16 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.

The name of this beautiful old mansion-hotel means "sky" and indeed some of the rooftop rooms open to above; in others, furniture is clustered so nothing touches the extraordinarily well-preserved stonework. Tasteful modern design merges seamlessly throughout with the original craftsmanship, and the breakfasts are particularly special.

These rooms in a series of historic homes with modern additions have stone walls and nice but smallish bathrooms, while suites are especially atmospheric and well worth the extra price. The main building has a breezy terrace with wicker chairs where you can have a drink or a meal and take in the fine view, and a good restaurant serves local dishes in a cavernous space below the hotel.

On the northwest edge of the old town, Urfa's Hilton offers the style and services you'd expect from a top international chain. Modern, plush, and comfortable, it's a relaxed bastion of Westernization in one of Turkey's most conservative cities, although that means there's a total cultural disconnect with the city around it. There is a full range of facilities including a pool and a gym.

Just a block off the main square, the Horon has spacious rooms, friendly service, and a rooftop restaurant where you can enjoy breakfast overlooking the sea. Though it's undergone a number of modern renovations, the local character has been preserved.

Built of local stone, imitating the local architectural style, this sprawling hotel tries to mix Urfa character with five-star luxury by offering spacious and comfortable rooms, with large beds, wood furniture, vaulted ceilings, and bathrooms with mosaic-like tiles and baths. Service is attentive and professional and a pool is cut into a rock chamber under the hotel.

This low stone building has comfortable, clean rooms and good bathrooms, and is the best of the few places to stay on Mt. Nemrut itself. The restaurant is decked out in kilims and rugs (although there are hard benches), and opens to a deck that has a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains and of the stars at night; the food is simple but tasty and the beers are cold. The hotel also has a pleasant garden with cherry and quince trees.

The owners of this hotel have converted their family home perched on the city walls into a beautiful retreat, where stone-walled, vaulted-ceiling rooms are beautifully decorated in a mix of traditional and modern styles and surround an airy courtyard. Dining is on a rooftop terrace or in a vast, stone-walled hall, and a cushioned lounge is the perfect place to relax.

At this attractive 16th-century kervansaray with sandstone walls and vaulted ceilings, rooms are a little dated and on the small side, but you're really paying for the atmosphere and the location. There is a lovely courtyard with a fountain where you can eat dinner or have a drink (unless there's a wedding, which is a frequent occurrence during the summer), and the hotel pool is a welcome sight in Diyarbakır's heat. Rooms on the ground floor don't have air-conditioning, though they tend to stay quite cool even in summer.

A modern building made of traditional local stone, the Reyhani has beautiful upscale rooms and three terraces with views that are the envy of all Mardin. Unfortunately, most of the rooms don't get the views, but the large suites are a worthwhile splurge if you want to take in the Mesopotamian views during your stay. Service is first-rate and the gourmet restaurant serves excellent food though the dinner choice is often limited.

Since opening in 2013, this hotel has quickly become the best option in the Nemrut area with its comfortable and nicely furnished mid-range rooms and a decent range of facilities including a pool and sauna. The covered rooftop breakfast room has what is probably the best view in town.

As the name implies, these bright, decent-size rooms just inside Dağ Kapısı, Diyarbakır's main city gate, offer comfort and sleek modern amenities rather than character. Most guests are businesspeople from western Turkey, but the English-speaking staff is accommodating to tourists as well.

Located in a field on the edge of the east side of the old town, this is the only Syriac-run hotel in Midyat and it's popular with returning former locals.

Two adjacent old houses just below Mardin's landmark Zinciriye Medrese are simple, elegant, and filled with character, with magnificent views from rooms that are comfortable and pleasantly atmospheric but vary greatly in size. The most magnificent room, called the Şark Odasi, or Oriental Room, is a chairless lounge space, with cushions on the floor, and the roof terrace is lovely.