Welcome to Checking In, a review series in which our editors and contributors rate the best new (and revamped) luxury hotels based on a rigorous—and occasionally tongue-in-cheek—10-point system: Each question answered “yes” gets one point. Will room service bring you caviar? Does your suite have its own butler? Does the bathroom have a bidet? Find out below. Maxx Royal Bodrum In three words: Glamorous beachside bliss What’s the deal? Didn’t it seem like everyone on your Instagram was in Bodrum this summer? You weren’t imagining it: The beguiling peninsula on Turkey ’s celebrated Turquoise Coast is certainly having a moment, with a host of global hospitality heavyweights—Mandarin Oriental, Aman, Scorpios, and Edition, with more like Bulgari and St.
Regis forthcoming—popping up along the coast in recent years, and global jet-setters have been descending in droves. When Maxx Royal opened in May near Cennet (“paradise”) Bay, one of Bodrum’s most scenic stretches, it set itself apart from the fray as one of the few Turkish brands making a play for the luxury circuit—joining the ranks of the iconic Macakizi, a few minutes’ sail away. This marks the third resort offering from a homegrown group that has properties in Antalya, and comes with a partnership with Mykonos icon Scorpios, here set on a promontory abutting the property.
The best room: While the villas, which range from two to five bedrooms, are hard to beat with their contemporary design and gar.