to staying in a village house in Fethiye and experience village life with the locals to stay in a mansion by the North Sea or stay in a small hotel by the beautiful blue Mediterranean.
You may think that these kinds of experiences would cost you a lot, but in reality in Turkey it is not like that. You have to be a smart tourist and do your research, but just to give you an example, the big hotel complex I stayed in cost me around 600 euros for a week. The boutique hotel in Kas cost me 300 euros per week and it was a much better experience than the one I had in that big hotel complex. The little boutique hotel in Kas made me want to stay there and want to come back every year. This is the kind of experience you should be looking for when searching for a place to stay.
Special Places in Turkey puts the “real experience” at your fingertips. Boutique hotels are chosen very carefully and since it is a non-profit website at the moment, even if you want to pay and want to be on this site, if you don’t fit the concept, you can’t be on this website. You can choose to stay in a 6th century cave house or stay in a village and live the life of people who live in small villages. You can stay in a historic mansion and listen to the stories of the owner’s mansion. All the places have a character, something special about them, be it the history or the experience, and all these places offer you the true Turkish hospitality with the local people.
Evrim Erdem-Asthma