9 Best Hotels in The Black Sea Coast and Lake Van, Turkey

Down a narrow alleyway and behind a high wall, you'll find four stylish but comfortable traditional Gaziantep stone houses, where rooms have been meticulously restored and are charmingly decorated with quirky antique radios, sewing machines, and telephones. The courtyard is delightful, with a covered seating area and tables shaded by umbrellas. Owner Tim Schindel, son of a Turkish mother and an American father, is helpful and a good source of information about Gaziantep's cultural heritage.

Earthy and arty, with lots of exposed timber, this lovely 80-year-old chestnut building beside the river is quite different from any other lodgings in the area, with six surprisingly stylish rooms. Try to get one of the three river-view rooms. Evening meals can be provided as can a wide variety of tea, coffee, and homemade soft drinks. A small gift shop sells local handcrafted goods.

There are two neighboring buildings here that visitors can stay in, one a restored 18th-century han that has nice rooms with large bathrooms doubling as Turkish hammams. Most rooms are basically suites with separate living rooms and bedrooms, and have lovely reproductions of Ottoman-style furniture.

In the old Christian Bey neighborhood, this mansion-hotel conversion makes sure you feel like a guest at a real Turkish home (shoes even come off at the door). The 130-year-old building has three floors of rooms, some with wood paneling and all with (slightly small) bathrooms and showers. Suites are on the top floor and get their own terrace. On the lower floors, you can explore a rock-cut cistern and a secret early Christian meeting room.

This charming small hotel in an old house has a very friendly and welcoming staff, as well as a pretty, flower-filled courtyard in a converted old Armenian home. Rooms vary, though some are small and windowless and can get quite humid.

On the edge of a green field, this wooden chalet has large, comfortable rooms, and colorful rugs and kilims in the hallways that add a homey feel. The owners are friendly, and a nice restaurant with an outdoor terrace serves local specialties.

Some of the front rooms at this basic inn have wonderful views, and the staff is extremely knowledgeable about outdoor activities in the area. An on-premises agency arranges water rafting and guided hikes. Alcohol is available and an informal restaurant serves dinner on request.

A series of old houses near the fishponds, now in the hands of the tourism faculty of the local university, offer an enormous range of rooms, some cut out of the rock à la Cappadocia. The rooms are generally large and nicely furnished with wood pieces. Pleasant terraces overlook the park, lake, and castle.