Photo credit: hijabimeetsworld

A visit to Cappadocia isn’t complete without staying in a cave hotel, and the Vineyard Cave Hotel is an excellent choice. The cave hotels are what remain of a centuries’ old tradition of building homes in the cliff sides and rock faces of Cappadocia, where families lived as recently as half a century ago. Some of these caves have now been transformed into hotels, many of which are so luxurious they would be fit for a Sultan. I recently stayed at the Vineyard Cave Hotel for 4 nights with my sister and 2 year old daughter,  for around £46/night.

Location

The Vineyard Cave Hotel is located in the town of Goreme, among the world-famous fairy chimneys. It is about 40 minutes’ drive from Nevsehir Airport and an hour from Kayseri Airport. Transfers to and from either airport to the hotel are available upon request and for a small fee of TL 25, which the hotel is happy to arrange for you.

Rooms

The hotel has a total of 8 rooms, each of which is a cave embedded into the rock face. The hotel is in fact one of the oldest family cave houses in Cappadocia, dating back almost 3 centuries. We stayed in a Cave Suite, which comprised one master bedroom, a double bedroom, two living areas and a spacious bathroom with a jacuzzi. The suite felt big and could easily house a whole family. Each room has been tastefully decorated with traditional Turkish rugs, ornaments and tiles, with a strong sense of Turkish culture and history that pervades the old cave walls.

The family that run the hotel also own a rug shop – the Rose Carpet shop – which is a few minutes’ walk down the road. Each room has been adorned with beautiful rugs made in the traditional Anatolian design.

Free Wi-fi is offered in each room, but due to the nature of the thick cave walls it did not extend past the living area into the bedroom. One of the benefits of these cave walls is that they are far more efficient than air-con; we didn’t feel just how hot it could get outside because the temperature inside the suite was so well regulated.

On my first morning at the hotel I took a peak through the window and to my joy saw my very first hot air balloon!

The following day I went up to the roof terrace during sunrise, and these are some of the beautiful moments I captured.

Breakfast and dinner

Home-made chicken casserole at the Vineyard Cave Hotel. Photo credit: hijabimeetsworld

A buffet breakfast is included in the hotel reservation, and is eaten either in the dining area or on the dining terrace out in the sun. The view alone from the terrace makes it well worth getting up for, but the variety of foods the hotel offered made the buffet. A generous selection of nuts, dried fruits, vegetables, cold meat, cheese, bread and various dips, jams and sauces meant breakfast never got boring. The icing on the cake was that we were offered freshly squeezed orange juice and eggs every morning.

On a side note, the hotel is also able to provide you with dinner if you make a special request. The three-course meal is home-cooked with fresh ingredients and was pretty good value for money at TL 70 for two people, but also one of the best meals we had in Cappadocia.

Hospitality

Turkish hospitality is renowned all over the world for making any guest feel welcomed and right at home. At the Vineyard Cave Hotel the manager, Osman, and his father Hasan, were exemplars of this precious tradition. Before we had even met them we had a glimpse into this when we were told that the juice cartons, cakes, as well as both still and sparkling water were all complementary as part of “Turkish hospitality”. This welcome gesture is miles away from the typical hotel standard that requires charging exorbitant rates for anything taken from the mini fridge. In fact, even before we had arrived in Cappadocia, Osman made the effort to send a welcome email and to explain he could provide assistance with planning our holiday.

The ever-cheerful (mashallah) Hasan inside his shop, the Rose Carpet Shop. Photo credit: hijabimeetsworld

Osman and his father are both travel guides with decades of experience, and provided us with reams of information about the local area. Between them they speak English, Spanish, French and Turkish, primarily so that they are able to welcome and look after their guests even better.

On our first morning Osman took the time to explain how best to explore the local area, and which sites we absolutely needed to see during our stay (we’ll be doing a travel guide on this very soon). The hotel offers a private day tour for 350 lira (approx. £72) with a qualified travel guide, which is great if you are a family or group of friends that want to explore at your own pace.  The other options included a private driver for 170 lira, renting a car or joining one of the numerous group tours. Osman was honest and open about all of our options, and provided excellent information on the local attractions, including those less-frequented by the crowds.

Overall, Brother Osman and his family made us feel as though we were not staying at a hotel, but with friends. They went above and beyond to make our stay not only comfortable but enjoyable, and made our Cappadocian experience one of the best trips we have ever been on.

What’s Nearby?

The beautiful traditional furniture that adorns the rooftop terrace. Perfect to watch the sunset. Photo credit: Hijabimeetsworld

The Vineyard Cave Hotel is a few minutes’ walk from a number of restaurants, rug shops and numerous arts and crafts that make great souvenirs. It’s location is the perfect starting point for seeing all of the major and many of the minor attractions in Cappadocia. Here are some of the local attractions that can be reached by a short drive:

1. Goreme Open Air Museum
2. Sunset Point
3. Pigeon Valley
4. Devrent Valley
5. Uchisar Castle
6. Rose Valley
7. Ozkonak Underground City
8. Mustafapasha Village

Halal Travel Guide hotel rating: 9/10

This review is unbiased and is not a promotional feature. For more information on planning your trip to Cappadocia, check out our four day three night itinerary.