Yunak Evleri

Yunak Evleri is one of the most atmospheric places to stay in Cappadocia, and the best choice if you would rather base yourself in a real town than a tourist village. It is carved into the cliff face of the old Temenni quarter of Ürgüp, an ancient town of stone houses and Ottoman and Greek mansions at the eastern edge of the region. The hotel describes its cave rooms as dating back to the fifth and sixth centuries, cut into the soft rock and restored with care, and alongside them stands a nineteenth-century Greek mansion, a reminder of the Greek Orthodox families who lived in Ürgüp until the population exchange of the 1920s. Rooms are spread over the cliff in a series of cave houses linked by stone stairways and courtyards, with vaulted ceilings, stone walls, Turkish rugs, antique furniture and modern bathrooms, and some suites add private terraces or an interior pool. The hotel's Caverna Restaurant sits on the hill with indoor and outdoor seating and terraces overlooking Cappadocia, serving local and international dishes with Cappadocian wine, and the Yunak Spa offers treatments. Expedia lists a buffet breakfast, which may carry a surcharge depending on the rate, a seasonal outdoor pool and no on-site parking, so check these details when you book. The centre of Ürgüp, with its wineries, restaurants and shops, is a short walk downhill, and the hotel has long featured in lists of the world's most unusual hotels.

Location and getting around: Ürgüp is about fifteen to twenty minutes by car from Göreme and makes an excellent base for exploring the region, with its own bus station, taxis and tour pickups. The town has a more lived-in feel than Göreme, with local shops, a weekly market and several wineries, including some of the best-known in Cappadocia, where you can taste local grapes such as Emir and Öküzgözü. Balloon operators and day tours collect from Ürgüp hotels, and the Göreme Open-Air Museum, Ortahisar and the Rose and Red Valleys are a short drive away. Parking is not on site, so if you have a hire car, ask the hotel where to leave it.

Rooms and who it suits: Yunak suits couples and travellers who want character, quiet and good food rather than a resort, and who appreciate a historic setting. Many rooms are reached by stone staircases up the cliff, some with a fair number of steps, so ask for a lower room if stairs are a problem. Rooms differ in size and light, as cave rooms do, and the suites with terraces or interior pools are worth the upgrade for a special trip.

Good to know: balloons usually launch to the west of Ürgüp, so the views from Yunak's terraces show them in the distance rather than overhead; if watching the balloons from your terrace is a priority, Göreme or Uçhisar is better. Confirm whether breakfast is included in your rate. In November the outdoor pool will be closed, but the spa, the restaurant's warm interior and the town's wine bars make up for it.