The Hotel Montaverde, Ovacik
We recently stayed at the Hotel Montaverde, in the quiet, and relatively cool, mountain resort of Ovacik in Turkey. The poolside area is glorious - the tiles making the water appear a lovely blue, plenty of sun loungers, and a shady bar. For those who prefer not to be in the sun, there is a lovely sheltered Turkish-style outdoor area, with cushions and low tables, which makes a great place to sit and read, or socialise during the heat of the day. You can also sit in the cool marble floored lounge of the hotel, where there is a large screen TV. Fancy keeping fit? Just because you are on holiday there’s no need to let that exercise regime slip – in the basement of the hotel there is a modest gym, and when you are tired of working out there is massage available, and a jacuzzi.
We stayed there on half board, and the breakfasts and evening meals were delightful, with the full traditional Turkish spread of food – plenty of different kinds of bread for breakfast, along with melon, cheese, ham, luncheon meats, eggs, and breakfast salads, then, for the evening meal, the wonderful Turkish variety of salads and hummous, followed by a main course of beef or chicken, with pasta or rice, and vegetables. All the ingredients were fresh, and I would easily put the food at this hotel as being of four star quality. The proof of the pudding was that guests at other hotels frequently came over to the Montaverde for the evening meal.
Once a week there was a Turkish night, with traditional Turkish folk dancers, followed by a belly dancer.
The rooms, it has to be admitted, were a little small and pokey, but otherwise, this hotel was fine, with kind and friendly staff.
