Six Senses Kaplankaya

People usually write about hotels focusing on beautiful views, impeccable service, and delicious food — and all of that is genuinely present here. But that's not why I'm writing this. I'm writing because, for the first time in a long while, I felt that a vacation isn't about a perfect picture, but about the people who create it. A special, most heartfelt thank you goes to Angelika and Anastasia. These two amazing girls took us under their wing from day one and looked after us throughout the entire trip as if we weren't guests, but old friends they had long been waiting for. Every little detail, every request, every "could we possibly…" was met with such ease and genuine care that after a couple of days, we didn't want to go anywhere without their kind morning greeting. Thanks to them, our vacation turned into something more than just rest — it became a true feeling of home away from home. Kaplankaya also has its own guardian — a dog named Panda. We immediately nicknamed him "the hotel dog," because it seems the whole place runs on his good-natured face and wagging tail. He greets guests as if he's personally responsible for their good mood, walks them to the beach, lazily accompanies them along the paths — and at some point, you realize you miss him just as much as the sea. And, of course, I can't help but mention all the staff on the beach and throughout the hotel in general. It feels as if they specifically gathered the most beautiful people, both inside and out: smiling, attentive, genuinely happy to help, even if you simply want to know where to get a towel. It's a rare place where service doesn't feel like "work," but feels like real care. Six Senses Kaplankaya isn't just a hotel. It's a place where they'll remember you by name, where a dog becomes your friend, and the girls at reception become almost like family. We will definitely come back. We already miss it 💛 Spa, which turns even the wait for check-in into a highlight. We arrived at Six Senses Kaplankaya before check-in and decided to spend the time at the spa — best decision of the trip. Jamiya at reception welcomed us like guests genuinely expected, not "guests without a room yet." Instead of a price list, she asked how we felt after the journey and suggested starting with a hammam. Real care, not a sales pitch. In the hammam, Safiye and Chara took care of us. The body scrub felt like true craftsmanship — unhurried, precise, attentive. Quiet and delicate, leaving skin not just cleansed but renewed. Within a couple of hours, travel fatigue was gone. When told our room was ready, we almost regretted the wait was over. The spa is huge (reportedly the largest in Europe), but its real scale is in its people. Jamiya, Safiye, Chara — thank you. Hotel management: hold on to team members like these. They are your true luxury.

From 10/10 to a major disappointment – an unjustifiable approach to pricing We first stayed at Six Senses Kaplankaya in July 2022 for ten nights, and at the time we were absolutely blown away. The entire experience – the stunning setting, the atmosphere, the service and, in particular, the food – was exceptional. It genuinely felt like a 10/10 experience, and the price-to-quality ratio was perfectly justified. That is precisely why we were so excited to return to Kaplankaya in early September 2026, four years later. Unfortunately, this time the experience left us deeply disappointed, particularly when it comes to the restaurants and their pricing. The prices have not simply increased since 2022 – in some cases, they have risen to almost three times what we paid previously. Such an enormous increase might be understandable if it came with a corresponding improvement in quality, service and overall experience. Sadly, that was not our experience. Quite the opposite: some dishes felt average, portions were surprisingly small, and the overall value for money was simply no longer there. We live in Zurich, where prices are notoriously high, and we are therefore certainly not unfamiliar with paying premium prices. But in Zurich, when you pay a premium, you also expect exceptional quality, presentation and service. To pay significantly more than we would in Zurich at a luxury resort, while receiving smaller portions and, in our opinion, lower-quality food, was honestly difficult to understand. What makes this even harder to justify is that much of the produce is locally sourced. We therefore struggle to understand how such dramatic price increases can be justified. At this level of luxury, guests should feel that they are paying for exceptional quality and an extraordinary experience – not that they are being charged excessively simply because they are staying at a Six Senses property. And unfortunately, that is the impression we were left with. The contrast with our stay in 2022 was particularly disappointing. Back then, Kaplankaya felt like a truly special, sophisticated and authentic luxury resort where the entire concept came together beautifully. This time, we were left with the impression of significant commercialisation without a corresponding increase in value. The location remains spectacular, the resort itself is beautiful, and Kaplankaya undoubtedly has enormous potential. But luxury is not defined by architecture, location or branding alone. True luxury is also about quality, generosity, authenticity and a price point that feels proportionate to what is being delivered. Unfortunately, for us, that balance is no longer there. A resort we left in 2022 feeling was a genuine 10/10 and one we would have recommended without hesitation has, after our 2026 stay, become a place we would think twice about returning to. That is perhaps the biggest disappointment of all – because we were genuinely looking forward to coming back.

We had a very pleasant time staying in the six senses I’m glad we chose it. The resort is so beautiful and calm , our villa was so beautiful and spacious and the view is to die for. Every thing was perfect and the staff were so fiendly friendly and hospitable.

This is the best place for the rest and relax I've ever seen! Huge territory in a shadow of pins and olives, beautiful and very comfortable villa, nice restaurants, unbelievable spa and unforgettable sea view..! And super concierge team: Can Gezen, Emre, Can Ozener, Ekaterina, Simay and Ozgur. Thanks a lot for our staying at this Eden!

So, maybe this is on me but I've always associated Six Senses with being a zen, yoga, wellness style resort....nothing could be further from the truth (certainly with this one). At best it's a mediocre five-star resort, facing issues that it shouldn't be after 9 years in business. It all started at the check-in. "Sit here", "No, sit there", "Actually don't sit - we're ready for you". Then being served refreshments as we were completing the process but with nowhere to enjoy them. As the room wasn't ready we were offered a tour, so we stood outside waiting (as instructed), only to be told no-one was available....this kind of set the tone for the whole thing. Nothing here is designed to delight you. There is no welcome amenity in the room, there's nothing "special" happening to get involved in, no little treats as you sit at the beach or by the pool. But boy, will they take your money! We enquired about a group bike ride that was advertised and were told it was 1750 EUR for 2 people. For a 6km bike ride! I was convinced they must have quoted the wrong currency and perhaps it was Turkish lira, but no, it was Euros. Food and drinks are really expensive (not bike ride expensive though!) and you don't get much for your money....the produce is undoubtedly the best we had in Turkey but none of the meals were memorable. Mezzes by the Sea is a beautiful restaurant and our favourite of all of them - however, we were calling it Mozzies by the Sea by the end of our trip as dining there meant we were both the diners and the dined upon for all the mosquitoes around the place. The rooms are okay. Water and towels weren't replaced on a couple of occasions which shouldn't happen at a resort like this. Housekeeping didn't turn up one day. They didn't lock the door behind them on another day leaving it ajar so anyone could walk in. The turkish rug in the room was kinda nasty around the edges. The rain shower was more of a drizzle than anything usable. The clientele were big families with LOTS of children. Okay, again, maybe our mistake going during school holidays but it was not peaceful in the slightest. The whole zen and wellness thing was kind of missing. I think there was one yoga class a day but we didn't bother as we felt like we were just setting ourselves up for disappointment. The staff are like robots - I don't know if they're trained not to show personality but it makes for a monotone stay (although some of the server in the Mozzies restaurant were nice). The gym is alright, pretty big for a hotel gym. Anihinga Beach is lovely so we spent a lot of time there. The location of the hotel is in the middle of nowhere so be prepared to spend a lot of time and money at the resort. Checkout summed it all up for us - as we sat there in reception waiting for our transfer, the staff were running around with bottles of water for other guests who were arriving - no-one thought to offer us anything. I guess as we'd already checked out, there was no point bothering further with us.