Travel indulgence of the month
Try to imagine the most opulent, out-of-this-world hotel ever built - and you'll probably come somewhere close to picturing the Mardan Palace, which opens on the Turkish Riviera this month.
Nestling on the sun-kissed Mediterranean coast and surrounded by the dramatic Taurus Mountains, it's being billed as the country's first luxury destination resort - and looks set to become a big favourite with jet-setters, celebrities and once-in-a-lifetime holidaymakers alike.
The building itself reflects the distinct architecture of Istanbul: the main hotel resembles the famous Domlabahce Palace, while bridges across the pool are based on Leonardo Da Vinci's original designs for the Galata Bridge. What's more, decorative touches around the resort include some amazing pieces that date back to the Ottoman era.
But the feature we're most excited about is the Mediterranean's largest swimming pool. And if you don't think your breast-stroke is good enough to get you from one side to the other, you can always jump in one of the gondolas that are on hand to sail guests across the pool! There's also a manmade reef where you can get up close and personal with tropical fish.
Other must-sees include a hamman-style spa and health centre featuring a vitamin and champagne bar, oriental steam bath and three thalasso-therapy pools. Or you can work up an appetite playing tennis, squash, volleyball, golf or showcase your skills on the bowling alley.
As you'd expect there's plenty of gourmet cuisine on offer: the resort houses 10 restaurants including French, Japanese, Russian, Thai and traditional Turkish. If the mood takes you, you can dine à la carte beneath a replica of Istanbul's famous Maiden's Tower.
The price? Well, as you can imagine, all that luxury doesn't come cheap. Rooms start at around 360 euros (£285) a night - but, hey, you're worth it! To find out more, go to www.mardanpalace.com.
