Straddling the border between Eastern Europe and Western Asia, Turkey has intrigued travellers with its blend of ancient history, dramatic coastline and warm hospitality. Yet nothing prepares you for arriving at Cullinan Belek. The first thing that struck me was the sheer enormity of the property. Spread across 170,000 square metres beside one of Belek’s longest private stretches of coastline, it feels like a beautifully curated village. Home to 11 restaurants, eight swimming pools and a championship 36-hole golf course, everything is connected by winding pathways as golf buggies transport guests around. Yet despite its scale, playful touches keep a personal feel, from roller-skating waiters gliding poolside delivering cocktails to cabanas to staff who remember your exact coffee order.
Within minutes of arriving, I was added to my own WhatsApp group with two personal assistants, a service provided to every guest. Need a restaurant reservation? Extra towels? The day’s Pilates schedule? It is all handled instantly through the chat, making the entire experience feel seamless from the very beginning. Before I had even unpacked, dinner reservations were organised, spa timings appeared and I was asked whether I wanted more water sent to the room. Then I discovered the pillow menu, not a token gesture featuring one or two alternatives, but an entire selection ranging from memory foam and latex to goose down, orthopaedic and anti-snore pillows. It initially made me laugh, until I found myself debating pillow specifications with the same seriousness as choosing a restaurant for dinner.
Relaxation and rejuvenation were firmly on the agenda, and Cullinan absolutely understands the art of slowing down properly. For real privacy and uninterrupted lounging, I would strongly recommend reserving one of the beach or pool cabanas. There is an additional fee, but with a butler on call, a fully stocked mini fridge, waffles with crushed pistachios, extra cocktails and an extensive lunch menu delivered directly to your cabana, it quickly becomes impossible to regret. I often found myself thinking how perfect this would be to return to with my partner and son beside me and after a video call home to catch up and proudly show off the in-water loungers and sunshine to family back in Britain, it felt like the very definition of switching off.
After reluctantly peeling myself away from the cabana, it was time to explore the C’espace Spa, one of the resort’s most impressive spaces. It feels serene from the moment you walk in, with soft lighting, calming scents and a pace that immediately encourages you to slow down. At its heart is the beautiful indoor pool, heated throughout the year, it extends outdoors to allow guests to swim between the indoor and open-air sections, whatever the season. During my stay, it became one of my favourite discoveries and even after the outdoor pools became too chilly for swimming, I found myself floating in wonderfully warm water inside long after sunset. The treatment menu is equally extensive, ranging from traditional hammam rituals to advanced wellness
therapies, but I opted for my very first hot stone massage and every bit of tension I had from work deadlines, flights and motherhood seemed to melt away within minutes. By the end of the treatment, I quite happily spent the rest of the afternoon tucked away in the relaxation room with a jasmine tea.
The gym deserves its own mention, every morning your assistants send over the daily fitness schedule featuring everything from yoga and reformer Pilates to glutes and core classes. I opted for a personal training session with Anna, who was fantastic. She genuinely listened to what I wanted to strengthen postpartum and even recommended exercises to continue once I returned to the UK.
When it comes to dining, I have never experienced anything quite as expansive as Cullinan Belek. The resort is home to an extraordinary collection of restaurants and bars ranging from elegant Italian dining to Greek seafood, Turkish classics and teppanyaki experiences, and despite the scale of the resort, the quality remained consistently high at every venue. My personal favourite was Pascarella, the resort’s Italian restaurant. Fresh pasta, a beautiful terrace and modern interiors made it feel like the sort of place couples accidentally stay in for three hours over a bottle of Barolo. I was also particularly impressed by The Cullinan Bistro, the resort’s 24-hour restaurant, which cooked my late-night steak to medium-rare perfection! For lunch, you are completely spoilt for choice, but Hasir became my favourite daytime spot. The restaurant specialises in Turkish and Ottoman-inspired cuisine, and the pide alone is worth ordering twice. Whilst fully committing to my travel journalist duties, I also stumbled across what became my sweet spot of the resort: the chocolatier and adjoining café. Watching expert chocolatiers carefully prepare delicate creations while sitting with an iced coffee became one of my favourite quieter moments of the trip. My final evening ended up being the highlight of the entire stay. As we arrived at Yamas Greek Restaurant, I initially assumed a wedding party had taken over the venue. Guests dressed in white were dancing and the atmosphere felt wonderfully celebratory.
For a moment, I wondered whether we had wandered into somebody’s reception and would need to find another venue. As it turned out, this was all part of Yamas’ evening entertainment. Once seated with seafood, chilled white wine and sea air, the atmosphere only continued to build. Traditional Greek music filled the restaurant as dancers encouraged guests to join in with plate smashing and celebrations around the tables. Within minutes, strangers were laughing together and the entire restaurant felt less like a hotel venue and more like a joyful wedding celebration.
When it comes to dining, I have never experienced anything quite as expansive as Cullinan Belek. The resort is home to an extraordinary collection of restaurants and bars ranging from elegant Italian dining to Greek seafood, Turkish classics and teppanyaki experiences, and despite the scale of the resort, the quality remained consistently high at every venue. My personal favourite was Pascarella, the resort’s Italian restaurant. Fresh pasta, a beautiful terrace and modern interiors made it feel like the sort of place couples accidentally stay in for three hours over a bottle of Barolo. I was also particularly impressed by The Cullinan Bistro, the resort’s 24-hour restaurant, which cooked my late-night steak to medium-rare perfection! For lunch, you are completely spoilt for choice, but Hasir became my favourite daytime spot. The restaurant specialises in Turkish and Ottoman-inspired cuisine, and the pide alone is worth ordering twice.
Whilst fully committing to my travel journalist duties, I also stumbled across what became my sweet spot of the resort: the chocolatier and adjoining café. Watching expert chocolatiers carefully prepare delicate creations while sitting with an iced coffee became one of my favourite quieter moments of the trip. My final evening ended up being the highlight of the entire stay. As we arrived at Yamas Greek Restaurant, I initially assumed a wedding party had taken over the venue. Guests dressed in white were dancing and the atmosphere felt wonderfully celebratory. For a moment, I wondered whether we had wandered into somebody’s reception and would need to find another venue. As it turned out, this was all part of Yamas’ evening entertainment. Once seated with seafood, chilled white wine and sea air, the atmosphere only continued to build. Traditional Greek music filled the restaurant as dancers encouraged guests to join in with plate smashing and celebrations around the tables. Within minutes, strangers were laughing together and the entire restaurant felt less like a hotel venue and more like a joyful wedding celebration.
If this has inspired you to consider celebrating your wedding here or escaping for a romantic getaway, I would strongly recommend booking one of the family suites or, even better, one of the private villas. Some villa guests even arrive by helicopter thanks to the resort’s private helipad service, which tells you everything about the level of luxury here. Each villa comes with its own designated butler, making them ideal for multi-generational family trips and wedding parties wanting a beautifully private space to get ready. Cullinan Belek balances grand scale with intimacy, wellness with indulgence and glamour with genuine warmth. Long after I left, I found myself still thinking about those roller-skating waiters, the smell of warm pide and dancing barefoot while plates smashed around me.
www.cullinanhotels.com