Halikarnas Pansiyon in Bodrum

Belligerent Owner on ‘Motorcycle Alley’!

In my view, an important part of a travel experience is the initial communication between a potential guest and the owner of an accommodation.

As I scan the series of emails between the owner of this place and myself, I’m so glad things turned out the way they did!

His first response to my request for info regarding an extended-stay over winter was quite positive. That was a few months before my actual arrival.

As my date of arrival drew closer, I contacted him again just to confirm the info he’d sent along earlier. Had to send at least two emails to get a response.

His next response was not nearly as friendly as his initial response had been. What really jumped out at me - and I thought was rather odd - was this:
‘ We do not accept guests. This is our only condition. It is a clean family place. ’
I assumed he meant he didn’t accept guests of guests. (If he didn’t accept guests, he’d have no business at all.)

Because he’d taken so long to reply to my email, I checked this place out on various travel platforms. Several of the platforms listed it as being closed for the months I’d earmarked for my stay in Bodrum. A couple of others suggested contacting the owner.

I then sent yet another email to see if, in fact, the place would be open for December, January and February. (I was still planning on staying there for that time period as we’d previously agreed upon.)

OMG! The ranting diatribes I received were unbelievable and completely unrelated to my question as to whether his place would actually be open over winter.

‘… our english is bad.we don't care. Our effort is for tourism. English we don't care. 2. Yes, we have written 50 times. We will write again. we are family hotel. It's been like this for 20 years. When you come to Bodrum, you will understand what we mean.’

‘Our hotel is a clean family hotel in the center of Bodrum.’

The repetitive ‘clean family hotel’ mantra led me to believe that maybe it was precisely the opposite! As a single female retiree, I initially found this comment amusing. However, as the mantra continued in subsequent emails, I lost my sense of humour. I seriously wondered if he was trying to convince me or convince himself! I realised then that at, great inconvenience, I’d have to find somewhere else to stay in Bodrum.

Once in Bodrum at another hotel, I decided to take a walk over to this place just to see what a ‘clean family hotel’ looked like.

It’s located on what can only be described as ‘Motorcycle Alley’ (Üçkuyular caddesi). Both times I was there, I couldn’t hear myself think because of the never-ending roar of motorcycles - one after another after another!! (See photos.) What a racket!!! Simply couldn’t imagine a family staying there at all!

I’ve now been in Bodrum nearly 3 months and nope, I still do not understand ‘… you will understand what we mean’.

So, so glad this owner was as belligerent as he was or I could have ended up wearing ear plugs for 3 months!!!

Internet was very poor, breakfast quality was so bad. And special caution for international travelers not to stay in this hotel because owner physically threatened us to leave the hotel. Our checkout time was 12 and we requested him one day before that we will leave 1 o’clock because our flight is around 6 o’clock in the evening. He was agreed and in the next day around 11:55 he came to the room and asked us to leave the room asap. We told him that we want to take shower and will leave soon. Around 12:10 he came into room again and forced us to leave the room even didn’t allowed us to wear our shoes inside the room. He was about to physically hit us if we were even 1 minute late. This attitude isn’t acceptable anywhere in the world so recommending international traveler to avoid booking this hotel because being international you even can’t argue here.