On my last trip to Goreme in Cappadocia, I took a lot of time deciding which hotel to book. This was the first holiday that my husband and I would take in four years.
Everything had to be prefect and stress free. I had heard about the cave hotels in Cappadocia, however was unsure if I wanted to stay in one. After all, my knowledge of cave hotels was zilch and I stopped watching the Flintstones when I was 13 years old.
Having read Trip Advisor though, a lot of people recommended staying in a cave hotel whenever a visit to Cappadocia happens. So I took the plunge and booked the Spelunca Hotel in Goreme.
It was a good move to make because the Spelunca was everything I wanted it to be. The authenticity of the rooms and the hotel itself, gave emphasis to a romantic atmosphere that instantly made me relax. The hotel was also in a good location and an excellent base from which to explore the area ofCappadocia.
All mod cons were present in the rooms including heated towel rails, LCD TV with satellite channels, tea / coffee maker and the famous Jacuzzi bath. Famous because this was the first time that my husband discovered it is not a good idea to pour hotel bottles of shampoo into a Jacuzzi bath.
Breakfast was the traditional Turkish breakfast however the hotel expanded on their range so you had a wide choice of fruits, cheeses, olives, bread, and jams. You name it, everything was there. While the hotel did not do evening food, they would gladly order you some food in, if you did not want to go out.
Even though it was our holiday, I got into the habit of waking up at 6am every morning. My reason for doing so was the view of dozens of hot air balloons floating across the landscape. Every morning I made a cup of coffee and sat on the terrace watching them. The balloons would come so close and I swear that one morning, I heard someone shouting hello from the balloons.
So there must be something that I didn’t like about the hotel right? Well, their gardens could do with better upkeep and the 5 minute walk up the hill to the Spelunca hotel was enough to get me panting for breath. However apart from that, I actually felt like I wanted to sell up here in Altinkum and move into the hotel permanently.
I don’t think I will be going back to Goreme anytime soon so I won’t be returning to the Spelunca hotel. However I have found that sometimes in life, it is better not to go back to the places that you have fond memories of. The second time never measures up to the first and I want to keep the fond memories that I have of Goreme and The Spelunca Hotel.
