Luxury in today's world holds many meanings. It's seeing the name of the woman who wove your basket bag written on the label inside. It's having someone to go out and dance the night away with. It's being able to fuel your body with locally grown food and the nutrients it actually needs. And it's also, perhaps most undisputedly, sitting on a white sand beach overlooking crystal-clear water and floating islands, only a short walk from some of the world's best-rated restaurants. Add boat trips, tennis and padel courts, and sea-facing rooms that effortlessly toe the line between chic and comfortable (no fancy keypads that turn off every light but the one you're after, and a sweet welcome message from the housekeeping team), and you'll find yourself at D Maris Bay, one of the world's most luxurious resorts, sat on the Datça Peninsula, where the Aegean and Mediterranean seas merge on the southwestern coast of Türkiye, aka the Turkish Riviera.
Now, if you're yet to venture to this part of the world, as I hadn't until earlier this year, take this as your sign to add it to your list first and foremost, regardless of which hotel you choose. Although, I can confirm, I've been back three times and no view is quite as beautiful as the D Maris Bay scape. Set in the centre of a pine-forest nature reserve, a 45-minute drive from the nearest town, its undisturbed beauty really is postcard-worthy. Boat trips, morning run clubs, canoe paddling, guided hikes and diving excursions let you see it in all its glory: wild tortoises, roaming guinea fowl (who did join our morning yoga session, much to my delight), fig and pomegranate trees and all. Be sure to pop the in-room D Maris Habitat book in your beach bag so you can swot up as you stroll, or zoom around on the speedy on-site golf buggies.
Mind you, the sun lounger view is hard to rival, as is the one from the bathtub, if you're more of a log-off-and-lie-down type. For that you have a Dior-branded swimming pool and six beaches to choose from: an adults-only Silence beach with a Zuma beach bar on site, a La Guérite beach club for those wanting a bit of a party, a sun deck for those who aren't too sold on sand (my personal favourite, despite being an avid shell collector), and a handful of kid-friendly hideouts for families. Plus there's Green Hill to sit on and watch the sunset. Choose a different spot each day and you'll easily feel like you've had ten holidays in one.
Choice being the key thing that sets D Maris apart from any other destination, and it's this same element of choice that makes it one of the best resorts I've ever experienced for food.
Take Zuma, the luxury London-born Japanese restaurant specialising in izakaya-style sharing plates, the lettuce being my personal favourite. If that sounds like a dull highlight from one of the most famous restaurants in the world, I encourage you to try it before casting judgement. The famous Salt Bae's Nusr-Et sits along the seafront next door to my favourite, D Maris Kitchen, whose local dishes I've tried and very much failed to recreate almost weekly since coming back to the UK. You'll also find La Guérite, the Cannes hotspot with sister venues in St Barths. Aurora Capri which specialises in pizza. And, a must for anyone who likes a party: Manos, the Greek restaurant that really will transport you inside a great big Greek wedding, plate smashing and all.
And if multiple beaches and every style of cuisine from some of the most famous restaurant brands across the globe weren't enough to keep us entertained, allow me to quickly touch on the expansive range of activities sure to satisfy even the most adventure-seeking among us. For the gymgoers, the Technogym line-up is pretty impressive, and fairly empty if you're an early lifter. Personal training and classes are also available on request. For racquet sports, there are two padel and tennis courts, which welcome seasonal coaches, with Jamie Murray and Gustavo Pratto among the extra-special highlights. E-bike and running routes, diving excursions, watersports from the intense to the easy (though the waterbike is harder than it looks) and sailing are all options as well. And, of course, there's a spa with a number of treatments on offer too.
While I don't have children, nor ventured into the kids' club, I'm told it far exceeds typical soft play and crafting expectations. Created in partnership with Worldwide Kids, one of the world's leading childcare and children's experience consultancies, every element has been curated to help develop creative and social skills.
So, am I head over heels for this hotel? Absolutely. Am I already searching for September and October dates to swan on back? You bet. Although I would say three days here isn't quite long enough, unless of course you opt for the helicopter ride from the airport to the property, saving yourself the long (albeit beautiful) two-hour drive. Four to ten days would be your sweet spot, and you're sure to enjoy every second.
