The otherworldly landscape looked so weird and fantastic. It was the first time I’ve seen mushroom-capped fairy chimneys and cities carved in stone…

One of my biggest dreams was to stay in a cave hotel with an epic view of the hot air balloons rising in the morning AND… universe manifested my desire! We booked a room in a wonderful hotel Artemis Cave suites. Images from the rooftop of Artemis and cute spaniel Izmir have been going viral for years and I can see why!

It was the perfect base to explore Cappadocia from and the hotelier couldn’t be more helpful. The staff were super friendly and eager to show us around their hotel. There are many stairs to climb but it makes for good exercise!

Love Valley

What sets this hotel apart from others is the helpfulness of everyone working here. On our first day in Turkey, we wanted to hike in the Love Valley so at a time that was completely convenient to us we were dropped off at no charge. In this day and age who makes such efforts?

Every day we woke up at 5-6 a.m. and went straight to the terrace for breakfast at sunrise. I could have stayed here surrounded by Turkish carpets and colorful cushions with Izmir the spaniel forever!

What’s amazing about Artemis Cave Suites is that they have the best view of all the gorgeous cave hotels of Goreme. There is a good photo spot a two-minute walking distance from the hotel.

We got a beautiful room built into the cave of the hotel. All rooms in Artemis Cave Suites are cave suite style and hewn into the rock: they are cozy and presented at a very high standard.  We stayed in a stone room which had lots of space and it was immaculately clean.

A small window lets in natural light, and a reading nook with pillows and a rug gave the room a cozy feel. The king-size bed was one of the most comfortable we’ve had in a while, and the shower, though small, had surprisingly perfect pressure and water temperature.

We appreciated the modern comforts of hot water and strong Wi-Fi but also loved that the cave walls were left natural and the décor was understated so that you didn’t forget you were in a cave.

To be honest, to get an opportunity to live in a genuine cave inevitably made me feel privileged. I still get goosebumps when I think back to looking out the breakfast room window on that first morning at sunrise and seeing the sky filled with hot air balloons.

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