AHÃMA

A deliberate, scripted collision of architecture, design, wilderness and raw beauty rallies at this hushed salt-and-turf refuge: AHÃMA, the Turkish Riviera’s newest hotel set within a natural amphitheatre along the shores of Fethiye’s Günlüklü Bay, 10 km east of the yachting hub, Göcek. 

A protected 20-hectare biodiverse forest skirts AHÃMA, creating an ecologically unique setting. The mighty Babadağ Mountains form the backbone of the bay and provide a sheltered habitat for the rare oriental sweetgum trees (Liquidambar orientalis), treasured by ancient Lycian culture for their natural healing powers. Fringed by Aegean waters and sugar-soft sands, the scene whispers of a barefoot safari conspired to slow time, where nature coerces the architecture, and luxury comes without the escort of pretence.

A blueprint in eco-sensitive design, AHÃMA borrows its name from a Lycian word for “beloved” – and everything here feels just that: protected, preserved, held with care. Cradled in a secluded bay on the Turkish Riviera, this sanctuary lets architecture follow the contours of the land, with interiors that breathe in tandem with forest and shoreline. The current custodians see themselves not as owners, but as stewards of an ancient ecosystem. Their hospitality ethos is shaped by reverence – a quiet presence that protects rather than imposes. Here, “Do Not Disturb” extends to the land itself. AHÃMA nurtures what is already there: supporting rare species, safeguarding beach-nesting turtles, and restoring the horticultural rhythms of Mediterranean life. 

Conservational architecture and design have ensured that AHÃMA is refreshingly far from your typical resort hotel. From sunrise yoga, meanders through the dense forest, saltwater swims, and sound healing in the purpose-built studio, AHÃMA lives in tune with its setting. As day flips into night, the energy shifts: the hum of four restaurants, live performances, and curated sounds reflect the owner’s deep love of culture, balance and music. Stargazing and the hush of waves through the pines offer a quieter rhythm, but this is no retreat into silence – it’s a place that celebrates life in all its moods. Where the barefoot aesthete meets the yachting fraternity; where slow living is laced with soul, salt and style. AHÃMA isn’t a hotel – it’s a ritual. A place to unfasten, recalibrate, and fall into the rhythm of a land that feels untouched, as if it had always been waiting.

Architectural Whispers – a Design Party of Ancient Trees, Marble and Mother Nature

Beginning from scratch, Turkish culture, Mediterranean aesthetics, and Japanese wabi-sabi traversed the design manifesto of AHÃMA, which was orchestrated by some of the world’s heroes of design, led by Istanbul-based StüdyoAB, who shaped the cabanas, beach club, signature restaurant and Glass House. The architectural and interior design vision of the hotel was brought to life through a rich collaboration of international and local talents. Gabriela Palatchi, founder of Gab Studio, led the creative direction, ensuring a seamless flow between architecture, interiors, gastronomy, and surrounding natural elements. Under her guidance, a diverse range of collaborators came together to shape the project’s distinctive identity.

Spanish collaborators BA RR Atelier and Álvaro Sampedro brought their Mediterranean touch to selected spaces and landscaping, crafting a dialogue between native flora and minimal forms. Legendary architect Héctor Esrawe created the forest-bound sound studio. Together, they created a built environment that feels simultaneously ancient and entirely new.

Textural richness defines the interiors with 200-year-old Kilims restored by local craftswomen, and custom fabrics from Güell Lamadrid and Élitis. Local artisans contributed throughout: custom ceramic pieces from Studio Neu, art installations by Palmhouse, and exclusive lighting by Lana Launay, whose designs illuminate the Glass House with sculptural grace. Cool marble, jute rugs, carved wood and raw linen balance refinement with restraint. Even the showers carry inscriptions referencing the ancient Lycian language – subtle nods to place and myth.

Much of the resort remains hidden, a testament to keeping things low and intertwined with the treeline and rocks. The timber-framed aesthetics nod towards the regiment of tree trunks and the use of natural light, which floods the rooms, is only obscured by wooden plantation-style shutters and sliding reeded panels. The Glass House – AHÃMA’s iconic centrepiece – is a transparent temple of elegance. Expanses of glass open to the forest and sea, letting light pour in. Every element, from the natural stone sinks to the subtly inscribed Lycian motifs in the showers, is quietly purposeful.

Cabana Holistics – As Indigenous as the Trees

Taking their cue from the cocooning nature and mythic forms found in the culture of Lycia, timber structures mimic temple columns in the suite lineup of accommodation, which is void of the typical luxury trappings of trying too hard; here, comfy restraint is the template. The design dialogue is subtle, mimicking the palettes and materiality of the land. Over a vast estate, only 30 cabanas and 29 guesthouse suites pepper the scene. Light, timber, marble and textiles form the base of an easy-on-the-eye poetic design. The cabanas are villa-like, while the guesthouses are in a maisonette-like two-storey house row. There's a contemporary stand-alone villa with a private infinity pool and secluded beach for total discretion and privacy. 

An alchemy of soft plum, chalked whites, wet putty greys, ochres, warming amber, charred noirs and honeyed timbers are the interior anchors framing a visual language of chilled design. Drawing on Lycian culture of stone sanctuaries and seductive wabi-sabi creates an interior of balance and zen–style companions to the wild landscapes beyond your terrace or balcony. Natural materials like reed and linen, tufted rugs, handcrafted solid wood furnishings and carpentry. Huge blocks of marble, hewn from the mountains, form the bases of each bathroom decked with handcrafted tiles by Istanbul-based Irem Diniz and Sena Tolanay of Studio Neue. 

Forest-view cabanas are quietly nestled beneath the canopy, some designed with expansive terraces that invite slow mornings, others open up to panoramic vistas of the Aegean, with floor-to-ceiling glass framing sunrise over the water. Some cabanas are designed for couples seeking stillness; others are generous sanctuaries for families. Larger guest houses, set among the groves, balance barefoot sophistication with gorgeous ease. They’re woven into the terrain like thoughtful gestures – subtle, generous and calming.

Then there is the villa. A standalone hideaway of sculptural luxury, the private villa offers exclusive access to its own beach, boat quay and horizon-facing infinity pool. It includes expansive living areas, a private kitchen, curated interiors, a dedicated butler and the option of a personal chef. Ideal for those arriving by sea or simply seeking a true sense of secluded splendour, it is both an anchorage and an escape.

Culinary – Where Taste meets Philosophy

With centuries-old agriculture, spice routes and the bounties of the sea on the doorstep, dining at AHÃMA is more than a meal – it’s a meditation on place, ritual and captures the Mediterranean setting. Each of the four restaurants carries its own voice and design, rooted in concepts influenced by its setting, the chef’s creativity and the time of day.

The Glass House, AHÃMA’s luminous heart, offers all-day dining where forest and sea provide the backdrop. Expect refined Mediterranean plates with subtle international echoes – elegant, honest and grounded in the Aegean pantry. Ēge Umi brings the quiet craft of Japanese omakase to Aegean shores. Here, precision meets instinct, and the catch of the day might arrive as sardine crudo with olive oil and ponzu or wood-grilled sea bass perfumed with bergamot. The tasting journey unfolds like a coastal poem – each dish shaped by land, salt and light. AY is where the primal takes centre stage – a fire-led dining ritual where meat, fish and root vegetables are kissed by smoke and served with elemental flair. This is barefoot theatre, best enjoyed under a sky full of stars.

At Mezkla Göcek, the bold soul of Mexican cuisine is reimagined through a Mediterranean lens. Think punchy, layered flavours served in a setting that hums with the elegance of its coastal surrounds.

Wellness – Sound, Silence & Inner rituals

The setting of design hotel AHÃMA is holistic in itself, a destination that kindles restoration not just of the body, but of the self, through stillness, movement and immersive sound. This is a place of resonance, where wellness is not an amenity but an ethos.

Anchoring the experience is the Sound Temple, a sculptural sanctuary designed by visionary architect-designer Héctor Esrawe. Nestled close to the water’s edge, the space hosts meditative sound journeys that weave together gongs, crystal bowls and elemental vibration. Here, silence is as powerful as sound, and every session invites deep recalibration. Stepping out into the forest, Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing)
 is a walk through stillness. Guided by nature’s rhythm, this gentle immersion invites you to breathe with the trees, listen deeply, and feel the forest’s quiet healing.

Perched above the bay is a structural masterstroke of concept thinking — a glazed cabana connects to the blue-bird skies, framing the moon and sun. Here, the daily yoga Shala connects to the elements, and breathwork is practised on open-air decks enveloped by forest and the sea, allowing guests to sync their rhythms with the pulse of the land. Programmes evolve with the seasons and the shifting light, inviting presence, softness, and flow.

A steam bath and cold plunge complete the circular flow, with treatments drawing from local botanicals and traditional healing methods. Many feature the aromatic essence of the sweetgum tree. Rituals occur in nature-hugging treatment rooms, where the scent of pine and sea breezes drifts in with the light.

This is wellness unbranded, unhurried and entirely rooted in place – a return to balance through design, nature and sensory connection.

UNESCO, Temples to Cleopatra’s Bath

AHÃMA is nestled in the secluded embrace of Günlüklü Bay, a pristine corner of the Turkish Riviera where the Aegean laps quietly against golden sands and protected forests. Located near the elite yachting hub of Göcek and the cultural crossroads of Fethiye, this coastal sanctuary balances wild beauty with cosmopolitan Mediterranean ease.

Culturally, the area is part of ancient Lycia – a land of myth, tombs and sacred ruins. From the rock-hewn majesty of Kaunos to the hilltop citadel city of Tlos, from the UNESCO-listed temples of Xanthos and Letoon to the haunting stillness of Kayaköy’s abandoned stone houses, this region brims with echoes of its storied past. The stone-carved sanctuaries of Amyntas are watching over Fethiye, and the Göcek Islands offer cinematic bays and ancient relics like Cleopatra’s Hamman. Further afield, the natural theatre continues – with Butterfly Valley’s lush canyon walls, the turquoise lagoon of Ölüdeniz, the icy thrill of Saklikent Gorge, and the protected nesting sands of Iztuzu Beach.

AHÃMA is easily reached yet feels worlds away. Dalaman Airport is just 45 minutes by car, with regular direct flights from Istanbul and major European cities. By road, it's a scenic journey of around four hours from Bodrum or Izmir. By sea, Göcek’s famed marina lies just beyond the bay, making AHÃMA a coveted waypoint for the Mediterranean sailing set.