Across the sea from tourist-heavy Greece, Turkey’s Aegean coast glows just as brightly. With fewer crowds and more quiet corners to find spots that still feel hidden and like true getaways, Turkey’s Aegean coast is a region to be savored. And on that coast, just over an hour from the historic and culturally rich city of Izmir, and near the bustling resort town of Alaçati, is Gaia By the Sea, a new boutique hotel that feels more like your own private Aegean home than a hotel.
The hotel accomplishes the Aegean minimalist and boho aesthetic to perfection. Here streamlined white stucco structures are centered around a thriving 500-year-old olive tree, an open-air restaurant faces the sea, and a natural thermal hot spring flows throughout the property, filling private soaking tubs on the courtyard of all guest rooms.
Gaia By the Sea is a place to forget about the outside world, an act made easier thanks to the lack of TVs in the guest rooms. Indeed, the philosophy here is to disconnect, to breathe in the salty air, sleep with the windows open, swim at night, in the morning, in the middle of the day, eat the freshest fish possible, linger over breakfast with Turkish coffee—to live here for a moment in time rather than just travel through.
Top Takeaways
Location: Çeşme, Turkey
Star-Rating: Five-Star
The Vibe: Aegean boho
Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel? The open-air concept. The weather here is classically Aegean—warm—if not hot—with gentle breezes and low to no humidity, which makes being outside at all times of the day a joy. From breakfast in the open-air dining room to a late-night dip in the private outdoor thermal pools attached to each room, the line between the outdoors and in is seamlessly blended here.
Food + Drink: Meals and drinks are served in the open-air dining room, which also functions as the hotel’s lobby and communal space. The menu leans heavily on fish pulled straight from the sea and vegetables from surrounding farms. That often means the freshest branzino and flavorful artichokes (this is one of the largest artichoke growing regions in the world). You’ll always find a robust list of excellent dry Turkish wines that, unfortunately, are not readily available in other parts of the world. As delicious as dinners are here, breakfast is king at Gaia by The Sea. Spring for the full Turkish breakfast, a ritual made to be savored and shared.
Any Neighborhood Recs? Gaia By the Sea is 15 minutes from the vibrant beachy town of Alaçati, where the streets are flooded with sidewalk cafes, Turkey’s most stylish beachgoers, and white, sun-washed buildings adorned with climbing bougainvillea. For dinner, book a table in advance at the Fava.
Amenities: An onsite boutique peddles stylish kaftans, bags, and chic beach accessories. Each guest room has its own outdoor natural thermal plunge pool. Start and end each day with a salty soak. All rooms have espresso machines, minibars, and bath products from Atelier Rebul in their warm, spicy Istanbul scent.
What’s Nearby: The culturally rich city of Izmir is a little over an hour away. Urla Winery, a significant player in Turkey’s viticulture, is about a 45-minute drive away, and stopping by for a tasting is a must. After you sample Urla’s Kalecik Karası, Boğazkere, Beyazkere, and Bornova Misketi varieties, settle in for a meal at nearby Teruar Urla, which recently earned its first Michelin Star.
Rooms: Gaia By the Sea has just 11 rooms, white stucco structures that feel more like private mini villas than hotel rooms. Inside is a study in Aegean minimalism with white, cream, and light brown tones throughout, concrete floor, low platform beds, white bed linens, raffia lampshades, and almost nothing on the walls. Noticeably, no TVs. After all, anything would be a distraction from the sea views, which you can admire from bed thanks to large glass doors that lead out to your own patio, complete with sofa and thermal soaking pool. The temperature in the soaking pools hovers near 98 degrees and is as salty as the Mediterranean.
Pricing: Rates from $295
Closest Airport: The Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport is a little over an hour away.
