Hotel in Selcuk, Turkey

My mother and I stayed at Hotel Canberra, and would do so again. They were very helpful with lots of things (free ride back to the train station, arranging a cab to Ephesus, loaner Ephesus guidebooks, etc). The roof terrace was a great place for breakfast (included) and dinner (extra cost and worth it). I should add that, while the Lonely Planet Turkey guide said Selcuk was not too special, we enjoyed the vibe of the town and wished we had stayed more than one night.

Here's the hotel's website (warning: music autoplays): http://www.hotelcanberra.net/newsite/

I know how you feel - what, no Rick Steves recommendation!?! I got a recommendation from an American friend studying in Turkey - we stayed at Hotel Bella - http://www.hotelbella.com/ephesus_hotel/index.html. They provided us with a 10 minute overview over tea, loaned us an English Ephesus guidebook and provided a shuttle to the top of Ephesus with pick-up three hours later at the bottom. They have a good breakfast on their rooftop patios (with view of the nesting storks) and offer dinner, which was fabulous.

One thing to keep in mind - after Ephesus, there is not much else to see. In retrospect, we should have checked out and headed out to see Izmir or Kusadasi instead of staying for a second night before our flight to Istanbul the next morning.

here is a good one I stayed at a few years ago - http://www.wallabiesaquaducthotel.com/
looks like they did some remodeling after my visit. the location is pretty good, you can get a window view with the aqueduct almost next to it, it's in the town center with a lot of places to eat aorund. pretty close to train or bus station, and if you email them the owner can meet you at the bus/train station. not sure how much they charge now, but it was not expensive a few years ago.

We too stayed at Hotel Bella and found it to one of our favourite hotels in our month long visit to Turkey. Very friendly and accommodating staff. We had a car but took advantage of the free shuttles to/from Ephesus. We spent 3 nights in Selchuk and because we had a car we did some interesting day trips in the surrounding areas.
Loved the roof top terrace and the fabulous meals.

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We also stayed at Wallabies in 2011 and 2013. They have renovated some of the rooms and if you stay there be sure to ask for a renovated room or at least check out the original and the renovated rooms to decide. We stayed in the original rooms both years and noticed a decline in the fixtures. The hotel serves breakfast which is great. We also had dinner at the hotel restaurant and can recommend the meals there.

In July 2014 we enjoyed our stay at the Hotel Nilya. It's around the corner from previously mentioned Hotel Bella and run by the same owners. Unlike the Hotel Bella's more vertical lobby, staircase and guest room layout, the Hotel Nulya has rooms that open onto a lovely courtyard with a fountain and seating. Breakfast is served from this courtyard.

Thanks for the hotel reviews. We are going with Hotel Bella. It looks lovely. Again, many thanks!

I don't think you will be disappointed with your choice. If you drink be sure to have a Raki on the rooftop restaurant. Nice presentation and Erdal is a great host.
In the attached shop we bought a selection of small traditional Turkish ceramic tiles that they mounted for us. Made a wonderful souvenir.

For Turkish destinations outside of Rick's book, I like to use the Lonely Planet book, which also has some resources online. Back in the day, I stayed at the laid-back Australia New Zealand Guest House, with conveniently attached carpet shop.

Hi Kay - My family stayed at the Boomerang. I would recommend that as a place to stay. It looks like you've chosen a spot already. The reason I'm replying is to recommend you go to the hamman in town. Most of the time its coed - no nudity. It's about 1/3 the cost of Istanbul. All the locals use it. It was a great experience overall. Also the Wallabies restaurant had fantastic food.....the best we ate in Turkey. They have daily specials....have them help you choose. The owners speak great English so it was nice to be able to ask more detailed questions of a local. We stayed in Selcuk for 2 nights and wish it were longer. Selcuk was a great place to walk the backstreets up toward the castle.

Hotel Nazar in downtown Selcuk is run by a young man who was in the tour agency business. He is Turkish but has traveled to almost all 50 states in the US giving presentations on Turkish tour packages - so he knows his stuff about the tour business. He has settled down in his home turf in Selcuk to raise a family. Here is a review I wrote on Trip Advisor:
"This is not a chain hotel where the staff have to greet you formally and ask how they may be of service. Hotel Nazar is a family style place where Ilker and his wife warmly greet you and with great honesty try to make your stay in Selcuk as good as it can possibly be. I felt like we were staying with family or close friends as we were given special and specific consideration in trip planning, transfers, and advice. If you read through the reviews you will see we are not the only ones to feel like Ilker had our best interests at heart.

You should know that this hotel is located in an actual neighborhood where kids play in the street, old men sit on benches and talk about days gone by, and women hurry to the market and daily shopping. It is not a "touristy" location. You get to see a slice of everyday life in Selcuk.

BUT, you are only steps away from restaurants, shopping, the train station, etc.

Ilker booked us an affordable car for sightseeing in Priene and Miletus. He also gave us great advice about tackling Ephesus. His restaurant recommendations are spot on. All made in English that reflects his many trips to the US on business. Ilker is a former travel agent and knows the travel industry. ASK him your questions and you will get honest and helpful answers.

The hotel is comfortable and easy to like. Basic rooms are clean and have excellent bathrooms facilities. The rooftop restaurant/breakfast area/bar is perfect for your meals. We enjoyed breakfast each morning and had a tasty dinner there one evening.

Book a room here and you will not have to wonder if you made the right choice. For independent travelers this is a smart, affordable and trustworthy selection."

We stayed at both Urkmez and Canberra. Urkmez was definitely superior but the price was almost the same.

You will not be disappointed with Hotel Bella. We stayed there two weeks ago. Selcuk was not quite the quaint little town I had envisioned but just wanted to mention that there is more to do there than Ephesus-although Ephesus is the main attraction. Sirince is a beautiful little quaint village and definitely worth the 15min drive to get there. The St John's Basilica ruins across the street from Hotel Bella has great views of the valley looking toward the ocean and Ephesus and the tomb of St John is there. The Grotto of the 7 seven sleepers is basically a cave but in the parking area is a fantastic place for lunch. There are lady's making fresh gozleme and you can get ayran in cold clay mugs. Both the ayran and gozleme were the best we had on our entire 3 week trip around Turkey.