Hotel Review: Yazz Collective
Last week, I headed on my first ever trip to Turkey’s famed Turquoise Coast. I’ll admit that while I’ve long wanted to visit Istanbul and Cappadocia (who hasn’t seen those epic hot air balloon snaps plastered all over their Instagram feed?), I knew very little about Turkey’s southwestern coastline prior to this visit. However, lured by the prospect of checking out Yazz Collective, a new luxury boutique offering situated in a private cove near Fethiye, accessible only by boat and open for its first full season this year, I packed my bags and headed off for three nights of exploration. Read on for my full review…
First impressions: 4/5
After a blurry-eyed, four hour flight from London, we landed in Dalaman where we were immediately transported to the coastline near Fethiye. Boasting hundreds of beaches and coves to explore, this part of the coast is peppered with plenty of beach clubs and all-inclusive resorts that might appeal to partygoers or large families. Luckily, we were quickly whisked away from the frenzy via one of Yazz Collective’s sleek private boats and within minutes, arrived at the hotel, which is entirely different to any of the nearby properties.
Nestled in a private cove surrounded by leafy foliage and soaring cliffs on either side, Yazz Collective immediately feels removed from the rest of the world - it’s only accessible by boat after all, so unless you’re one of the wealthy Turks docking your private yacht here, the only other guests you’ll find are all residents staying in one of the hotel’s 15 bedrooms. Set among leafy surrounds and vibrant florals, each of the suites are generous in size and furnished in muted colours: expect polished concrete floors, chic furnishings in neutral tones, and generous bathrooms with indoor-outdoor showers - along with outdoor terraces to lounge on. By the time that we arrived, we were so exhausted that we simply flopped onto our bed after dinner (it’s worth knowing if you’re visiting from London that it does take a full day of travelling to get here), but woke up the following morning in giddy anticipation of the day ahead.
To do: 5/5
Days at Yazz Collective are incredibly leisurely - it’s the kind of place where time seems to stand still, and the days roll into each other. After a leisurely lie-in, I preferred to start my mornings here working up an appetite in the indoor-outdoor gym before heading to breakfast (which is happily served until midday) before spending the day sprawled on the beach. The hotel’s seemingly endless beach has plenty of sun loungers to sprawl on - the comfy kind, that you actually want to lie on - so there’s no need to wake up early to bag one (there’s nothing worse when you’re on holiday!). Nestled just behind the beach and surrounded by lush foliage, you’ll find generous sun beds for couples to spread-eagle themselves on, along with a relaxed bar area, complete with sofas and coffee tables to spread yourself across. Although the hotel isn’t exactly in a location that would attract lots of accidental footfall (the cove is only accessible by boat, after all), some visitors do arrive during the day to visit the restaurant, and are invited to make use of the beach while they’re here. To combat this, half of the beach is reserved exclusively for hotel residents, which is a genius idea - a policy that more hotels should look to adopt.
If you’d like to do more than just splash around in the water, you’re welcome to try your hand at paddle boarding, jet skiing, and other water sport activities at an extra cost. On our final evening, we were treated to a sunset boat tour in one of the hotel’s sleek speedboats, which was the perfectly scenic ending to our trip. The hotel also has a generous pool for hotel guests set further back from the beach: surrounded by chic wooden decking and loungers to relax on, it has a Tulum-meets-Turkey vibe, and is happily quiet during the day - the same of which can be said for the rest of the hotel, despite it being at full occupancy during our stay. In addition to this, there are several other pools ranging in size, all of which can be reserved by guests for exclusive use, if you’re looking for that added layer of privacy.
For those that prefer pampering, head to the hotel’s boutique spa, consisting of two open-air treatment rooms situated on the cliffside above the beach - and leave feeling entirely revived as your muscles are pummelled and restored within every inch of themselves (I highly recommend the Balinese massage!). If you’re visiting with kids, leave them at the dedicated kids’ club and Art Club, where they can get creative with oil painting and even take home their canvases as a souvenir of the trip - while on certain days of the week, the hotel also sets up an outdoor cinema on the beach with evening movie screenings. (It’s worth noting that despite being child-friendly, the hotel thankfully isn’t overrun with families, so is still a romantic and relaxing option for couples.) Lastly, in case you left anything at home, there’s a stylish onsite boutique that stocks chic beachwear from a range of Turkish brands, as well as a ‘mini-market’ that sells everything you might have accidentally forgotten at home, from your toothbrush to sunscreen.
Food and drink: 4/5
Decked out with chic rattan lamps, generous wooden sharing tables, and plenty of foliage, the relaxed, all-day beachside restaurant at Yazz Collective is where guests could easily while away the entire day: leisurely breakfasts segway into long lunches and dinners, as guests continually flit between the beach and the bar. Each table here is guaranteed a beautifully uninterrupted view over the bay, and in the summer months, guests will visit from elsewhere in anticipation of the DJ sets that play late into the evening.
Mornings begin with generous Turkish breakfasts (expect an impressive spread of cheeses, fruit, pastries and more that you certainly won’t be able to finish) before moving onto refreshing acai bowls, pancakes, or avocado toast. Meanwhile, extensive menus at lunch and dinner offer up fresh seafood dishes, and expertly grilled meats. Everything that we ate here consistently tasted fresh and full of flavour; our favourite dishes included the fried, crispy courgettes served on a bed of yoghurt, refreshing tomato and ceviche salads, and finger-licking good tzatziki sprinkled with chopped almonds and cucumber, and scooped up with warm sourdough. Despite being simply cooked, dishes were beautifully presented and always satisfying, with healthier options such as the ‘after gym bowl’ (a combination of rice, veggies and chicken breast) and indulgent pasta and pizza dishes appealing to a wide range of tastes. I would have liked to see some more exciting dessert options on the menu here, but I took the limited sweet offering as a welcome excuse to eat a little healthier than usual on this trip.
Comfort and service: 3.5/5
Yazz Collective is still within its first full season of opening, and it’s worth knowing that the service we encountered at the hotel wasn’t absolutely flawless. Service was, for the most part, friendly and willing to please - although this wasn’t entirely consistent throughout the property, and did seem to differ depending on which team member we spoke to. For instance, in the restaurant, despite there being a slight language barrier when interacting with some members of staff, we found that everyone we encountered was incredibly keen to please. This was in contrast to the staff member on the spa reception, who barely looked up from her phone to acknowledge us - in the spa itself, the therapists delivered fantastic massages with plenty of smiles, but didn’t offer much in terms of communication or letting us know what to expect from our treatments. Communication on the reception team also varied significantly, with several team members being incredibly friendly and forthcoming - while others were noticeably blunt in their communication style; for instance, a particular staff member told us quite curtly on three separate occasions that we weren’t able to book spa treatments (we later realised that this wasn’t actually the case).
There were also moments where we felt like service could be more efficient. At breakfast and lunch, service was more leisurely than we would’ve liked, with fewer team members manning the restaurant: this was in stark contrast to dinner, where there were markedly more team members on the ground. Similarly, while lounging on the beach and sun beds, we would have appreciated if staff had checked in with us more frequently to refresh our towels or take drinks orders - despite the beach bar being only a few steps away, this would have provided an added layer of finesse to our overall experience. On one occasion, housekeeping didn’t get round to cleaning our bedroom until the late afternoon (despite us calling reception twice to remind them).
Overall, the level of service didn’t dampen our experience, and our stay was overwhelmingly positive - thanks to the chic interiors, beautiful and unique location of the hotel, and everything else it has to offer (delicious food and a good range of facilities) I could certainly be lured back here. The hotel ticked many of my boxes, and certainly delivered an experience that was distinctly luxe and unique. If, like me, you prefer hotels that are luxe without being pretentious, and seek to escape from buzzy crowds while you’re on holiday, this is just the place for you - with only 15 rooms, it’s near impossible for the hotel to ever feel crowded, while the atmosphere is relaxed and unfussy. This was my first time in Turkey, and I definitely wished I could have stayed longer, finding it somewhat of a challenge to wrench myself away from the sun beds upon our departure. in contrast to the other properties along the coastline, Yazz Collective is pushing the boat out to create a luxurious and contemporary offering that you certainly won’t find nearby - so if you’re looking to explore this part of Turkey, I’d certainly recommend it for a truly relaxing and chic stay.
This was a press stay - all opinions are my own.
